Tractor - Williames Wildcat, 1973 Reg. No: ST 030387

Hi, My dad has recently purchased a Williames Wildcat and is looking to restor it to it's original condition. Do you happen to have any manuals or information that he would be able to access?

Hi Lauren,
Your dad could try contacting Williames Hi-Tech for information. They may help. Most of the components are off the shelf engineering items. The sprockets, chains, bearings etc can be easily found through engineering suppliers. Your Dad may have trouble with the hydraulic pump/motors as depending on the machine the parts may no longer be available so he would need to consult a hydraulics specialist about that. Almost all of the rest can be replaced easily. Hope this helps.

Williames web site is www.williames.com

I have a Wildcat identical to your exhibit (in good condition) except it is painted green. I also have a spare Wankel Engine. Would a museum be interested in purchasing it?

Hi, the RT45 Austrak was also made in Brisbane between 1980 and 1983.I know this because I worked there fabricating and welding the chassis and implements.

Ian, I was speaking to my dad and he was wondering what price you would be wanting for your Wildcat? If you are interested in selling it could you please let me know and I will pass on my dad's details to you.

Ian, I am very interested if you still have sachs rotary Wildcat. Extremely interested as well. Just love all things rotary and have quit a few.

Ian, I am a widowed farmer totally burnt out on Black Saturday, I lost all my machinery,and am looking for a Wildcat which is the only piece of equipment I have ever felt comfortable using on my farm.

My father Peter Johnson worked as a salesman for Williames selling the "Wildcat". After the company was handed over to administrators he worked for them selling off the stock on hand.
Dad then went on to design and manufacture the AUSTRAK RT45. Using his knowledge of the industry, target market and mechanical workings of the Wildcat, the AUSTRAK RT-45 was a very reliable and stable operating platform. A little over 100 AUSTRAK Tractors were built and sold around Australia.
Dad developed a "Cherry Picker" style boom that was fitted to the machine capable of holding one person for the purpose of harvesting fruit. Considerable interest in Saudi Arabia for the harvesting of dates, saw a very large order placed. Unfortunately Dad was not able to make the return trip to Saudi for the official "signing of the documents" so he sent a man who he had employed as a salesman in his place. The salesman got the order for the machines but the order was to be supplied by himself and not us!
I was only young at the time but I remember how it flattened the Old Man. Lengthy and expensive court cases saw that the machine was never built again.

I would dearly like to purchase and restore an AUSTRAK in my Brisbane workshop. I would also like to get in contact with other AUSTRAK owners to keep tabs on where they are and possibly help them with the repairs and maintenance. Anyone who purchased a machine off Dad would have remembered him, he was liked by all and dearly loved by his family. He passed away at the age of 66 three years ago, on the same day as his birthday! Not long after I started AUSTFORK, a forklift and machinery business.

Sam
Thanks for filling in the conection between Williams and Austrak, I Operated, built and serviced Austrack RT45 in Victoria and Saskatchewan Canada

Sam,
I recently purchased an Austrak RT-45 from e-bay. It's been well used. It came with some tech brochures and colour photos. I'm using it on a property in the Otways in Victoria.
If you'd like more information or want to get in touch, please e-mail me at ausgo65@hotmail.com

Sam, I remember you when you were very young. Your dad was a great guy and an extraordinary salesman. However, he had nothing to do with designing or building the Austrak RT 45. He only sold it. There were many RT45's built in Qld. and Vic. Your dad did not lose an order to Saudi Arabia. The order just wasn't there to be had but he caused the Austrak company to spend a lot of money gearing up for an order. There are many aspects much different to only the side you have heard.

Can someone tell me if this is the same chap that designed and manfactured the MANTA Beach Buggy?
The Manta first appeared at Frankston, Vic, in 1968 from Manta Fiberglass products and went on to emanate from several different Victorian producers in other locations. It was next based at Upper Beaconsfield before coming under new management of Paul Jensen of Scanco (Aust) at Berwick by 1971. Manta then claimed to be the first to fit a curved windscreen to a dune buggy. In 1972 the Manta was being produced and marketed by Williames Design & Construction of Warragul. Scanco (Aust) was again in control of the Manta project in 1973, having taken over the former G A Williames Fiberglass operation at Warragul, which also produced fiberglass Canoes. Although having several homes and principals the Manta appears to have had a longer production run than several other makes.

I own a Austrak RT 45 and am looking for help to repair it! Any help welcomed!!

For those of you who wonder what machines like the Wildcat and Audtrak could do I have just uploaded about 11 minutes of Austrak promotional video clips to youtube - just type in AUSTRAK search and be amazed!!

I was lucky to buy a William Wildcat from Shepparton VICTORIA in an orchard. The unit was being converted to a Cherry Picker and is powered by a 4 cylinder Kubota diesel. This is an unfinished project, came with some photocopied manuals and started its life as a small tipper....most unique. I want to finish the unit and make it into a hill climbing boom sprayer capable of spraying weeds in steep country around Bacchus Marsh. Any help would be gratefully received. I also know of a very rusty unit in Yendon near Ballarat for $1000. Phil

I noticed that this exhibit has brought out a lot of Austrak/Wildcat fanciers. I have thought for a while that some sort of on line facility should be set up to share info and source machines and parts.
I have set up a blog site

www.austrak-wildcat.com

for that purpose. It's only new and still needs a lot of work but people can use it to connect by way of the "comment" facility.

Hope that helps.
Have a great Christmas!

I own an RT45 and have had the hydraulic drive on the driver side fail, the inner olive has broken and punched a hole in the casing I`m chasing a entire drive or whatever I can get my hands on