Work shirt or Suit and Tie?

[theamishland]

I've seen many pictures of engines, tractors, etc on this site that are all in, what I've become to learn as, their work clothes. I understand a lot of you guys out there tend to like your collection to be in their "work clothes" while some of us tend to like them in a suit and tie... or even birthday suit!

What is it that makes a guy think showing an engine all dressed up is more propper than showing it in its work clothes... and the other way around... why work clothes over the birthday suit?

What do you guys think?

Amish

[Max Cox]

Originally Posted by theamishland

What is it that makes a guy think showing an engine all dressed up is more proper than showing it in its work clothes... and the other way around... why work clothes over the birthday suit?

What do you guys think?

Amish

I'm a museum guy. I think in terms of what is the context the engine will be displayed/used in to decide whether to leave in its “work clothes” or to dress it up in its “Sunday go to meeting” clothes. Right now it's mostly work clothes. The restored engines are or will be used to power well used and abused machinery. “Formal Wear” looks out of place. Later, adding a fresh from the factory, still in the crate, engine would seem appropriate.

That's where I'm coming from.

Max Cox
www.lawsmuseum.org

[oldproff]

I think to me it is the thrill of first finding the engine. To see one in as found condition brings back memories of finding one that way. I also do not like to see one deteriorating because of the condition. I have some that I hope to never paint. And some that I will paint because of the condition of them I think that decision needs to be made for every engine. I like them all. Bill K

[pjjms]

I like nothing more than a crisp paint job. I think the exception would be if an engine has 95% of the original paint intact, then that would be worth keeping original. I just don't get keeping an engine with only a few patches of original paint. They just look awfull to me. And just cast iron, when were they ever like that when newish? Are we trying to present the past to the public or the present condition following many years of neglect?

But thats only my opinion and I respect other peoples decision to present their engines as they see fit.

[Kevin O. Pulver]

I think they look GREAT both ways.
But when they're running, dirty, slinging oil and grease all over, the new paint looks worse/more out of place than old paint or rust. I find that a dirty restored engine doesn't do near as much for me as a dirty original.
Also, when you're BUYING one, a slick painted one can be hiding a lot of damage that maybe wasn't even repaired well. The ones with little or no paint (or original paint) are easier to tell what you're getting into. Kevin

[Grease Monkey]

Originally Posted by pjjms

I like nothing more than a crisp paint job. I think the exception would be if an engine has 95% of the original paint intact, then that would be worth keeping original. I just don't get keeping an engine with only a few patches of original paint. They just look awfull to me. And just cast iron, when were they ever like that when newish? Are we trying to present the past to the public or the present condition following many years of neglect?

But thats only my opinion and I respect other peoples decision to present their engines as they see fit.

For people who were not around to see it new.... Suit and tie isn't right, formal is okay... Rust is wrong, unless is all original, but retored and rusty... No

I prefer more to see them done up as if it were a backwoods wedding... Looking good but not dressed up..

[xplor]

The most important thing is an engine look well maintained. Wear were wear is expected is ok. A pile of rust looks like a pile of rust.

[Mike Patterson]

I like to see them with paint on them, whether it’s faded or new and I don’t mind seeing honest wear.

Personally I think there is a lot of misconceptions about how the old tractors, engines and farm equipment were maintained and stored during their working life. I grew up on a small family farm in northwestern Ill during the 50’s and 60’s so that is what I’m basing my perspective on.

The farmers did not let their equipment just sit outside rust away when not in use. Every farm in the area where I grew up at had at least 1 machine shed and often as not a couple of smaller sheds, driveways thru the corn cribs and barns etc for tractor and equipment storage.

Yes the equipment was often left out in the fields when it was used and got rained on, ended up with small dents and dings from use and the paint faded but WORKING equipment was not some rusty piece of crap like I feel that many people portray it as. When the plowing, discing, planting, cultivating, baleing, and harvesting etc was done, the equipment was washed off, greased and stored in the machine shed or other building until it was needed again. In the winter time even the tractors got put away during their periods of non-use. Often times if an engine was used for pumping duties it was inside a small pump house over the well.

Now did the old sheds have dirt floors and leak a bit....sure, but for the most part they were pretty well maintained. From my experience the real deterioration occurred AFTER it had outlived its usefulness. Tractors and other machinery that were no longer were used were moved outside to make room in the sheds for equipment that was. It sat out of the way to deteriorating while parts were robbed, kids played on it and in general was just waiting for someone came along and scrap or rescued it.

A good example that comes to my mind is the 1936 John Deere A that my granddad bought new. Sometime in the late 50’s Dad stopped using it as it started getting water in the crankcase. After a year or so the storage area it was taking up was needed so outside it went. About 5 years after that Dad found out that the problem was only rusted out pushrod tubes, had it repaired, and put it back into service (used for chores, cultivating and belt/PTO work). As a working piece of equipment again, it got a new paint job and a home back in the machine shed. It’s been out of service for 15 or so years now and the almost 50 year old paint job is faded but it’s still all green and yellow with legible decals.

[theamishland]

Originally Posted by Grease Monkey

For people who were not around to see it new.... Suit and tie isn't right, formal is okay... Rust is wrong, unless is all original, but retored and rusty... No

I prefer more to see them done up as if it were a backwoods wedding... Looking good but not dressed up..

I like the idea of formal wear. And I agree rust is wrong as wrong gets.

However... sometimes I like to see things dressed up as they once were...Like my measley little 3HP Deere... it's still in its work attire... but I'd like to paint it up to see exactly what my grandfather saw the day he walked into the deere dealership so many years ago. Being Amish as he was... he had to think he was buying something awful fancy.

That brings up another point... ever wonder what the old Deere dealerships looked like? I wonder, does anyone have pictures of those long gone places?