Last winter I built the 317 "Special", the winter before I was the L/60 "Custom"!
This project started out as a 1969 model 60 lawn tractor with a "blown" replacement 6 HP Tecumseh engine. I bought the tractor two years before planning to restore it, by the time I got to it, there were no replacement engines available! :frown:
For those unfamiliar with the JD 60's & 70's, they were powered by Tecumseh 6 & 7 HP engines respectively. They used a clutch fitted to the end of the crankshaft to power the deck. there are no longer any "direct-fit" engines available because of the clutch! The crankshaft or the clutch would have to be "fitted" to make any other engines work.
With these facts in mind and not needing the deck anyway, I decided to make to look similar to the JD model 62 & unstyled "L" tractors of the late 1930's.
I used an 8 HP Briggs engine from an R72 RER. 6" narrow front rims w/"tedder tires (tri-ribs), narrow rear wheels w/6x12 lugs, fenders are trailer fenders, used the original gas tank turned 1/4 turn, hood is sheet aluminum & radiator is just a piece of an old car radiator cut to fit!
Used mostly for shows & parades, along with some light duty towing. ~~ grnspot110
