340 Queen St. Lennoxville Quebec, Canada J1M-1K9
This W-14 tractor was found quite by chance sitting in a
construction yard. It was purchased in the area of Quebec city
about 150 miles from my place. The owner, Mr. Charles Robitaille,
was reluctant to let it go because his father had bought it new. I
promised it a good home and after deciding on a price of $450.00 he
sold me the tractor.
I must explain that my father and myself are I.H.C. dealers.
George, my father, being in the business for well over 30 years.
Out truck driver, Hector Veilleux, had a friend who lived next to
the construction yard and knowing of my interest in old iron let me
know of this particular tractor. By early spring ’82 I had the
tractor home and under cover. The tractor stayed on my mind all
summer and finally after the summer rush of work, I just had to get
started on it, with the idea of doing only the front end the first
year. Having the old iron bug as bad as I do, this idea did not
work and as you can see from the pictures I completed the tractor
during the winter months.
Wanting to start at the right place, I removed the gas tank and
gas tank front support which, of course, we know what’s on that
gas tank support. The all-important serial number plate. The serial
number is ws4499 making my W-14 a 1938 and the 365th built. Next,
the front-end was taken apart, sandblasted, primed and fitted back
on the tractor. Having done this so quickly and having the rest
looking so bad, I borrowed a sandblast to do the rear housing.
Before I knew it every piece of that tractor had been cleaned and
primed! The process of re-assembly began with help from Pierre
Poirier, who works in my paint shop; Yvon Leterneau, my head
mechanic; and Bert Veilleux, who is my garage controller; things
went well and we finished the tractor in April ’83. I would
like to take this opportunity to thank them. Three good coats of
paint and some new decals, the tractor looks and runs like new and
will be housed inside except for a few parades.
I have a great respect for people and magazines who preserve
these machines from a by-gone time. I depend a lot on your magazine
(GEM) for information because there are no clubs
in Quebec. I have rebuilt six International Harvester tractors,
starting with a Titan 10-20. My next was a McCormick-Deering 10-20,
followed by an F-12, I.H.C. 8-16, F-20 and now my W-14. I will now
be on the lookout for another I.H. to add to my collection. I hope
to find it soon because when next Fall comes I will be feeling the
old iron bug again.
