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

Mon Dec 31 22:54:05 PST 2007

Larry
If I can get it running I would love to take it out to the SIAM 
show.  I'll bet it will be a hoot to drive around.
Keith

At 07:59 PM 12/31/2007, you wrote:
>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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Keith Kinney
Evansville, Indiana  USA
www.HerculesEngines.com 