[lefty]

I posted this to a few other forums but I love showing this off so I'm posting it here too, enjoy!

I was inspired by scbird94's Garage Journal thread about his Radio Flyer projects for his kids, http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47731

I recently had my first child, a boy, and I couldn't wait to start a project like this for him! My wife came up with the idea for a JD theme for it. So I basically decided to rip off his idea, and asked him a ton of questions. I worked on it as my spare time allowed for 3+ months.

Here it is the day I got it home, I had already started dis-assembly, I was too excited to take a proper before picture!

Started stripping it..

Primer!

At this point, I really didn't know what to do next... I knew I wanted some bigger wheels, but I didn't know how to get them on the axles since the diameters didn't match, etc. I ended up getting a lot of help at this point, went to Northern Tool, and spent a bunch of money The tire and wheel combos cost about $45 each! :-0

15" pneumatic tires, some 3/4" rod for axles and electrical conduit for "lift", some other metal pieces for sturdiness...

Here are the new tires & wheels, compared to the originals...

I couldn't wait to put some paint down, so I started with the wheels.

I mocked up the front axle assembly to see how it all fit together...

At this point I had decided I wanted to build a frame for extra sturdiness, I cut some pieces of flat stock and angle iron into a pretty decent arrangement IMHO. Here I asked some questions making sure I was doing stuff right: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76115 (more detailed pics there too)

Got it all welded up by my father-in-law

I needed more help to get the axles on correctly, I needed to increase the diameter of the stock axle from .5" to .75", and also increase the length.

Here's a thread where I asked for help on this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77291

Painting has really started now!

Painting the "lift kit"

Used a 1" long 3/4" ID spacer here, I had to grind it down quite a bit to make it fit though

Test fitting the frame:

and painting it...

I got in contact with scbird94's "decal guy" and he was able to send me the negative image stickers I needed to pain the radio flyer logo back on, this worked pretty awesomely! Even though I am a complete noob to painting, plus using nothing but rattle cans, I think it came out pretty well!

Masked it off...

Paint...

and Presto!

Final Assembly has begun!

Everything is painted, starting to bolt it together..

I pulled each bolt out one by one and trimmed to length with my sawzall, got the front tires mounted and got called inside for daddy duty..

Once the little guy was asleep, it was back outside to the wagon...

Cant forget the wooden sides!

Drumroll.......

Ta-daaaaa

I think he likes it

We actually got to use it for the first time on Halloween, pulled him around in it at a church Halloween party thing, it was a big hit! A few people ran up to ask where I got it from and it was a great feeling to tell them "I made it myself"

 

[Aaron]

Very nice work! :good2:

 

[Kennyd]

Very cool Lefty, thanks for posting!

 

[eepete]

I'm grinning! Great job :good2: tnx for posting!

Pete

 

[RandyM]

Superb, very well done. :good2::good2::good2: You and the family will make some great memories with that. Now for the next job. What's in store for us?

 

[lefty]

Thanks! I'm glad you all liked it! I really loved building it and can't wait to start another project but I'm just not sure what to do next!

 

[Kennyd]

Thanks! I'm glad you all liked it! I really loved building it and can't wait to start another project but I'm just not sure what to do next!

Step it up a notch...like an old John Deere B or the like:thumbup1gif:

 

[lefty]

Well I have this pedal car tractor that I need to fix still, the pedal mechanism needs some love..

 

[Kennyd]

That looks like a great project as well...ant idea how old it is?

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello lefty
Very Nice job you did there. We have a Granddaughter, Our First one that will be celebrating her First Birthday this Saturday. Our Daughter asked me if we could use my John Deere 318 Tractor and my Rarely Seen John Deere Model # 30 Dump Cart for that Party. She decided to make the Party Theme John Deere Green and I will be pulling up into the party with Our Granddaughter sitting inside the Model #30 Dump Cart. This was asked of me back in August, so I dragged out my Poor Old Beat down rusty, dented tired looking John Deere # 30 Dump cart to restore it. The Model # 30 Dump Cart's were a Very short lived John Deere offering and they were made by the Radio-Flyer Corp. out of Chicago, Illinois. These dump cart's were availible back in the late 70's time span about the time that John Deere intorduced their rear engine riding lawn mower's. One problem I incurred while restoring it was that John Deere no Longer nor ever did offer Part's for this Radio-Flyer Dump cart. Therefore, I had to order the decal Kit for a model 80 dump cart for it. I took the "80" decal and simply Cut the "8" Numeral in half to give me the Number "3" that I needed for the Model Number 30. I spent about Two weeks restoring the tub & Chassis of the dump cart and used a Full Gallon of Body filler in the process. I was Missing an axle hub wheel cap but since we had bought a new Radio-Flyer wagon for our Granddaughter last Christmas my wife brought me the one spare wheel cap tht came with that Wagon that I was Missing so all I had to do was Paint it black as it was red in color and placed it on the dump cart axle shaft when it dried. I had bought the dump cart about 25 Years ago at a Local John Deere dealership for $25.00 and our Daughter that is now 26 year's old used to ride inside it when I had yard chores so that is what gave her the idea of us using it for our Granddaughter's First Birthday Party.





In the mean time I decided to restore our 1983 John Deere 318 so that both Pieces of equipment looked Fresh & the same for the Birthday party. While I was Painting the body panels of my 318 I remembered that I still had Our Daughter's Ertle John Deere Model 520 Pedal Tractor. It has been stored over head in my Garage attic. I climbed up there and got it down. Father Time had not been kind to it, as it's Paint was very dull and tired looking so I thought as long as I was Painting the body Panels off my 318 I Might as well paint the Pedal Tractor. I ordered the correct decal kit for it and after I got it all Painted and all of the internal Parts lubricated I put it back together and placed the new decals on it. This Saturday we will be attending our Granddaughter's Birthday Party where she will be handed down the same Pedal Tractor that her mother grew up with. When we enter the Birthday Party they will be playing country Music star Joe Diffy's song "John Deere Green" I am looking forward to this party as it has been a Lot of work getting the equipment prepared for it. I will be wearing a set of Bib Overhaul's that I Picked up yesterday as wella s a John Deere Green shirt and an Official John Deere hat. Our Granddaughter will have the Ladies version of John Deere Bib overhaul's on that are Pink in color as her and Grandpa take their ride together in John Deere style into the party to meet her Guest's. Nothing Run's Nor Last's Like a Deere, Keep it Green and Pass down the Legacy to future John Deere lover's ! Regards, Hammerdown




The start of the John Deere # 30 Dump Cart. What a Beat down Rust Bucket and more Dent's than a Hail Storm Hammered Car has. The dump tub is almost exact to size of that used in the larger size Jackson Brand contractor's grade wheelbarrow's. At one point I thought that it would be much easier to Buy a new Wheelbarrow tub to replace this one, But I am Not one to cut any corners, and Im Old School & Just Plain stubborn.... and I wanted to keep it original

After More hour's than I could Keep Track of, I got this Poor beat down tub looking good again. I Sprayed it with a Three Part High Build Urethane primer surfacer, then wet sanded it with 400 Grit sand Paper before laying on Three Heavy coat's of John Deere Green. My wife said once it was done that I had it so nice now that I probably would not let her use it again. I said that I would, but that I had Better not see her Throwing Rock's at it instead of in it...

Here are the body panels off my 318 as well as our Daughter's Vintage 22 Year old Ertle John Deere model 520 Pedal Tractor right after I painted it. One Interesting thing that I learned while restoring this Ertle Model 520 John Deere Pedal Tractor is, that the Ford Motor Company supplied Ertle with the Two section Aluminum bodies that were used on these John Deere Pedal Tractor's. Now a day's, all you can buy is cheap looking Plastic Ertle Pedal Tractor's so these vintage ones are well worth the time Invested in restoring them to hand them down through the family member's as we will be doing with this one this coming Saturday.

Our Daughter and Granddaughter showed up just as I was Taking the picture's of this Pedal Tractor completed. Our Daughter told me that it look's better now than when it was New which made me both Humble and Proud of the Pedal Tractor restoration. I told her that the Paint would not go Dead like the factory finish did as I used a Catylst Hardener in the Valspar paint that I sprayed on this tractor. When I was done taking the picture's I brought it into our home and placed it in the spare bedroom where we let our Granddaughter sleep over when she visits. A Few night later, our Daughter and the baby were over for a visit. It was close to bed time for our Granddaughter so she was Fussing a bit. I told our Daughter to take her into the bedroom and to set her on the seat of her Vintage John Deere restored Pedal Tractor. I took the two pictures of her shown below. The first one show's she was a Little un-sure of what to think about her new Tractor, but just second's later a bed time tired cute Grin came over her face, which made this whole project well worth the intense Labor that I had placed into it.