Dragged home a 40 yesterday. Bought it from the family that bought it new. They gave me the original manuals from 1940. They were very nice people and said if they find anything else, they'll let me know. The lady was pretty sure she still had the original bill of sale in a file somewhere. her father bought it new and she learned to run it at age 12. The tractor itself is pretty grim but I'm evaluating it . The engine is stuck but crack free.

Sounds like it would be a worthwhile effort provenance like that. Especially if she comes through with the original bill of sale.

Stuck engine. I drug home one of those and most of the problem was a stuck starter. Sitting about 22 years and I filled the cylinders with Seafoam and let it soak. Hope you turned the engine by hand before hitting the starter key.

Not my first rodeo LOL. plugs are out, cyls are soaked. I use a pry bar in the ring gear to work them. She's stuck good. When the business ends of the plugs are balls of rust, you have problems. Sitting for decades with no exhaust on it and no oil in the cup. That creates a moisture freeway thru the engine. It will have to wait until i can get some time. I'll have to take off the head and see how bad it is. The tranny has been filled with water too. I took the fill plug out and the gears are so rusty you hardly see the teeth. The shift rails are all stuck too. Good thing it was in neutral when they parked it.I only bought it because it had a decent square tank rad I need for a 41 we're doing up for show. I've fixed worse, but the value of them has dropped so much over the years you have to be careful how much you sink into them.