Re: Crazy idea...

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2011/6/19 17:25:29

Yes, Snapey, when something is "doable" then you have to start questioning whether it's impressive enough. If it's really, really unreasonable, you're close, but only when it appears impossible is it truly worth doing.

We had a 4-Cylinder Detroit Diesel (OK to call it GMC, but it's bad manners to call it "GM") in a huge tilling machine, made by Seaman Corp. It could go through rough ground and leave behind 12 inches of soft, pulverized soil. Used to do custom tilling with it for farmers. Many times they followed directly behind planting corn in what had previously been rough pasture! It would chew up small trees for making woods roads, as well. Cut at least a 10 ft swath.

Anyway, the tiller being old and worn out but the Detroit Diesel being plenty limber, my dad transplanted it into the frame of a Walters "Snow Fighter" chassis. These things had torque sensing differentials (long before "Tor-Sen" was around) AND a torque sensing transfer case. 100% torque would go to any wheel that had traction. Dad thought it would make a swell stump puller, but the beauty part was just driving it around. Fast and nimble (power steering). LOUD. Imagine a "Road Warrior" car on steroids. I should get a pic of the thing posted somewhere. It's an awesome sight. It was always just called "The Thing."

The project was undoubtedly something that Dad dreamed up over a period of time. I think it was on his "bucket list." He had experience with a Walters Snow Fighter he owned himself years before, plowing on an as-needed basis for the county, city, and sometimes even the state plows when they had drifts that their equipment couldn't get through.

Anyway, he did the whole conversion himself in the last years he was able to do that kind of work.

It seems to me we should all have something like that-- our "last hurrah" vehicle.