By Stephen Dawkins
Clayton Spencer’s 1950 D tractor will be featured in the 2013 Case calendar.
Spencer, a Billingsley resident and teacher at the school there, is proud of that. It’s a testament to the amount of time, money and effort he put into restoring the antique tractor, but Spencer doesn’t collect Case tractors for the recognition.
“The reason that I wanted these tractors was because the tractors my dad had, the first tractors I drove, were a [Case] VAC and a DC,” Spencer said.
The 1950 D is the tractor that has been part of Spencer’s collection the longest. He bought it from a local man, just a few miles north of Billingsley off Autauga County Road 37, and had it restored by Rick Rhodes at Automotive Dynamics, just north of Maplesville.
Transforming an old tractor to one that looks like new is quite a process. Spencer spent about $1,500 just on parts. Rhodes sandblasted the frame and primed everything because of rusty parts. The back tool box, sander, cast-iron grill, starter and generator all had to be rebuilt.
Spencer has added several tractors to his collection:
•A 1942 DC that he picked up 10 miles south of South Bend, Ind., on Memorial Day weekend of this year. It came from the collection of a man known as “DC Tom,” who has passed but had 32 such pieces at one time.
•A 1946 DC purchased from a man in McDonough, Ga. about two years ago. The man collected Farm All tractors but acquired the Case in a trade.
•A 1951 VAC that is at Rhodes’ shop, awaiting the treatment its older cousin received.
•A 1950 VAC that is being used for parts for the ‘51 model. This is the only one of Spencer’s tractors that isn’t in good, running condition.
Spencer’s interest is in acquiring the series of Case tractors that were painted “flambeau red.” Spencer, an avid Auburn University supporter, is quick to point out that the color appears more orange than red. The color was used from the late 1930s through 1953.
He’s had a lot of help in his endeavor. Joe Mims has built an extensive collection of Farm All tractors and has provided contacts in the trade, including Rhodes. Spencer’s Uncle Charlie was a Case dealer at Spencer Implements in Athens beginning in 1935. Uncle Charlie’s son and a mechanic at the dealership have been important resources.
Spencer doesn’t have any plans to slow down. “Is that my last tractor? No,” he said about his latest acquisition. “My next tractor is a 530. That was the fourth tractor my dad owned.”
Spencer’s first tractor was a Case VAC that he bought for $250 in 1961. He sold it to his father for the same price when he went off for military service. His father later sold it for $500. That’s an example Spencer can use to convince folks that his efforts aren’t fruitless.
“My kids think I’m wasting their inheritance money,” he said. “I call it an investment.”