The Bosch family, including Brenda and Chuck Hicks, brought four Farmall tractors to the 58th Annual Buckley (Michigan) Old Engine Show in August 2025. One of these was a British Farmall B-450 row-crop model, powered by a 4.3L 4-cylinder diesel engine producing 55 horsepower.
According to TractorData, 11,011 Farmall tractors were produced in Doncaster, England from 1958 to 1970. This Farmall, with serial number 5304, is a 1962 model. A standard model of this tractor, built in the same factory during the same time, was sold as a McCormick-Deering B-450.
Three generations of the Bosch family have been at the Buckley show over the past 20 years. Merle Bosch, 91, Brenda’s dad, started this Farmall tractor family tradition when his dad, Gerrit, bought a new 1948 Farmall Cub with a manure spreader. As a young boy, Merle spent many hours on the Cub, which is now restored and still owned by the family.
At this show – with over 1,000 tractors built between 1885 and 1976 on the 250-acre site – Merle and his wife, Ginny, drove and showed a B-450, as the Cub’s carburetor was being repaired. The B-450 was brought as a complete tractor north from Georgia. It had recently been disassembled in preparation of a total restoration.
Lloyd McClennan, who lives nearby and has restored over Farmall 20 tractors, heard it was for sale. He’d wanted a British tractor for a long time and had been reading about them for a while. He was ready for a new adventure and bought it. After 38 years working at Howmet Aerospace, including four years as a welder, he retired and could devote full time to the B-450 project.
For the trip to Llyod’s on a trailer, it didn’t look like much. The disassembled engine, radiator, and loose nuts, bolts, and other parts were in a metal bin. Some parts were beyond repair and others were lost.
Due to difficulty in finding British parts, Lloyd was forced to substitute pieces made for U.S. tractors. Some of these had to be modified to fit and perform properly. “It may not be the same as the old one, but I made it work.” he said. “Building this tractor was like a puzzle to me, starting out with a pile of parts.” This was unlike any tractor he’d worked on before. “I didn’t go to sleep some nights while thinking about how to make something work. I did almost all the work on the tractor myself.”
He made many visits to his favorite tractor junkyard over the years, finding parts he needed or ones he could modify to use. The clutch rod on the B-450 was found in the yard; the one on the tractor had been pieced together and was ugly, so it had to go. He replaced the original flywheel, pressure plate, clutch, and throw-out bearing with 12-inch parts from a Farmall Super M. There were two tabs cast inside the British bell housing with 3/8″ bolts in them used in conjunction with slide type throw out-bearing. He used these to adapt the replacement pieces. He made a diesel fuel filter from an oil filter and canister. He also improved the fan-belt tensioner with the addition of a small bracket he welded to the engine. The replacement seat was purchased from Steiner.
The exceptions to Lloyd doing all the work were having a machine shop mill the head, and others repairing the radiator and starter. The starter was “fixed” twice by a local shop, then it was shipped to a repair facility in the state of Washington. It was returned in like-new condition. “By the time that was done, it cost me $600.” The finishing touches were painting everything and getting the proper decals. He did all the paintwork and had the proper decals sent from Great Britain.
The tractor was completed in 2012. “I like the process of restoration.” Once they’re done, he doesn’t like to show them. “I’d rather look at other people’s tractors.” When he finishes tractors, he sells them — except for an International Harvester model 284, built by Komatsu in Japan and with a Nissan 1.6L diesel engine he uses around his place. He’s never had a case of seller’s remorse. He’s pleased, however, when new owners have called to tell him they won first place awards at different shows.
Recently, while looking over the B-450, many memories of the restoration came back to Lloyd. When Brenda saw the finished B-450, she told Lloyd, “Whenever you decide to sell this one, let me know.” Twelve years later, that time came. She and Chuck bought it in 2024. Since there was no real work to do on it, she had time to enjoy it. Along with the Buckley show, it’s been in a Memorial Day parade in New Era, the July 4th Parade in Hesperia, and the Fall Festival in New Era.
The Bosch family enjoys restoring, showing, and driving their 11 red tractors. “It’s in our blood,” said Brenda. Two more Farmall tractors are in the preliminary stages of restoration at her dad’s barn. With additional room in the building, the final count may exceed 13.
Being members of the Michigan Chapter 11, International Harvester Collectors Club, Brenda and Chuck plan to bring the B-450 to the June 2027 Red Power Roundup. The annual event will be held at the St. Joseph Grange Fairground in Centerville, Michigan, hosted by The Michigan I-H Collectors. This will be the second time the Michigan chapter, organized in 1994, has hosted the national gathering. FC
This is Jerry Mattson’s twelfth story for Farm Collector. He has written several stories on automobiles and motorcycles in addition to farm equipment.
