The Real Thing
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Roy Tallon - September 1966 |
The tractor started
out as a 1953 Massey Harris 44 Special and
was modified for tractor pulling by my grandpa back in 1966
. A 392 Chrysler Hemi, bored .30 over, was placed in the engine compartment
for added power. To better manage the additional power, a GM 4-speed transmission
was mounted between the motor and the stock Massey 5-speed.
. It was tractor pulled by my Grandpa, Uncle and Dad during 1967-70.
It won the Illinois State Fair in 1969. Around 1970 is when the multiple
engine, "dragster" style tractors started competing and that, along with
the increasing time comitment required to stay competetive in the modified
class forced the old Massey into retirement.
For years the tractor sat in one of grandpa's sheds. Then in 1990
my dad decided to restore it. He and I spent most of that summer "restoring"
the tractor, and when we were done it looked much better than it ever did
in it's days of competition. For years He, I and the rest of the family
displayed the tractor in shows and parades. It was always a crowd
favorite. In 1998 grandpa had his final farm sale and the tractor
was sold to a man that he and Dad used to tractor pull with.
The Model
For years I had the
idea of doing a replica of our old Massey. Finally in March of 2001
I made up my mind to do it. I purchased a Ertl Massey Harris 44 Special off
of Ebay. I cut out the engine compartment to allow room for the new
engine and removed the exhaust and fender lights. I purchased a set
24.5 x 32 tires and Deep Dual rims
from Dakotah Toys
. The engine was the hardest part of the model. It was entirely
hand made, mostly from wood. The model took about 3 months to complete
working on it on and off. I completed a second one, a Christmas present
for my dad, in about half that time.
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Copyright 2002
- Tallon Custom Collectables