WD45 Diesel

45 Diesels command such a higher price because so few were made, 6509, and so few originals are left due to the engine problems they had. Due to the cost to properly rebuild that engine, scarcity of complete original tractors left, a good running tractor that has all the correct 45D components would be worth $5000 here in the midwest in an arms length transaction.  I agree with the other posts, you would be hard pressed to find a nice running original 45D for $2000 today unless the seller did not know what he had or was intentionally selling it for less the fair market value for whatever reason.  If the one you saw had all the 45D components, a D serial number,  started easily in warm weather without ether, etc., then $2000 was a steal.  If it is missing any of the diesel components, then it is worth less as those parts can be hard to find.  If it had anything but the correct buda 230 engine, then it really isn't a 45D at all in so far as a collector is concerned, and would be worth substantially less as the correct engine is nearly impossible to find.  When you figure what it costs to rebuild that engine, $6000 to $7000 if done right, perhaps more, plus the cost of the initial purchase of the non running tractor, $2000 and up, then it seems pretty reasonable for a decent running tractor to be worth $4000 to $5000; again assuming it has all the correct 45D components.  I have seen many non running 45D's bring more than $2000 and have yet to find a nice running one for less than $4000.  The figures I am using reflect recent sales/values.  I bought my first 45D, a very nice running tractor, for $1500, but that was 20 years ago.