Odd little Ford-Geo-Metro tractor....

kebo · Mar 19, 2009

If you can believe the ad, I'm sitting here wondering how you stuff a 50hp chevy engine into such a small tractor?? And then get all the linkage and shafts to mate up?? Must be some kind of a mechanic/machinist/magician to make that sort of engine swap!!
Here's the ad:

Ford Tractor - $1150 (alpharetta)

1989 Ford 195 Tractor with a geo metro 1.0 chevy motor. 50hp. Runs great and motor is very clean. Has 3 point hitch NO PTO. Has hookup in front for a bucket or logspiltter.

(I deleted the contact info, but it can be found if you search the Atl, GA craigslist. )

mgamber · Mar 20, 2009

geo metros did NOT have chevy motors.
They were 3 cylinder suzuki motors. 54hp, aluminum block, 1000cc. Great little motor. Could be lifted by one man (80lbs), transmission actually weighs more and sits in front of the engine (transverse mounted)

Probably not all that hard to made it up as the combo is light.

bota7800 · Mar 20, 2009

In case anyone is curious (as I was), the 195 apparently had a 20 hp Kohler when stock.

foggy1111 · Mar 20, 2009

For a time, there was some garden tractor pulls around here...and I think some of em were for an unlimited class with all sorts of engines. Could this come from that category of tractor?

Along these same lines.....I recently saw an 8N ford on the local Craigs List. It had a flathead V8 engine in it....and from the picture....it looked like it came from the factory that way. This thing was parade ready...and looked pretty cool. Was this once a popular conversion?....or, one of a kind? I never saw one converted such as this before.

Heywood Jannockitov · Mar 20, 2009

foggy1111 said:
..I recently saw an 8N ford on the local Craigs List. It had a flathead V8 engine in it....and from the picture....it looked like it came from the factory that way. This thing was parade ready...and looked pretty cool. Was this once a popular conversion?....or, one of a kind? I never saw one converted such as this before.

Probably a Funk conversion. Definitely not a "one-off".

careyo63 · Mar 21, 2009

The add has been running for months.It's probably an absolute mess and not very practical.Looking at the pics. it seems the engine cover is cut up and just laying in pieces on it.My guess if you started it up parts would start flying.Also thinking about the safety issues might get some one hurt.

Sackett2 · Mar 22, 2009

foggy1111 said:
For a time, there was some garden tractor pulls around here...and I think some of em were for an unlimited class with all sorts of engines. Could this come from that category of tractor?

Along these same lines.....I recently saw an 8N ford on the local Craigs List. It had a flathead V8 engine in it....and from the picture....it looked like it came from the factory that way. This thing was parade ready...and looked pretty cool. Was this once a popular conversion?....or, one of a kind? I never saw one converted such as this before.

In Several magazines I've seen many flat 8's stuffed into a 8N and looking stock; Wouldn't be all that hard to do- parts were more interchangeable back then. Kinda think this is a more recent popularity conversion, as the 8n's became more popular in the restoration world.

Iplayfarmer · Mar 25, 2009

Here's a guy that put a Geo engine in his JD 140. I came across it a few years ago when I was looking for info on my own (at the time) JD 140. He goes into a little detail about how he did it. Jim makes it sound like it's not all that uncommon to do a mod like this.