Route 2, Box 87 Concord, Virginia 24538
These are pictures of my 1912 New Holland, horsepower hit and
miss engine, serial number 2287, which I purchased in February of
1994.
In December of 1993, I placed an ad in a newspaper looking for
old engines. One evening I received a telephone call from an 80
year old gentleman telling me he had a small engine his father had
bought that he would be willing to sell. The following weekend I
traveled to his home, and there in his shop sat this little
engine.
It was missing the muffler, exhaust lever spring, trip rod, and
crank guard. Otherwise, it was complete. He had saved the nameplate
from the crank guard and both serial numbers on the flywheels
matched. The exhaust lever had been broken many years ago, and his
father had formed some backing plates and riveted it together.
Through some make-shift springs, rod and home-made coil from
welding rods and wire, the owner had it in running condition. We
agreed upon a price and I headed home with my prize.
I took the engine to a number of shows in Virginia and North
Carolina during the summer of 1994, and ran it in the same
condition as I had found it. Meanwhile, I located an exhaust lever
spring, trip rod, muffler, and made a crank guard from a template
that my Florida friend Jack Wolcott furnished.
During this past winter, I completely disassembled the engine,
poured a new rod bearing for the crank, and made a bushings and
wrist pin for the piston. Not wanting to take away from the
original owner’s rivet repair work, I welded the exhaust lever
together to keep rivets from working loose. Three coats of paint,
some pin striping, trucks, and engine is ready for this year’s
shows.
