Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1545857
Paul pulled the 7030 at Harrisville, above. Family is important to the Roidts, above right. From left are Gary, Gary's son Evan, Gary's grandson Wyatt, Gary's daughter Kimmy, Paul, and Emily and Chad Stevenson. The Roidts' UN, near right, came from a vineyard in northern California through a collector in Oklahoma and is currently being restored. At far right, the Roidts' dad sat on "Billy," the 1935 WC they bought from the farm they worked on as kids. The farm owner named the tractor, and the Roidts' dad was first to drive it after they got it running. "Been struggling with cylinder heads," Paul said, "and new projects get in the way." They also have a kerosene 20-35 that they displayed this year at Plainfield, Wis. This tractor has a very rare Kingston carb set-up for kerosene that can be found in the A-C parts book. It seems that most were sold overseas, they said. Also at Plainfield was their Industrial U, which they got from Fred Lucabaugh and the late Harold Mallory hauled over from Michigan. Also among their collection are a narrow U, a trio of Industrial U's – each one a little different – and M's. Collecting has given the Roidts plenty of stories to tell. Hauling their 7030 chassis was a challenge with their small trailer, and they blew multiple tires. They said they had to find a place to pump out fluid in the tractor tires to shed weight. After that adventure, they invested in a bigger trailer. While hauling a non A-C corn planter home, they ran out of fuel in a Chicago toll booth. Once while picking up a UC, Paul found it hadn't been correctly loaded when it flipped it over, trailer landing on top of the tractor. As much as possible, the Roidts perform their own mechanical and restoration work, together in different shops. Lately, they've tackled their major restorations in Montello. Before going on his own as a mechanic 15 years ago, Gary worked at a John Deere dealership. Paul was employed on a vegetable farm before going into the repair business for himself. He works for manufacturer Giddings and Lewis. While they're hard-pressed to pick favorites, the Roidts especially treasure that first WC since it launched their lifelong hobby. Gary particularly likes the 7000 Series because of the early influence of their dad's employer. By being alert and keeping a keen eye on online offerings, they were able to add hard-to-find A-C pieces such as golf carts and mini bikes that get noticed at shows. Continued on Page 24 23 OLD ALLIS NEWS