4596 Co. Home Rd., Delaware, Ohio 43015
A picture in an old family album has led to this story and the
restoration of a 1919 IHC 8-16 tractor I now own. I received a lead
that a tractor with this description was in Michigan and might be
for sale. Several letters and more phone calls finally got me in
touch with the owner. The price was negotiated as to the condition
described and a trip was planned to go and get the tractor.
As usual, my wife and I forgot our camera, so the unique setting
of this old logging camp and a rustic bank barn where the tractor
was buried under a fallen down hay mow will never be reproduced in
a picture. But the vision of this ‘find’ will always be in
my mind.
After returning home and looking over the almost complete but
rusty 8-16 I put out a call in the GEM asking for any
information on the tractor. I can’t say how many letters from
all over the United States, and one from Canada, I received with
all the information I needed.
I don’t keep track of my time, but I do know it took 18
hours with a commercial sand blaster to take off the rust. I got
the tractor together 3 days before I planned to go to Mt. Pleasant,
Iowa, as the reward for finishing the job.
This experience was worth all the effort taken to restore the
tractor and a big ‘Thank you’ is in order for everyone at
that show for a wonderful time. I also want to express my
appreciation to GEM for making a way possible to secure
information to people interested in this kind of a hobby.
My 8-16 is the early 1919 model with the Madison Kipp oiler
serial # VB 5345. I am now working on a 17-30 Cross Engine
Minneapolis # 2289 that I still need year and other information
on.