International Harvester Custom Projects

     John Esche provides some more interesting custom projects this month.  John grew up on his family's farm which primarily used International tractors.  John remembers the big 4568 4wd used on the farm and having one of the first 2+2's on the farm.  The Esche farm even had a 7488 on order at the time of the IH-Case merger in late 1984. Unfortunately CaseIH did not continue the 7488 and the Esche's never got one. John looks back at IH with found memories.  He has created two of the IH project 4wds that never quite made it into the full IH line.  John's first project was a 7488. He spent several hours modifying an Ertl 6388 to create the Super 70 look.  John is a 4wd fan and would have loved to have seen a big 350 hp 7788 on the family farm.  IH only made two before the articulated 4wd line ended. John took a C&D models 4786 kit and with modifications created a 7788 4wd.  Notice how much the 7788 hood looks like a 5088. 

1/64 7488 by John Esche

1/64 7788 by John Esche

Here are some great pictures of a custom 12 bottom plow made by Red Power Magazine member Firecrater.  This is one of the nicest 1/16 projects you will ever see. Just think if you had a Precision IH 4786 or Steiger Panther PTA-325 to pull it. 

Side View

Rear View 

TTT August 2003 Page 15

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