[AT] Spam> Santa was good to me - Clark Airborne Dozer - Long

[Herbert Metz]

Keith
Thaks for sharing.  
It is good to know that your perserverance paid off.
Herb

> [Original Message]
> From: Keith Kinney <kkinney at herculesengines.com>
> To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Date: 12/31/2007 1:02:38 AM
> Subject: [AT] Spam> Santa was good to me - Clark Airborne Dozer - Long
>
> One thing I've learned in this hobby is that some times you have to 
> wait a long time before you're about to close a deal.  This story 
> starts back in 1975 or 76.  I was in high school and had been 
> collecting engines and tractors for a few years.  A friend of mine 
> told me about his neighbor who had some old engines and tractors 
> parked around the farm.  It was about 2 miles from my house and one 
> afternoon he took me to the neighbors and we visited with the elderly 
> man.  He showed us around his place and he did have a bunch of old 
> equipment.  But, didn't want to part with any of it.  I did notice in 
> has barn he had several magnetos for gas engines.  After talking with 
> him he indicated that he worked for a company that did warranty work 
> for the Hercules Gas Engine company after Hercules had stopped 
> producing engines.  One thing he showed us was this small bulldozer 
> that he told us was used during WWII.  They were parachuted into 
> remote areas to build roads and runways for advancing 
> troops.   Pretty cool stuff.
>
> Fast forward to 1991.  I had some frequent flier miles I needed to 
> use so my dad and I flew out to Oregon and toured to state including 
> a trip to the Brooks Oregon show.  While in Oregon we ran across this 
> small little dozer that we were told was used by the forestry service 
> to reach remote areas.  It was real cute and we thought we'd like to 
> find one like it someday.  We'll after returning home we kept our 
> eyes out for one.  We found a pair of them (or so we thought)  for 
> sale in Spokane, Washington, a long way from Indiana.  Well after 
> talking with the seller he was able to arrange some economical 
> shipping and we were soon the owners of two  Clark Airborne 
> Dozers.  We bought em with the idea of taking two to make one good 
> one.  After getting them home we figured out they were not the same 
> dozer we had witnessed in Oregon but we liked them better because of 
> the war connection and their rarity.  Only 2500 of these were ever 
> produced.  We got them home and started restoration on one but, like 
> many projects it got pushed to the side and we still don't have it done.
>
> Fast forward again to about 1998.   While talking to a parent of a 
> school mate of my daughter I learned that he was the grandson of the 
> man who I had visited with back in the mid 70's.  The grandson now 
> lived on the farm and yes he still had most of the old stuff his 
> grandfather had show us so many years before.  I asked if I could 
> come over and look around and he was receptive.  We had a nice visit 
> and did purchase a 1.5 HP Fairbanks Morse hit and miss engine, a 
> water pump, an Elkhart magneto, several webster magnetos and a 
> Standard Twin garden tractor.  He still had the little dozer but he 
> didn't want to part with the dozer.
>
> Fast forward to the spring of 1997.  I received a call from the man 
> with the dozer.  Keep in mind this is within a couple of miles from 
> our house.  He asked if I was still interested in the little 
> dozer.  Well you know what my answer was.  He said the barn had 
> fallen down and he didn't think he would ever get around to doing 
> anything with the dozer.  Dad and I went to take a look and it was 
> sad to see this jewel sitting with the exhaust exposed with barn 
> debris all over it.  We talked money and we were pretty far 
> apart.   After all who needs three of these things. :-)  I happened 
> to run into him again a few weeks later while standing in line at the 
> bank.  I made him a cash offer but we were still a few hundred dollars
apart.
>
> Fast forward to this fall.  I received another call from the dozer 
> owner and he offered to split the difference on the price.  He didn't 
> want to see the dozer go through another winter out in the open.  I 
> agreed on the price and the deal was made.  We finally had an 
> opportunity to go pick the dozer up on December 26, 2007.  Pictures 
> of the dozer and the story can be seen here:
> http://www.herculesengines.com/clarkair/default.htm
>
> The thing that appealed to us on this dozer is that it is very 
> complete with all the little bells and whistles that are often 
> missing.  Little things like the hooks that were used to secure the 
> parachute lines to the dozer.   It also came with an extra set of 
> tracks and extra drive cogs.  So at this point in time we are going 
> to try to get this dozer running and operable and at a later date do 
> a total restoration.  We also plan to sell the other two dozers that we
have.
>
> One other interesting thing about this project.  About 10 or so years 
> ago I ran across a man who had bought out the remaining stock of 
> parts from when production was shut down in the 1940's.  He had two 
> semi trailers full of NOS parts.  We were able to purchase new 
> hydraulic cylinders for the dozer blade, new set frames and cushions 
> still wrapped in their original paper, new steering clutches, new 
> tracks and other misc. parts.  Quite a find.
>
> So that's the story for now.  We started by getting 2 tractors that 
> were over 2500 miles from home and ended up with a nicer one just 2 
> miles from home that we'd first seen some 30 or so years ago.
>
> Keith
>
>
>
> Keith Kinney
> Evansville, Indiana  USA
> www.HerculesEngines.com
>
>
>
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