1949 Caterpillar D2

[JAFO]

Some people sounded receptive to a few non Bronco pics. One of my other hobbies is restoring old Caterpillars. There are a couple of pics with the Bronco in it.

Back in the mid 90's the bug bit me to restore an old Caterpillar Machine. This started a crazy hobby that's been going on for about twenty years. I started with one model D2 which is a nice size machine to do a little work with, but parts aren't so heavy to make it extremely difficult to work with (provided you do have a hoist of some kind). Anyway, here are a few pics of one machine I did about six years ago. Over the past twenty years I restored four complete D2's, sold two and still have two that I use around the house.

This is a 1949 D2. I had done some mechanical work, but wanted to clean it up before completing the work. I hired a mobile sand blaster to come out.
These pics are from my earlier house in another county. There are a lot of hours in this restoration.
Took this pile of stuff....

Did this stuff....

Bronco being used as a work table. Sadly I had put the truck on the back burner again. Kept burning out and going back to it. It was in such bad shape but I didn't want to give up.

Ended up with this...

During the restoration I installed a Hyster winch which I also rebuilt the internals.

 

[FRANKO289]

very cool ... what do you do w. it ?? got any front attachments for it ?

 

[bronconut73]

Neato fo' sheato

Love it.

 

[JAFO]

Pull over trees. Drag logs. Pulled my buddies king cab F250 diesel out of the soup one day. I also have a 1955 D2 with hydraulic blade and winch. That is the real work horse at the house. Grade the road down the hill. Clear brush, etc. The non blade machines I used to take to antique equipment shows, but kind of burned out on that circuit a couple years ago and so just play with the machines around the house.

Caterpillar began building machines for the farm and logging. To pull plows and logs and stuff. Later people figured out if you put a blade up front it pushed stuff really good.

This is the 1955. Was working on the hydraulic pump a couple months ago. A 1955 D2 is a little longer and a couple more horse power than the 1949. These machines are 4 cylinder slow turn diesel engines with pony motor start (two cylinder gas motor spins the diesel). The diesel is rated at 32 HP drawbar, 32.9 PTO and 41.9 Belt HP.

 

[snipes243]

pretty cool

 

[lonesouth]

That's awesome. I always feel a bit sad when I see a derelict piece of equipment in bushes.

 

[66horse]

Very cool man.

 

[sprdv1]

Looks great man, thanks for Sharing.

 

[weasel]

That's Awesome! Great job!

 

[Glass Pony]

Nice job on the Cat!
Reminds me of when I was a little kid, the neighbor had one and we would play on that thing for hours.

 

[rubbman]

Oooo I want to do that to my dozer!
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=380993&stc=1&d=1449003932

 

[edones06]

Thats sweet! I just came home with a john deere 40 crawler myself this weekend. Its pretty rough.... The i know the feeling with the truck getting put on the back burner. I have to many expensive hobbys myself. Old broncos and old equipment are really hard on a paycheck... Then there is the wife. But thats a whole nother story! Looks good man. I really appricate old iron and the wirk it takes to make it like new again

 

[ScanmanSteven]

Neither of those have lift kits? I've always wanted one but didn't think I could take on the task of redoing it. Edones06, sure hope yours has reverse just in case!

 

[suckerpunched]

I love the old diesel powered Caterpillars I had 4 of them. D2s and D4s. fun to drive, and fun to start when it all works right. nice resto job, looks great. always wanted one with a blade.

Heres a couple pics of the last D2 I sold a few years ago (teaching 12 yr old son to drive it). Straight out of the orange groves of southern California.

 

[JAFO]

Suckerpunched, very nice orchard model! You must have seller's remorse. I plan to always keep at least one D2. My one with no blade is my first and I'll never sell that one. Not as much sentimental value in the 1955, but that one is just so useful having a blade.

 

[bteutsch]

Nice, I have a 1937 Allis Chalmers Model "M" Crawler

https://vimeo.com/147617124

 

[Rustytruck]

And people think the Bronco hobby is expensive.
good job.

 

[edones06]

Scanman i hope it does to! Lol.

 

[suckerpunched]

Scanman, heres one with a lift kit

 

[suckerpunched]

JAFO I do sometimes have sellers remorse, just not enough room to keep it all. I still have 22 that is basically yard art but the early diesels with the pony motor are so cool.