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

[Larry D Goss]

Yes, it is the big friendly guy from Fayetteville.  I presume you know that 
he's the chief inspector on all the Delta planes leaving Atlanta after 
having maintenance done.  Nice guy.  Does meticulous work.  But I wouldn't 
have the responsibility of his job for anything.

It's the first year of production, Herb.  All that's necessary would be to 
buy a tractor with a lower serial number.  1946 started with SN 101 and goes 
through SN 149.  I have number 191.  There are 10 tractors with lower serial 
numbers that we know the locations of.  Half of them are 1946 models.

Larry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herbert Metz" <metz-h.b at mindspring.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 1:58 PM
Subject: [AT] FW: Re: Spam> Santa was good to me - Clark Airborne 
Dozer -Long


>
>> 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
>
>
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