1964 New Performance Super Major wonderfully restored

Chris Graham meets Seb Wells and the 1964 New Performance Super Major he bought unseen on eBay, then restored superbly to ‘as new’ condition.

Most people, when buying a complicated old machine, follow a set procedure to help cover themselves against the risk of financial disaster. Typically, they’ll spend lots of time researching the market, carefully look at and assess a number of potential purchases, perhaps have an independent test carried out and, finally, hold back on full payment until everything’s confirmed as being OK. However, Seb Wells’ approach to buying his first classic tractor followed a somewhat less conventional path!

“I’d never driven a tractor until I bought mine, and didn’t come from an agricultural background,” he explained. “Like many young boys growing up, I had a fascination with tractors, but no direct experience; it was all just boyhood dreaming in my case. The closest I got was enjoying the tales my dad used to tell about a Fordson Major that he used to drive on a local farm near Stoke-on-Trent – and the Grey Fergies his granddad had on his plant nurseries –  when he was a boy!”

Early impression
However, those stories must have made a big impression on Seb, so much so, in fact, that, many years later, in October 2020, he decided that he wanted a tractor of his own. “I suddenly thought, why not get a tractor? The idea just came to me out of the blue during the pandemic and, obviously, it had to be a Fordson Major. 

“I’d been to a few tractor shows, including the Biddenden Tractorfest – my local show – and I always liked the look of the Major. Quite apart from Dad’s recollections, those I’d seen had a real presence about them, and I liked their size. So, with the decision to get one made in my own mind, I started looking online to see what was available. Gravitating to eBay, I quite quickly came upon a likely-looking example being sold by somebody in Stoke-on-Trent (coincidentally, the area where my family’s bus company had been!). 

“The tractor was advertised as a ‘1964 Fordson Major’, and was clearly in need of work. The mudguards were missing, and the tinwork was rusty in places, but the seller confirmed that the engine ran and that the tractor would drive, and that was good enough for me. I took him at his word and agreed to pay the £2,500 asking price on the phone, although I appreciate that that wasn’t the conventional way of doing things. I’d bought the first tractor I’d found, done so without seeing it and paid in advance, without any paperwork. All the red flags were there, but I’m a trusting person, and I just had a good feeling about the whole deal.”

A done deal
“I was delighted the moment I put the ‘phone down despite the fact that, essentially, I knew next to nothing about the tractor. The next job was to get it transported from Stoke to me here in Kent, so another internet search unearthed a website on which you could input the details of whatever needed moving, and people would quote for the job. 

“The best offer I got was from somebody prepared to transport the tractor for £450, which seemed fair enough, so I agreed and arranged for it to be moved the following week. Coincidentally, the man doing the transporting knew a bit about tractors, and gave me a call as he was loading it. He suggested that it was actually a New Performance Super Major and, as it turned out, he was right, which was a bonus!”

The delivery day dawned, and Seb had prepared by doing some research into how to start and drive a Fordson Major. “I was so excited and pleased when it actually arrived,” he recalled. “Getting it off the transporter was exhilarating, as was driving it a short distance up and down the lane. That was literally my first experience at the wheel of a tractor, and I loved everything about it immediately.

“It was everything I’d been expecting and I wasn’t the least bit daunted by the tractor’s condition. It was very dirty and I could see that the engine was leaking oil from every possible point, but it seemed to run sweetly enough and, from what I could tell, drove really well.

“Once the dust had settled, I decided that my first move would be to get the Major registered for the road and, having joined the Ford & Fordson Association, I got in touch with Pat Pawsey. He was absolutely fantastic, explaining precisely what he needed from me. It turned out that the tractor hadn’t ever been registered in the past, so we opted for an age-appropriate registration number, which was duly issued by the DVLA a few weeks later.”

Work required
However, despite his inexperience, it was clear to Seb that the tractor was going to require a fair amount of renovation work before it could be reliably used on the road and, with winter approaching, he decided to press on with that process. “To be honest, I didn’t have much of a clue about what needed to be done mechanically, so I decided to fall back on the FFA for help,” he explained. “Rodney Gibson, who is one of the club’s excellent technical advisors, happens to live quite close to me, so reaching out to him seemed like a sensible first move. 

“Rodney suggested that I have fellow Fordson enthusiast, Andy Ford, assess the tractor and identify what needed to be done, then we could organise the work from there. Andy kindly agreed to visit, detailed the jobs required and left me with a list of the parts I’d need to source. Then, once we’d agreed on an order for the work needed, Rodney very generously offered to house the tractor at his workshop so that the mechanical work could be tackled there. That was a fantastic gesture as I certainly wasn’t equipped for such things at home.

The tractor was moved to Rodney’s just before Christmas in 2020, and was there for about a month, during which time all the important engine and transmission seals, filters and fluids were replaced. I visited as often as I could to help and learn; they made everything look so easy! Ultimately, it was decided that the engine itself was running well enough to be left alone, which was a relief. I think it’s clocked up about 6,000 hours in all, so that’s not excessive. The previous owner told me that it had been stored in a barn for 20 years, although he didn’t know anything about its working history.”

DIY jobs
The Major was returned to Seb early in 2021, at which point he was able to start thinking about the tinwork, and the sort of jobs that he would be able to tackle himself. “One of the first things I had to do was to replace the leaking radiator. It was at this point that I discovered Agriline and its extremely helpful staff. A new radiator and hose set was ordered, and I fitted those myself. The time spent in Rodney’s workshop had really boosted my confidence and that, combined with a workshop manual and great support from Facebook groups, meant that I was happy and keen to start tackling jobs like that on my own. 

“The tractor’s nosecone was in quite a state, with its lower sections badly ravaged by rust. Dealing with that was beyond me, so I engaged a local metal fabricator to repair the corroded areas while preserving as much of the original structure as possible. Then I noticed that, while taking the tractor on short runs locally, the engine was getting hot. Initially I was afraid that the head gasket might have blown but, thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and simply fitting a new thermostat cured the problem.” 

By this stage Seb had set his heart on returning the tractor to ‘as new’ condition, which meant that a full respray would be required. But, before that could be tackled, there was the small matter of sourcing some mudguards. 

“Having searched unsuccessfully for a pair of decent, used replacements, I was forced to opt for a pair of remanufactured panels from Agriline, but was amazed by how well they fitted. I’d read plenty of horror stories about how bad the modern copies could be to fit, but these were both easy to bolt on and aligned perfectly. 

“The tractor had arrived with me sporting various shades of blue. The bonnet looked original, but the nosecone was patchy and most of the skid unit had been sprayed in a noticeably darker shade. So, as I began stripping as much off the tractor as possible – in preparation for sand-blasting and then painting – I started looking for a local paint specialist to tackle the spraying for me. In the end, I was encouraged to try a firm – Hi-Flight – based at Headcorn Aerodrome (just a 30-minute tractor drive away!), that specialised in repainting aircraft.”

A superb job
“The paintshop had the tractor and all the parts I’d stripped for about two weeks and did a superb job. I think they actually really enjoyed the challenge of spraying something different, and the paint used was Fordson blue and grey one-pack cellulose that I sourced from my local New Holland dealer. After that, I took care of all the reassembly work myself, then had a new set of tyres fitted. 

I found a pair of original Butlers headlights and, after I’d read-up a little on the subject, fitted and wired them myself, which was very satisfying. I also fitted a horn, but haven’t done anything about rear lights yet; that’s a job for the future, assuming I can locate some original units in decent condition.

“There was an issue with the tractor’s hydraulics, which I’d known about from the start. When testing the system just after I’d bought it, the PTO ran OK (but noisily), then I raised the rear linkage. It came up well enough, but then locked into place and wouldn’t drop back down. I left it a few days to see if it would sink back, but nothing happened, so I applied some weight in an effort to encourage it back down, but the system remained rock-solid. 

“Evidently further investigation was required and, with great advice from fellow Fordson enthusiasts Ed Batchelor and hands-on help from Nick Ward, we started from the top, replacing O-rings and valves, then removed the top plate to have a look and we discovered that everything inside was seized, presumably due to lack of use. But lots of careful cleaning and lubrication, plus the fitting of a new hydraulic pump did the trick, and the system now works perfectly.”

All the major work was finally finished in the spring of 2022, and Seb had been rushing to get it done in time for the Smarden Tractor Run. “This has grown into an amazing event now, attracting about 180 tractors, and I was keen to take part. It was the Major’s first proper outing and it was great fun, with the 15-mile route providing a decent shake-down test for the old girl. We reached the finish without a single issue and, following that success, I took the tractor to the Biddenden TractorFest, which was brilliant, too. 

“However, the one negative I’d noticed while getting out and about to these events was that the tractor’s ride was quite bouncy, especially if provoked by a pothole. So, after giving the matter some thought – and looking at lots of other Majors – I decided that some wheel weights might help the situation. I found a set of authentic Fomoco front and rear weights through Ed Batchelor, and I’m happy to say that fitting these delivered a massive improvement, making the tractor a lot more comfortable on all surfaces.”

Sign of the times!
“The most recent thing I’ve had done was to commission a local specialist to add some sign-written lettering to both sides of the bonnet. I wanted to do this for a couple of reasons. Adding the words ‘Wells Motor Services’ not only made the tractor look a little more distinctive, but also this was the name of the bus company that my great grandparents used to operate in Stoke, so I knew it would please my dad to see it brought back to life.”

Despite only having been actively involved in the old tractor movement for the past few years, it’s clear from chatting with Seb that he’s completely committed already. “I was very conscious at the beginning that I didn’t have much of a clue about anything to do with tractors, but this didn’t affect the way people were with me. Everyone I’ve met, requested help or advice from, or engaged to do a job for me, has been absolutely brilliant; friendly, helpful, welcoming and unbelievably enthusiastic. I’m still amazed by just what a friendly hobby it is, and I’ve yet to meet a single person who hasn’t been happy and interested to chat about tractors!

“I also love the variety of tractor owners you meet; the hobby really does attract all sorts. Often, it’s only by chance that you discover that somebody’s a tractor enthusiast. For example, I happened to be following a Fordson Major down the road the other day and, when I got close enough, I realised that it was being driven by the engineer who services our central heating boiler. I never knew he was a tractor enthusiast, let alone a Major owner!

“I’m also keen to do more with my Major. I’ve already worked with a chain harrow on a neighbour’s field, and intend to get involved with match ploughing, too. I also bought a trailer recently, which, apart from being useful for delivering manure for my mother-in-law’s  garden, will also enable me to give passenger rides on future tractor runs. So, despite the way the tractor looks now, I’m determined not to be precious about its condition. I bought it to use it, so the inevitable scrapes and scratches it’s bound to collect won’t be a problem. I appreciate the importance of working a tractor to avoid gradual deterioration, so this one certainly won’t be kept shut away and inactive in the garage. I really will be making the most of it at every opportunity.”

This feature comes from the latest issue of Ford & Fordson Tractors, and you can get a money-saving subscription to this magazine simply by clicking HERE