1978 440X Polaris RXL "Rocky The Flying Squirrel" UPDATED!

[Sloopy]

So here's the suspension; nearly done.



Note the shafts that bolt to the sled are gone - will have to make some new ones. The old ones would not come out with a press, heat, lubricant, chants, prayers, blood, chicken sacrifice, wishing, hammers, smoke, mirrors.... so Jim Haug took torch to them and melted them out! That was pretty cool. Left a big puddle of aluminium ooze all over the floor!

[Vintagesleds.com]

[wkasten]

lookin nice larry thanks 

[ghenry]

Man Larry that stuff looks better than new.  I'll have to "polish" up my riding gear so I look as good on it as the rest of it .............................................................. you know, when you let me oval it for you?

[Sloopy]

You bet gHenry... c'mon over firstand we'll match the footloop and seat to you... 

Got a lot done on it over the weekend... But also ran into some issues. First off - I think I have the wrong tach. Pictures taken in the first part of the year show the Kroeber tachs. In the later part of the year, they show these round ones - pictures below is Hulings' regular 440 (note the holes in the rear of the tunnel). Thanks to RXL Dale in Beausejour for the rare photo! I have no idea what that tach is and look at the mounting... Anyone ever seen such a thing? The second photo is from Bunke's machine in thee Hall of Fame in St. Germain Wi.





The hood has been painted, I just need to pick it up, and I still need a stator plate. Other then that, Here's the progress:

[AHood]

is that an arctic cat rear skid?  it sure looks similar to 75+ Z and snopro suspensions

[Sloopy]

is that an arctic cat rear skid?  it sure looks similar to 75+ Z and snopro suspensions

No - if you put the two side by side, they are really close (in fact interchangeable) but they are not exactly the same.

[drifter]

wow Larry that will be a beautiful sled

[Docjim]

Larry your such a poser

[Mopar21277]

Wow, awesome job Larry!!

Notes on RXL Dale's picture of Thorsen's sled:
1 - Is that Mr. Eastman to the right, with the Blue Ballaclava on??
2 - Note Thorsen's "rotated handlebars", they are rotated clockwise about 20-30 degrees.  Of note on that, I believe that Mr. Pardee's '77 Sno Pro 3 banger in NY has the bars set up the same way.  Did all of the guys do that, or just Thorsen??

[wkasten]

lmao

[Sloopy]

1 - Is that Mr. Eastman to the right, with the Blue Ballaclava on??
2 - Note Thorsen's "rotated handlebars", they are rotated clockwise about 20-30 degrees.  Of note on that, I believe that Mr. Pardee's '77 Sno Pro 3 banger in NY has the bars set up the same way.  Did all of the guys do that, or just Thorsen??

1. No - I don't think so but who knows? Hard to tell from that photo.
2. Note: That's actually Brad Hulings regular 440 sled (not the 440X I am restoring) that Thorsen is leaning against. Thorsen and Hulings' handlebars were all bent like that, Bunke's where straighter. On the 77's and 78's that I've compares, Thorsen and Hulings steering was pretty close to the same. I'm pretty sure about that being Hulings regular 440, because it is the only sled I've seen in any picture that has those holes in the back of the tunnel.

[Mopar21277]

Is that Hulings standing all the way to the left in the photo or possibly a mechanic??  The uniform looks different, like a different material from Thorsen's??  But that guy does have that half curly/half shaggy look like Hulings in the previous photos, but again, isn't Hulings a pretty short dude??

[Sloopy]

Nope, I don't think so. They guy on his knees is either a Hedlund or Maybe Larry Rugland. the other guy I cannot identify. Thorsen has on leathers, the other two have the nylon suits on.

[wkasten]

it looks like larry rugland to me 

[wkasten]

but didnt larry go to ski-poo in 75 ? did he come back to polaris ?