24 Hour David Brown Rebuild - BOAT Charity Tractor
When the tired old David Brown 880 Selectomatic tractor spluttered into the yard of Bicton College in Devon, it seemed an impossible notion that it could be rebuilt in 24 hours. However, under the guidance of their college lecturer, Chris Jaworski, the students from the college proved that nothing is impossible when they achieved their 24 hour challenge.
When the tired old David Brown 880 Selectomatic tractor spluttered into the yard of Bicton College in Devon, it seemed an impossible notion that it could be rebuilt in 24 hours. However, under the guidance of their college lecturer, Chris Jaworski, the students from the college proved that nothing is impossible when they achieved their 24 hour challenge.
The tractor, donated to the Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust (BOAT) was rebuilt by students of the college using replacement parts donated by Vapormatic to the charity.
The rebuild began in earnest at exactly 12:00pm on Saturday 21st March. The tractor was immediately stripped down to its component parts before each area was examined and any parts needing replacement were switched.
The shabby looking David Brown had suffered years of toil at the hands of previous owners, so there was no area left untouched by the rebuild. A complete engine and gearbox overhaul, new hydraulics, wheels, tyres, rear linkage, dials, wiring and bodywork were all needed; in total, over £3000 worth of parts were donated by Vapormatic for use.
The event did not pass without issues. A problem setting up the engine timing caused considerable delays in the early part of the morning, and meant a sizeable test for the students to stay on track to meet their tight 12:00pm deadline.
As the time ticked down to midday, the last few pieces of bodywork were fitted to the tractor and before the college clock struck noon the tractor was fired up for the first time in its completed state, much to the relief of the students.
"Although the preparation takes considerable planning, the challenge of completing a rebuild in 24hr challenge is a great incentive for the students and they did extremely well to succeed. It is hard work but a great way to learn." says lecturer Chris Jaworski.
This tractor is the sixth to be restored and raffled by BOAT and to date these tractor rebuilds have now raised over £87,000 for the charity. This tractor will now be raffled off and it is hoped that when the proceeds of this tractors raffle are added, the total sum will have broken the £100,000 levels.
BOAT was established by Devon farmers in 1991 to "train trainers" working in the developing world. The money raised by this tractor will help BOAT continue funding training schemes to assist sustainable agriculture in countries such as Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. The latest scheme will see six participants from training institutions in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzanian arrive at Bicton College on 17th April for a six week programme on Institutional Management.
Vapormatic Managing Director, Peter Brennan concluded: "We are proud to support the work of BOAT and its trustees. The rebuild provides an opportunity to contribute to a worthwhile cause and also maintains our links with the Agricultural Engineers of the future." He continued, "The Tutors and Course Leaders should also be applauded for facilitating the re-build exercise as I am sure the students got a great sense of achievement from the 24 hour challenge and it was great to see the enthusiasm and interest in restoring this classic tractor back to its original condition."
Raffle tickets (£1 each) to win the tractor will now be sold by BOAT at various shows and events around Devon and the UK throughout the summer, or by contacting Bill Vellacott on 01884 277329 or bv@woodbeer.eclipse.co.uk.