Thanks guys.
She got the "ugly" from when I bought her. Previous owner had taken this perfect 312 and modified it to ride on top of rail cars unloading track plates, ties, etc. When we found her she had no outriggers, no blade, no bucket or bucket cylinder, four tires and wheels removed and the biggest challenge was the rear axle. The planetaries had been removed as well as the brake lines. The axle shaft was cut and lengthend. A spacer was machined to extend the planetary mounts. This proved very challenging to undo. :Banghead
We are out making money right now and I am very pleased with her performance. There is still a lot to do to get it back to perfect but, it is doable. Just going to earn more money to put into it while the season allows. Insurance to start up the business was a bit of a nasty shock. The rates have really shot up since the last time I was an owner.
Hoping to stay busy in my own little niche. Don't want to be huge, just busy and profitable. Been hard to feed the three kids the past few years working for others. This is kinda the last resort if you know what I mean.
Feels good so far!