Starting at the beginning...
 

Well, I'm new to this forum but am an active member on others, such as MTF, GTT, and WFM. I'm mainly a JD guy, my main garden tractor being a '73 140 H3. I stumbled upon this little guy a month-or-so ago, and decided that I would like to have a smaller machine for lighter-duty work, such as pulling a trailer or just carrying me around when I'm feeling lazy. :biggrin2: It is a 1961 Cub Cadet "Original", and I believe the serial number (9679) dates it to May of the previously stated year. It has one of the original collared spindles, and one from a later Cub, with a bolt holing it on. I have replaced some of the parts and made a few modifications to make it more functional. It took me an entire day to just get that one spindle out and loosened up. :bash2: I plan to do a mechanical restoration and a few modifications to make it my own, although nothing that will make the "purists" cringe. It has a K-161 on it (545520?), that was missing 90% of its parts. I got it running tonight and found out really quickly that it smokes... I am going to buy another engine, that is more complete, this weekend to drop into it. I am very excited to get this machine going, but am taking my sweet ol' time because I don't want to mess anything up and want to enjoy it. I guess I'll just use this as my project thread. Now, onto the pics, starting from when I got it, until present!

Welcome to OCC! Good luck with your O!

:Welcome2:

Congrats on the O! Looking forward to your pics!

Thank you. Im 16, and still doing school work, and other chores but I get out to work on my tractors once in a while and I really enjoy the alone time. Thats why Im taking my time getting parts and actually putting it together. I may repaint it in the future.

Nice purchase. You'll quickly discover that the IH machines are vastly superior to anything green you've owned. :biggrin2:

Congrats on the O and good luck! Keep posting the pics looking good so far!

Well any cub but the O, they are different to any other cub IH made and the weakest designed one in my opinion. I think they were a great start but the newer frames added a ton of reliability but I work my equipment no lazy days for them! I think they are very awesome to collect and look at though!! Here's what it should look like when your done!!

I have to disagree with that. I owned a 149 a year-or-so ago and didn't like how jumpy the hydro was. I just couldn't get it adjusted. :beatdeadhorse: I don't like any one brand more than another, but the 140 is just the strongest machine I have ever owned and I have no plans to sell it in the future.

My frame seems sturdy enough for what I plan. As I said, its going to be a light-duty machine. I might install wheel weights on it, but that will most likely be the only "attachment" and only to keep traction on some of our hills. I might also make a weight for the front out of a scrap block of steel. :bigthink:

Take a close look at the tabs where the frame meets the rear end!! They are not weak machines just not as strong as other cubs because of that location tends to be stressed or be bent/broken if over worked.