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British Wallis

As Joe mentioned recently in another thread last Saturday saw the Annual Cheffins Spring Vintage Auction take place on their huge permanent sale grounds at Sutton near Cambridge, with 3,500 lots of literature, spares, vintage tractors, cars, mtorcycles, steam engines, and related machinery all sold in one day with five rings operating at once, which gives you the run around if looking at lots to buy in different sections. It was a pouring wet day and very cold too, but that did not put off the large crowds which attended.

Of special interest was lot number 3229 a British Wallis tractor, serial number 1493, a tractor which had been consigned to the sale from it's owner in Northern Ireland and originally spent it's working life in New Zealand. Over the years it has suffered several modifications including the steering mechanism which had an interesting reduction on the shaft  and an automotive style steering box fitted, together with none original carburetor, missing air cleaner etc.
It was knocked down eventually for £33,500.00 plus buyers premium and tax to a Norfolk collector of early tractors. The price in US funds at todays conversion rate was $54,383.12 plus $3,262.99 5% buyers premium and 20% tax on the premium, bringing the total to $57,646.10

Enjoy the attached photo's.

Malcolm.
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RE:British Wallis

Wow!! Nice looking tractor would the new owner in Norfolk happen to be Bob Parke?? The steering looks as it could be put back to original pretty easily most of the parts look to be there anyway. What was in the gunny sack on the back of the tractor? was it extra parts or was that the sack of gold the new buyer had to give up to purchase the tractor??

This tractor sold a quite a bit lower than the last one is it because of the times or was that one in better shape?

Well as I said before we were cheering for you Malcolm but I guess the wind was blowing the wrong way, Oh well I hope it went to someone you know so you may at least get to drive it someday or we could possibly have a look at it in person on our next adventure.

Thanks for posting the pictures and keeping us updated.
Joe

RE:British Wallis

Wow! just looking at some old pictures I didn't realize that this tractor was so close in Serial number to Robert Crawfords There is quite a difference in the hood and gas tank were thest two tractors close to the changeover to a new style?
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RE:British Wallis

The Wallis has gone to a gentleman who has been collecting tractors for several years and likes the older ones in his collection, including some very rare US Prairie tractors, he supports many shows and events throughout the country and loves to work and enjoy his tractors, so I know we will see this lovely tractor on our Carrington Rally field one day and I know I shall get a drive. The other side of the coin is this person and his son have been very successful in business, but tragically his son of  just 32 years died during his sleep just before Christmas, his mum and dad is just coming through all the heartache and I sincerely hope the British Wallis and Overtime (Waterloo Boy) which he bought on Saturday brings both Roger and Fran some HAPPINESS because they deserve it with what they have been through, I am sure none of us can imagine this unless you have been in the same situation.

That hopefully explains the situation without turning this great thread into "a political debate" about our current economic climate here and the way the Government are dealing with the situation.

Enjoy the tractors!!!


Here is another lovely tractor from down under Australia at the same sale, a lovely original M-H 745 with Perkins L4 Diesel engine.

Malcolm.
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RE:British Wallis

Joe,

Talking about the two styles of British Wallis and you noticing the serial numbers are so close together. We know there are several survived in Australia and New Zealand, together with the four in UK now and one still in Ireland, (20 as per David Parfitt's register). the mjority of these tractors are the later model with flat bonnet (hood), my personal view is that the early sloping bonnet (hood) tractor had a much smaller size of radiator with less coolant capacity and when the tractor was worked hard they boiled, I am sure that brought on the re design and larger taller radiator, just as we saw with the US Model K  tin top radiator being replaced with the larger capacity "high top" cast iron radiator.

The sack on the platform of the tractor contained a few useful steering parts etc, didn't see any gold in there Joe!! as you say would not take too much to get her back to how she left the factory, the hardest and almost  impossible part to find will be the carburetor, although I do have the blueprint drawing of the carburetor, so who knows possibly a new one could be made??  Robert Crawford's tractor was missing the carb too, he could not locate one and fitted a brass Ensign from an early I-H tractor.

Malcolm.

RE:British Wallis

It seems a while since we discussed a few details of the British Wallis on here, as we have touched on the US built Wallis Certified 20-30 on one of the other threads recently and a copy of the certificate posted which was sent out with each Certified new tractor.
I thought it would be good to look at the "Guarantee" for the British Wallis tractor built in Lincoln, England, togehter with the specification sheet and price detail dated 1923.

Malcolm.

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RE:British Wallis

Malcolm:

Great piece!! Have you ever in your travels come across one of these that actually has a serial # stamped on it for a specific tractor??  I have only personally seen three "Certified Documents"  here in the US with stamped numbers but I am sure there are many more out there still existing.

Joe

RE:British Wallis

So far Joe this is the only original copy of the Gaurantee I have found, so not seen one signed or with a tractor serial number written.

I know from the 1970's through to the late 90's the only surviving British Wallis in England was rescued by the late Derek Hackett and then sold to the late John Moffat and became part of his Hunday collection which then sold to The Stapehill Museum and then sold into private ownership in the last ten years or so, I had confirmation from Derek many years ago that this tractor did not have a Guarantee Certificate with it when he found it derelect.
We now have more recent imports of both styles of the British Wallis from down under and I have not heard of any original paperwork with them.

Malcolm.


RE:British Wallis

Last night I found the photograph which Derek Hackett gave me many years ago, he had written on the back "bought the British Wallis 1958"
His Cub Junior which also went into The John Moffit Hunday collection and now being brought back to life privately owned in Kent he bought in 1960.

Malcolm.
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RE:British Wallis

Here is an old very distorted copy of a photograph taken in Lincolnshire in the late 20's of a British Wallis pulling a binder.

Malcolm.
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