HOT ROD FERGIE

While admitting I have very little interest in tractors of any type or year, I found it quite interesting reading your article in the March issue [No. 339] in regards to the John Walsh collection of tractors and other farm machinery.

Organized and run by the New Zealand Vintage Machinery Club with support from the local Ford agents, Team Hutchinson Ford and Avon City Ford, a fabulous weekend of Fords and more Fords was held at the Steam Scene premises on Mcleans Island Road — next to the Vintage Car Club Annual Swap Meet grounds on the weekend of 26 and 27 April 2003. This of course, was to celebrate 100 years of Ford, as the first vehicle to carry the name was sold in July of 1903. I was invited to be the master of ceremonies in the grand parade, featuring over 300 Fords. A vehicle that really attracted my attention was a beautifully restored ivory and orange 1945 Ford Ferguson tractor. The normal four-cylinder motor, had been replaced with a 1949 8BA side-valve Ford V8 motor. Syd Mcmann from Oamaru had built a replica of some that were built in America. A Dutchman, Delbert Heusinkveld from Iowa, built six of these. Apparently, Ford did not approve of this conversion however, and Heusinkveld sold the patent to the Funk Aircraft Company, who then mass-produced them. There was also a side-valve Ford six-cylinder motor produced and installed in these post-war Ferguson tractors, and Syd is also replicating one of these at present. These six-cylinder Ford motors are now very rare, apparently.

Trevor Stanley-joblin

Thank you, Trevor. Yes, there is another private collection, also in the Waikato, that has one of the US V8 Ford Fergusons.