My old MG2 from feb 1936 is about to go to a new home in Gloucestershire. Rebuilt from a pile of scrap in 2016 to as near ex factory as I could get it, it is now time for it to go to a new home, not without a fight though it has not been run for three years so a good day was spent stripping the car. magneto, de- compressor . Surprised myself that I managed to crank start it without immediate cardiac issues!. Last time it was shown I covered it in a mix of WD40 and oil which over the years has collected dust so that it now has a patina that looks it's 86 years. I managed to get it to run and had a good charge around the garden for old time sake. Sad to see it go but too many projects left to deal with. As far as I know 137 is the oldest known MG2 crawler being number 36 of the line, it has the Sturmey Archer 600cc side valve engine fitted with the chain crank starter mechanism, open exhaust and flat top engine cowling fitted with a cycle brake lever to operate the decompressor.
The design is very clever if you hit a rock or a stump instead of potentially stalling the tractor the blade snaps forwards against the tension of the two big springs . Once clear of the obstruction you stop or lift the blade and it snaps back to normal.
Cruel to be kind Norman last year some must have got into my garages and been shut in starving to death so keep them out or make a way so they can fly in and out.
Managed to get it fitted and operational spent a few hours levelling off the drive and made a huge difference, really pleased with it has to be my bargain of the year new price in the States is $1600
Ransomes bought out an American company called Steiner that made small tractors and a range of sophisticated implements, boom mowers,trenchers, snow blowers and ploughs etc. I have two of these machines, a 420 and a 425 both of which are fitted with a Kubota three cylinder engine.
Some time ago I managed to find a NOS front loader in America which had been stored for a long time but never used ( someone had removed the hydraulic operating levers) . Earlier this week I was looking again on E Bay USA for Steiner parts and came across a listing for a NOS Ransomes branded hydraulic front mounted snow plough dozer blade with angling ram. Again there were a few bolts missing so it had lain in a store somewhere for years, strange thing was it was in Norwich UK. I managed to buy it and await delivery at the beginning of next week. I knew these blades existed branded as Steiner in USA ( still available new ) but have never seen a Ransomes branded green version. Last year I bought a front hydraulic adapter from the States with a view to building a blade which is still sitting as NOS in my workshop!! No idea why the owner listed it in the States, I was the only bidder.
This is the genset I have it has a JAP engine, I have never tried to start it but it turns over freely. The tube on the left of the first picture is for storing the starter cord which is missing,
I recently saw somebody using a portable drum winch powered by a small two stroke engine unfortunately I did not get close enough to see the make is there an O&R powered winch?
is $1600
Lane clearing.
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New Pup????????