The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

I'm just rebuilding my 1954 E1a Major. I've rebuilt the engine and will eventually need a nose cone. Where's the best place to buy one from? I also need a new steering wheel. So far I've had my parts from agriline.

This is what it looked like the day it was delivered.

Dear Paumass

Most difficult question posed there, because "you pays yer money and you takes yer choice". I spent 3 years looking carefully at the panel gaps between bonnet front/ nosecone and bonnet rear/diesel tank on every Major I saw at any show or gathering I attended. I probably viewed over 250 tractors and I found about 10 with what I thought was a pretty good fit. Pattern parts appear to be just that, a pattern, not from a detailed drawing, just a pattern. Whether you are trying to get good a reasonable fit with original bonnet and new nosecone, or original nosecone and new bonnet, or even original nosecone and bonnet, the result is always in doubt. Even buying the 2 items (bonnet and nose cone)from the same supplier does not ensure any kind of success.

When I rebuilt my NPSM some 7-8 years ago, I had an original bonnet in excellent condition (hadn't been walked on, or had a loader full of wood fall on it) and no nosecone, so I bought what I felt was a pretty good quality one from R Pocock. I still spent 3 days fettling the two panels to get a half reasonable fit. If one pushed the nosecone too far forward on the tombstone, to get the right bonnet/nosecone gap, the nosecone overlapped the tombstone and so on and so on. I do not know how quality of nosecones has gone over the years since, but going by the tractors I have seen, it appears to be about the same as ever. It will be interesting to see what others say. So to sum up, be prepared to pay, but don't be too surprised by the poor fit. The best investment is a mate who is a really good panel beater.

Regards

Tim E

Thanks for the reply. I'm a few months off buying a nose cone. I've still got to see why it's so noises in the back and cure it of jumping out of first gear and then start reassembling. I've got a straight original bonnet that just needs a couple of new catches at the back. Any nose cone has got to be better than then one that I've got at the moment it's full of filler and wasn't secured on very well.

I'm just testing the water as to which suppliers are best. I've not been to happy with some agriline products.

Emmark uk

Out of curiosity, whats wrong with that nosecone?

It's rotten and only really being held together with filler