Sledtillded
Active VIP Member
I just finished partially restoring my Dads old Cat and thought I would share the story behind it.
My parents built a Cabin on Jack Fish lake in the 50’s and it being on an island needed snowmobiles to get there In the winter. My Dad bought a new 69 Rupp 300 GTE and an Elouette 300. They were reliable but nothing special. In 1970 my Dads best friend bought a 70 Arctic Cat Panther. Many years later when I got older he still had that sled and I can still remember the AWSOME sound it made and that shiny Black hood with the super cool Leopard seat. I knew I had to have one some day. That day came in the early 80’s. Dad bought a used one and we restored it together, I have been into sledding ever since......
It had a 340 JLO SINGLE and would constantly vapor lock so it never got used thus was in amazing shape. Fast forward to COVID lock downs and I decided to dig it out one more time. But I wanted to ride it so found a 1980 John Deere sport fire with a 440 Kawasaki And did an engine swap. It is the same engine used in later Cats so it bolted straight in using the wiring harness and throttle block from The JD but came with CDI IGNITION and a Mikuni carb.
Long story short it is mechanically rebuilt and runs AWSOME with that Classic Cat sound !!
I have Attached some original pics from back in the day and the latest pics of it on the snow a couple weeks ago and a video at the very bottom
What was the sled that got u into this crazy sport and why ?
https://youtu.be/1FYo1QwAZpY
JD
My parents built a Cabin on Jack Fish lake in the 50’s and it being on an island needed snowmobiles to get there In the winter. My Dad bought a new 69 Rupp 300 GTE and an Elouette 300. They were reliable but nothing special. In 1970 my Dads best friend bought a 70 Arctic Cat Panther. Many years later when I got older he still had that sled and I can still remember the AWSOME sound it made and that shiny Black hood with the super cool Leopard seat. I knew I had to have one some day. That day came in the early 80’s. Dad bought a used one and we restored it together, I have been into sledding ever since......
It had a 340 JLO SINGLE and would constantly vapor lock so it never got used thus was in amazing shape. Fast forward to COVID lock downs and I decided to dig it out one more time. But I wanted to ride it so found a 1980 John Deere sport fire with a 440 Kawasaki And did an engine swap. It is the same engine used in later Cats so it bolted straight in using the wiring harness and throttle block from The JD but came with CDI IGNITION and a Mikuni carb.
Long story short it is mechanically rebuilt and runs AWSOME with that Classic Cat sound !!
I have Attached some original pics from back in the day and the latest pics of it on the snow a couple weeks ago and a video at the very bottom
What was the sled that got u into this crazy sport and why ?
https://youtu.be/1FYo1QwAZpY
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