Looking for an old girl.

[Chrisl]

Sunday morning I woke up in stages!!! Reason being day before we fitted my sidecar's back shock. Jip it enjoyed being outAmanda had her head where the back wheel normally is to try and get the end caps in the gap in the swingarm, 4 hands,waterpomptang and flat screwdriver did the trick!!

My chassis did not feel like being on the sidecar, but head wanted saddle time. Phoned someone who knew someone to get permission to kinda trespass with permission to try and find an old girl that I've heard about.
Wheels of choice quad bike. I had hopes of leftover vetkoek and coffee, but was promptly informed some fat sidecar rider ate all of it day before!!

In a deep valley I find this dam.

 

[Bliknêrs]

Lekker Chris.

 

[Brewed_Coffee]

Hey Chris, I'd love to see more pics of your bike with it's sidecar.

 

[zebra]

My chassis did not feel like being on the sidecar, but head wanted saddle time. Phoned someone who knew someone to get permission to kinda trespass with permission to try and find an old girl that I've heard about...


View attachment 849667

An ACTUAL 'old girl', Chris, or is this 'code'
for some vintage motorbike you have heard about?!
Chris

 

[Chrisl]

The road quickly climbs out of the valley and gets loose steep and overgrown. I am gaining height and looking back gets prettier. Die Visarende follows me ahead and I hear them call when I stop for a photo. I am riding on directions in my head that have been scrambled by the usual voices in my head so far not getting lost there is just one road. Weather is stunning and for the first time in months not cold. I get a bit lost direction wise because of all the thick bush but the voices said just proceed.

 

[Black_Hawk]

Dit lyk baie lekker oom Chris, ons wag in spanning om die "old girl" te ontmoet......

 

[petri oosthuizen]

Ons gaan daai Ou Girl eers volgende Jaar sien............

 

[Chrisl]

I struggle a bit through the bush because they have overgrown what was once a track. Then I pop out onto a big clearing which looks to be the old fields they plowed the voices in me head tells me. And there in the middle of the clearing I see a structure. I am now on top of a long ridge with a plato on top of it. Farmer used to plant some oats here every year for his sheep to graze.

 

[Chrisl]

In the middle of the clearing is this afdak where the old girl have been standing for 10 years. She the old girl that is is a Massey-Harris 754 a 1953/4 model diesel. First model with diesel engine. She was built in Scotland imported to SA and then sent to a dealer in Rhodesia and sold to a tobacco farmer where she worked on a tobacco farm. Many moons ago young farmers from my area who needed capital for farming would go and work on tobacco farms in Rhodesia and Nothern Rhodesia. Afterwards they would buy more land or implements and this is where the old lady comes in see. A farmer from Jongensfontein bought her after finishing his contract and put her on a train for Riversdale and used her for many years. He then sold her to the oomie not far from me who ploughed with her up on the hills until 10 years ago when he parked her "under" this afdak.

 

[Black_Hawk]

What a beauty.. ek hoop dat iemand weer lewe in die ou girl kan sit

 

[Chrisl]

This is how a Massey Harris 745 should look like. I intend to get the right person to get her alive again. That person has the right equipment to come and fetch her here too. Lets hope he is interested as he has 180 old tractors already +-.
I did get off the quad to try and get a clearer photo of the odd looking shaft running between clutch housing and gearbox. Very odd that they went that route instead of direct bell housing coupling like all other tractors before and after.

 

[Chrisl]

I turn around to go back home again. The old girl have whispered enough to me. At the speed I was traveling even flowers appear in the lens!!
Going back down means I get to see the ocean and the nearest town.

 

[RobCrouch]

Mooi ou girl daai!

 

[Chrisl]

I get back home and the rest of sunday I spend day dreaming of what the old girl have seen in her life.
Monday morning first thing i send photos to the restorer I had in mind. He's very interested.
We talk about the working on the farms in Rhodesia of the young men of the time and he tells me of a old omie who pasted away last year that i knew who worked in Northern Rhodesia. After his time was done he bought a Massey Ferguson 35 second hand and drove it from Lusaka to Stillbay!!!
Took him three weeks!!!
He used the tractor many years until a restorer bought if from him.(photo not the actual tractor)

RIP oom Lood.

FluitFluit my storie is uit nous ek klaar met ou girl whispering!!

 

[TrailBlazer]

Nou toe nou Chris... jy weet jy wil daai ou girl aanskaf en 'n mooi oorbou job doen op haar

 

[Chrisl]

Nou toe nou Chris... jy weet jy wil daai ou girl aanskaf en 'n mooi oorbou job doen op haar

Ongelukkig sit dit nie in my broek of hande ek los sulke jobs vir die pro's.

 

[GeelKameel]

After his time was done he bought a Massey Ferguson 35 second hand and drove it from Lusaka to Stillbay!!!
Took him three weeks!!!
He used the tractor many years until a restorer bought if from him.
View attachment 849722

Ai, wat 'n mooi MF35!
Dit is 'n Massey Ferguson maar het "Ferguson" op sy neus, dus is dit een van die eerste modelle nadat Massey Harris en Ferguson saamgesmelt het.
Dit bring aangename herinneringe terug!
Ek het leer bestuur op so-een, baaaaie jare gelede.
My pa het die MF35 ingeruil op 'n MF135 - beide het vir baie jare foutloos geloop.

Die MF100 reeks was en is die heel mooiste van al die jare se MF trekkers.

Ná die MF100-reeks het hulle die lelike MF200 reeks (met die groot grys blok-neus) gemaak.

Van toe af net moderner, minder trekker en meer mode....

 

[Chrisl]

Geelkameel was jou pa se 35 vier silinder koperpens(vrotste trekker ooit uit die MF stal) of 4 silinder grys sump?
Of die kanniedood 3 silinder 35X?
My 3 silinder 35X is vanjaar 60 jaar jonk. Start baie beter as ek EN lek minder ook!!

 

[Karoo Rider]

Ook leer trekker ry op die plaas op 'n MF 135 en 165. Die moeilikste deel was om daai blerrie clutch te trap want jy moet mos reguit afwaarts trap en nie so skuins vorentoe soos met 'n kar nie. As lightie was die gevolg dat jy basies moet regop staan op die clutch petaal om hom ingetrap te kry, terwyl jy met die een hand die gear lever operate en die ander klou die stuur vas terwyl jy met een oog die pad of wingerdry moet dophou.

Lekkerste vir my was om 'n groot land om te ploeg. Sit en ploeg toe ook weer so eendag, day dreaming en minding my own business. Die 135 se ritmiese enjingeraas sny jou eintlik heel af van die buitewêreld. Die volgende oomblik begin plof die klippe en kluite hier om my vas, teen die trekker en agter my rug en kop. Toe ek omkyk is my Pa net besig om die volgende handvol kluite op te tel terwyl hy vreeslik beduie en iets vir my skree.

Ek vermoed toe dat hy straks my aandag wou trek, en stop maar. Na 'n uitgerekte uitkak-sessie kom dit toe aan die lig dat ek die ploegskare te diep of te vlak of wat ookal gehad het, maar dit was nie na sy sin nie! Wat tot sy vurige humeur op daardie stadium bygedra het, was die feit dat hy vir hoe lank al sukkel om my ingeloop te kry deur die omgeploegde land. Dis toe dat die idee van die kluitgooiery seker by hom opgekom het.

 

[GeelKameel]

Dit was 'n grys pens, waarskynlik 3 Perkins silinder want MF het Perkins enjins begin gebruik 1959 rond.
Ons 35 was 1960/61 rond, raai ek.
Ek onthou min van sy tegniese detail, ek was maar jonk daai tyd. Vroeg laerskool.
Die 35X en 35 MultiPower het later op die mark gekom.
In 1967 rond het die 135 op die plaas aangekom. Blink en nuut (ek onthou nog hoe my Pa gesê het daardie jaar was 'n " 'n goeie jaar")
Die 135 was puik is alle opsigte, mooi, foutloos en altyd gereed om te werk.
Daarna het ons 'n paar jaar 'n 240 gehad. Dit was 'n effense disaster. Gedurig olielekke gehad, veral tussen enjin en ratkas.