March/April 2018 Antique Power
/The March/April 2018 issue of Antique Power magazine will be available in subscriber mailboxes and on newsstands soon. Our latest cover tractor is a 1950 Sheppard SD-3, which is owned by Jon Axthelm. The Case has a shared history between the previous owner who restored the tractor and Jon's father who owned a salvage yard.
Attention to Detail
Jon Axthelm was in the right place at the right time and bought a museum-quality 1930 Case Model C.
by Karen O'Brien, photos by Brad Bowling
The restoration of a J.I. Case Co. Model C tractor would bring two Ohio families together. Dennis Spangler and Jon Axthelm have a strong connection with the Case and discovered that both of their fathers had a hand in saving it from a sorry end.
MARCH/APRIL 2018 ANTIQUE POWER
Jack Spangler enjoyed restoring old tractors and working on them with his son Dennis. Jack usually did not go after the models that were the most popular.
“He would be out in the middle of nowhere, and he would find someone with a tractor for sale,” Dennis said. “Dad liked a wide variety, so if he saw a tractor and liked the style, he bought it.”
Being detail oriented, Jack would restore the tractors with the appropriate parts and paint, giving the tractors a whole new lease on life.
Jack primarily collected tractors from the 1940s and bought ones that were in good condition—that is, until the day that he hauled home a thoroughly rusted 1930 Case Model C. The paint colors were indiscernible, the fenders were unsalvageable, and the engine would not turn over. Restoring the C was going to be a lengthy process.
“This was the most extensive restoration that we ever did,” Dennis recalled. “It was just a rusty hulk when we got it, and we could barely tell what it was.”
However, the Spanglers could see a brighter future for the rusty Case.
To read more about the story of our cover photo, pick up a copy of the March/April 2018 of Antique Power magazine!
Other articles in this issue include:
- The Oliver Cletrac Model HG - Jack Fyke’s 1947 Oliver Cletrac Model HG gave many years of hard work, but lives the life of luxury now. (by Rick Mannen, photos by Karen Zandersons and Xander Geister)
- The Adaptable Boring Tractor - Honoring the memory of Charles Boring is a quest of both his great-niece and the owner of the only complete Boring tractor in existence. (by Chad Elmore)
- A Feisty Little Tractor - Frank Duvanel’s 1959 John Deere Model 330 was the last piece that he needed for his 30-series collection. (by Ray Hoffman)
- A Tractor for the World - The Keystone museum’s 1947 Empire Model 90 is a tractor that was conceived to help feed a war-ravaged world. (by Candace Brown, photos by Brad Bowling)
- Canada Connection: The Mighty Waterloo (by Rick Mannen, photos by Carrie Nickerson)
- Gallery: 1916 IH Mogul (by Candace Brown)
- Letter from the Editor: A Witness to Change (by Rick Mannen)
- Letters to the Editor
- Photos from the Attic: 1957 Ford 640 (by Graham Gill)
- Tech Tips: Replacing a Generator with a Delco One-wire Alternator (by Ted Kalvitis, photos by Emily Erekaife)
- Tractor Show: Readers show off their favorites
- Traveling Mechanic: Infer-structure and Ekky-nomic Development (Ted Kalvitis)
If you can't find Antique Power on a newsstand near you, call 800-767-5828 or visit our Gift Shop to order current or back issues. To subscribe, call 888-760-8108 or click here.
