What to do?

Rob Dyba · #1 21-05-11, 09:58

Hi All!

Ben some time since I posted a thread, what with work & all but time spent in the shed is at a shortage with work, and I know a lot of you are ime poor! But to buisness- I have a carrier hull cut down that was about to get the treatment of upper armour, and then this turned up in the monthly club magazine. Close inspection shows it to be the cut down hull I have, every aspect of the image shows my hull to be a complete example of a farm tractor made from a carrier hull. I currently have everything required to restore it's former glory- either Carrier or tractor. Up until yesterday I thought it was a farmer's artistic wielding of a gas axe until I discover it was a post war mod carried out in my home town. My wife work's on Anne St for goodness sake! Do I restore the armour & make it "another carrier" or go the way I was heading until a top set of armour came along, and restore Australia's only known operating "Worth's Tractor"....???? Either way it's going to be olive drab! Any help- I am 50/50 and currently my family friends are exactly 50/50 also.... what a dilemma!

Rob D

colin jones · #2 21-05-11, 10:14

You can't beat restoring something to its "Original" configuration. Only one answer in my book.
Colin.

Rob Dyba · #3 21-05-11, 10:18

Just for a bit more info, it's the hull that went up in Rockhampton in November- it's got a good floor, and steering gear etc.. is all salvageable. I pretty much bought it for the diff & tracks but it has sort of grown on me.....

Rob

Rob Dyba · #4 21-05-11, 10:21

Thanks Colin. By the way you will be happy to know your "rockets" were still up to the job.. tee hee....

Rob

Keith Webb · #5 21-05-11, 10:47

Interesting to see there were companies other than Strickland in Melbourne building carrier tractor conversions.

But.... what ever you do don't use the US colour olive drab... paint it Khaki!

Quote:

Originally Posted by robobmc

...Either way it's going to be olive drab! Any help- I am 50/50 and currently my family friends are exactly 50/50 also.... what a dilemma!

Rob Dyba · #6 21-05-11, 10:54

Still got a few liters of this jungle green for whatever comes out at the end....

Ryan · #7 21-05-11, 12:14

If you already have a LP2 carrier I'd go for the tractor conversion. It's also a true bit of history with a closer connection to you. The timing of you seeing the old advert is just fate...isn't it?

Richard Coutts-Smith · #8 21-05-11, 12:43

The post war conversion has just as in important part in our history and is due some respect as well. So restore to its mulga dozing best, but you will need to buy the right hat to match.
Either way you will end up with something worthwhile, good position to be in.
Rich

lynx42 · #9 21-05-11, 13:03

I agree with Rich. Sword into ploughshare are just as important as full restorations. There are plenty of wartime carriers out there but not too many post war conversions.
Good find. Keep it as it is now, (well restored anyway).
Rick

Rob Dyba · #10 21-05-11, 13:25

Well guys after the responses cooming through I think it's wise to revamp the tractor.

Interestingly enough I was at the "Emu Gully Air & Land Spectacular" last weekend lending my LP2 to the re-enactors & was lucky enough to see a carrier that had been rebuilt from the same cut lines as my hull. At the time I was suprised to see a carrier cut the same, but it did give me hope that a cut down hull to this extent could be returned to original. Little did I know that i was looking at the 2nd "worth" tractor I had come across in my travells! Filled with enthusiasm I sourced anther South Australian Railways carier hull for the upper armour to bring it back. How things can change in less than a week. How to explain another carrier hull in the driveway to the wife..........

I think the die is cast, she should be brought back to what is displayed in the advert, a QLD "Worth" carrier tractor. Time to give those Strickland boys a run for their money!

Images attached show the areas that match the advert, that rang the alarm bells. I cannot see anything on the illistration that does not match the hull I have with exception to the steering wheel not having level spokes. The original paint is "orange" or faded red, I think jungle green or deset yellow will be more appropriate......

Rob D

hrpearce · #11 21-05-11, 13:29

Go with the tractor, if it's the only one then you are the expert at ralleys

Rob Dyba · #12 21-05-11, 13:44

A coupleof images-
Holes in hull for "Mulga Bar' (mulga is an Austrailian term for light forest or scrub)
Seat back for the driver taken from the rear of the hull & welded to the firewall
Rear plate is two levels, the bottom bieng a piece of the sie hull still with it's tool mounts, and the upper plate bieng the rear tool stoage plate that normally shields the diff...

Refer the original pic against the images..... same cutting lines & plate useage....

Rob

maple_leaf_eh · #13 21-05-11, 17:27

"Mulga pushing, delving, snigging, ploughing and for providing sationary power for saw bench."

Ploughing is obvious.
Stationary engine is obvious.

CANAUSGBRUSANZL - five nations separated by a common language.

hrpearce · #14 21-05-11, 20:34

Mulga pushing, clearing land of shrubby bush to make way for pasture.
Delving, ripping to dig remaining stumps and roots up.
Snigging, towing logs to a mill or saw bench etc.

Lynn Eades · #15 21-05-11, 23:08

Red Mulga is an endangered tree found in west Australia around well #3, on the Canning stock route.

Howard · #16 22-05-11, 01:36

G'Day Rob,
Not that I expect my opinion to bear much weight, (it doesn't at home!), but...
I share your pain with the decision... I still have not decided which path to take with my F15. (wartime Vs post-war usage).
Obviously, the Worth tractor is not all that common any more. So I would like to see the Tractor version survive, too. And it would be great to see it side-by-side with the Strikland version one day!

My two bob's worth.
Howard

Keith Webb · #17 22-05-11, 01:46

Look at this way... if you had a barn find uncut carrier it would be heinous to cut it down to make a replica of a post-war conversion, but starting from something like you have I'd say it's a completely appropriate course of action.

Luke R · #18 22-05-11, 01:59

G'day Rob

I would keep it as a worth.
It's a part of our history and would make a good before and after display with your other carrier.
Ps, Is that a morris 1100 speedo on your worth tractor?

Rob Dyba · #19 22-05-11, 08:52

Yes Luke I't's an 1100 speedo- good eyes! Have a pile of mini & Morris parts in addition to carrier & scout car in the shed...

It's staying a tractor. Means I need to find another hull to use my newly aquired armour on....

Rob

colin jones · #20 22-05-11, 09:06

Strike me pink. I'm glad its not "Ten wrong and you get the firing squad"

Colin.

eddy8men · #21 22-05-11, 11:31

good decision, there's plenty of carriers about so one more won't make a lot of difference but something rare or unusual is always worth pursuing.

good luck with the resto

eddy

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #22 22-05-11, 13:34

Hi Rob - Sorry to rain on your parade but this is only a commercial example of an innovation and not really that clever. This certainly does not have anywhere near the historic significance the Strickland Carriers have. Numerous Carriers were converted for specific uses and this is just an example. All they did here was to cut off the top armour and put a ram on the front.

As far as utilising it for stationary power, that would be a bugger of a job. Firstly you would have to break the track, then remove the sprocket and fit a belt drive pulley that I presume Worths Motors would supply. Would you also have to break the track on the opposite side thereby bypassing the action of the differential. I bet they didn’t sell too many.

The advertisement is interesting and it has a close home town connection but what do you desire, a Carrier or a tractor. If you have another Carrier then go tractor, if not, go Carrier.

I get quite excited when something really unusual surfaces but this does nothing for me. Sorry.

The attached image is a real innovation and this Carrier was made into a timber jigger. This was part of my Operation Jigsaw.

Bob

Richard Farrant · #23 22-05-11, 13:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Moseley

Firstly you would have to break the track, then remove the sprocket and fit a belt drive pulley that I presume Worths Motors would supply. Would you also have to break the track on the opposite side thereby bypassing the action of the differential.

Hi Bob,

You cannot bypass the action of the diff. as if you removed the track on the other side it would then turn that hub, instead of the pulley hub. Whatever happens the diff is still going to be working whilst on pulley operations.

Rob Dyba · #24 22-05-11, 14:35

Take your comments on board Bob. At least it retains the carrier steering as STD so driving it will be more like driving a full carrier, only lighter, and better driver's view. I like the fact that they were made as a commerical concern local to my area.. certainly now I will be looking a bit closer at cut down hulls when I see them...."Stricklands" are not that common up here in QLD....

On the diff driving sawbenches etc... dropping one track only would give you 2 to 1 speed increase at that hub, so perhaps it was of some use to someone... somewhere.... perhaps!

Rob

ron · #25 23-05-11, 07:24

Hi Rob.
The South aust carrier that i bought 37 years ago serial number 2300,was a Worths tractor,you know where it came from I took you there to get an engine for you carrier, Percys father bought it from Worths after the war and they used it to snig timber, Cedar in fact until someone found out where they were getting it from.they also had a brand new set of British track, that I got at the time, I also bought a Ford tractor sometime ago,they are not as rare as some people think, but never the less always a nice find,
Regards Ron

ron · #26 23-05-11, 07:27

I reckon I would forget my head if it was not screwed on, with the two carriers I got about two weeks ago, there is one of the winch pulley set up fitted to one sprocket, I will take a pic and post it Regards Ron

Bob Moseley (RIP) · #27 23-05-11, 08:18

Hi Ron - why am I not surprised that you had one of these. Two days ago I had never heard of these and now they are everywhere. What haven't you had? You know what will happen now? Rod will be after you for the winch pulley and then stay with a Worths Tractor restoration.

Bob

ron · #28 23-05-11, 08:33

Hi Bob,well I reckon in this case its six of one and a half a dozen of another, you see I have a full set of top amour, so its in for a penny and in for a pound,
I had six matildas at one time and a fully restored Diamond T 980, complete with ballast body, and various carriers, it was easy in those days plenty of goodies,

eddy8men · #29 23-05-11, 09:44

6 matilda's

(my kind of guy)

Rob Dyba · #30 24-05-11, 13:09

Ron FYI "She who must be obeyed" has been broken the news and apart from a bit of a rant we are good to go, so I will be in contact. Since the current hull is now to remain unchanged I have a lead on another to work with... will keep you posted.

Look forward to the piccs of the pulley, I suppose last Monday neither of us had any idea of a Worth????

Rob.....