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Believe me Gary, most of that happens at some point. Maybe not the cat print part but I’ve had my battles with flies landing in wet paint. It’s not always easy for me but I do try to plan ahead sometimes. Take the case of fuel pump location. In 76, Deere mounted the fuel pump on the motor...

Thanks Guys! I always feel like I’ve made some progress when I’ve put on the first full coat of primer. It’s mostly to fill sand scratches and expose any work I’ve forgotten. A lot of it gets sanded off and re-primed but it’s at least all one color. The paint guy recommends that the stock...

One curiosity of the Cyclones is that many of them came out of the factory with no dedicated means of lifting the back of sled. Whether it was the intent or not, people resorted to using the rear passenger grab handles to lift the sled. These sleds are heavy and most of the plastic handles...

Well Gary, since I was born and raised in Minnesota, it’s possible that I stayed here because I didn’t know any better. I’m thinking there are some people on here that have had an experience similar to mine: Grew up in a small town, moved to a big city for several decades, then retired and...

While the 76 chassis was decent, it still required some hammering/filling. I also filled in the passenger grab handle holes in the tunnel. Somehow the handles just don’t seem to look right on this sled. Some guys can hammer sheet metal to near-perfection. I’m not one of them. This is where...

I decided to switch horses (sort of) on the John Deere. The 440 chassis was rough but had I no other options I would have tried to work with it. As luck would have it, I had a decent 76 340 chassis off the parts sled that I bought last year that had much less damage. While the damage on the 76...

For some time, I’ve been thinking that the shop is missing something. I’m a bit of a slow learner so it took awhile but Gary’s post finally lit the lamp. It needs a Hamm’s banner. I’ll be working on it. I agree with your preference. I can’t even be an influencer at home, much less out in the...

It’s August. The dog days of summer are here, the Outlaw Grass Drags are coming up fast, and Hay Days is only a few weeks away, so it only seems appropriate to fire off an initial project post. The first step in the master plan was the Cyclone teardown. Having done a couple speeds the process...

I’m planning on that being a part of posts on this thread, at least to the extent that it adds some value. I used to claim that all one needed for one of these projects was an impact wrench and a can of WD-40. Obviously, there’s more to it than that but they are essential. I think I’ve talked...

Gary, it’s unlikely I will ever get to attend this event in person but your reports really give me a sense of what it would be like. Thanks again for posting this series of updates. It’s something I look forward to every year.

Settle into a comfortable chair guys, it’s likely to be a long run, with an as yet to be written ending. I hope it’s OK but I plan to get down into the details a little more on this project with a lot of photos. There may be someone out there that is contemplating their first vintage sled...

There were two basic configurations. The SS models had the wedge seat while the non-SS Firebirds and the Thunderbirds had seats like the one in the photo. The Thunderbird also had an under-seat storage compartment. As was the case with many sleds of the day, I think it held about 24 cans.

Rider position does feel low but I suppose that if I was the age I was when the sled was new, I’d think nothing of it. Speaking of low seats, last winter I mounted the seat and windshield I took off the 76 Cyclone on the 77. It’s funny how just a couple of things can change the look of a sled...

Mezz, when you say “improve the seat” I’m assuming you mean in function. If so, you’ll get no argument from me there. When I put that nice, thick Liqudator style seat on the Cyclone last year it was like sitting on a completely different sled. The same could be said for the Mutt, for which I...

Gary, I think I'm gonna need a bigger refrigerator. I think I got lucky to find this one at a fair price. 95% of the work will be cosmetic, which is the fun stuff for me. I will tear it down some, as the hood and pan both need some repair but I see no need to pull the motor. I’m also hoping to...

I really only have a couple of vintage sleds left in the current inventory that I have tagged as projects I’d like to get done. As I was weighing which one might be the next project, it hit me: “Why not try to do a build-off challenge with both this season?” This is a bold goal on my part...

Nice! It's going to be an awesome time!

This is a really excellent point. I never think of the vintage sledding side of the sport as living in the past but rather, as reminding us of the memories we have of our early sledding years and equally important, preserving the history of a unique period of time that really was the foundation...

You guys sure know how to poke the bear….but in a good way. I had to make a trip to the house tonight and your questions/comments motivated me to go out to the shop and assess the situation. I looked at what might be possible and what might not, potential parts issues, and possible dead ends. A...

You might need a new jacket but if you still have the red helmet, I think you’re covered there. I do seem to recall though, that you had to retire it eventually.