its going quick now!! waiting to see it run for the first time in long time!!

That 25 looks to good to waste paint on it. While I do admire new paint my personnel preferences run toward the original look. Also looking forward to hearing it run.

First class work there, fitting for such a classic machine. Thanks for the pics.

wow you will not let any dust settle on that thing the way you are knocking it out. keep up the good work.

YOU GOT IT!! no paint.................... she is staying all original

It was really neat to see the Twenty Five at the open house a few weeks ago. Even neater to talk to those involved in the restoration and leaf through all the photos and documentation of the process. If a follow-up DVD of the Quest for the Best is in the works (hint - hint - "Best-oration" maybe) it would be a need supplement to include a gallery of all those photos, maybe even a little caption or description of why and how certain things were done. I learned a lot just listening to the young man who did a lot of the machine work that day. (I'm very embarrassed to say I was introduced, but his name escapes me right now).

Some of you may not appreciate the significance of Matt's acknowledgement that there will be no sandblasting and painting. For those not quite as close to the family, Matt's and Doug's collection and the quality of their restoration work is very well known. Their tractors are all of such a level of quality that a guy like me is nervous even standing next to them. I'm the kind of guy who sits down in your nice leather seat, forgetting that he has a 12" Phillips screwdriver in his back pocket. With my luck, while I'm standing next to something of beauty like a Veerkamp tractor, a wrench, dirt clod or something will dislodge itself from my person and leap over to scratch its immaculate paint job. From what I understand, Doug set the standard and he likes everything exactly right, from the mechanicals to the paint to the upholstery, cotter keys and probably right down to the grade and color of grease in every joint. Matt has picked up and carried that quality standard.

Guys like Tom Madden, myself and some others, who appreciate they quality of the mechanicals, but also see the charm in the rust streaks, creativity of well done field alterations and the patina that a machine has accumulated as it earned its keep, appreciate the Veerkamp perspective and really enjoy their machines. We would respect and appreciate the restoration of something like the Best Twenty Five any way it was done, but we never dreamed that a Veerkamp might come over to the dark side with us and settle for a machine without the shine.

I am glad that Matt and Doug can see the merits of both approaches, and I'm really glad to see the Twenty Five keeping its working clothes. There is a lot of respect to be had in those hard won wear marks and rust streaks. After all, just about everyone I know who has a love of these machines developed that love because the machines helped them feed a family, not because they looked pretty sitting in the showroom.

I'm looking forward to seeing her run under her own power and doing what she was designed to do. Hoping to see some of those stories about the very interesting discoveries during the restoration process, too. It is amazing what these machines are capable of, and how enterprising and creative their users can be to keep them running.

Thanks for hosting us at the open house, and thanks for sharing the rescue and preservation of the Twenty Five.

Pete.

wow that thing looks awesome good work guys! I love the no paint look as well it shows the history and leaves you wondering

Its hard to say how long its been since she ran. Based on a few things I read about the area and the time it was mined, my guess would be in the late 30s to early 40s???? The engine wasn't stuck too bad what so ever....... we got really lucky with the climate that it was in. I think only a handful of bolts and nuts on the entire tractor required heat and muscle to get them out.
The Best 25 will make her debut at the National Show in UTAH, August 21ST. we are really looking forward to it and working diligently to meet that goal........
more pics of the progress to follow!

Pete, thanks a lot for the vote of confidence at our shop!! It means a lot to us and makes it all worth it. I had to laugh at the comments of having tools in your back pocket and being nervous to sit down............. you would shocked at some of the bone head moves we ourselves have made trying to load up or un load and destroying and scratching and breaking things.............. it definatly happens!!