Reader Rebuild

IF YOU HAVE A SOFT SPOT for air-cooled Same tractors of the past, then there’s a good chance you will be familiar with the Jaguar 95. Launched in 1979, this stylish orange and blue model became a popular member of the Same range, selling well alongside the likes of the Centurion 75, Leopard 85, Panther 90, Tiger 100 and Buffalo 130.

By the time of the Jaguar 95’s arrival at the end of the 1970s, Same (Societa Accomondita Motori Endotermici) had already earned itself an enviable reputation for producing well-built tractors fitted with reliable air-cooled engines and excellent factory-fitted four-wheel drive systems.

In the UK, the four-wheel drive market had initially been dominated by the specialist Ford conversion companies of Roadless Traction and County Commercial Cars. The big players, namely Massey Ferguson, Ford, David Brown, Nuffield and IH, all of whom had large UK factories geared to mass

Above: The Same Jaguar’s Siac cab has been refurbished to an extremely high standard by Arwyn, who used a donor tractor’s cab interior as a template for the new cladding. Above right: The Same Jaguar 95 Export made its UK debut at the 1979 Royal Highland Show. Powered by a 94hp Same five-cylinder air-cooled engine, it slotted into the range between the Panther 90 (90hp) and the Tiger 100 (102hp). Left inset: Arwyn Williams, a farmer and plant hire specialist from Glanannan, near Carmarthen, bought his Same Jaguar 95 in 1986 and ran it for over 20 years. Left: Following a painstaking refurb, this Same Jaguar 95, owned by Arwyn Williams since 1986, now looks as good if not better than it did when it was new back in 1979.

production, were happy to allow smaller companies to cater for the then-niche four-wheel drive end of the market, representing as it did less than 1% of total sales in the early 1960s.

Times were changing and by the end of the decade, more customers were starting to appreciate the benefits that four-wheel drive could bring, especially on steep hills, and also when working on heavy and wet soils. Most of the British four-wheel drives were conversions of existing tractors, usually Fords, which was fine to a point, but did lead to some design compromises, particularly with regard to manoeuvrability.

This enabled the likes of Zetor and Same, both of whom offered tractors with very neat factory-fitted four-wheel drive systems, to gain a foothold in the UK market.

The industrial unrest that was prevalent across the UK at this time didn’t help the cause of the domestic manufacturers, with the resultant very long delivery times causing many customers to look elsewhere. Among the overseas manufacturers to benefit from this during the mid-1970s were Same, Zetor, Deutz, Belarus and Fiat.

During this period, Same tractors, powered by robust air-cooled diesel engines, continued to gain popularity with farmers throughout the west of England and Wales, areas of the country where there were some very steep hills and valleys that could not always be safely traversed by two-wheel drive tractors.

It was against this backdrop of a steadily rising demand for four-wheel drive tractors that Same was able to double its tractor production during the 1970s. In 1981, it produced more than 27,000 units, close to the combined outputs of both David Brown and IHGB. The company also acquired its Italian competitor, Lamborghini, and the Swiss tractor manufacturer Hurlimann, these purchases leading to the creation of the Same-Lamborghini-Hurlimann group in 1979.

The Same Jaguar 95 was developed and introduced during a period of prosperity for the Italian manufacturer, so it is perhaps no surprise that this particular model is considered one of the finest models to be produced during this buoyant period of the company’s history.

The Jaguar 95 was powered by a 5.2-litre, fivecylinder, air-cooled diesel which produced a healthy 94hp at a rated speed of 2200rpm. Drive to the wheels was provided by a manual-shift four-speed, threerange gearbox, which incorporated a mechanical ratio splitter controlled by a lever to the left of the operator’s seat.

The four-wheel drive system had a centre driveshaft which rotated at a high speed to reduce torque under heavy loads. The Jaguar 95 also included modern features such as power steering, hydraulically activated two-speed PTO and oil-immersed disc brakes. The neatly-styled Q-cab, made by Siac of Italy, came with tinted windows and an Eberspacher heater to provide warmth on winter days.

All of which brings us on nicely to the Same Jaguar 95 owned by Carmarthenshire farmer Arwyn Williams. He is the fifth generation of his family to farm at Glanannan, near Carmarthen, and he also runs a successful plant hire business, Gelli Plant, from the farm. The land, extending to 120 acres of grassland, is used for rearing beef cattle.

“My family were blacksmiths, so there’s a strong tradition of engineering on this farm,” reveals Arwyn. “My family were most famously known for designing the Royal Defiance bicycles during the Victorian era. The British army used Royal Defiance bicycles in South Africa during the Boer War, and from 1902 we also built Royal Defiance motorcycles.”

Arwyn’s passion for farming began when he was a young man. Shortly after leaving school, he began contracting for local farmers, initially using a Fordson Super Major that belonged to his father. After several years of scrimping and saving, in 1986 he was able to purchase a 1979 V-plate Same Jaguar 95 Export with 2000 hours on the clock. The Same, then seven years old, cost £6750.

“The Same Jaguar was a revelation in comparison to the Fordson Major,” he recalls. “The engine pulled like a train. I used it for mowing, tedding and baling during the summer and then for hauling spoil with a dump trailer all winter. That’s how I got started in the construction business.

“I used the tractor for 20 years and it never let me down,” he adds. “It was the change to operating New Holland tractors with 40kph gearboxes and airconditioning in the cab that prompted the retirement of the Same, but I never had any intention of selling it. I always knew that one day I would restore it.”

Arwyn parked up his old Same, by then looking somewhat the worse for wear, in the back of his shed in 2007. It would be another eight years before he decided it was time to return it to its former glory. Work on the refurbishment began in 2015, mainly taking place on rainy days when Arwyn wasn’t able to do his day job.

BEFORE

This is what Arwyn’s Same Jaguar 95 looked like in 2015, just before work began on its full refurbishment. It was cosmetically challenged, to say the least.

ENGINE

The Same’s five-cylinder air-cooled engine had done over 9000 hours, but was in good health. It was treated to new head gaskets and crankshaft seals.

A new ‘old stock’ nose cone, believed to be the last one in stock, was sourced from a dealer in Italy, along with two brand new cab doors. Above: Fitting oversize Continental radials to the original rims has given this Same Jaguar 95 a more purposeful stance. Arwyn opted for 480/70R24s on the front and 520/70R34s on the rear. Above centre: A fully refurbished Same Jaguar 95 is a rare sight in the UK. This model, despite proving popular with UK buyers, has been largely overlooked by collectors. Above far right: LED roof lights front and rear and a CB radio antennae are updates of improvements that were originally made by Arwyn back in 1986. Below: A diesel-fuelled Eberspacher D1L air heater provides warmth in the cab on cold days. Located above the engine on the nearside of the bonnet, the heater is controlled using an in-cab thermostat, inset.

NOSE CONE

One of his first tasks was to source the replacement parts he needed. His tractor’s front nose cone was beyond repair, so he started shopping around. His enquiries led him to Same dealer, G. Brian Jones, of Bishops Castle.

“I remember complaining to Mr Jones at the Royal Welsh Show that I could buy Fordson Major parts almost anywhere, yet I couldn’t find any Same components,” he recalls. “Shortly afterwards, I received a phone call stating he had located a brand new original nose cone and cab doors at a dealership in Italy. He believed it was the only set in existence and suggested I order them immediately, which I did.”

However, frustrated by the lack of other parts, Arwyn put his work on his Same Jaguar to one side and turned instead to restoring a David Brown VAK1 which had belonged to his father, the late David John Williams. This tractor held huge sentimental value, having been purchased by his father brand new in 1947, and Arwyn was determined to complete its refurbishment before he continued with his Same.

Once the David Brown was finished in 2018, he decided it was time to refocus on the rebuild of his Same Jaguar 95. His enthusiasm for the project received a boost when he received a chance phone call from a farmer with another Jaguar 95.

Arwyn already knew about the existence of this tractor, and had offered to buy it some years earlier. At the time the owner wouldn’t sell, but following the failure of its engine, he decided to reconsider Arwyn’s offer.

“He had really looked after the tractor and it was in very tidy condition,” says Arwyn. “Even though the engine had blown, I decided it would make a brilliant parts donor for my own tractor.

“Having bought it and got it home, when I checked the serial numbers to my absolute amazement I discovered it was just one digit different to mine,” he continues. “It turns out the two tractors had literally rolled off the production line at Treviglio in Italy one after the other.”

Having stripped his tractor down to its underwear, Arwyn started to focus on its mechanical components.

The engine, despite having clocked well over 9000 hours, was still in remarkably fine health. To prevent any potential problems in the future, the individual cylinder pots were treated to new head gaskets, before being cleaned and sandblasted. The engine crankshaft seals were also replaced.

“I decided to fit a new clutch, but the flywheel was scored,” he says. “The solution to this problem was to use the flywheel from the donor tractor with the blown engine. The flywheel on that tractor was in perfect condition, so I was able to fit a brand new clutch assembly which now works perfectly.”

His attention then turned to the transmission and rear axle, which were inspected and re-sealed. The front axle received similar treatment, in addition to new pivot bushings as the originals had become worn and misshapen after many years of use.

Turning to the cab, the donor tractor once again turned out to be a useful purchase,” “I used its cab window frames, which I then fitted with the original tinted glass from my tractor says Arwyn. “All the glass, including the door windows, is the original glazing which came with my tractor.

“Both tractors were equipped with an Eberspacher D1L diesel air heater, which is fitted under the bonnet,” he explains. “This was required to heat the cab because the engines were air-cooled, so there was no engine coolant to provide in-cab heat.

“Neither of the heaters worked, but I was able to use parts from the donor tractor to get the one on my tractor operational. It now works perfectly, and even responds to temperature adjustments made by the thermostat dial in the cab.”

Having restored several tractors during the past decade, Arwyn has become quite fastidious in his approach to dismantling and refurbishing the original sheet metal and tinwork. His Same was no exception.

Every double-skinned panel on his Jaguar 95 was unpicked, so the corrosion which had developed between the unpainted panels could be repaired and etch-primed before being carefully reassembled and stitch-welded back together. The same technique also applied to the bonnet support struts and the fenders on the cab.

Having painstakingly repaired the cab structure to prevent rust from re-establishing itself behind the sheet metal on the tractor’s double-skinned inner fenders, Arwyn fitted grease nipples at strategic points so he could inject corrosion inhibiting Waxoil between the panels. Exposed surfaces behind the wheels have been protected using underseal, which was then painted.

Right: Siac of Pontirolo Nuovo, near Treviglio, Italy, made the quiet cab that was fitted to the Jaguar 95 and other Same models of the same period. The Centurion and Jaguar shared the same cab. Below: A driver’s eye view of the dashboard. All the controls and gauges have been meticulously refurbished by owner Arwyn Williams. Below right: The roof cladding has been restored to the same high standard as the rest of the cab interior. Note the correct 1980s-style radio speakers in the rear of the cab roof.

Left: Replacement cab window frames came from a donor tractor. The tinted glass is the original factory-spec and was re-used from Arwyn’s own machine. Right: The Jaguar 95’s top speed of 34kph (21.1mph) was nippy for the time. This tractor is no stranger to road work, having spent many years hauling spoil with dump trailers.

With a large workshop at his disposal, Arwyn decided to paint his tractor himself, using Same orange paint which he had colour matched and mixed by a supplier in Swansea. Every square millimetre of metal was fastidiously painted, with a level of skill which even a professional painter could not fail to admire. A brand new Same Jaguar 95 would never have looked this good in 1979.

Repairing and painting the shell of the dishevelled cab had taken a huge amount of time and effort. However, its interior presented a further challenge, one that could only be met through hard graft and resourcefulness. With no replacement cab interior parts to be found anywhere in Europe, Arwyn was forced to use the interior from his donor tractor as a template to make a new one for the machine he was rebuilding.

“The cab interior proved to be very challenging,” he admits. “The cab trim on my tractor had completely deteriorated and the interior of the donor tractor was shabby at best. I spent a lot of time searching for the right materials, so I could get the interior as close to original as possible.

“I had to remake the fibreglass panels onto which the trim is attached, and then cut the vinyl to size,” adds Arwyn. “The vinyl material that I used to reproduce the cab interior, along with the necessary fixtures to install it, was supplied by Cab Parts at Crickhowell.

“The floor mat is close to original as I could source, but it’s not quite OEM,” he continues. “Underneath the mat, I added sound proofing which also helps to insulate the cab. I also repaired the wiring loom, refurbished all the gauges, levers and switches, and reconditioned the dash console. Every inch of that cab was taken apart and rebuilt. It was truly a monumental job.”

Having slowly started putting his tractor back together, the next stage of the project involved sourcing items such as cab and bonnet decals, door rubbers and a new exhaust stack. Arwyn also wanted to reinstall the upgrades he had originally made to his tractor back in the 1980s. This included adding roof lights – which were upgraded to LED units – and the installation of a CB radio complete with roof-mounted antennae.

“The door rubbers and exhaust were supplied by J. Rees & Sons at Llandovery. They were very helpful, and found lots of the little parts

I would have struggled to get anywhere else,” he says. “Lotus Designs made the bonnet emblems to the exact original specifications, which included mounting the decals onto an aluminium trim-strip which is then attached to the engine cover. The cab interior decals were produced by a local firm who used images of the originals to match them.”

You don’t see too many refurbished Same tractors here in the UK. Most of these Italian machines were overworked and under-appreciated workhorses that were flogged to death, then abandoned under a hedge until they rotted away. That’s just one of the several reasons why this 1979 Same Jaguar 95 Export is something very rare and very special.

Below: Every one of the double-skin bodywork panels was unpicked, allowing the corrosion between the unpainted panels to be eliminated and the surfaces to be etch-primed.

The standard of workmanship that has been applied to this Same Jaguar 95 by its owner, Arwyn Williams, can only be described as exceptional. The result is what must surely now be one of the finest examples of a Same Jaguar 95 in existence today, not just in the UK or Ireland, but also in the rest of the world.

This is a grand tribute to all the air-cooled Same four-wheel drive tractors of yesteryear. Their considerable contribution to European farming has been overlooked for far too long, and this majestic Jaguar 95 might just help to raise the brand’s profile among the collecting fraternity.

This sparkling Same won’t be going out to work again, but it won’t be totally wrapped up in cotton wool either, says Arwyn, who is looking forward to taking his tractor on a road run and also to a show or two in the future.

Parts and service items: J. Rees & Sons, Llandovery. Tel: 01550 721810. SDF dealer: G. Brian Jones, Bishops Castle. Tel: 01588 638647. Miscellaneous parts: Metcalf’s Agricultural Engineers, Preston. Tel: 01995 61166. Cab trim and parts: Cab Parts & Accessories Ltd, Crickhowell. Tel: 01873 811810. Decals: Lotus Designs, Northern Ireland. Tel: 028 29541332. Paint & supplies: Independent Paint Supplies, Swansea. Tel: 01792 784078.