[Farmall] 1952 Super C

[Bob Currie]

Very good Art. I'm glad to see one of the long time list people get that 
tractor. I met Paul and Geoff a few years back when I was hanging around 
Edgerton, WI with the other cheese heads. I saw some pictures of Geoffs 
first project, and had this Super C been a few states closer to me, I would 
have certainly been in the bidding for it. Also, good story on hauling your 
tractor, and the importance of staying on top of things as you roll along 
the roadways.

bobcurrie

At 06:55 PM 7/16/06, you wrote:
>    The past few days have been an exciting time for me as I traveled to 
> WI with my wife Beverly to pick up a 1952 Farmall Super C. This is not 
> just any Super C, but belonged to long time ATIS list member Paul 
> Bazzetta and was completely restored by Geoff Gauger. When I arrived at 
> Paul's home to load the tractor, I was greatly surprised to find Geoff 
> there as well. It was a pleasure meeting both of these gentlemen, and I 
> regret now not having allowed more time to visit before heading down the 
> road to SD.
>
>    As I do not have a great deal of experience with hauling tractors, 
> Paul's assistance made the difference in successfully hauling the tractor 
> to my home. I failed to arrive with enough hardware to tie the tractor 
> down and Paul was able to provide what was needed.
>
>    The return 500 mile trip started well enough late Saturday morning, 
> and after driving a short distance I stopped at a rest area and checked 
> chains and straps and all was tight. Past experience is that I have 
> usually had to snug everything up a bit after a few miles. Stopped for 
> lunch and checked everything again, but only minor adjustments were needed.
>
>    Interstate 94 in WI provided some rough spots, but it was I-90 in MN 
> that really put our handiwork to the test. Unfortunately, I naively 
> thought I had everything under control and did not frequently check the 
> tie downs as the drive continued until too late. Near Albert Lea, MN this 
> lapse of judgment caught up with me. While my wife was driving, the 
> double axle trailer had a blow out of one tire on the right side. 
> Unfortunately, I did not have a spare tire with the trailer!  After a 
> short hike to a gas station near the the Albert Lea exit, I found a 
> towing service to contact, and they referred me to a tire service to 
> better deal with the problem. Of course, it is after 6 PM on a Saturday 
> evening so it was emergency service and about a 45 minute wait.
>
>    While waiting around for the tire service, I was better able to piece 
> together what happened as the trailer tire itself did not simply blow 
> out. The chain attached through a clevis on the drawbar and back to the 
> trailer frame had a tightener on it, and the handle of the tightener was 
> tied down with wire. Somewhere along the line, the rough road and some 
> larger bumps were enough to break the wire and cause the tightener to 
> open and the chain to loosen. I also had a wide strap tightener running 
> from one side to the other of the trailer and across the rear rims of the 
> tractor. After the chain loosened up, the strap also pulled loose and 
> then the metal part of the strap tightener dropped under the tire and 
> flattened it! I have yet to fully appreciate how much force it would take 
> make the lever of the chain tightener held tightly down with wire to come 
> on done, but I am sure it was considerable!
>
>    But the the grin on my face from owning this fully restored Super C is 
> still there in spite of the trailering episode. I am looking forward to 
> showing it off at the Humboldt Threshing Show the second weekend in 
> August, which is held only about 12 miles from me. And IH Collectors SD 
> Chapter 21 will host its state show at Twin Brooks near Milbank, SD the 
> third weekend in August and I plan on being there as well with the Super C!
>
>    Who knows, perhaps with Red Power Roundup slated for WI in 2009 I may 
> be able to have it there so Paul and Geoff can see it again.
>
>    Art
>
>
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