What was your first sled? - Page 3 - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

metrodoggreg · 02-19-2008, 01:44 PM

my first sled was a '72 panther 440 thext season got a '71 puma with 399 jlo

chriscraft · 02-19-2008, 03:13 PM

Mine was a 1969 Fox Trac Special with a 292 JLO in it.Man was it ugly but it could take a beating and still run. What I would give to have it back.

dawgo · 02-20-2008, 10:38 PM

I think its an 1988, Yamaha VK 540, just got it last weekend, my first ride ever....wow what a blast!

metrodoggreg · 02-21-2008, 12:49 PM

Your hooked now look out

Greg

dawgo · 02-22-2008, 11:26 PM

Yep, I am praying for snow now, I used to gripe about it a LOT!!!!!

dawgo · 02-22-2008, 11:28 PM

I just piced up another Yamaha 440 exciter, I think its a bit older than the VK 540 but its fun too! It has a skinnier track though and is not as stable, but is more manuverable

dawgo · 02-22-2008, 11:30 PM

I was just in Ely Nevada and saw two old old sleds on an old loading dock , one was an evinrude and the other was a johnson, not sure of the years but very old.

**RJ Gleason** · 02-23-2008, 02:46 AM

Both built by OMC and most parts interchangeable.

derrickleejr17 · 02-23-2008, 04:06 AM

My first sled was an old 80ish John Deere Spitfire. A guy my dad knew brought it over to have work done and never paid the bill so my dad kept it for 3 years until the guy finally paid up. After that I got to ride an 87 cougar or the old 76 pantera 5000. That old pantera would blow the doors off anything. It was the cadillac of snowmobiles when it was made.

tjpitch5 · 02-27-2008, 06:30 PM

i'm 22 yrs old now and my grandpa had a 1973 panther and 1973 puma that he kept when he sold his arctic cat dealership in 1973. those were my first sleds when i first drove them at age 5 and i still drive them to this day... of course i have a newer sled too to ride around... i want the 73's to last forever!!

SS338 · 02-27-2008, 09:57 PM

Our first sled was a homemade machine my Dad built. 8hp B+S auger engine,wooden ski's and wooden chassis.It actually worked quite well.Then in the fall of '66 he became a SNO JET dealer and we were riding the standard 15hp models,or the deluxe 17.5hp models.No wonder he quit selling them,said he couldn't make any money. All we did was ride them all.Those were great times.

dawgo · 02-27-2008, 11:31 PM

Thats cool!!!

P Bradley · 02-28-2008, 02:16 PM

Evinrude Skeeter and a Sears Sportster. Evinrude was built like a tank and weighed as much too. The Sears was a 2 cylinder - some sort of Polaris, I think.

79stingman · 02-28-2008, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curtludwig

I'd like to have a freeair Jag but it seems like most of them have been beaten absolutely to death. I guess they got relegated to be kids sleds and trashed... I know where theres a nice fan cooled one but the guy doesn't want to sell...

Here is a MINT 79 Jag F/A on ebay in case you are still looking for one.

eBay Motors: 1980 ARCTIC CAT JAG (item 330215094540 end time Mar-03-08 17:40:27 PST)

metrodoggreg · 02-28-2008, 06:43 PM

well if you need some parts for free air let me know I have a motor with 1700 miles that runs great

brandcole73 · 02-29-2008, 09:04 AM

75 Kawasaki Sno Jet 340. Funny story about it. My dad brought the cowl home about 2 weeks befor Christmas with a crack in it. He said his friend bought it and if we fixed it, I could use it while the friend was in Florida. We patched it up and painted it, looked good too!. At Christmas morning, I wondered why I did not get any presents??? Finaly Dad told me the rest of my sled was down the road at my brother's house under a tarp! For its time, early to mid 80's, it was an awsome sled. wish I still had it. This is about what it looked like.

Stroketech · 09-15-2008, 10:49 PM

My first sled was a 1979 Yamaha Exciter 440. Then I went to a 1992 Indy 500 SP then on to my 700 XC SP. I have just recently reaquired the 1979 Ex and am in the process of restoring it.

JheLrey · 09-16-2008, 11:52 AM

1985 AC Panther 440... Got it for $20.00, sold it for $250.00

greaseski · 09-27-2008, 09:10 PM

Well the first machine i had i bought off a old trapper for $100 it was a eye sore A 250.cc /12hp Skidoo Elan which was the first snowmobile motor i started working on OVER HAULED THE MOTOR except the crank seals ,, YOu learn you know fast...Or you get huge shoulder and arm muscles from pullin the lil pig over and over

.. overhauled alright ..But if memory serves me correctly that lil Elan was a total blast in the deep drifts all you had to do was lean it was like surfing on the snow..Those little elans really stay on top of deep snow..Anyways
Ever since i cant stay out of the grease,,,

Next i found a 1970s tnt 640 with a chewed up track finally found one for it with kleets that machine moved good,,,IT Would take out newer sleds EAT THEM i restored her completely sold it to a doctor in my town for 4000 bought it for 150..KICKIN MY SELF IN THE BUTT FER THAT ONE>>
my over all favorite sled in the vintages would have to be a old blizzard i came across in junk yard she had balls liquid cooled 9500 i think.... It was missing the head ..

Anyways out of all the machines i owed whcih would be around a hundred or so
i really liked my everest L/c 777 that was A RELIABLE MACHINE.. nowaDAYS I LOOK AT THE prices of new machines and i laugh ,,I could buy seriously a thousand old junkers for the price of one.. Some of them would run some not but fixing them improving them making them scream again is what im in it for not speed

GReat site here..

GREASY

Ultrafrozen · 09-27-2008, 10:21 PM

1983 Ski-doo Citation SS, dual carbs, all black, and would lift the skis out of the hole. Dad had a '65 9hp Skidoo that I was too young to drive but when he traded up to a '68 Skidoo Olympique, I drove the crap out of it.