New Shite, ooh aar ooh aahh!

[Craig the Princess]

What has 3.4 litres of diesel goodness kicking out 56 vicious stampeding horses?

 

Keen shiteists might remember about a month ago tonedepear getting a Triumph Herald. Through a fortunate piece of timing we had an empty trailer doing the journey that car needed to make so we transported it for him. When picking up said Herald we got chatting to the bloke where the car was stalled, intrigued by his Morris Oxford and Mini Clubman Estate. He said he also had a couple of tractors and that one might be for sale, so we had a quick look when the Herald was loaded before setting off.

 

After a small discussion with Mrs_the_Princess we decided to go for it, we needed a small tractor for an overgrown patch of land we own attached to our house. So yesterday we went the 35 miles back to Boston and picked it up.

 

She is a 1955 Nuffield Universal DM4, the first year of the BMC Diesel engine following the previous Perkins engines. She came from a delaer in Conningsby, and due to some markings on her she may have been in RAF service at some time on the RAF base there. The registration isn’t on DVLA anymore, none of the electrics work. The staring procedure is to remove the lead off the solenoid which goes to the starter motor and hold this to the battery while holding the lever which engages the starter. Sometimes this works, about the forth or fifth attempt usually. The hydraulics and power take off at the back do work however, so as soon as an affordable topper can be found the land can be cut back t a reasonable height.

 

Driving it is an experience like no other and the most fun I’ve had in (or on) a vehicle in a long time, hand throttle, individual rear breaks (GR99 for “handbrake turnsâ€Â) and win in your hair motoring. Today has been mainly spent with paraffin to remove the inch thick dirt from the engine to get chassis and engine numbers and revealed the beautiful orange engine. Anyway here are the pictures.

 

[eddyramrod]

 

Wow Craig, is that your field? Just... wow. How good can it get! Polonez in some very good company there... And well spotted with the Nuffield, stuff like this should absolutely be preserved!

[Craig the Princess]

 

Wow Craig, is that your field? Just... wow. How good can it get! Polonez in some very good company there... And well spotted with the Nuffield, stuff like this should absolutely be preserved!

 

I agree, once things like the Nuffield are gone that's a hole heap of history gone. Also it's so much fun.

 

That's part of it, a small part of it. The Polonez is RitchieG's (see the long thread on here) and the Volvo is a friends banger rally car. What isn't shown are the rest of the allegros, or the princess, or the Ambassador, or the A40 Farina, or the rusty metro, or any of our housemates 1100s, his 1800 or Series 0 Maxi. Oh or his beige Sherpa.

[tonedepear]

That looks familiar!

[Cavcraft]

Ace!

What are the sticky out things for on the rear axle, is it so you can have double wheels on the back or something?

[Craig the Princess]

Ace!

What are the sticky out things for on the rear axle, is it so you can have double wheels on the back or something?

 

The wheels slide on the axle to adjust the track, that is on super skinny and only just squeesed on the trailer. The fronts move to, but I'm not sure how. Those overhangs are just the job for wrecking gateposts are you can't see them unless you are standing up.

[eddyramrod]

Ah yes, the famous RitchieG Polonez. Darn, thought we had another one among us there! Never mind, I don't care whose it is, it's nice to see it still alive.

[Albert Ross]

A Truffield Nactor!

[boobydoo]

Oooh! Marina in Applejack!

 

 

 

 

Scurries off to find box of tissues............

[HBR]

Ace!

What are the sticky out things for on the rear axle, is it so you can have double wheels on the back or something?

 

The wheels slide on the axle to adjust the track, that is on super skinny and only just squeesed on the trailer. The fronts move to, but I'm not sure how. Those overhangs are just the job for wrecking gateposts are you can't see them unless you are standing up.

 

I dont think it's a standard axle, never noticed them on the few Nuffields I've seen. The idea it you can easily adjust the track width to work with crops planted in rows. The front will adjust by removing the bolts through the front axle, sliding it to the width you want & refitting them, you probably never move them once they're in the right spot for your job.

 

Great stuff anyway, nice to see you're going to give it a job as well as a parking space!

I have a later model from the same stable, a Leyland 270 & today it's been out in the hayfield earning it's keep!