Ageing a Ford 7810 23 years!!

[MuirHillyBilly]

There are many fine examples of muddy, dirty and downright filthy tractor conversions on this site. However what about aged ones, like really aged?

Most of us like to see a muddy but still well kept tractor but what about the less caring farmers out there who don't keep their work horses in trim? Well I took up this challenge and had a go at weathering and ageing a UH Ford 7810. I am chuffed to bits with it and the photos only do it half justice, if you like your tractors factory fresh you may want to look away now 

So in 1988 this blue baby rolled off the production line....

[MuirHillyBilly]

So we take this clean wonderful model and we change a few things....

Removed or aesthetically altered parts: Remove the cab (quite easy) cut open the back window. Grind down the tread on all 4 tyres to minimal depth.

Damaged parts: Get the dremel on the bonnet, side steps, side covers, rear mud guards with small but visible marks to give the effect of wear and tear.

Painted parts: Paint exhaust silver, oil filter black, interior panneling brown and assorted nuts and bolts black and brown. Airbrush an under layer of dark brown to the bottom half. Later hand paint tyres, under carriage, rear linkage and areas where mud would collect.

Rusted parts: Front weights, roof, roof lining, bonnet, oil filers, air filter, wheel hubs, front grill and rear mud guards.

Added parts: Shovel and rope in the cab and rusted front chain to front weights.

Lightly dust with some dried grass and we get:

[MuirHillyBilly]

The light was really hard to get right to show it properly.. So what do you all think, your thoughts are really appreciated. Does it look realistic?

[An Interested Spectator]

You can almost smell the mix of mud and diesel !

Cheers for the comments elsewhere.

Adie

[tractorbob]

i would drive that tractor and be happy  ..driven worse

[convo]

lee ,,, i think you need to buy a pressure washer from Mandy( holly loves toys )  ;D ,looks good mate well done  ,, it looks at if you have used real dirt

[brianih634]

I really like that, well done  :)

Too much on the wheels for me, (but I do tend to like factory fresh  ).

Scuff marks on bonnet etc, excellent, can picture it on a few farms round our way 

[JEP]

Looks good to me!!

How many hours has the the old girl clocked up? bit of time in muck & fertilizer judging by the rust 

Couple of suggestions - maybe a slightly bent exhaust & a couple of missing or broken work lamps??

Very nice job.

[SOLOSHEP1]

hi lee on the farm we lived and worked your backside would have been kicked down the road a tractor in that state a big big no go

The light was really hard to get right to show it properly.. So what do you all think, your thoughts are really appreciated. Does it look realistic?

[SPN]

The back window needs to be gone completely.

Otherwise, excellent.

[unkelfergus]

The back window needs to be gone completely.

Otherwise, excellent.

You've gone to all that trouble Lee,....it looks fantastic,....I wouldn't say no back window at all but cut it in half and fold it up like the real thing and that would make it 100% spot-on.....

[FNHIR]

VERY pedantic, but the Gen III was introduced in 1989, making it an ageing of 22 years!

Can't fault anything else though!

[the other green]

Love it! In my end of the world one or both of the rear view mirrors would have become a casualty as would the black mudguard extensions. Also, a bit of silver paint on the left-side grab-handle to make it well-used looking if I remember our 7710.

It looks very realistic Lee, great job 

Bit of useless information here, Fords with that style of cab had, in Canada, a half sliding rear window split vertically. So it's easy to spot the imports that immigrant farmers have brought with them.

[ertlerik]

Great job of making that 7810 look 20 years older, i do agree on the folding rear window comment 

[Niels]

It looks good, maybe a bit to dirty. But I was surprised to see no oil dripping from the engine, is it really a Ford? 

Plus the owner has taken good care of the mirrors (which usually end up broken first) and all lights are still there shining.

[Ross wilson]

looks the part

[NewHolland2]

Looks a good job mate, looks as though she's fresh out of the field.......

[hotrod192]

you have beat me to it this is going to be one of my near future projects to keep for myself.

well done you have done a great job.

[Jdeere6910]

Looks great Billy, and I wouldnt be too fussed about the window, it doesnt really detract from the whole model    you should think about doing them to sell 

[Paul Palmer]

very,nice,but somebody else said,you have to loose a mirror,apart from that fantastic

[MuirHillyBilly]

Looks great Billy, and I wouldnt be too fussed about the window, it doesnt really detract from the whole model    you should think about doing them to sell 

Not sure anyone would buy them mate 

[MuirHillyBilly]

Thanks for all the constructive and positive comments. I have taken some suggestions on board;

After high public pressure we have bent a mirror and smashed it's glass 

Added a number plate to the rear showing proper years for 7810 Mark 3

Touched up the hand rails to show wear (and also windscreen wiper, rear support)

Added an oil leak to the off side of the engine

Dis-coloured the blue front end to look more grubby

Split the back window though I am reluctant to move it totally

Removed one light at the front and bent one on the back

Aged/worn the rear mud guards

Bent the exhaust

Oh and the mud is actually a special paint done by Tamiya that looks very realistic, they only do it one shade of brown though 

I have really enjoyed doing this one, I took inspiration from a farm I used to live on that had an old Leyland and 2 really old Masseys that looked like this, don't think ever was washed but never had running problems (even though they were held together it seems with baler twine!) Thanks again, maybe will have to do another one soon 

[Manor Farm]

I really like that, well done

[FNHIR]

Brilliant stuff!

[THEBRITFARMER]

Looks fantastic, you are very talented!!