- My grandfather's 1951 Super AV where she sits today.
I am planning to restore my grandfather's 1951 Farmall Super AV and plan to use this thread as my restoration log.
My grandfather passed away in Nov. 2013, a few months short of 93 years old. As the story goes, my grandfather and his brother (my great-uncle) bought the tractor together. When they quit vegetable farming it mostly sat idle in my grandfather's barn. When my great-uncle died, his younger brother bought out his half. At some point, he also bought out my grandfather's half. Several years ago my dad approached him about the tractor and he gave it to my dad. The tractor has been parked behind my parents home for a few years now. A few months ago I mentioned to my dad that I would like to restore the old tractor and that is when he shared with me the ownership trail.
The first thing we need to do is get it out of the weather. It has a pretty good layer of rust on it and will require a lot of cosmetic work. On the other hand, Dad seems to think it is in good share mechanically.
Although I am technically inclined, I don't have very much experience with engines, transmissions or the other mechanical aspects of tractors. So, this will be a challenge and huge learning experience as much as a labor of love.
- It took several rounds of reading the plate, and online research of the serial number and what I thought I read on the plate as the model before finally figuring it out. I initially thought the double A "AA" was an M but the serial numbers didn't work out until I finally figured out it was a Super AV.
I am very certain this was the first of many challenges I will encounter with this restoration and what I think I see will not really be what I saw until after I've seen it several times and then I will be certain I saw what I now see.
- I started pulling the currently dead vines from the tractor. However, Mother Nature has something else in store for the tractor at the moment. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a baby bird raising its head for feeding. When I first spotted them only one egg had hatched. Momma Bird was not impressed with my presence so I left but returned an hour later to a second hatchling. By the next morning, the third had hatched.
- After my third visit to check on the babies Momma bird had had enough of me. So I didn't return to the tractor. I will let Momma Bird and Mother Nature do their thing. I will be back to visit my parents in a few weeks and will check on the tractor and its residents then.
