As John has mentioned in some of his previous journals, Make-A-Wish Sled II will happen for the 2015 Ride-In. It now seems like a good time to tell the story of how the sled came to be and how the build has gone and is going.
Adam (Snoluver1) and I found the first Make-A-Wish sled build to be a very rewarding experience and I don’t think we ever ruled out doing another. We sort of teamed up again when he did the engine work on a build I did last year. I think that just fueled the fire. We talked briefly last spring after John asked about the possibility of doing another and for many reasons we both knew the only answer was to give it a shot.
We decided to do things a little differently this time and not start an early build thread. For one reason, we weren’t sure we could pull it off and since this is the last Ride-In, there was no second chance. We felt a condensed version at the end or near the end of the build would still be of interest.
I have a bunch of photos and as I can get them organized I’ll post a few at a time. I’m sure Adam also has some good ones (I’ve already seen a couple).
We hope you enjoy it and with your help we can make the 10th Anniversary 2015 Ride-In hit it out the park.
Excellent! You guys did such an exquisite job on the TNT, I could only conclude that you guys were behind the current build. The pictures that John had posted in one of his earlier journals had your names written all over it without having to say who is doing it. Again, excellent looking, & I'm sure that the pictures do not equal seeing it first hand. I am looking forward to seeing it once it can make it here.-Mezz
We did get most of the band back together. It would have been nice to have taken advantage of phazerpilot’s skills again. He did an amazing job on the T’NT hood but the logistics just made it impractical.
With all of life’s twists, turns, and distractions, it seems like it’s pretty tough to get one of these projects done in less than 6 – 8 months so when we decided to go ahead with the project we needed all the jump start edge we could get. I had the makings of the start of a 77 TX which (in my biased opinion) was a good choice anyway. The late 70’s TX models are some of the most popular and highly sought-after sleds in vintage circles.
This is a great little sled: light, surprisingly fast, and, as Rupp Collector once said, they make great riders. Even if you’re not a vintage fan yourself you may know someone who is or who could enjoy having the sled. If I had a man cave garage, I’d keep one in it all the time.
In case you haven’t had time to rummage through John’s journals, here is an updated shot of the sled I took this morning with the bumper stripes and rear bumper added.
So I am in the planning stages of places to try and showcase the sled up here prior to the Ride-In and am looking for suggestions from you all. I already talked to Don at the Mosquito and he is open to it, as long as it will fit through the front door (door mounted or not!).
Keep in mind that the spot needs to have enough room for the sled, without causing too much disruption to the business. Also, it needs to be able to be moved in and out with relative ease.
It is also for a great cause, hopefully we get some businesses to allow a stint to raise publicity and sell lots of tickets.
I will be waiting for the online site to be up and operational. I would think something like this would be a great topic for an article in a local paper. If you haven't already, maybe issue a press release and get this covered in the paper or mag article? Perhaps it already is, but with all of the work that is going into this, seems like a no brainer!
So I am in the planning stages of places to try and showcase the sled up here prior to the Ride-In and am looking for suggestions from you all. I already talked to Don at the Mosquito and he is open to it, as long as it will fit through the front door (door mounted or not!).
Keep in mind that the spot needs to have enough room for the sled, without causing too much disruption to the business. Also, it needs to be able to be moved in and out with relative ease.
-John
Have you checked with Chad @ M&M yet? I would think he would not have a problem showcasing it like last years sled.-Mezz
No hot grips – we might throw in a set of choppers.
It is so good to see people fired up about the sled already! There is some good stuff to come, so stay tuned. In the meantime, let’s turn the clock back a bit.
Some of you may remember a similar photo from a little over a year back. These were two parts sleds I picked up at Princeton on a hot, dusty, August afternoon. Little did I know that they would combine to provide some core parts for the Make-A-Wish sled.
One of the sleds had the most tore up chassis I have ever seen so believe it or not, this was the clear choice for the chassis.
This is a sled only a mother could love.
Hey John,I have a meeting on Wed with a few venders. I hope to bring a bunch of auction stuff up next trip. Game on, who can bring more auction stuff than me? I challenge you all!
Since I just finished up my end of the project last night, I figured I would jump in and add some content. I don't have a ton of pictures, but I have a few to share. As Kelly stated, it's pretty exciting to see people getting pumped up about the sled!
First off, we need to give credit where credit is due, and Kelly deserves a truck load of it! It seems I got off pretty easy with this project, as I was only charged with making the old girl breath fire once again. Kelly sent me the motor, clutch and carbs over the summer. I chipped away at some stuff here and there, but the big push has only been in the last few weeks or so.
Kelly has a bit of a track record of sending me what he affectionately calls "Frankenstein" motors, so I have to admit I was a little nervous to see what we were going to have to work with. Truth be told, aside from 35 years of grime, this motor actually wasn't in too bad a shape.
I measured exactly 0 run out on the crank. It's pretty rare to find a factory crankshaft without at least half a thousandths run out, especially a 35 year old one! That tells me that this crank has more than likely been trued at some point. Bearings were in good shape, so a thorough cleaning, some fresh oil and back together she went.
The cylinders were straight and well within wear limits. Unfortunately, there was some scoring in both of them, so I sent them off to Millennium Technologies, for a fresh plating of nikasil. Once those came back, I dropped in some new slugs and got the top end back together.
The carbs and clutch were a little different story than the engine. They were actually worse on the inside than out. I think Kelly will have something special to share about the clutch, so stay tuned for that.
I guess this pic is appropriate for the date. Pretty spooky in there!!!
It took some elbow grease, but they did actually clean up just fine.
So here she is, ready to burn gas. Should be pretty much plug and play for Kelly. We have a rendezvous set up for tomorrow, to mate power plant and sled back together again.
Kelly has a bit of a track record of sending me what he affectionately calls "Frankenstein" motors, so I have to admit I was a little nervous to see what we were going to have to work with.
Oh, if everyone out there only knew how true this is. I think he has a landfill in his back yard just for my stuff.
I did meet up with Adam in Mauston, WI today to get the engine and it looks even better in real life than in the photos. These 70’s free airs are just great looking engines. Even had time to do a little catching up and have a delicious fast food meal. On the ride back north it was a real treat to look in the mirror and see that engine sitting back there. Now I just have to get my act together and get it slipped the chassis. Have a few things left to do but as Adam said, it’s basically plug and play once I get at it – three mount bolts, two electrical connectors and a fuel line.
This last series of photos should answer the question of why Adam is the only guy I would ever have rebuild an engine. In spite of what he says, he did not get off easy on this project. Without him, the project doesn’t happen. Engine builds of this quality take time (even without broken ribs) and they’re not cheap. If you've priced Nikasil lately you know what I'm talking about.
I don’t understand how that crate hasn’t met with some unfortunate accident in Illinois (like lighter fluid and a match).
Over the course of the project we have made some changes/upgrades that we felt would make the sled a little better than the stock 77. Some were performance related, some were for appearance, and some were a combination.
Some of you vintage junkies out there may have noticed that this sled has “shovel head” skis which, I don’t think Polaris put on TX’s after 76 (but I could be wrong). Either way, I really wanted them on this sled because, well, I think they are cool and would give the sled a whole different look.
The problem with these skis is that for some reason, you almost never see any for sale that are not still on a sled so when one of my main parts sources out in Idaho said he had three I snapped em’ up and used the two that I thought were the best.
If it’s needed, I usually take my skis and mufflers to a guy that does the heavy blasting and while he is inexpensive, he is really about volume and has big equipment so I almost always ended up doing some touch-up in the harder to get at areas. These were just back from the blaster and before touch-up.
After some sandblasting touch-up, and a few cycles of straightening, filling, sanding, and priming they were ready for paint. They do kind of look like blue salami’s.
I sent the original clutch along with the motor but I knew that saving it was a long shot so I wasn’t surprised when Adam told me it wouldn’t even make a good boat anchor.
The closed face clutches are really at the end of their lifespan and I don’t think anyone is making parts anymore so the hunt was on. Getting another closed face didn’t seem like a good option so we both thought on it and independently came to the same conclusion.
This was the solution: A Team Rapid Response clutch from Dirty Dawg Performance up in Monticello, MN. It’s already machined for the deep bore taper of the TX crankshaft and the guys up there tuned it specifically for the 340. A set of different inserts was included if someone were inclined to further play with performance.
It was literally a bolt on. I think it looks like it belongs on that engine and will be light-years better in performance than the stock clutch.
Also learned a valuable tip tonight: If you’re trying to agitate paint and you’re holding the paint in one hand and a beer in the other, shake the paint. Otherwise, you’re the only one agitated.
Huh, so those carbs needed filters? Perhaps that is why we always used to get those fun little backfires that would blast your chest with flames on our colts! Who knew?
Nice job guys! Can't wait to get it up north to ride it around.....er.... display it at businesses to sell tickets!
Wow impressed with the outcome of this. Tickets Bought!!!!!
We recently bought a few of the exact same "parts sleds". A 440 and a 340 that we are restoring to be a 340 racer for me. We got a ways to go, but this just proves there is hope for a great final outcome. Well done fellas!
Man, the clutch and K&N's really drive home the cool factor! It looks awesome Kelly, and I think who ever ends up with this sled will be pleasantly surprised when they hit the flipper.
We recently bought a few of the exact same "parts sleds". A 440 and a 340 that we are restoring to be a 340 racer for me. We got a ways to go, but this just proves there is hope for a great final outcome. Well done fellas!
Based on some of your previous posts, you know race sleds. It will be a good one.
By the way, I pulled er' over a few times in the chassis tonight - good spark in both cylinders. We like spark.
Have some other obligations over the next few days and won't be able to get much done on the sled so I thought I'd throw a couple of items on here tonight.
Engine is bolted in and does it ever change the look of the chassis.
Speaking of chassis, these go back a few months:
These chassis almost always have some degree of sag in the running boards so the first step is to run it through my running board straightening process. As you can see, it's very complex. When the chassis was finished, I put fishbone braces on this sled because I think they look great and provide some needed support for the boards.
After straightening, degreasing, power washing, and preliminary sanding, it's looking better.
Then comes a whole bunch of sanding and filling. I use a product called "metal2metal" for any filling that is needed on bare aluminum. It bonds like crazy, finishes well, and doesn't absorb moisture.
Based on some of your previous posts, you know race sleds. It will be a good one.
By the way, I pulled er' over a few times in the chassis tonight - good spark in both cylinders. We like spark.
Spark is definitely a good sign!
Thanks, i know drag sleds...the vintage ovals are new to my wheel house, but learning as we go. Guess similar concept right I'm enjoying following the pics from your build. We are quite a ways behind your progress, but it'll get there!
Yep, similar concept....go fast, cross the finish line first
One change that I felt would be a performance improvement was to upgrade the braking to a 79 caliper unit. The original 77 unit had the older puck-style pads while the 79 unit has pads that are more like an automotive pad.
Being a larger unit overall, it just seems like it would have a little more stopping power, not to mention it’s a much better looking unit. In the end it caused some problems, more on that later.
Sometimes parts are where you find them. The brake bleeder screws are for a Harley Davidson motorcycle (which is why there is a pair) and the fuel line pickup is for a Kawasaki dirt bike. Pretty much perfect matches for the originals, plus the bleeder screws have a built-in check valve which makes bleeding a piece of cake. If I'm excited about bleeder screw check valves, maybe I need to get out more.
Thanks Freezin’ and others. Very nice to hear that people like the sled.
Well it’s purring like a kitten. OK, maybe not a very scary comparison but this motor absolutely rocks. Just touching the throttle you can just tell that the horses want to run. Did pull it out to give it a little sniff of snow.
Kelly, that is an awesome machine. Even though I am not a Polaris man, I would be proud to drive that down the trail, knowing the effort and time you have put into it. You deserve a standing ovation.
HECK YEAH!!!
She looks so purdy sitting in the snow! Awesome work Kelly!! Congrats on a job well done. (I'm giving you a celebratory cheers from behind the screen right now)
Huh, so those carbs needed filters? Perhaps that is why we always used to get those fun little backfires that would blast your chest with flames on our colts! Who knew?
-John
Hey John, just saw these over on vintage sleds. 1973 colts. Guy says he'll take a 100 bucks for both.
.....just sayin'
that looks awesome, i enjoyed watching you bring it back from the dead as much as reading the commentary. some funny stuff in them posts.
Thanks…..Sometimes you just have to see the humorous side.
Brad (Bradzooooo) has given me some excellent tips along the way, one being how to make a jackshaft puller using a socket, a stack of washers, and a long bolt. I’ve been driving a desk way too long to come up with something this simple and effective. If it had been my design, it would have been over-engineered, needed a manual, and probably had a safety recall.
Brad’s solution on the other hand, works perfectly.
Neither pan on the original sleds was really worthy of this project. One was a busted up fiberglass version and the other had some mystery holes cut in the side panel – possibly for side pipes.
A fiberglass reproduction was always an option but I really wanted a stock plastic pan. There are a couple of versions of this pan. Some have hand holds in the front, some don’t. I’ve been told that Polaris settled on the Centurion version (without hand holds) as a replacement for all models. Fortunately I was able to get a really nice stock pan from a fellow up in Babbit, MN and I did notice on this pan has two other exhaust outlet drill center marks stamped, one of which is for the 500 Centurion.
It’s obvious that even back then they were looking for ways to build a lighter sled. Out of curiosity, I weighed the pan – 7 lbs. Now that is light. I almost hate to call them plastic because these things are unbelievably durable. Even after several decades this pan is still very flexible.
(I did paint the rivets later)
After the dash support, tank, wiring harness, and bumper are mounted, it’s starting to look like a sled again.
Wish you would have said something earlier Kelly I could have helped more with parts, I have a brand new long seat cover that I bought by mistake for my short seat that I think would've been the right one for that sled, since that one has the different tank. It sure does look nice
Well Brad, it’s kind of like the old stand-up joke about aging: The memory is the second thing to go, can’t remember the first. I completely forgot about the seat cover…until now. I definitely could have used it. Who knows though, the need might come up again.
Yes, I do have a few more shots of different aspects of the build. It’s funny though, a lot of the time you just don’t think about taking photos so you actually have to make time for it.
These are hot off the press:
The last detail: Added the pre-filters. Could be a lot of snow in the air this year.
The sled is definitely getting the rock star trailer treatment – no sharing the trailer with other sleds. Kind of a VIP thing I guess (or is it VIS).
Thought you guys would enjoy this link that I found over on Snogoer from December 1977 regarding Polaris and the I500.
Thanks for the link Gary! What an excellent (and timely) article. No question, the 340 is a great engine. The first nine places in the 77 Winnipeg-to-St. Paul 500? What a coincidence that a fresh 77 340 will be the hands of a new owner at the end of January.
Originally Posted by mspease
Where is the sled off to Kelly, John's? You can drop it here if you need a place to keep it!
Sorry Mark, the sled has been moved to an undisclosed location and is being protected 24/7 by two vicious guard dogs.
OK, as many of you may have read, the sled is at John’s and yes, Millie and Huck are the guard dogs but they can be vicious I tell you. Don’t make eye contact.
The sled is looking good. We are confident that it will live up to its reputation as a high performance vintage sled.
This is a good time for me to say thanks to all of you that have bought tickets or are planning to buy a ticket or two (and I will continue to say so). All of you supporting the project by spending your hard-earned dollars are making a difference. We would love it if you would post here when you've bought a ticket or two. Very cool to hear from people.
This is a little side-bar to the build.
I had a nice 76 tach but it has a different scale orientation than a 77 and it just didn’t look quite right with the 77 speedometer. Since I couldn’t find a matching 76 New Old Stock (NOS) speedometer the only choice was to refurbish a 77 tach that I acquired somewhere (no idea where or when). The problem was that the needle and center were faded and the bezel wasn’t in very good shape.
I picked up a couple of vials of fluorescent gauge paint (yes, you can actually buy this stuff). I bought red and orange and mixed them until I was pretty happy with the color match.
I knew all those arts and crafts courses I took in college would pay off someday. Not only did I learn brushing skills but also how to navigate a Michael’s store.
As far as the bezel, I (carefully) removed the bezel I had from an extra NOS speedometer. Once the bezel was installed on the 77 tach, it looked pretty close to new.
I must have been tired when i made the post last night. I used very poor wording when I said "supporting the project". I should have said "supporting the cause" (which is what I meant). It sort of gave the impression that some of the ticket money may be going to cover build expenses. I think most of you know that is not how it works. In fact, I doubt if Make-A-Wish would even allow it. Just wanted to make sure I haven't confused anyone.
I did mention NOS last night and I was lucky enough to find a bunch of NOS stuff for this sled. These are new parts that have never been on a sled and some of which are pretty rare. A lot of this stuff comes from old dealer inventories that have been bought out when they went out of business.
Here are a couple of good examples of hard to find stuff: A gas tank bracket and a pair of leaf springs (I had already sanded these). The seller had two sets of leaf springs and I can't believe i didn't buy both at the time. When I called him back he said he sold both sets within 20 min. of posting the ad. Just dumb luck that I happened to be on-line. Curiously, I was at work.
This is a good time for me to say thanks to all of you that have bought tickets or are planning to buy a ticket or two (and I will continue to say so). All of you spending your hard-earned dollars are making a difference. We would love it if you would post here when you've bought a ticket or two. Very cool to hear from people.
skiroule,
I am taking your advice above. I just purchased 20 tickets cuz I want that thing! With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'm very thankful for many things and I also love helping out such a great cause, especially in it's last year. I would like to challenge those that can, to purchase some tickets now, so we can blow last year's total away! Don't put it off, it's very easy to do and takes less than a minute with PayPal.
Setting the bar pretty high there Mark but I'm betting someone will call you on it, whether they admit it or not. Will pick up a ticket or two myself - maybe more. Believe me, it won't reduce anyone's chances of winning.
As long as I'm here, I'll post a couple of build shots.
The rear suspension ready to be assembled:
The track drivers were actually in pretty good shape but I pressed them off and reversed them anyway. It seems like 95% of the wear (or more) occurs on the front side of the drivers so reversing them adds quite a bit of life and it I think it helps reduce track wandering on the rails.
I love this photo. It is a shot of one of the starting waves in the 76 Winnipeg-to-St. Paul 500 and is from Brian Nelson’s photo collection. Ironically, Nelson won the 76 race on a 76 John Deere 340 Liquidator – the only year the Liquidator was produced. He must have really kicked the Polaris bee’s nest because, as Gary’s linked article stated, Polaris sleds took the first nine places the following year.
One place where saving weight didn’t seem to pay off was the steering linkage. This was a common problem with the stock steering linkage (I had a straight one so this one was just for show).
I’m sure it would have been easy for a typical machine shop to machine a heavier one but I had to take the budget conscious approach. I found a length of 6061 aluminum tube that was the perfect diameter to make a sleeve and drove it on. It is definitely stronger than the stock version.
Neenah, Wisconsin is about 40 miles south of Green Bay's Lambeau Field.
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"Nelson won the 76 race on a 76 John Deere 340 Liquidator" I could be wrong Kelly but it looks like a John Deere in this picture, third from the far end. Not saying it's Nelson's but the hood looks like a J.D. to me.
This picture reminds me of how many speedo covers we went through on our 1976 TX 250. When you pull started it, sometimes the handle would slip out of your hand it would fly back in and slap the speedo cover and crack it badly. We must have broken 3 or 4 of them!
I could see where that would happen with the T-handle, especially if one were wearing mittens. Of course, back in those days we probably a little less careful than we should have been. Just speaking from experience.
Sharp eye there Gary. It is Liquidator. It seems like John Deere pretty much went for broke in cross country racing that year and they were well represented at a lot of races. The photo below is from a Park Rapids, MN race.
I’ve read a number of articles on the Liquidator. It was one aggressive looking sled but not particularly well suited for the general public. It did not like to go slow and it was surprisingly heavy for the day. The specs list it at 500 lbs. But it was fast and tough and that was the key in cross country races.
I’ve seen one or two running around at Waconia the last couple of years. As you probably know, Nelson’s Liquidator is on display at the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, WI. Only 600 were ever built so they bring some serious money – one sold recently for 10 grand.
Thank you Mr. Dragon for buying a ticket right out of the gate! I’m impressed! Also, welcome to the party.
A number of people have asked about the value of the TX. I think it is just human nature to be curious. I can tell you that a 77 340 TXL was listed on the vintage sleds website this morning for $3900 and was described as being “in very nice shape”. It was sharp and the liquids may or may not command a slightly higher price than the free airs (depending on buyer preference) but given the condition, a fresh engine, and updated clutching I would say the Make-A-Wish sled is in the ballpark.
This is all the “running gear” ready to be installed. The NOS leaf springs were actually for a 79, which I wanted because the spindle saddles are thru-bolted. In 77 they had kind of a funky crimped on saddle mount which tended to crack over time due to the flexing of the leaf. The thru-bolting is much better.
Don’t think I’ve mentioned the track before. It’s a Dr. Mario performance track built by Don Soukup in Sturgeon Bay, WI. It’s very strong but also very light. I’m guessing here but I’d say at least a 30% reduction in weight compared to the stock track. I can’t believe how little rolling resistance this track has, which should equate to a little more speed and acceleration………if you’re into that sort of thing.
With the sled comfortably at home at the Mosquito, this is a perfect time to say thanks to:
You sled fans out there - for continuing to snap up tickets. Without you, the sled build would never achieve its real purpose.
Adam - for making the grueling run from IL this weekend to do the final tweaks on the motor. Watching a skilled mechanic work is really a treat (Notice I said “watching” and not “helping”).
John - for picking up our lodging tab this weekend. It was a very generous thing to do. Good move to not offer to pick up the beverage tab though.
Steve & Bonnie - for letting me stay at their Lac La Belle Lakeside Cabin free of charge when I brought the sled up in November.
Don, Donna, and the soon-to-be new Mosquito owners, Shelie and Andy - for once again serving as primary hosts for the sled. This is a big commitment on their part and by providing a location to show the sled, they are a huge factor in the success of the project.
As John mentioned, the sled is running great after Adam’s work on it this weekend. When John wasn’t looking I jumped on it and took it for a little joy ride. Paired with the Team clutch, I can’t believe how hard this 340 pulls, especially through the mid-range. This is a fun sled.
You probably won’t see these in the Journal. This is a man that is obviously enjoying his work:
I want to thank both you and Adam for all you have done for this project as you guys have done the real work on this, we just buy tickets. A special thanks to you Kelly, for the extra effort to post all of these updates and making this thread so much fun to follow! You, my friend, are a good man.
But seriously, thanks and be sure to stop in and check out the sled. In fact, anyone that gets up Mosquito way should swing in and take a look. Besides, where else can you get a genuine Mosquito burger?
I’m hoping the updates do tell the build story and show that, within the limits of our resources, we did our best to build a sled that would be worthy of the raffle and would appeal to people. Hopefully the updates might also provide some useful information for someone considering a sled restoration project, even if it is not this particular model.
Speaking of which…..
I’m not sure how this happens, maybe it’s a factor of time or just carelessness but these dashes often have starter rope groves. I found a product called Evercoat Multi-Fix that is awesome for repairing these things. It is a two part epoxy repair material that works on multiple “plastic-like” substrates and can be sanded/primed/painted when cured. This is a dash I had started to repair for the sled but didn’t want the third hole in the center panel so I repaired the original candidate, which actually had worse grooving but was correct for the sled.
I also found a satin finish clear lacquer sold by the Eastwood Co. called Diamond Finish that is excellent for knocking down the gloss when painting things that should have a finish somewhere between flat and high gloss. I use it for a lot of stuff now, dashes, tanks, pans, etc. When finished off, painted, and clear coated, the dash looks pretty close to factory new (notice that the sled still had the 76 tach at this time).
Both hoods on the restoration candidates were junk and the one donor hood I had wasn’t all that good either. Fortunately for me, I’m only a couple of hours away from Recreational Engineering , in Eden Valley MN, a company that I consider to be the best reproduction TX hood source in the country. The hoods come with the correct paint scheme for the year, all holes pre-drilled (in the right place), and all openings cut/routered.
I do glass in the hood latches because that’s the way they came from the factory and it avoids putting rivets in the hood, which gives the hood a much cleaner look.
As for the graphics, I think Intech Graphics up in British Columbia is the only way to go. They use high quality 3M material for their decals and the reproductions are dead-on. Their decals are also very forgiving to apply: Spray a little soapy water on the surface on which the decal is to be applied, remove the decal backing, spray the adhesive side of the decal, apply, position, and squeegee out the excess water/air bubbles - done.
Where it gets a little tricky is when the decal must cover a compound curve, which is the case with the 77 side decals. It can be done but it takes patience and concentration (I’m a little lacking on both). The trick is to heat that area of the decal slightly with a hair dryer, stretch, apply a little more soapy spray, heat again, stretch, and so on. This continues until all of the wrinkles are worked out and the decal fits the curve. In this photo you can see how much I’ve stretched the decal to get a correct fit (it was even with the hood edge when I started). Once it’s dry, the excess is just trimmed off.
It's one thing to use up the whole garage but now the dining room table? LOL You have a very understanding wife or are the divorce papers being drawn up?
Just finished cleaning up the 440 and doing a little maintenance so I was in the mood to add a segment.
While I would like to claim that I was trying for a “period look” in the video by introducing some imperfection in the quality, it was really just a thread that was stuck in my helmet vent. My apologies for the film quality but my filming budget was cut to the bone – no re-takes.
Man, Kelly, is there anything you can't do? Restore an old sled to perfection and work with new technology to produce a movie. I bet you can cook and clean to.
All kidding aside, the sled looks fantastic. Can't wait to see you trio next season.
Good one Jon, I do cook and clean but under cross examination I’ll deny it.
One thing I neglected to mention was that it’s probably been awhile since John has been on a short track (much less a cleated short track) and we gave him all of about 5 minutes to get the hang of riding one again and then it was game on. With Adam riding the Big Dog, he pretty much set the pace. My 340 is getting a little tired (original motor) and on more than one occasion I had er’ pinned to the bars and was losing ground.
To his credit, even though he professes to have “no special skills” it wasn’t long before John had the sled on rails. With these sleds it’s a subtle touch. He did well.
P.S. the trio that Jon is referring to is a 79 250 that I stumbled across. If I can bring it on home, I'll have the full 79 set (250/340/440). To tell the truth, I'm pretty excited about it.
Yeah, sorry about that pace thing Kelly. I was having so much fun I kinda forgot about the other 2 guys with me! Lol It's technically all your fault though. Your the one that gave me the keys!
I could see where that could happen. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about these sleds. I’m sure you noticed in the video that as soon as we gave John a chance to lead on the Make-A-Wish sled, he was gone in a heartbeat. If I hadn’t shortchanged him on gas, we’d have never caught him.
I need to say a BIG thank you to Lori from the Wildlife Refuge Cabins for making a billboard/sign to use for displaying the sled. This is a great addition and will help people that aren’t familiar with the Ride-In (hard to believe) know what it is about. Thanks Lori!!!!
Thought I would post a few shots of the seat refurb. I had done a couple of Don Soukup seat cover installs before so I was familiar with the process. These are vacuum/heat formed seat covers so they have no seams and are very easy to install. Plus, they are a perfect match for the original.
The problem with the original seat was that there was some pretty severe deterioration of the foam and some areas that needed patching. This was beyond my ability so I took the new wood and trunk, foam, and seat cover over to see Denny at Mark’s Upholstery on Concord St. in good ol’ South St. Paul. He not only did a full restoration of the foam and the patching but as long as it was there I just had him put the cover on as well. It came out beautiful.
I really wanted to salvage the trunk door shown in the previous photos because it was a TX door but it was pretty faded out. This was where another Bradzoo tip came in. He told me that I could bring back the color by using a heat gun and it really works. It’s almost like painting when you get the hang of it. This is what it looks like after the heat treatment. This is the same door and it is not painted.
Once I finished painting the lettering with a paint pen (very cool little device), it was ready to install it. People often make fun of us engineers but sometimes we bring it on ourselves. This was my first attempt at installing it. Even I had to laugh myself on this one. A real genius at work warning.
Man, Kelly, is there anything you can't do? Restore an old sled to perfection and work with new technology to produce a movie. I bet you can cook and clean to.
All kidding aside, the sled looks fantastic. Can't wait to see you trio next season.
I can vouch for his cooking! He's kind of like a boy scout in that he is always prepared for nearly every situation.
There are actually several good cooks in our core riding group. We are never lacking for excellent food and there is nothing like a great meal after a day of riding.
Hope everyone is having an enjoyable Christmas!
I was rummaging through the remaining photos for something to post tonight and decided that these were right for the occasion. These were taken the night I fired up the sled for the first time and I can tell you it was a good feeling to see and smell vintage engine smoke. I have to confess, I inhaled.
You obviously picked up on my somewhat sarcastic "Slick Willy" comment. One thing about ol' Bill, he was never boring.
37 years of grime on a motor plate.
A little scrubbing and polishing and it's ready for the motor.
This is only loosely related but I thought it was a cool photo. This was taken just south of Lac La Belle in early December on a moonlight ride I took the night before we did the final tuning on the raffle sled. Perfect night: cool, completely still, and a full moon. Not a sound to be heard. A pretty special night.
Menbers:
I have an extra trail sticker, up for grabs. I don't want anything for it ( can mail it to a member ) all I ask that some one that might want it could make a small $25 donation to the JD Make a wish sled II or anything ( worthy of a donation ) connected w/ this forum as a small thanks.
PM me if interested, I will leave it up for 1st dibb's to the JD community.
Make-A-Wish Sled II
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-Mezz
Originally Posted by olsmann
I'm enjoying following the pics from your build. We are quite a ways behind your progress, but it'll get there!
