Reiley Houtz has spent over 400 hours restoring a 1945 Farmall M
PASO ROBLES — After starting from ground zero with his 1945 Farmall M, Paso Robles High School (PRHS) FFA member Reiley Houtz is heading to Nationals in Indiana for his tractor restoration project. Houtz has spent over 400 hours restoring a 1945 Farmall M. The overarching cost of his project neared $8,000. Not only has he learned many lessons pertaining to tractor restoration, but he has also furthered his knowledge of how to handle money and workefficiently.
“It was definitely a new experience. I learned a lot with [the tractor project],” Houtz told Paso Robles Press.
The restoration of Reiley’s tractor ranged from cleaning the engines to putting on a new fan belt and making adjustments to the timing gear. Following the extensive restoration, he sandblasted, primed, and painted the entire tractor in only two days.
Houtz, a junior at PRHS, was familiar with the JB Dewar Tractor Restoration program, but this was his first year taking the plunge. With the help and encouragement of a family friend from Greenfield, Chris Parish, Houtz joined the program and worked on his tractor every weekend for 12 hours.
Â
JB Dewar has been hosting the tractor restoration program for 24 years, with the goal of teaching engineering knowledge and time-management skills to young adults. Houtz won fourth place in San Luis Obispo County which was announced during Cattleman’s Day at the California Mid-State Fair in July.
“He asked me if I wanted to drive his tractor in the 4th July parade in Greenfield two years ago … after he saw my interest in tractors, he bought up the JB program,” explained Houtz.
Parish, who had nearly all the parts needed for the restoration, offered his Farmall to Houtz to restore for him. Houtz began his restoration on the tractor last year heading to Greenfield each weekend to work on it.
One of Houtz’s biggest challenges in the restoration was a crack in the rear end that caused it to leak oil. Houtz ended up having to find another tractor in the same model for the part. While he did find one, getting it was a project in itself.
“It was buried in mud. Probably a good foot deep. We had to use two trucks pulling it, and it barely came out,” said Houtz. “It was pretty hard to get it out, especially since the tires were completely flat. They didn’t hold air at all.”
Houtz will be heading to the National FFA Convention held in Indiana, where he will be representing Paso Robles High School and competing against the top 12 finalists chosen from all over the country. The convention is scheduled for Oct. 22 to 25.
The success Houtz has seen with his first tractor restoration project was unexpected but exciting for him. He is hopingto restore another tractor and has his eyes set on a Ford Jubilee. With Houtz’s Farmall, Parish acted as a mentor and paid for all of the restoration costs. For the next project, Houtz will be on his own but is looking for donations to help him pay for parts for his Ford Jubilee.
Following graduation from PRHS, Houtz is considering attending a trade school for something either in mechanics or welding. He was offered a spot to attend the John Deere Tech Program, which he is also considering attending.
Feature Image: Paso Robles High School FFA member Reiley Houtz poses with the 1945 Farmall M tractor that he restored. He will be taking his tractor to the National FFA Convention held in Indiana later this month. Contributed Photo
