Custom Built Cub Cadet Buggy

Check out Forest Spaulding’s custom-built buggy pieced together using several parts from a cub cadet and various other tractors.

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Forrest Spaulding
Forrest, driver, with his brother-in-law, Earl Brant, who helped to build the buggy.

Enthusiast Forrest Spaulding and three friends planned to attend the Florida Flywheelers Antique Engine & Tractor Show, but mobility was an issue for some of them. The answer: this buggy, pieced together using recycled and custom fabricated parts, much like Frankenstein’s monster. This is how his fascinating homemade utility vehicle came to be.

It’s made up from two Cub Cadet 100 grills welded together, a 7000 Kohler 3hp engine, and a 90-degree gearbox from a different brand riding tractor. The transaxle came from a Cub Cadet along with the steering column and seats. The rear seat is from an old Bronco. The front axle is homemade. The rear axle was extended out to accept Ford model wheels. The shifter is from an Allis-Chalmers WD and is hooked to the transmission by a long rod (as a bus pusher-type would be done). A two-groove pulley was added to the engine. One groove drives the Cub Cadet clutch and transaxle, the second groove is hooked to the Cub Cadet starter/generator.

The engine originally came from an old orchard sprayer which had been sitting in our barn since the 1970s. It had no compression, so we put in new rings and one valve. The bearings were all good. The magneto and carburetor were rebuilt by outside people and presented quite a problem. The magneto was a make and model that parts are not available for. A used set of points was finally found and someone else made a new coil for it. The rust and dirt were cleaned up and it worked. The float in the carburetor had so much solder in it that it wouldn’t float. That and some other parts it needed were made. It was sent back to me with a note saying “try it first before you pay me to make sure it works.” It worked just fine and we didn’t even have to adjust anything. I never did get a bill from him so I ended up driving to his shop on another trip to settle up with him.


Photos provided by Forrest Spaulding and he can be reached at bjspaulding@hotmail.com.

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