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

[Larry D Goss]

Keith, are you bringing any of this out to SIAM this summer?  Even in "field 
fresh" condition, it would make for lots of tire kicking (or tread kicking 
as the case may be.)


Larry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Kinney" <kkinney at herculesengines.com>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 12:02 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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