Paul Burkle,
IH built the red 82 series from late 1979 until April 1981, when IH ended production of them. The Cub Cadet line was sold to Cub Cadet Corp in June 1981 and everything (parts, tooling, etc) connected to Cub Cadet was moved to the CCC plant in Brownsville, TN. CCC produced thier first tractor in October 1981 (a yellow and white 482)and continued to build the IH designed 82 series in both red, and yellow and white, into
1985. The red tractors were sold by the IH ag dealers, said International on the hood decal, but said Cub Cadet, Cleveland, Ohio on the data plate. The yellow and white versions were sold by Cub Cadet or Lawn Power dealers.
(1) The 582 S (Special) has a 4 speed belt driven Peerless transaxle (shaft drive to a right angle gear boxt and a belt with belt tightening clutch to the Peerless transaxle. A 582 has the same 3 speed transaxle as in the other gear drive Cub Cadets.
(2)The 482/582/582S/682/782/982 all had the metal data plate on the left frame rail that said International Harvester, Chicago, IL (corporate head quarters) on the IH built units, Cub Cadet , Cleveland, OH on the CCC built units.
(3),(4). The 682 and 782's had a KT-17, 17 hp Kohler engine. Initially it was a Series I engine and there were problems due to the lubrication system. During production, the engine was replace by the KT-17 Series II engine that had a full pressure lubrication that solved most of the problems.
(5),(6)The 782D was never built by IH, only CCC. It was built in 1984 and 1985, 3-4 years after IH sold the line. It has a 3 cylinder Kubota diesel that appears to be a good engine, and the tractor is much in demand by collectors. Most engine problems, if any, are now probably more age related than anything else.
(7),(8) You would have to ask CCC why there was no 982 diesel, but I would think there was probably a demand< or lack there of, and cost factor involved. Most 982 problems I am aware of are again, probably age related. They are getting old enough and with enough hours that engine problems are starting to show up, and the Onan (19.9hp) engine and or parts, are getting hard to find and are very pricey. The engine model used is no longer available.