Massey Discussion Forums > Massey Talk > Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive
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RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

That's a great list Tom. Thanks for sharing it!  I see that my tractor is already on it, too. Not sure when that happened, but there are more and more things that I don't remember these days!  

Any chance the link could be posted in a place on this site where it could be more easily found?  Maybe under a new tab at the top with a label of "Reference information" (the paint codes could reside here too) or "Serial number lists".


Jerry Thomas

Batavia, IL

RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

I got a real surprise last weekend when I went to look at another GP to add to my collection. The tractor I bought was his parts tractor but he never took any parts off it so he decided to sell it as he already had two other GPs. The man asked me if I have ever seen a blue GP and if they were ever painted blue from the factory as he found blue in and under every nook and cranny on his tractor. He took me into his shop to have a look, after a short look at his tractor I noticed the White stars on it and instantly I knew the answer to the blue tractor question...

I have been looking for this tractor for over 20 years! I played on this tractor as a kid! This tractor was the second GP I had ever seen in my life, the first one was my Dads then this one witch was owned by the Massey Ferguson dealer  Munson Implement in Cannon Falls, MN.

This tractor was missing the original steering box so they jimmied up a gear box using cable to steer it. The owner of Munson Implement tried for years to buy the steering box of my Dads tractor as it was the only other GP he had ever seen at that time but Dad wouldn't part with his steering box. Good thing he didn't as Dads tractor is in my collection and running good now. If you look at the picture with the wheel laying on the floor just to the right of it is the cable steering they had rigged up on it.

I remember in the summer of 1975 they were working franticly to get this tractor painted up Red White and Blue for the 1976 Bicentennial. I remember him bragging to my dad about the new blue paint that just came out, it was $50.00 per gallon witch was just unheard of at that time but it was guaranteed to not fade for 50 years. I remember my Dad laughing and said he has never seen any paint that don't fade. 

This tractor sat outside the Massey Dealership for several years as their mascot, when the Dealership closed in the mid 80s I believe it was sold on their auction but not sure about that. Years later when I really got into collecting Masseys I always wanted to know what happened to this tractor as it just seemed to disappear.  I really didn't think I would ever see this tractor again as I figured it would have been repainted again by someone years ago and if it was I didn't know the serial number so I had no way of tracing it down. I was really tickled to see this tractor again after all these years as it was a real mystery to me as to where it ever went to.

It is being worked on now and I am sure it will be up and running sometime yet this year. The man who owns it now was wondering what color he should paint it now.  I know if it were mine I would just oil it down and leave it the color it is now as I am sure that I am not the only one out there that remembers this tractor from many moons ago.

I wish I had a picture of what it looked like sitting in front of the Massey Dealership back in 1976 as it really did look sharp back then when all the white stars were still on it... I am sure someone out there has a picture of it from back then but I know I don't because our house burned to the ground in December of 1976 and we lost everything.

Here are a couple pictures of what it looks like now.

Joe
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RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

Neat storry Joe!!  Especially when it was in your own backdoor and you have actually seen it!!  

So will we be seeing a r/w/b GP before long. I don't want to be the only crazy out here with strange paint jobs on Masseys!!

GTE

RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

Gary,

No Red/White/Blue tractor coming any time soon unless he gets sick of it...But I did get the other one home today. As you can see in the pictures below it needs some TLC but for the most part it looks pretty good. Still a little original green paint on the axel joints. Also has hand grips on the steering wheel, must have been for high speed cornering.

I can see how the mistake of making two tractors with the Serial number of 300605 was made now as someone must have caught this one before it got out the door back in 1930. If you look close at the Serial number it was stamped 301139 then someone caught it and stamped over it with the number 301140. I don't think I will have it running for the Fourth of July Parade this weekend but at least I got it home.

Joe
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RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

The green color seems to be light.  It looks alot like Jhn Bush's GP color!!

So do you think someone just dropped the pile of tags and they got out of order or were there two number #39s?!?!?

Another great find.  

BTW - I sat and just watched the pics on the front page tonight - there are some really neat pics on there that I had not taken the time to look at before.  

Good job!!

GTE


RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

Gary,

Glad you took the time to look at all the pictures on the front page, most people don't take the time to notice but we change them up every once in a while.

Just put the final touches on my latest GP # 301140 I got back in June and am very pleased with the way it looks and runs now. The engine was stuck and had a broken off valve and the tractor was needing some parts like radiator, hood, gas tank, carburetor, air box, governor, air tube and elbow just to name a few off the top of my head, Oh yah don't forget the four new tires and tubes...

She starts with the second or third pull of the crank now and purrs like a kitten.

Here are some pictures I took today between the rain showers.

Joe
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RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

Someday!!!!!

GTE

RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

working on another GP today I got back in 2012 SN 303369-66 this tractor is another one with a goofed up serial tag.. it is stamped 66 but it is a 76 inch tractor. This tractor has been sitting about 40 years and I don't have all the parts yet for the Overhead valve engine so I may just put a flathead on it for now until I get all the pieces I need to put the original engine back together then switch it.

It just amazes me how them little critters get into the most difficult places. Here are some pictures of what was in the rear transmission housing. I can't figure out how they got all this stuff in there as the main transmission where all the gearing is still has good oil in it with no nuts or chewings. This little critter had to bring all this stuff up through the top of the transmission climbing over all the gears and bring it to the rear of the tractor to make his new home. I got about three gallons of nuts and chewings out of the rear housing.

Joe
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RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

The attached photos show 1931 MH GP serial number  302294 -66 belonging to Mike Brenneman of Albany, Oregon on display at the recent Ag Show in Albany.  I have seen a number of other GP’s in these colors  displayed on tractor calendars and in magazine articles.  Recognizing that the color is not correct for this tractor I have read or have been told that  although no GP’s left the factory in the red and yellow colors  there were some tractors sold new  painted this way.  As the story goes some GP tractors sitting un-sold on dealers lots were repainted by the dealer in the new factory red and yellow colors( implemented in 1937?)   in hopes that this would help them sell.  Also if the owner purchased parts for a GP after the color change then the part received would be either red or yellow.

 Is there any truth to this or is it pure folklore? Do you know of any real instances that this took place?  Thank you, Alan Painter, Brownsville, Oregon.

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RE:Massey Harris General Purpose Four Wheel Drive

Alan,

Nice looking tractor !! When it comes to colors on the GPs you will find just about every color in the book, I don't think I've ever seen two painted the same color yet. I guess it is just up to the owner as to what color they want but for the most part the early flatheads were a darker grey or lighter green and the later 36 and newer were dark green when they left the factory but I believe there were some red flatheads sent out of the factory possibly special order from the customer???

I was working on one of my GPs last week pulling the front drop box apart to replace some berrings and the small bull drive gear so I had to pull the wheel off to get at what I wanted to replace. I get many phone calls about GPs about how to pull the wheels off so I thought I would snap a couple pictures and post them so people can see what I am talking about.

I made a puller sometime back, it is very simple but works. This perticular wheel put up a good fight and I had to heat it 4 times so I am sure I will be needing a new wheel seal when I get done with this project. 

Joe
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