Auto Restoration 101

I never had heard of this competition until Chip from Cohn & Wolfe sent me an email about it. I watched videos that were submitted for each restoration and I was truly impressed with what these kids had done with these old tractors. They had them tore apart into hundreds of pieces and rebuilt them back to new condition. I watched one video and then another and another….I watched them for over an hour! I then ended up on eBay searching for old tractors.

Watching the videos really brought back some memories for me. Back when I was a teenager I worked for a tree farm for about five years. I got to drive an old Case tractor doing work all around the orchard. I remember helping the owner rebuild the transmission and replace the clutch.

The email from Chip explains the competition better than I ever could.

“Chevron announced the finalists for its annual Delo Tractor Restoration Competition. The event, which has become the Super Bowl of Tractor Restoration, takes place at the 82th National FFA Convention, held in Indianapolis, from October 21-24.

All entrants to the Delo Tractor Restoration Competition are required to submit a workbook detailing the entire tractor restoration process, from mechanical overhauls of the engine, transmission and auxiliary and ancillary systems, to the external appearance of the tractors. The 2009 entries have been narrowed down to twelve finalists. These finalists present their projects to a panel of five professional tractor restorers. Projects will be graded on restoration process, results and documentation, as well as oral presentation and safety precautions”.

The 2009 prizes are:
* Grand Champion; $5,000
* Reserve Champion: $3,000
* All Finalists: $250

Watch the videos HERE
You won’t regret it. Restoring a tractor is no easy task. The kids did some amazing work and should be proud of their accomplishments.