cletrac/ford connection

[Kirk-NJ]

I was watching a tractor show this past week and they had on there some ford crawlers. The guy said that cletrac had sold ford some under carriges to experiment with. There is one listed under the photo section on the YT site,under(search) ford 8N crawler. I thought these where farmerized modifications. On the show the guy said only about 3 or 4 were made and they never came out with them. Have you guys heard anything about them?
Kirk

[John Schwiebert]

Well in my mind you are half correct. Ford did take a Cletrac and make a crawler or maybe Cletrac did the conversion. However it was not the flathead four cylinder used in 2,8 & 9N models. Also a BD was converted to a 4 wheel drive to compare to the Harris Power horse tractor. Now I need to remember where I saw the Ford/Cletrac Picture.

[John D]

Well in my mind you are half correct. Ford did take a Cletrac and make a crawler or maybe Cletrac did the conversion. However it was not the flathead four cylinder used in 2,8 & 9N models. Also a BD was converted to a 4 wheel drive to compare to the Harris Power horse tractor. Now I need to remember where I saw the Ford/Cletrac Picture.

John,
I know I've seen some too (can't remember where either) - here are two different models that were recorded at "Thee Olde Time Farm Show" Bourbonnais, IL in 2002

[Eric Severance]

There is a reference made, and an Oliver archive photograph of an experimental Ford crawler in C.H. Wendel's book "Oliver Hart-Parr" on page 273. He states that no records were found, but the existance of the photograph indicates some experimentation must have been going on between Ford and Oliver.