4600 N. Urbana-Lisbon Road, Mechanicsburg, Ohio 43044
I have been going to tractor and engine shows since 1959, and
have seen and enjoyed everybody’s riding toys. I built a scale
model of a 1922 cross motor Huber for my two boys in 1977. It now
sits in the shed for want of a driver.
It’s time to build one for myself. What to build? Since I
retired from Navistar IH, I decided to build a scale model of a
1917 IH one-ton truck.
I started with an old Cushman motor scooter engine and a Case
yard tractor hydraulic rear end. The wheels are early Chevrolet in
front on a Crosley axle, and model T Ford in the rear. The wheels
are cut down and motorcycle rims and tires put on. The steering is
Cushman golf cart parts which turn backwards and had to be
modified. The hood, fenders, body and all small hardware were hand
built by myself.
The body is made of 1′ oak copied as close as possible to
the original. The small size made this hard to do. I spent most of
the winters of 1996-97 building a pattern body and then
transferring it to the oak hardwood. This kept me from ruining the
expensive wood.
The front springs are from an old wagon seat and the rear
springs are from the same old Chevy that the front wheels came
from.
After many problems: how to make the two speed rear end work,
how to make the wheels, how to make the hood, and how to keep the
little wife happy, things finally went together. Julia was
understanding and even helpful most of the time.
After two long years of hard work and much head scratching, it
was done for the 1997 show season.
I spent most of the ’97 season talking to lots of people
about my toy. Kodak made a profit, too, from the amount of pictures
taken of it.
I repair magnetos in my little red barn, at shows in our home
area. I didn’t have much time to repair mags, but I sure had a
good time talking to all the people who stopped and looked at my
toy truck.
