Chrome emblems on a '48 Cub

[LunaRavens]

Howdy!

I have a 1948 farmall cub (serial #16316) it is all original and has chrome emblems that read "Farmall Cub" on the sides. i have never seen another cub like it and everyone tells me it is too early to have chrome emblems on it. One person at a tractor show told me it must have been a show room model, another tells me they must have bought it after 1955 and had them added, and another person says they must have had it modified post 1950. As you can guess I am very confused on the state on my cub and its emblems. Is there anyone that can give me an answer on that? I bought the Cub for the original owner's grandson and he said that his grandpa never restored it, and is original as far as he knew. Any help would be nice!

Thank you,
Luna

[Urbish]

I would say that the original owner's grandson was mistaken.

[Urbish]

I have seen many times where the provenance or history of an item, especially one of significant sentimental value, gets muddied up as it is passed down through a family. When told a particular thing their whole life, people tend to profess that 'fact' to others with high certainty.

Case in point: My grandfather was a WWII Navy Veteran. He had a Ruger Mark I .22 pistol that was passed down to my dad. With my dad's recent passing, my brother and I are both interested in acquiring it. My brother would swear on his life that it is the service pistol my grandfather carried in the war, because someone told him that at some point many years ago. I know better as that particular firearm was first manufactured in 1950 (and Ruger had only been established in 1949). I've tried to correct him on this, but it is so ingrained that there is no reckoning with him.

[Glen]

Hi,
A pic of it would be nice.
1947 - mid 1954 had the same hood and grille style, with name decals.
The 1st style of metal names was used from late 1954 - mid 1958.
The 2nd style of metal names was used from mid 1958 - 1964.

Below are pages from the Cub parts manual showing the different styles of hoods, grilles, and names used. It shows the serial numbers when they were made.
A 1948 Cub would have originally had name decals, that said McCormick Deering Farmall Cub.

The 2nd and 3rd Cubs in the pics have metal names.

http://www.farmallcub.info/manuals/cub_ ... 000-11.jpg

http://www.farmallcub.info/manuals/cub_ ... 000-12.jpg

Below is a listing at TM Tractor for a new metal name, it shows the serial numbers it was used, and has close up pics.

http://www.tmtractor.com/new/tg/817fp.htm

The next metal name style was a long rectangular plate.

Below are the decals at TM Tractor that a 1948 Cub would have, you can look at the pics.

http://www.tmtractor.com/new/de/dek266.htm

Below is a page of decals, a 1948 Cub uses the 2nd listing on the page.

http://www.tmtractor.com/new/de/de_005.htm

[LunaRavens]

Here is a pic of her

[Glen]

Hi,
Thanks for the pic.
It looks like someone put the late 1954 - mid 1958 names on the hood.

When it is dark, try using a bright work light, up close to the hood, and at different angles, and see if you can see the original decal's letters under the paint.

[LunaRavens]

i just got back inside from blasting my work lights at it since it is in my enclosed shop. i do not see any trace of decals under the lettering nor any weird paint issues. i am at a loss for what is up with it, the only thing i can think of is it was done at a dealership. I guess now my question is, was that a thing IH did back in the days? i know of the blue ribbon program but, i was under the impression that it was only for restoring older tractors to re-sell them.

[Bob McCarty]

It looks like someone put the late 1954 - mid 1958 names on the hood.

Or the hood was replaced with a later one for whatever reason.

[LunaRavens]

from my time spent working on the cub with it almost completely torn apart (they left fuel in it for who knows how long, it varnished the whole fuel system and the electrical system was chewed up) it looks to be original to it, as the paint is the same. Except for the hood extensions or "dog legs". they are a different red from the rest of the tractor. I also checked and can see where the other decals were on it. as i see traces of them on the tractor.

[Nelson 634]

I would suggest more pictures of your cub from different sides and angles. This may help the knowledgeable people here give you better answers. They seem to be able to tell a lot from pictures.

[LunaRavens]

I will try and get some better photos in the morning. I tried to include as many as I had from when I first got it since I had not cleaned it at all. Also included tank getting cleaned out since it was the first time that part had been washed.

[tst]

they are emblems from a newer model that some one added to that tractor

[radioguy41]

According to your serial number (16316) that tractor was born approx Jan 1948. Those hood emblems were not available before mid 1954, more than 6 years after it was born so there's no way it came from the factory that way.

[k hutchins]

With all due respect to the grandson, that tractor has been repainted at some point.
I have a '48 that l know is original because my parents got it from the priginal owner when it was 12 yrs old, and l've personally been operating it for tha last 50 yrs.
It has always been barn stored and still has a lot of it's original red especially on the hood, torque tubes, dash etc.
Yours doesn't seem to have the proper patina for a tractor that age, which leads me to believe that it wasn't a "working tractor", or it was repainted at some point.
The original emblem should read McCormack-Deering over IH Farmall Cub. Steiner tractor has replacements on their site.

[Slim140]

With all due respect to the grandson, that tractor has been repainted at some point

I have to second this. The magneto cap is red, the rear rims are red (should be galvanized, silver) and the head lights are black (should be red).

Here's a link to some original photos showing painting at the factory and color schemes.
viewtopic.php?t=100716