Non-Datsun AND Non-Car Project: '66 Minneapolis Moline G1000

[Chuck Most]

So here's something that's been keeping me occupied the last couple of months.

 

The skinny- it's a '66 MM G1000. This was the first 100hp row-crop tractor put into production. Mine has the 504 cubic inch Long Life gas engine- making it something of a rarity. The majority of these were diesel or LP powered. According to a guy who's crunched the serial numbers, fewer than 75 gas-powered G1000s were built in '66.

 

Here's how it looked in the beginning- sitting on two flats, with a couple of trees growing around it, and a shitty aftermarket cab.

 

The engine had been overhauled shortly before it was parked, but fifteen years had passed. Fortunately the engine was running again with minimal fuss. We cleaned out the tank and carb, replaced the carb jet and fuel filter, and after that, she was basically up and running like the last decade and a half of neglect had never happened.

 

Tracked down a set of used tires. Had the local tire shop install them on-site (after driving the tractor out of its makeshift grave under its own power) along with new tubes.

 

 

Next order of bidness was to remove that piece of shit aftermarket cab. Held off on that until I'd managed to track down some factory fenders. Managed to find a pair about an hour away. I didn't want them to be too "nice", I wanted the condition and patina to sort of "match" the rest of the tractor. As a result- I paid next to nothing for 'em. B) These are correct '66 fenders, too- they're "peaked" along the top. The later fenders were completely flat.

 

 

Undid a few bolts, removed the side steps and floor, and 1-2-3-HEAVED! the cab off the tractor...

 

 

See that shiny, disc-shaped object up near what used to be the top right corner of the ceiling? No, it's not the Roswell craft... it's the thought-to-be long AWOL steering wheel hub. The cigarette lighter was found a few moments later, and returned to its socket on the dash. The hub will be added later- the steering wheel has a few cracks in it and the hub won't snap back into place.

 

 

Here's the hub before I hit the back side with a few quick blasts of black Krylon.

 

 

And here's how she looks as of now.

 

 

Still a bit of work to do- I need to sort through the butchered wiring harness and hook up the lights, I need to figure out a mounting bracket for the hydraulic lines, I might have to replace the battery cables (it was originally designed to use two six-volts, but as you can see, I have a single large 12 volt which does the job just fine), and I'll have to track down (or make) a couple of stabilizer brackets for the fenders. But all in all, a pretty satisfying short-term kind of project.

 

 

[LenRobertson]

Way cool! I've always liked MMs, probably because of the color. They aren't at all common here in E WA State although there are a few around. I would even look for one on Craigslist, but I already have a Case VAO. If I had more than one tractor I would be a collector and I don't want that to happen.  Last weekend someone at a local car show had a styled John Deere B which was awfully cute. Maybe only two or three tractors really wouldn't be considered a collection. :lol:

 

Len

[Lockleaf]

Awesome. I wanna watch a tractor overhaul! Keep it coming.

[Chuck Most]

It's pretty much all over but the apologies and crying- other than the light issue, I suppose I probably should take the power washer to the layers of caked on mud and grease on the transaxle. I did knock some of it off- the shit was about an inch thick in a few spots. One of many reasons I hate aftermarket cabs.