I almost fell off the chair yesterday when N-News showed up. A gentleman named Gary Zielke in Michigan was selling an almost complete metal body for a Moto Tug for $300. I bought it. My Moto Tug was demilitarized by having the body torch cut off and thrown away. There's going to be some serious welding and fabrication in the future, but my Moto Tug is basically complete once I get the body east. What a find.

Gary's late father specialized in the Moto Tugs and restored several. One is in an aviation museum. Gary is selling off the odds and ends that his dad left behind.

I really would like to find out more about these modified Ford tractors. Gary told me more that I knew before - that the Army and the Navy both used them, and some were sold directly to civilian users and there was sales literature and brochures for them and the whole bit. Gary said that they were sold under the Ford/Ferguson agreement even though they had no hydraulic pump and didn't use the Ferguson system. I am buying a parts manual from him, too. Whatever parts on them were not Ford tractor were Ford truck. This should make a restoration a little easier.

It seems that the Moto Tug restorers out there are not on the standard tractor websites like this one. If anybody has any ideas who I could contact, please feel free to email me or post.

PS - My family has deserted me on this one. My son said "What are you going to do with it - drive out to the mailbox and back? Are you going to buy a Corsair fighter to tow around?"

Not a bad idea. Now THAT would have turned heads at Denton.

We have what is probably a 1953 601 Ford Moto Tug. We need parts for the wet clutch. Do any of you guys know where to find parts?

We bought this tractor at an auction at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK many years ago. We'd like to put it back in service. We run beef cattle and put up hay on 150 acres or so.(This year, we're doing "or so," and putting up the hay on a neighbor's place too.

Jan in Alaska

Jan, I hate to tell you this but, the Ford 601 did not come out till late '57. Anything '55-'57 would be a 600. If yours truely is a '53, you have a Jubilee or NAA Moto Tug.

Did you try the military vehicle resto people? Try starting here http://www.mvpa.org/

Good luck!

Bob.
Guess you guys may want to hear, Was visiting , old N nut,today and found remnants of moto tug, here in bonnie scotland, he thinks one of a few still around !!
Engine lives and breathes in a 2 NAN of 1945 vintage. Engine carries serial number BNO 25 312, predates yours, someway. Rear end and gearbox lives against workshop wall(indoors) rusted a little, but complete and dry, has half of side rails attached. furter details available, as are photo's . Alan in scotland

Bob,
I bought a 1956 Clarktor 46 aircraft tug a couple of months ago that was literally on its way to the scrap yard when I stopped the guy and asked if he would sell the thing. Mine is 95% complete, only missing a couple of gauges and the hood side panels. It runs like a champ! Only took some fresh gas and a carb gasket replaced that was leaking to get it to fire up. Mine weighs a little over 6,000 lbs., so it is no light-weight. It has dual rear wheels, three forward and one reverse speed, and a Chrysler industrial flat-head six in it. I do, in fact, drive it out to the mailbox to retrieve my mail. I don't give a hairy rats ass what anyone thinks about that. I saved this fine piece of machinery from being chewed up and melted down into an unrecognizable lump of metal. One less machine gun made in china.
Enjoy your toy!
Jerry

Okay, Bob,

If you pick a Corsair, let me know. I'll help you with that one. I've built several - since childhood - from balsa. Shouldn't be much of a jump to the real thing, right?

Don