Need help with classic era Arctic Cat sleds

[Skidoojunky]

Trying to help a friend determine value of a couple of classic Cats, one is a 1994 T-cat and the other is a 96 Wildcat. Both sleds look to be in fair to good physical condition but mechanical condition is unknown. Both sleds are original and unmolested. Thanks in advance, Junkman.

[Vintagesleds.com]

[teamgreen2]

What ever two fools agree on price.     94 thunder cat  worth more then the wild cat 700.   
  Thing with Thunder Cats or  ZRT 800 they had a counter balance shaft in them.  The zrt 600 did not but the 800,900, and 1000 cc  triples did.   What happens is the water pump will leak into the bearings and into counter balance housing.  Which is part of the  crank case.   When it does that the bearings go to hell.   They all do it after a fair amount of time.    If you do it before it happens its just a seal replacement and the water pump/oil pump shaft.   If not your putting bearings in there and it can get fairly costly.
   Buying a used thunder cat with unknown mechanical condition.  If I was betting man. With the luck I have.  Mostly bad luck.  I would say you need to change the water pump seal and counter balance need attention.   To do so  you have to split the crank case.  If you worked on Arctic Cat sleds.  Not really a big deal.   It  is not a 5 minute fix.    Is it a difficult job? Not really  but it takes pulling the engine and taking everything apart.   Its a lot easier to pull the engine on a thunder cat then it is to put a  3 rack carb set up in a mach z. .

    The Wild Cat 700 not really worth a heck of a lot.  Maybe $800 top dollar.  That year they were in the zr chassis  they had just throw away shocks  and softer springs for a plusher ride then a zr.    Really the wild cat was that time frame 700 ZL.   The family trail sled.     94 and 95 zr 700 would be more sought after then a 96 700 wild cat.   The 700 is a great engine.  Cat built it for years  had most the bugs worked out of it.   Really just a over bored 650 wild cat.   Pretty bullet proof sled.    Fun sled they are a stump puller.   

[Skidoojunky]

Thanks team green, what is the approximate value of the Tcat and is there anyway to visually see if the water pump seals are toast? I don’t want one to ride, just to stare at......

[teamgreen2]

Here is the black book on one.     

 Year:   1994
Make:   Arctic Cat
Model:   Thundercat
Model Type:   Snowmobile
Displacement:   900
Cylinders:   3
Finance Advance:   $1,440
MSRP:   $8,699
Avg Retail:   $1,895
Auction Wholesale   $1,060
Clean Trade:   $1,050
Fair Trade:   $950
     $1,440 - Finance Advance
     $8,699 - MSRP Value
     $1,895 - Avg. Retail
     $1,060 - Auction Wholesalse
     $1,050 - Clean Trade
     $950 - Fair Trade

[teamgreen2]

No the water pump leaks inside the case into the balancer.   From what I hear.  No way to inspect the balancer  unless you tear it a part.   I have never done one.  I just know from posts on other sites.   The counter balancer on the big triple cats get anti freeze in it from the water pump.    If you don't address it right away the leaking its big money and lots of damage.    See the zrt 600 was  a totally different engine than the bigger bore Triples.
   I do know the 800/900 only difference is the bore.    1000 Thunder cat  different stroke and bore.    I know there is a lot of built up Zrt/Tcat engines in sleds out there.  Hooper engines  seems to be the most common one you see for sale.    I would love to own one myself.  I look at them time to time for sale.
   The one everyone is after seems to be the first year if you are a collector and the 98 1000 had the most hp out of the stock pipes is another popular seems to be sought after.  But the newer Thunder Cats chassis was so much better.   It was a wash far as performance out the pipes vs power to the ground.    The last of the Thunder Cats seem to hold value.   The ZR 3 chassis  with the thunder cat engine. Would be my choice for a rider.     
   The 93 decals are the hardest to reproduce.   They have a metallic foil in silver.    Makes it hard to make  reproduction decals.   I know a guy that had some made.  Took them 5 years to figure it out how and match the color.      A Lot of 93 had the originals decals taken off because people hated the pink.                   

[Skidoojunky]

Thanks, I got the 94 T-Cat bought for $700. Its clearly not stock but I have no way of knowing what has been done to it. It’s well above average. Is there anywhere to pick up NOS parts? Windshields, hood foam...etc?

[chris r]

Looks good from here. Hope it works out under the hood. 

[teamgreen2]

You got a steal if you got it for that much.     I see it has the aluminum centered Idler wheels.   Usually they where replaced.   The sleds went so fast the glue wouldn't keep the rubber on the aluminum.    It would blow the rubber right off.
 
 Lots of parts out there.   Ebay, Cat Country, Alpha Sports, and RV sports center. 

[Skidoojunky]

Thanks guys

[teamgreen2]

wwwhiperf.com has arctic cat OEM parts.     Most dealers still carry lots of old cat parts yet.    Cat wasn't like Polaris and anything 7 years older they threw away.    Moto Proz  in Mazeppa MN carries a lot of old stock yet for arctic cat.   I gotten stuff for mid 90's stuff yet.   Thinking he wouldn't have it in stock Mike does.     It use to be Kelly's sales and service.   They where the 2nd Arctic Cat dealer. 

[Skidoojunky]

Awesome thanks! If I wanted to put a low windshield on it was Thayer an OEM option or all aftermarket? I’m sorry but this thing is as ugly as sin!

[teamgreen2]

Cut the windshield   Tin snips or very sharp scissors.     Another thing you can do is  paint the back side of the windshield black.    I have cut and blacked out many arctic cat windshields over the years.     Use Krylon  paint and scuff the back side.     The front will have the shine.   Sno stuff has windshields and I have bought windshields on ebay.   

[teamgreen2]

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/1KEAAOSwndBcbSRg/s-l1600.jpg

[teamgreen2]

Sno-Stuff 13 in. Smoke Windshield w/Black Gradient Graphics - 450-164-03

This for the windshield with the black around the bottom its not totally blacked out.     standard wind shield is 15 1/2  this is a short windshield at 13 inches. 

[Skidoojunky]

Thanks man.