posted June 26, 2002 10:25               

As far as I am aware no Dexta or Major ever had orange grills. They were normally either blue or silver up to 1963 and grey on the blue/grey tractors.

A number of restored tractors have been given orange grills and they look OK but these are not correct. If you are going to use the tractor for fun or work it does not matter what colour you paint it but when it comes to showing I am a purist and want to see everything original for the year.

At a lot of the vintage shows I have been to there are 6 cylinder Majors and Dextas and Model N's and E27N's fitted with diesels that were not built for years after the tractors. Whilst these have their place in the history of that tractor, they are not examples of the build of that year.

My Major is about 90% original as she came out of the factory in 1952.

I was once told on at a show that an exibitor had the same tractor as mine. His had plastic cowl, bonnet, seat, rear wings, fuel tank, etc. To me this was not an original tractor.

posted June 26, 2002 12:57            

quote:

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A number of restored tractors have been given orange grills and they look OK but these are not correct.

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**Oscar scratches head** Now what am I going to do with my loved one?!

posted June 26, 2002 18:23               

She looks great as she is and she is YOURS so why worry.

Its just that on a show ground when tractors are being judged or held up as expert restorations of a certain year I think they should be authentic.

I have orange painted badges on Henrietta because the crome was bad and I did not have the money to spend on getting them done at that time.

Think I'm getting crabby in my old age.

regards

posted June 27, 2002 10:13               

quote:

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Originally posted by Brian:
Peter,

As far as I am aware no Dexta or Major ever had orange grills. They were normally either blue or silver up to 1963 and grey on the blue/grey tractors.

A number of restored tractors have been given orange grills and they look OK but these are not correct. If you are going to use the tractor for fun or work it does not matter what colour you paint it but when it comes to showing I am a purist and want to see everything original for the year.

At a lot of the vintage shows I have been to there are 6 cylinder Majors and Dextas and Model N's and E27N's fitted with diesels that were not built for years after the tractors. Whilst these have their place in the history of that tractor, they are not examples of the build of that year.

My Major is about 90% original as she came out of the factory in 1952.

I was once told on at a show that an exibitor had the same tractor as mine. His had plastic cowl, bonnet, seat, rear wings, fuel tank, etc. To me this was not an original tractor.

Sorry, you got me on my "high horse" again.

regards
Brian

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posted July 23, 2002 05:17               

quote:

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Originally posted by Peter Tatham:
Oscar,
This is perhaps one for Brian. I'm puzzled re the colour of the Dexta front grilles. In some contempory photos in Stuart Gibbard's book, The Fordson tractor Story the grilles appear to be a silver or empire blue colour, certainly, none are orange like the wheels are painted.. However I've also seen photos, including a contempory advertising poster, where the grilles are wheel orange. What is the correct colour, or are both correct, ie was either colour applied at various times? I'm restoring a 1962 Dexta and I'd like to get it right.

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posted July 23, 2002 11:27               

Could have been for export. We used to stock between 40 and 50 Dexta tractors and as I said I did not see one with orange grills. This is also born out by an article in the National Vintage Tractor mag. over here which comments on a tractor at a show with orange grills and states that tractors were not painted with orange grills.

regards