HCR-4,Box 168 Waverly, Virginia 23890
As if it isn’t bad enough that myself and about 15 or 20
friends and neighbors are constantly hunting tractors for me, my
wife has to go and find another. Only this one is a rare bird, at
least in these parts-a Dart Blue Jay.
My wife was attending the funeral of her great-aunt in Enfield,
North Carolina, when she spotted what she thought was a Fordson in
front of an old garage. Upon inspection, she noticed the name Dart
on the radiator.
When she got back home she told me about it and, mildly
interested, I decided to look it up in The Encyclopedia of American
Farm Tractors by C.H. Wendel. After reading what he had to say, I
decided this tractor had possibilities. So we traveled the 70 miles
back to Enfield. Tractor rough, but not too bad. Engine appeared to
be stuck, a few missing parts-the usual.
We made some inquiries and found out who owned the tractor, but
he couldn’t be located that day, so we phoned him when we got
back home. He was undecided about selling. We arranged to meet him
to look at the tractor. Back to Enfield again to find out a few
things about the tractor.
The tractor had been in his family for years-prior to that it
was a rental tractor. That’s all he knew. My wife’s cousin
said the tractor was sitting in the same spot’ when he had left
town 37 years ago.
After much discussion, the owner finally decided to sell-the
price was out of my league, but not really unreasonable,
considering, but I decided to let it sit.
To make a long story short, I figured he was willing to sit
longer than I was, so we made arrangements and I bought the
tractor.
Upon arrival home with our prize, I started poking and prying. I
tried pulling on the crank again; nothing. So I decided to jump on
it-uh oh! Something broke. To my relief, it was only the water pump
coupling. This turned out to be a revelation: I would never have
known that the engine was free if the coupling hadn’t
broken.
I put oil in the cylinders; compression was good, and here’s
the ‘kicker.’ I cranked the engine and all four plugs
fired-without cleaning the points in the magneto, after at least 40
years sitting in the weather. This is not a dry climate in these
parts.
As I looked it over carefully, I found that this tractor
contains more brass parts than any I’ve seen. The original
steering wheel, seat, and water-type air cleaner are missing, as
well as the radiator cap. The original gas tank is there, but
beyond repair. Radiator has beautiful designs, on both the front
and the sides, and is in perfect condition. Enclosed is a picture
my wife has drawn of the ‘Dart’ emblem that’s cast into
the front of the radiator.
The engine is a four cylinder Buda. The tag says ‘Buda the
Engine’ Model YTU. The carburetor is a Zenith, patent date
December 23, 1908. Transmission is by Cotta Transmission Company,
Rockford, Illinois, Patent September 21, 1909. It has one reverse
and three forward speeds. Brake is brass, hand operated in center
of tractor. It has a simple channel iron frame. Rear wheels are
pressed steel-no welds. The serial number plate is intact: number B
206, Model TY.
This is about as far as we have gotten on this tractor, but we
plan to get it running and, hopefully, restored. Anyone who owns
one of these tractors, or has any information-PLEASE, contact me. I
have never run across anyone who has ever seen or heard of a Dart
Blue Jay.