29729 Barber Rd. Trappe, Maryland 21673
In 1939 this Oliver 70 Row Crop was purchased by Oxford
Boatyard. It was used mainly for hauling wood and pulling boats
into dock. The boatyard used the tractor for approximately 35 years
before it was sold.
When I purchased the tractor, it had been sitting idle in the
woods for, I believe, about ten years.
After trying the tractor, I discovered that the engine and
steering were both seized, and the back cylinder had two
inches of water in it. I pumped the water out with an outboard
motor suction hose, and then I started working on the seized engine
and steering.
I sprayed penetrating oil in all six cylinders and in the
steering joints. I then left it sitting for several weeks, after
which I went back with a ratchet and socket set and attempted to
free the engine by working the front pulley.
After a few weeks of unsuccessful attempts, the engine freed and
turned over. I then cleaned out the carburetor and the fuel lines,
and the engine started!
The next job to tackle was finding the missing parts to the
tractor. Some of the parts were a lot easier to locate than others.
The side curtains were one of the hardest items to find. I finally
purchased a set from a junkyard in Pennsylvania after seven phone
calls.
After putting the tractor together and having it repainted, I
ran it in the annual Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Show, where it was on
display and entered in the parade.
Of the five Oliver tractors I have restored, I am most pleased
with this one!
