Fordlords
The prototypes were normally destroyed rather than sold to the general public I was told by a former IH engineer, unless they were sold to employees. The prototype #409 I had was sold to Frank Majer, an Electrical Test Engineer at the Hinsdale Test Center. I bought it from his son. The prototypes were built without a serial number, and were "tracked" by the "Q" number assigned by the test center (409 was QFE-1911). When the tractors were released or sold, the "Q" tag was removed and the 4XX serial number was stamped into the gear reduction housing. The numbers 401 - 410 were used on the 10 prototypes built in Louisville between Oct 5-14 1960. The number 411 was stamped into the only known engineering prototype build at Hinsdale, to exist. Although it is older than the 10 built in Louisville, it was sold after the Louisville built tractors. 411 was bought by Dave Stevenson who was the Cub Cadet test manager, for use by his father-in-law. It was then sold to Harold Schramm in 2001 or 2002 , who then had it restored. Harold was a former IH engineer that had a hand in the design of the original Cub Cadet, and after his untimely death in 2004, 411 was sold last year to a collector in MA.
To answer you question as to why I sold 510 and the others......... because I got tired of worring about them. I have hauled Cub Cadets to shows from Iowa to Massachusetts, and from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, multiple times in some cases. I was pulling an 18' trailer that contained a Prototype (409), a test tractor (510), and line setup tractor (556 and I went to AZ to get it), and a first month of production tractor (1063), plus two others of various models. Whether is was travling down the interstate at 65-70 mph or setting in a motel parking lot or on a show grounds over night, that was at least 3 Cub Cadets that were not replaceable and at least 1 that would be difficult to replace, if anything happened to them . I enjoyed the tractors, I enjoyed refurbishing them, I enjoyed taking them to shows for people to see, and I enjoyed the people I met because of them, but I did not enjoy worrying about them, so I sold them to other collectors.
I still have Cub Cadets, I still haul them to shows, and I still enjoy refurbishing them (although that gets harder as I get older), but what I now have are common models that are still fairly easy to find, they can be replaced if something happens to them. I have a Hi-Clear version that I built from a model 100 , and I am working on an Orchard version of a 100, but if something happens to them, I can still build another.
It was a fairly rare feat to be able to assemble those 4 tractors, and it fullfilled a desire or goal, but I don't miss them. I enjoyed them when I had them, but after a while I felt it was time someone else had the chance to enjoy them, and for me to move on to something else. After all, for me, the fun part is the refurbishing part, when they are done and just set there with people looking at them, they are boring, and those were a little to rare to do much more than sit and look nice, or maybe to drive around in a parade if it's not too long :lol: .
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Paul, Congratulations on earning your way to the (501) Club.
Often with most prototype machines after the testing they go back to the company and are torn down/evaluated and never see the light of day out in the world again.