New to Me D2 "Rescue Kitten"

Was out at our local scrapyard Saturday, and bought a little D2 dozer that seemed just Too Nice to get cut up for scrap. Price included Delivery, so it landed at home yesterday. Not to familiar with these, but it appears to be Quite early production: Tractor # 5J639. Tag matches on the engine and rear housing. 1938 ?? It had what looks to have been an "original" style electric starter on the pony motor that is missing. ( Hole is plugged with a green towel ) Wondering if an electric pony start would have been original, or possibly swapped in from a later unit? Also wondering if the dozer, hydraulics, and battery box/electrics are original, or later additions. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. ( not sure If I remember ho to post photos, so my fault if they don't show up..)

Good looking catch you have there, I know 3J was 1938, most likely was delivered with elec starter for pony someone obviously needed it more some other place or it was removed to fix and now vaporised

The starter May be in the shop out at the previous owners place. He was an older Cat operator/Collector whose health turned bad fairly suddenly. His wife and grandkids have been "Cleaning up the yard", so called the local independent scrap guys to come and pick up a lot of the bigger pieces. The scrap guys thought it was too nice to cut up too, so were happy to sell it whole. To me, it sort of looks like this was a bit of a Toy, or maybe a resto project he was working on when he fell ill. ( way to old and small for the sort of work he did ) I will have to get ahold of the family who are dealing with his things, and see if they will let me go looking around the property for the missing starter. But first I need to do some research on exactly Which starter I am looking for... ( there is likely a bunch of various ones out in his shop... ) Don't think any of the scrap guys have been through the buildings yet, so there is still Hope.

I think any electric starter from a D2/D4 pony will work although some tractors require a hole cut in the firewall to accommodate the nose of the starter. But otherwise, it's just wiring. If you use 6V like I did, get 00 size cable minimum - you need all the amps you can get. I have that cable and the starter spins over nicely. The Optima 6V battery is half the size of the 12V (natch) so it'll leave room in your battery box for small tools, the starter rope, etc. if you want to store them there instead of under the seat cushion

Nice save, looks to be a very good project !

VF, im not 100% sure but I think it should have a pulley to drive via a V belt to turn pony crank? I hope OlMagnet will chime in to get us all on the correct direction or maybe Juiceman with a picture or 2 from his small collection to help out with locating a pony starter motor in the owners shed

My poor eyesight tells me the D2 already has electric pony base, etc., he is just missing the actual starter that slips in. Yes, I might have one on the shelf that I can take a photo of for reference. That IS a very nice save from the clutches of the scrapper. I feel good when even the recycler knows better than to knock it in the head. I shall tie a string around my finger and go look in my parts trailer tommorrow. JM

Sorry, no Delco Remy part number to reference.