Factory Mates?

[sjgoodin]

I live in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California, which is about 60 miles north of San Francisco. Last weekend, a most curious coincidence occurred. It had been about 10 years since I had started up my 1948 Farmall Cub. It didn't start right up until I cleaned the carburetor, but after that, she ran like a top. I decided then that I should probably do an oil change and went to my local auto parts store. While there I noticed a restored Farmall Cub, similar to mine, on display. I looked it over, checking for similarities and differences to my Cub. I noticed that the 5 digit serial number started with 18, like my Cub. I wrote the whole number down, thinking I would compare it to mine. The serial number was 18640. When I got home I checked my serial number and lo and behold it was 18641. I am not sure when the serial numbers were actually attached but if it was in the factory as they were produced, then these two 70 year old tractors were made side by side and had to have been touched by the same hands! Not only that, but probably shipped to the west coast together and sold from the same IH dealership here in Sonoma County. It also turned out I knew the owner, Bob, only because he knew my father-in-law (now deceased). I called Bob to share the coincidence and to see if there were any other interesting facts about the provenance of these two tractors. He could tell me that his family had acquired it used from the "Millers" in the mid-50's. Bob sold it at some time but then later reacquired and restored it. I purchased my tractor through my father-in-law in the mid-80's from an older woman in nearby Santa Rosa, California. So I wonder, is there any other Cub owner who happens to know where their "factory mate" is? Oh, and BTW, I love living in a small town where something like this can happen!

[ricky racer]

Great story!! Thanks for sharing!!

[Bob McCarty]

Great story!! Thanks for sharing!!

And welcome to the Forum. Let us know if we can be of any help.

[tst]

I have two red long stripes right now that are 3 digits apart and two 61 loboys that are 5 apart

[coppersmythe]

very interesting story . thanks also for taking the time to post , coppersmythe................

[Urbish]

Great story! I once owned two identical (same color inside and out and same options/trim level) 1986 Dodge Diplomats that were 14 digits apart. I bought them both in the late 1990's about 200 miles apart. Your story takes the cake though.

[Eugene]

Years ago I was talking with, guessing, the 90 year owner of the local IH dealership. He said that he would order a rail car or two of IH tractors at a time.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were a number of IH tractors in the area with adjacent serial numbers.

[Barnyard]

Bear in Illinois once had three 1955 FCubs with serial numbers 191155, 191156 and 191158.

[coppersmythe]

I suspect that the "over-engineering" of the cub , may be part of why so many survivors are close cousins. Coppersmythe..............ps: think about it , what we call overengineering now was called " 12 year life " years ago.

[sjgoodin]

Here are some photos of the cubs.

[Stanton]

That’s a good story. Thanks for sharing!