Fair enough.

Sorry I'm not a "trophy for participating" kind of guy. :biggrin2:

Zcub,

IMO,, Looks like you did a fine job with what you had available. I personally would not use rattle cans for a whole tractor. That being said I can understand why some people might. A friend of mine use to spray with HVLP gun at home in his garage. After a few neighbors complained and he continued anyway the police showed up. Well, No more painting at home. He now has to pack everything up and bring it to me to use my shop or the booth when it is available which is not very often. Other reason why someone might choose to use rattle cans. Maybe you have never used a spray gun before or mixed paint. Both of these things can be hard to get your head around if you have never tried. If you have never tried this. I congratulate you for being wise enough not to try this on a project you care about. Spraying with a gun is not as simple as many people think. It takes practice and it is an art. Knowing correct mixing, correct speed reducers, correct hardener to use, correct spray patterns, correct air pressures, are just a few of the things that take trial and error while learning. Also, having the correct equipment is key. Not just the mechanical equipment like compressor, gun, and air filtration but also the protective gear so you do not hurt yourself like a proper mask and so on.

Now Jon has maybe one good point and that's on color. You can get correct colors in rattle cans for cub cadet. However, we all know there is an added expense to using that product and not everyone has the budget to use it.

At the end of the day I think you did a real nice job and you should be proud of it. If your happy with the color and the results thats all that matters.

It's easy for guys to discredit work in a forum like this. Especially if they themselves do not have a single restoration project posted in here.

I for one give you a lot of props. I don't know if this is your first restoration or your hundredth and it does not matter. You took a lot of time and care with your tractor and you had the balls to place your work on display for all to see. That in itself deserves compliment.

Keep up the good work and please continue to show it off !

Transport Yellow is available in Rustoleum spray cans.
I buy it by the 6 pac for small parts and do the large parts with a gun.
Can hardly tell the difference.
I agree w/Jon though on the color, and this on the 3rd rarest cub??
Would take some getting used to once I saw it.
Nice resto though!!

I think it looks great and if you're happy with it then that's all that matters. I grew up in the 80's and by that time most Cub's had been repainted so I'm use to seeing Cub's with various shades of yellow. When I did my 100 I used a white that was to white compared to the original color but was closer to the white I remember from when I was a kid. I built that tractor the way I wanted it and if people don't like it that's their problem.

Looks great zcub22. I also fixed up a 126, and I hate to say it, but yours looks a bit better than mine. I didn't do a true restoration on my 126, and I believe that most folks do not do a true 100% restoration.

I've got a question for everyone in which I'm curious to know what you all think. Many folks are pretty hard on people (This isn't directed at anyone, just everyone in general) when it comes to restoring.

My question is this:

Does using panel/sheet-metal filler qualify as a restoration? Let's assume that the owner gets the panel within 100% spec of how it came out of the dies. Does it still count as a restoration even if the panel now has filler?

I'm not asking for a lack of my own opinion on the matter, just curious, because I've seen many on here crack down on folks for not using "100%" OEM, yet they fill the panels up with bondo. So what are your thoughts?

IMO,

Body filler is not an issue. Even brand new auto panels need some filler 9 times out of 10. Now, that being said.. Any old timers here still have their lead filler paddles??? :biggrin2:
Of course they ban all the really good ways to fix things. :bash2:

Very True

That's because the panels that are shipped out for service/repair are usually panels from production runs that are set aside due to quality defects.

I was referring to new aftermarket panels, but I know what you mean. Brand new rear fenders for the 55 from LMC truck both had 3-4 small dings in each. They claim these are made from exact gauge steel as original and with ford factory dies. Still.. Dings and dents but like I said. Pretty common. In fact most cars brand new came with some factory bondo in spots.

Thank you.

I'd be willing to bet anything that they you are correct and that they are ran from the original dies/tools, but I can almost guarantee you that those tools sit out in the rain. Yes. I know that sounds completely ludicrous, but the OEMs contract out the service work (post production and repair). These contract shops/Tier 1 Suppliers usually don't have enough indoor storage area, so they sit outside on a concrete pad wrapped in plastic. Moisture and condensation gets in them, they rust. Shops pull them in from outside and do "system fill" runs, where they run several hundred panels, or enough to fill the shops with repair panels. Obviously, the dies require attention and need to be reworked. This is also part of the reason panels like this are so expensive. However, an apprentice is usually the guy cleaning up the old dies, and I doubt he spots panels in a tryout press before they run the ones they sell. I'd be willing to bet that this is the reason you received panels with lows/highs/pits.