UPDATE: Sold Was $3500.
This is a rare Empire Tractor built with civilian Willys parts.
“Empire tractors were only made for a few years after WWII. To start with they used surplus military Willys jeep drivetrains, later using civilian jeep drivetrains. The engine is jeep, the transmission and rearend are jeep, steering column and wheel is jeep, even the radiator is jeep. The operator platform is surplus Navy ship decking.
Note: Willys is the correct brand for the drivetrain. All the references using jeep are really slang for Willys.
Only a few thousand of these tractors were made and they were made for export to developing countries. Only later did they sell these tractors to the American public before going bankrupt.
Today there are only a few hundred of these tractors known in the United States according the the Empire tractor club.
This tractor does not have the original Willys flat head engine, but does have a professionally rebuilt flat head Jeep engine. Electrical system has been converted to 12v and the starter was also converted.
My intent in rebuilding this tractor was to use it for tractor drives that some of the tractor clubs host. These are drives in the country with antique tractors and vary from 10 miles to over 100 miles. Most tractor drives don’t go over 10mph and this tractor easily do that and would probably do 40mph if the tires were balanced. I’ve only had it up to 20mph before the rear tires started bouncing.”
If I could figure out how to get it across the country I’d be on in flash!
Me too…do these images look photo shopped to anyone else?
They could be Bob. Does seem the exposure has been lightened (of course, I don’t actually know how to do that because my photos ALWAYS turn out just the way I plan them!! lol)