| Author | Message | ||
     Mike Bovino |
Hello Gang, I have a 1959 Oliver 550 industrial with an original Model 558 loader and backhoe made by Sherman Power Products. I am in search of photos or knowlege of the original color scheme. I rescued "Olive" (according to my wife, my new girlfriend with whom I spend more time and money) from a certain rust away fate two years ago and have been rebuilding her since. I drove past her every day wallowing amongst the tall weeds of an unattended lot near my home. One day, I caught the owner there, kicked the tires and made a deal. Damn if it didn't start right up with fresh gas and a charged battery. However, it quickly became evident that the machine was worked hard in the cement-like NJ clay soil as virtually everything needs attention. My goal is to make it a nice looking worker for around the yard, not a parade queen. In the first year, I completed top end work and rebuilt all of the electric, hydraulics, and pins and bearings so that it is tight with no leaks and no likelihood of an electrical fire. Not everything is original, but it is now very solid. I also removed about 400 pounds of dirt and grease. This year I am back in the engine for rings (maybe more) brakes including the actuators and covers since it was ridden on the rivets for years, and rebuilding the Char-lynn power steering unit (that is a three-page dissertation in itself). Early on, I caved in to my wife and started to paint it green as sections were repaired so that it "blended" better in the yard. For convinience and availability, I chose Rustoleum red primer and hunter (dark) green paint. I had some high quality yellow paint left over from a job so that was used for the cylinders and rims. Unfortunately, it now looks blasphemly like a John Deere! Now that I am much more sympathetic to the proud Oliver lineage, I'd like to bring it back with the right color paint scheme but have not seen a good original photo. Thus I am seeking help. I envision just about everything to be industrial yellow with the exception of the grill, rims and perhaps hydraulic cylinders which I think were black. Can anyone help? Thanks, Mike By the way, I am seeking a lower transfer case section (the part with the ID plate on it) as mine is cracked at the flange. I believe the Super 55 and 550 will directly cross. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
You are right. Just about everything was yellow. Even the hydraulic cylinders. There is a picture of a 550 industrial in the photo section of this site. Click on the photos icon and then look at the pictures from the HPOCA 2001 winter show in Auburn, IN. It has about 400 original hours on it, so your not going to find one more original. There is even a piece of literature for what you have for sale on Ebay. Here's the picture from it.  You can check it out here. 550 literature on Ebay Here's a scan of my piece of Super 55 Industrial literature. It's not a color photo, but a colorized black and white. That's they way they did the literature back then. Not quite the same tractor, but close.  And it's good to see the Oliver spirit takes over the lives of all that own them. | ||
| Mike Bovino |
Thanks for the info. I'm already on that literature on ebay and have the sole bid as of now. I'm hopeful that the price does not run up too much. |
