I just brought home my Grandpa's 1952 Farmall Cub. As far as I know, he bought it new. The last time it was driven was sometime around '84 or '85. Unfortunately it's sat outside ever since. Needless to say it's in pretty sad shape but seems to be pretty solid. There is some sheet metal that's rusted clean through (at either end of the hood assembly), but the hood and gas tank seem intact. I did put a new to me set of tires and wheels as the old ones were dry rotted and in pieces.
Here are a couple of pics for your enjoyment...
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I apologize for the picture resolution. I will have to work on that for future posts.
Here's the data plate in case someone on the board tracks serial numbers in a database...
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The engine is seized, but the rest of the drivetrain seems pretty free. I haven't torn into it yet to see if it's salvageable. That might not happen until Spring. I did find some old posts on this board that mention someone named "Ralph" that was a source for Cub engines. Is he still around the board? Or should I just buy a donor Cub and overhaul that engine.
Obviously I have my work cut out for me. If I just wanted A Cub, I would have brought home something that was in better shape. But, I wanted THIS Cub since it was my Grandpa's. I spent many hours on this thing as a kid when I would visit the farm. I was never allowed to drive it back then and then my Grandparents had to move off the farm about the time I was getting old enough to work with it. I was the last person to drive it though. Back in '84 or '85, I put new plugs, wires, etc. in it and motored around the farm on it. Since there was no one living there at the time, I took the carb off it and it's been in my toolbox ever since. At some point the neighbor hauled it to his place. I never knew until recently that he just had it there so no one else would take it from the farm. He had it in his barn for a while, but then needed room and pushed it out. He did tell me that the engine was already seized when he took it to his place.
I'm looking forward to getting started on this and taking advantage of the incredible knowledge base that I've seen from reading a lot of the threads here!!
May be some additional work involved there.
) but grandpa sat on that seat, and probably put it on there. I hope you know the story of what happened to the original one. Family tractors tell great stories.
Congratulations on keeping the Cub in the family, will have extra meaning WHEN you get it going... may take a lot of work 
"keep the faith", Thirty years is a long time but it can be done. This one is a running tractor now.
