[ihc] Auction last weekend.

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I went to the auction last weekend in Council Bluffs, IA.  

Here is my report: most of the tractors were pretty rough.  Not basket
cases, but rough.  The vehicles were all pretty rough too.  The Luverne
special appeared to have been a fire truck originally.  The GM KB-6 was
really an IH (duh).  The '74 Travelette was by no means trash but was
going to need a lot of work.  It was 2wd, 9K GVWR so had the RA-15
(w/4.30 according to the lineset) Appeared to be a 392/4bbl/727.  Dark
green, some rust below the windshield, surface rust was about typical
for the age in this area.  The worst part was that one of the doors was
bashed in and it was fresh like they did it while moving the truck into
line for the auction.  I didn't need a third one and Mark Korsten was
there and I wasn't about to outbid another Digester for something I
didn't really need.  Mark and I looked it over pretty well but never got
underneath as it was muddy.  We both left before it sold.  There was a
kid looking at it who we talked to who wanted to make it a competition
mud runner.  I almost stayed just so he wouldn't get it bought.  I gave
him my name and number as did Mark In case the kid got it bought and
then realized what he was up against.  

The other IHs were rougher than the 'ette.  

Not a wasted day by any means, I got to hang around with Mark for a
couple hours, but unproductive.  

The best part of the story was seeing a guy there who lives a few miles
from me. Nice guy. I asked him if he was getting a bunch of tractors
bought.  He hadn't at that point. He is a JD guy and their were only a
few of them there.  I offered to haul one home for him if he needed it.
Just being neighborly as I know he has a new Duramax and a 32' gooseneck
trailer.  Well, about the time I was pulling out the gate (with an empty
trailer), he bought a tractor.  Not a big deal, but he hadn't brought
his trailer, I didn't know that. I saw his son that night and found out
that his dad only bought it because he knew he had someone to haul it
home for him.  I ran into the dad yesterday and we laughed about it.  It
wasn't even green, some sort of old Case that he didn't really want but
thought something of a different color would make his shop a little more
interesting. He went back for it Sunday, 200 mile round trip.  Dang,
funny though.  

Ed