The benefits of putting a site together like this is the many emails and contacts I have received from owners and operators of these Combines still at work across the globe.

One such contact who is a big Massey fan and user, Cameron McKay who I have called my overseas correspondent!!.

Cameron lives in Ireland, but travels down to New Zealand in January to take part in the harvest there on South island with his colleagues who also run vintage Masseys! a true harvest globetrotter!!

Not only that he also returns to the UK for the summer harvest here, working for a large arable operator in Lincolnshire, so he spends several months harvesting.

Cameron owns a very late 760 1980 model one of the last of this series to roll off the Brantford production line, this combine was originally imported to the UK but exported to New Zealand some time in the late nineties.

Cameron purchased this combine from a dairy farmer who hadn't used the combine for a couple of years, and had changed his farming practices so it was surplus to requirements.

The combine was a 12 hour road trip up through the Southern Lakes to his home near Oamaru North Otago.

No problem for Cameron he arrived at the dairy farm at 2am and set off with the combine with an escort and his marker boards on and set sail for his home town of North Otago.

Cameron had set his sights on an 865 but these are very few here and when he saw the condition of the 760 he knew he would be unlikely to find one in better condition.

Although the combine is in good condition The paintwork is very faded and Cameron is planning to complete the restoration with a new paint job and decals also a new cab trim kit.

On arrival home Cameron began by giving the combine a good clean off and check around for any parts he may require, parts availability now is somewhat limited here now, and most operators ship in parts from the UK but obviously you need plenty of time and need to keep common wear items in stock for the season, one part that this combine needed was a new unloader auger ram! As the current one was bent round 90 degrees!!? Quite a common problem if you forget to retract arm when there are trees or electric poles about!!.

Cameron replaced a couple of bearings and belts and serviced the combine and then began the long process of sanding down the panel work which took several days and loads of patience and sanding discs!!

Cameron ordered the Massey red paint and primer, and good friends Glen and Mark who are professional paint speakers set to work on the several coats that would be required to complete the job.

The paintwork was done outside thankfully here they are blessed with low humidity and long dry settled spells with little wind, a sprayers dream for sure.

The paintwork was completed in 3 days and left for a few days to harden off before Cameron fitted the new decals, and with that done his next job was to remove the wore out cab cladding and prepare to fit a new kit sourced from USA an exact match available to 700/800 series machines.

Below is a selection of photos showing the work being carried out..

More photos Kiwi Custom Cutters 2