17609 Co. Rd. 71 Forest, Ohio 45843
I thought readers might be interested in what can be done with
material lying around the shop. I call it my miniature pick-up
truck, and it has become extremely popular at antique engine shows
and parades.
The basic tractor is a Polaran Lawn Mower, powered by an 8 HP
electric start Briggs motor. The frame is 7 inches longer to allow
space for a stake rack bed on the back, and leg room in the middle.
Clutch, brake and steering were moved to the left side, so two
people can ride with reasonable ease. Tall people can rest their
feet on the front fenders.
Battery and gas tank are nestled under the hood in front of the
motor and for service, the entire hood hinges for ward. Brass
radiator is a roll of 6 inch wide brass shim stock formed, then
glued, to heavier metal underneath. Since I am a retired plumber
the radiator cap is brass fittings from my stock. The headlights
are bicycle lights that I found at an engine show flea market they
were brand new still in the original boxes. I installed 12 volt
bulbs to make them functional.
The Claxton horn is authentic and came from my antique display
in my shop. The rubber bulb was a problem, as I searched all over
southern U.S. one winter while in Florida, then found new bulbs 40
miles from home in Urbana, Ohio.
The seat is discarded patio furniture. I cut and welded the
pieces to make the frame fit the space. Plywood base was covered
with foam rubber and red vinyl. Fenders are part original lawn
mower and scrap metal edged with gold auto door trim from an auto
supply store.
The cab is inch scrap paneling which covers a frame of inch EMT
and is assembled like tinker toys. The front, top and back are
three separate pieces and store flat inside each other to save
space during transport to and from shows. The entire unit fits
inside my Dodge Ram Van.
The stake rack is removable to make a flat bed truck and we can
also seat two additional people on the back. I changed belt pulley
sizes, so with a three speed transmission, we go from 1 to 10
MPH.
A heavy duty rear bumper and hitch is installed to pull my
engine trailer in parades. Yes, the trailer and engines add up to
about 1 ton of weight. It makes a unique display seeing a little
pick-up pulling such a big load, driven by myself dressed in a
clown costume.
We pump oil with the front unit and water with the rear.
It all boils down to the fun we can have as adult children, for
my wife and I have just celebrated our Golden Wedding
Anniversary.
