Henry Fords Model Ts became more to America than just the first affordable cars. In the late twenties many companies built kits to convert them into tractors. Thrifty Farmer and Utility were just a couple of the kits that were created The conversion kits were availble for sale through catalog purchase.
My first hand exposer to conversion tracors was recent. I volunteered to help Keith Ladage transport his collected peices to Half Century of Progress. Keith has a Model T (Utility), Model A (Thrifty Farmer), and a Model.A (Utility) in his collection
October 24th, One of Aumman Vintage Power’s Fall Hatvest Auctions closed with a very unccommon tractor. A 1924 Ford Model T tractor conversion created by Shaw Mamufactoring, based in Galesburg, KS.
Stanley Wilbur Shaw also built conversions during the late 1920’s originally selling a kit through the Montgomery Wards catalog. The agreement between Wards and Shaw, was short, and disolved, causing a second round of conversion sales. Shaw’s second round of conversions, were sold in three methods
If the customer lived near enough to Galesburg, KS, they could bring the car to the factory for conversion. A kit with detailed instructions could also be shipped to customers to distant, from the factory.
Model Ts became readily avalible once the newer Model As began production. Shaw started buying Model Ts to sell as completed kits.
Shaw’s kit was noticably more involved than the competition. He narrowed the axle width and cut the car’s frame shorter creating a more compact unit. His achieved goal was a smaller tractor that could turn in a fifteen foot radius.
This particular tractor pictured has a back story. Shaw built this one and used it as a demonstrator. It was sold during the great depression. The tractor later resurfaced in a scrap yard. A local farmer, knowing what it was bought it for scrap price and saving it from destructuon. Here are two links discussing the conversion in more detail.
https://www.proxibid.com/lotinformation/58280104/rare-shaw-model-t-conversion
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/389459.html
Editors note ~ I want to thank Chris Grammer for his great assistance in research for this article. I can’t take credit for all the photography. Some are screen grabs.
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