“a century of Vehicular D. I. Y.” D. I. Y. = Do it yourself

“A Century of Vehicular D.I.Y.”

D.I.Y. = Do IT YOURSELF

While this homemade tractor might resemble something from a dieselpunk magazine, we can assure you that it's a real vehicle. A Pennsylvanian farmer known only as Mr. Geissinger built his tractor out of spare parts in a scrap pile. He started with a 15 year-old, one-cylinder stationary gasoline engine, which in those days, was used for running power tools, circular saws, pumps and hay elevators. Soon enough, he assembled enough parts to give his tractor all the functions of a conventional one. It could work as quickly, had all the controls, and could turn in any direction. We reported that Geissinger successfully used it for threshing and plowing, as three plows could be attached at its rear. In total, his tractor cost $265.

Today, we have trailers. In the 1920s, inventor W.K. Kellogg has his "touring Ark," a 27-foot truck equipped with everything you'd need to survive on the road: a refrigerator and ice machine, a washstand and sink, an oil stove, a fireless cooker, a toilet, cupboards, folded dining sets, a shower, a bunk, and radio set. It also held camping equipment, like a 15-foot folding motorboat. Pretty amazing for 1924, right? More so considering the abundance of luxuries in proportion to the size of his car.