Restored vintage tractor steals the limelight

Owen Penwarden spent three years restoring his 1955 McCormick Farmall FC-C tractor. Photo / Andrew Warner

Owen Penwarden and his lovingly restored 1955 McCormick Farmall FC-C tractor was a crowd pleaser at the 109th annual Te Puke A&P Show.

Mr Penwarden, 74, from Paengaroa, said he had spent the past three years restoring the American tractor after it was found abandoned in an old farm paddock in Turangi about six years ago.

"Last year's show was a washout, which was a huge disappointment because I took my tractor along, but this year's show was magic. It couldn't have been better," he said.

Mr Penwarden said he would even go as far as to say his tractor, which had been given thousands of hours of "TLC" was "sexy looking".

The retired former oilman said he found the perfect music tape aptly titled, She Thinks My Tractor is Sexy, which he played for the crowd at the Te Puke showgrounds on Saturday.

Mr Penwarden said he had already started restoring his next vintage tractor - a Farmall M British-manufactured machine of the same era.

"I love every minute I spend giving these vintage tractors a bit of TLC and restoring them to their former glory. It's what gets me out of bed every morning."

There was something for everyone at this year's A&P Show, including sheep racing, truck and tractor pulling, digger and tug-of-war competitions, and Euro Cross motocross riders competing through a huge cross, Highland dance demonstrations and equestrian competitions.

Te Puke A&P Show secretary Kim Cawte said about 4000 people attended, which was about 1000 down on past shows, but she put that down to the number of competing events and, being a long weekend, lots of people might have gone out of town. "Despite that, the show was brilliant and everyone I spoke to told me they were having a great time."