I don't have a Fordson, but I am writing a story about one and this might be the place for me to get a few facts straight. It's long-winded, so please bear with me.
For about 15 years now, I've had a column in the American magazine, Diesel World (DW- https://www.dieselworldmag.com/), called "Tractor Talk. DW is mostly a diesel pickup enthusiast magazine, but we learned that in farm country, you can't get run over by a pickup unless it's diesel powered and old tractors go over well with the readers. Coupla years back, I also started a column there on diesel engine history called "Vintage Smoke" but that's another story. I've been an automotive writer for 30 years almost, even writing for several British Land Rover magazines in the '80s and '90s, but when I moved onto this farm about 20 years ago, the editor of DW assumed I was a tractor expert, so here I am with a column. Learned a lot about tractors over that time. Just to show I'm not a complete loser, I have a blue tractor too... a Dagenham Ford 2810 that's my loader/utility tractor, plus an '86 Ford F250HD 4x4 diesel I bought new. On to Fordsons...
Doing a story on a '58 New Major, 1467781 and have posted an overall view of it below. I would appreciate the brain trust helping me in a couple of areas so I get things as correct as possible. I shot it at a show but have not been able to locate the owner to get more detail on it. Been researching online and in my home references and still need some clarification on a few points of history and technology. To whit:
1- One image below is the cover of a US Fordson Major Diesel brochure which I have scanned. I want to be sure I have decoded the date on the brochure correctly. On the back is "AD6023 954100". Following normal convention, the first three digits of second set of numbers, "954" decodes to September 1954, which was probably produced for the 1955 model year. Correct me, please?
2- I gather that in April of 1957, the Mark II was introduced (starting at S/N 1425097), so this one falls into Mark II territory, but I am not clear as to what changes and improvements were made. All I have been able to note so far is a power increase. To what exactly I do not know... I read "40 hp" somewhere unofficial but the only rating specs I have is the Nebraska test of 1953, which was 38.49 on the belt at 1600 rpm. Any details on the changes t making up a Mark II very welcome, especially some documented power figures.
3- Please correct my current level of knowledge about the engine. Generally speaking it was called the 4D and was introduced in '51 or '52, both in the Major and as an industrial/marine powerplant. Later in the '50s it went into trucks (the Thames Trader for one) and it's a cousin to the 330ci 6D engine. Because the magazine is very engine-centric, I'd like to learn more about the origins of this engine. I suspect the development started before '52, so some clues as to where to find more info would be appreciated. It was a pretty advanced engine for the day, so I'd really like to pass on more info on how it came to be. I know the engine went on for a very long time. I see it in my American Ford truck books '63-67, mostly in P-Series vans, along with the 330 in C-Series and a couple of others. I see the 220 flywheel power and torque for on-road listed at 65hp @2500 (NET) and 156 lbs-ft @ 1600 in the 1963 truck book. Any clues to where to find information on how the engine evolved would be welcome. I wonder if those '63 flywheel output figures compare to 1958? I realize that tractors are rated at a continuous duty spec, thus a lower rpm, plus belt or PTO power loses something from the flywheel.
4- I see some apparent liberties on the paint, so In looking at the picture, if someone could point out any other major items they see that are incorrect or anomalous, I'd appreciate it. I like to point out glaring inaccuracies so as not to leave a future Fordson restorer with the mistaken impression that this is a 100 percent correct example to copy.
5- So tell me how this tractor is remembered by history? From what I have learned so far, it's considered a "good-un," maybe even in the benchmark category in the realm of diesel tractor in it's class. But you tell me, trying to be as objective as your Fordson, hat, shirt, underwear and tie will let you be ( : < )
6- Terminology: Correct me... these are "Fordson New Major" or "Fordson E1A" tractors and are those terms generally interchangeable? I gather the "Fordson Power Major" that debuted late in '58 was still called an E1A and still basically just an evolved "New Major." The general platform ended in '64 with the World Tractors, which took some of the Fordson DNA as a basic part?
7- The Fordson Major has a rather convoluted history here in the States. I can't find an exact year when it was introduced here. It was sold alongside the Dexta and the Dearborn built diesels in a rather convoluted way. Would like to figure that maze out if possible. I have found Fordsons that were APPARENTLY sold here in the early '60s but I don't have a clear end date for their importation.
8- Funny story: I almost wrote about a Fordson Major some years back (I have written about a Dexta). This Major had a 6D 330 engine mounted and the owner had me about convinced it was original. I grew increasingly skeptical and finally learned it wasn't the real deal. The owner eventually admitted he had swapped in the six. He used it for vintage tractor pulls and had everyone in that area convinced it was real because the six put him into a very desirable place within his pulling class. I didn't write about the tractor, needless to say. I later learned his ruse was revealed but I don't know how it all ended up.
Finally, thanks for your time. If you stuck with this to the end, you are a true Fordson fanatic. If you know of any good Fordsons within reasonable distance of NW Ohio, let me know. I'd love to feature them more often.
