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

[Herbert Metz]

> Larry
> If that is the big friendly guy from Fayetteville, I visited with him
again this year at Asheville.  Don't believe he exhibited as he was on his
way elsewhere?
> The other question; what would you have to do (or acquire) to cover the
one year that you currently lack?      and is that the first year or last
year?
> Happy New Year
> Herb
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: Larry D Goss <rlgoss at evansville.net>
> > To: Antique tractor email discussion group
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> > Date: 1/1/2008 2:14:37 PM
> > Subject: Re: [AT] Spam> Santa was good to me - Clark Airborne Dozer - 
Long
> >
> > That would be worthwhile seeing whether running or not, Keith.
> >
> > Last year at SIAM, a fellow collector from Georgia brought two of his
more 
> > unique Power Kings up for SIAM and between the two of us we had 8
tractors 
> > at the show.  Most of mine are working tractors, so they weren't
necessarily 
> > very pretty, but we covered better than 30 years of production.  We
were 
> > joined by a couple other PK owners for a total of 11 tractors.  We're 
> > planning on doing the same thing again this year and we may even be
able to 
> > work in a tour of Mission Manufacturing up in Princeton.  Since they
are the 
> > major supplier of all PK parts, it's a natural attraction -- they're
only 20 
> > miles away from the show grounds.  If I take all of mine to the show,
we'll 
> > cover 48 years of production and the company only lasted for 49 years.
> >
> > Larry
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Keith Kinney" <kkinney at herculesengines.com>
> > To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 12:54 AM
> > Subject: Re: [AT] Spam> Santa was good to me - Clark Airborne Dozer -
Long
> >
> >
> > > 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