Need advise about buying a old sled ?

[jiggyjoe]

I have been seeing alot of old sleds on the market now
since theres not much snow ,,

Been thinking about buying another vintage sled..

What are some things i should look for or look out for
when buying a vintage sled?

I just want to know when to turn and run away from a deal or lay down the cash FAST!!

thanks jiggy

[olyman]

Depends on a few things - do you want a rider? or a Trailer queen? Just a rider doesn't require much $, and you can get away with a lot more on not being original etc.

#1 - how rare is the sled? Rare sleds are pretty sweet.... but hard to get parts for. A parts sled is ALWAYS good to get... but not always easy or feasible

#2 - does it have a steel gas tank? If it does then there's a real good chance there's rust inside, and that is a P.I.T.A. to get it out. Plastic tanks are better in that department, but also a P.I.T.A. if they are cracked. All that being said a jerry can + modified lid for the gas line can do wonders in that department

#3 - track condition? Aside from how rare it is, does it have life left in it? Weather checked and threads hanging out is fine, but broken bars and rips wont let it go around or last long. Tracks often shrink and/or

#4 - drive line - if the sled doesn't run, can you turn the track? will the secondary clutch pulley turn? How badly rusted is it? Most of the time you can clean stuff up and make it live again with some steel wool / wd-40 and elbow grease... but sometimes there's no rescuing some stuff. What kind of shape are the drive sprockets? Are they even there lol?

#5 - engine - does it still make compression? Does it still have spark? If it has those, just add gas. Of course the old carbs are sometimes a little challenging! But thats just part of the fun.

THIS IS ONLY my 2c!
Good luck regardless.

[icebooger]

very good advise

and ya like OLy said above

finding a common easy sled to get parts for is key...

A common sled is the way to go its not gonna break the bank...AND LOTS OF CHEAP CHEAP PARTS!

really the best sleds are free because they can be used for parts

[johnny]

when i buy a sled it has to nearly run
nothing worse than buying a sled then having to wrench on it for months by the time your done the snow is melted and gone and you have to wait another summer to use it

john