Ford 9N - Retrieve it or Leave it?

[Cattleguard]

What do you want out of it? If it turns over you can likely make it run. Every other item on the thing will need to be looked at. Many fixed or replaced. Like Tires, seals, every type of fluid in it, wiring…
You can get it back up and running and if you don’t care what it looks like, you’ll have a Ford N. I’d stop there.
You also may just waste a bunch of money and then haul it off for scrap.
It’s your call. Good luck.

 

[AWSubie]

From the picture you posted it’s not a 9N it’s an 8N. I’d say it’s worth it but only because I love old tractors.

As others have already said, if u enjoy restoration and have the time and space u will have some fun.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Me? I wouldn't touch it.

You might be different.

Are you mechanically inclined? Can you paint? Are you in the mood to spend hundreds of hours working on it? Do you have the space it will take up? How about the money? You're gonna have to put beaucoup hundreds into it.

Are you willing to lose your shorts on it? You will.

If you just want a hobby, something to do, go for it. Just don't expect much in return.

But that's me. My outlook on these type of things is very jaded. I am very prejudiced against them. I've seen way too many resto-jobs where the guy put his heart and soul plus many thousands of dolars into an old car just to sell it for a gigantic loss at some point. Either because he was moving, ran out of room to store, left his OL or just never got it finished. Sometimes because he just got sick of it. Got tired of spending untold hours looking for parts and paying big money for them. His friends stopped coming over to help after they lost interest

I am of the mind that if you really want a dinosaur, let somebody else lose their shorts on one when you buy it from them.

But...... That's me.

I seen my neighbor buy a house and some land. Paid it off in three years buying, restoring, and selling 8n and 9n tractors. But, I dont think he was prejudiced. He worked full time plus in the oilfield. Worked eleven years straight without a day off. Quit school in the seventh grade. Im not sure he can read hardly. He stopped by yesterday, hes my dad age. He sold that house, shop, and land. Bought a forty down the road. House, shop, barn, with cash. But, once again, I dont think hes prejudiced. I myself will get anything machine or tool that is free. But, thats just me.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

A hobby is a hobby. Don't need anybody else's opinion, don't need to justify it, don't need permission.

I don't understand the OP. If you want to do it because you want to do it, then just do it.

I used to be a fisherman. Had the price of Grouper down to about $60 a pound. Maybe closer to $75

But it was fun. Didn't save any money on fish, though.

The OP asked, "Is it worth it?" No, it isn't. Neither was my going 30 miles offshore and trying to catch fish worth it.

But I enjoyed it at the time. Would I do it again? Yup. If I were young enough and in good enough shape, no doubt about it. Was it 'worth it'? Depends on what you call 'worth it'

But that was my hobby. I think doing resto work sucks a big green one and you may feel that way toward fishing but it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.

Very good advice.

 

[k0ua]

How bout that? it is an 8n not a 9N.

 

[sandytrail]

Just to add my 2 cents, I can assure you it will need wheels also. On tractors of this age, the rust has eaten through the rims and that's another $250. I have an 8N now that I wish I hadn't bought. I bought it for $300 and now am $1600 into it and its still not running. I haven't even tested the hydraulics yet. I would only buy one that's running or that I knew the owner and/or the tractor before it was parked.

 

[k0ua]

Yeah, we have it on good authority that it was "running fine when it was parked". That is why the owner abandoned it in the first place. No one would abandon an old tractor that was just junk would they? Big smiley face here.

 

[LD48750]

Yeah, we have it on good authority that it was "running fine when it was parked". That is why the owner abandoned it in the first place. No one would abandon an old tractor that was just junk would they? Big smiley face here.

I have a truck sitting out back that ran just fine when it was parked.
Will be used again when I start getting wood again.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Sometimes I think old rusty junk vehicles give some people wood.

 

[Alan46]

Sometimes I think old rusty junk vehicles give some people wood.

I have a friend in England that's gets wood over 1969 Boss 429 mustangs. So much so he shelled out $279 large in the states plus shipping and a 25 % tax in in England to own it!️