Side By Side Farmalls

Side by side Farmalls TRACTORS Antiques 16-4-17 Retired farmer and trucker Hany Lee likes to build tractors that never existed. His latest is a pair of side-by-side Farmall F¡20's that he doubled-up without any welding or cutting. He calls it his "Hillside Special". "They run together like one tractor but I could convert back to two separate machines by just unbolting them and removing the support frame," he says. Lee has nearly 50 collectable tractors that he takes to antique power shows in the summer. Most of his machines are IH but he has three tractors that are unique, including his side-by-side Farmalls. Another one-of a-kind tractor is his "Bombshell" which he built from scratch. It's based on a photo of a prototype 1922 Forman F-20 that IH never marketed. All the original prototype machines were destroyed but Lee found a photo of one and used it as a blueprint. Another one of his "made up" tractors is his 1939 LC Huber which he also built from scratch. It's a rare model, built in Ohio, that's almost impossible to find among collectors. Old timers who've seen his home-built version swear it looks like the real thing. (Lee's 1922 F-20 and his '39 Huber will be featured in upcoming issues of FARM SHOW). His new doubled-up machine was built from a combination of 1926 and 1927 model Farmalls. He also used a bunch of miscel¡laneous parts from other Farmalls, including the steering shaft from an F-30. "The steering shaft worked perfectly between the two tractors. I didn't have to modify it at all since I extended the front wheels forward to balance out the tractor," says Lee. The support frame around the front of the two tractors was built out of scrap iron. He removed the hubs on the inside wheel of each tractor and bolted the rear ends together. That provided enough structural support to hold up the rear end. He mounted the tractor seat between the two tractors, leaving the gear shifts, throttles and foot pedals where they were. Sitting in the center seat, he can reach the clutch pedal on one tractor and brake pedal on another. He modified the steel wheels, welding an extra band to the inside of the wheels (rather than the outside) in order to keep the tractor as narrow as possible. "It measures 9 1/2 ft. from axle bolt to axle bolt. I can get away with that on the roads around here," says Lee. It took only about a month to build the tractor last spring since it went together much easier than he had expected. Both tractors had already been completely restored, including installation of high compression pistons in the engines. Lee plans to take his creation to shows this summer, including one he helps organize right down the road from his house (White River Val¡ley Antique Assn., Elnora, Ind. Sept. 11-13, 1992). He plans to have all 50 of his collectables at the show, along with another 150 or so rare models from other collectors. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Harry Lee, Box 119, Elnora, Ind. 47529 (ph 812 692-5216).

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