Bought a 169, maybe
 

Brought home a cub with a K341 engine (that's the decal on the tin), manual 3 point lift with spring assist, hour meter with 542 hours, hydro drive. Problem is the serial number plate has been removed, as have the 169 decal on the sides.
Seller advertised it as a "16 hp Cub Cadet", called it a 169 when I went to see it.
Had thought about a complete restore, like I did on my 149, but without the serial number plate, will probably transplant the K341 in my cc149 and part the rest.
I'll post a photo later.

An interesting dilemma. What makes a tractor a particular model? Sounds like you have one that is most all there except for the sn plate. I started one recently where I'm using an old frame, but many of the parts from different tractors (same model just not original parts). Not sure how this is viewed.

With cars there are matching numbers, but not tractors to my knowledge.

And what if the serial plate has been taken off to paint, and then riveted back on? Does this make people suspicious?

Of course functionally its a 169. But not sure that counts to a collector.

Of course, could be worth as much for parts as a complete tractor.

i believe the 169 came standard with hydraulic lift but i could be wrong.

you're wrong. it was optional. there's allot of manual lift 169's out there

OK, I was once told The 149 and 169 came standard with hydro lift but I haven't been around enough hydro tractors to know for sure.

149s, standard. 169s, not. I've read they ran out of hydraulic parts at the factory and put manual lifts on them at that time.

Standard lift on the 149 and 169 was the hydro lift.
IH ran out of hydro lifts during the production run of the 169 so they installed the ported hydro pump. The owner of a 169 could purchase the hydro lift later on.

Thanks for the info