Price Check Worth of a Ford 8N (that caught itself on fire)

troynkaren · Jan 20, 2014

My dad has a Ford 8N (know this from previous research). He was using it several years ago and the implement snagged on a large rock, rocking the tractor enough to dislodge an ill installed fuel line at the bottom of the gas tank. It caught fire and burned up all electrical, tires, paint.. basically anything not metal. What is the bare bones of the tractor worth after this catastrophic fire? My dad is now catastrophically disabled from Glaucoma and Dementia. I (POA/eldest son) have a few interested buyers but no idea on how much it would be worth in this shape. Thank you.

GManBart · Jan 20, 2014

First off, sorry to hear about your father's health problems.

Price on his 8N is going to be a tough call. Figure that you can buy running beater 8Ns for well under $2K pretty easily. I think a fair number is under $1000. Did the tires burn as well? Here's one running, with good wheels and tires for $1350.

8N FORD

k0ua · Jan 20, 2014

If it was mine and I had offers from interested buyers, I would be taking them.

rsallen · Jan 20, 2014

A lot depends on just how hot the fire got.

kevin37b · Jan 20, 2014

Get what you can as scrap value , maybe 200.00 .

rsallen · Jan 20, 2014

Yep, depends on how hot the fire got.
Reminds me of a trailered 65 GTO a while ago I happen to see at the local store. The new owner was so proud of his find. I didn't bother to point out to him it was completely worthless because it was completely burned out.
Be hey, the panels didn't have dent in them!

GManBart · Jan 20, 2014

rsallen said:
Yep, depends on how hot the fire got.
Reminds me of a trailered 65 GTO a while ago I happen to see at the local store. The new owner was so proud of his find. I didn't bother to point out to him it was completely worthless because it was completely burned out.
Be hey, the panels didn't have dent in them!

Slightly off topic, but with stuff that they aren't making any more of, there is often value in them even when they're really bad.

If it had a correct GTO VIN, a clear title, and it was all present, it wasn't completely worthless. Even a worthless shell with the correct VIN has value because you can combine several beaters into one driver. If you know what you're doing, you can start with a bare shell that has a VIN, and build a complete car out of it that's worth a decent chunk of change. No, it won't be a numbers matching show car, but restomods have gotten very popular, and the prices can get crazy. People don't like cutting up an original car, but a burned shell is a perfect start for something totally custom.

bigbull338 · Jan 20, 2014

the value is a hard call.years ago we sold an old 8n with a blown motor.it threw the rods an pistons threw the side of the tractor.an we sold it for $500.so your tractor should be worth that unless its burned up beyond restoring/rebuilding.

rsallen · Jan 20, 2014

The burned out shell has no temper left in the metal.
It's like annealing a piece of steel to work it to shape. But you have to retemper so it can hold that shape.

All the panels of the/a car are cold rolled/worked to shape, once a fire goes through the temper and stress that forms those shapes is gone; if not over all then probably worse, spottily.
That temper/stress can not be put back into those panels.

GManBart · Jan 20, 2014

rsallen said:
The burned out shell has no temper left in the metal.
It's like annealing a piece of steel to work it to shape. But you have to retemper so it can hold that shape.

All the panels of the/a car are cold rolled/worked to shape, once a fire goes through the temper and stress that forms those shapes is gone; if not over all then probably worse, spottily.
That temper/stress can not be put back into those panels.

Sometimes that's true, but even a worst-case scenario doesn't mean they're "totally worthless" as you said in your first post.

Totally burned to the ground GTO still had value left in it, and wound up back on the road under a different body....the only variable is how much you pay for it. It wasn't worth too much, but wasn't worthless.

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Without more info on the OP's father's 8N, we can't really help much on specific value, but the engine block, cylinder head, transmission, hydraulic pump, 3pt parts, rear end/axles, front axle, etc, etc all are still almost certainly useable for somebody repairing/restoring 8Ns...certainly worth more than scrap value.