Bought my first Original
WOW! Did I buy a project! This Original is a 62 and is a barn find. It has been sitting in the barn for the last 7 years. It has surface rust through out. The previous owner said it ran when they stored it. The throttle cable and choke cable are frozen and need to be replaced. The carb is a mess. I have taken it off and it is soaking to remove the varnish and free up the valves. I have taken off the head and discovered that an overhaul is in order. It did come with a deck but the sheet metal is shot. The good side is all the parts are there. The deck is easy to rebuild because of the square design so I may rebuild the deck. It needs new tires and possibly rims and the seat is fractured as well.
I paid $225 for the cub. It had wheel weights so I sold them to my son for $100. I have $125.00 invested so now what to do. Do I restore it to original condition or modify it? What is the value after a factory restoration?
Here are my thoughts. Since I have to buy rims and rubber, why not put on a pair of 23 x 10.5 x 12 ag tires and put on a wider ribbed tire on the front. I'm also thinking of an exhaust stack and painting it IH red. The thought of a tricycle front end has crossed my mind. I want to put on a comfortable high backed seat as well.
My thoughts may be committing blasphemy to some but what are your thoughts and ideas? I'm wanting to do something different but at the same time do it right.
|