340/s hoods and pans

[I500]

The re-popped fiberglass hoods and pans just don't seem to fit very good. They didn't fit good back in 1975 so I am not pointing fingers here. That's just how it is. Lee Fredrickson doesn't want to sell them but will assist in getting them done for me to sell. Not crazy about selling either but I can keep them going. Talking with Lee he had told me the glass guy lives close to where I am.

Now I just got done fitting the pan and hood together tonight using the small bumper and fitment is tough and a bit crude. What I can do is basically bring my setup and show this guy what needs to be done for proper fitment. New molds? Is it worth it? Will more orders be placed if we started over and got this right after 40 years or would I just be wasting my time. I do plan on building a couple more but wont be building 340/s sleds forever. Anybody want to place an order if we start fresh or will the current hoods and pans be good enough. Thoughts?

[Sprailfire340]

Not exactly a hot topic...I could use a set, but honestly my projects are years off given all the other stuff I've been dealing with. Let's revisit it at Princeton, preferably over cold beer(s).

[WinnipegStPaul9]

Drink one for me pals!
DA

[400brian]

There is no doubt that the ABS hoods fit a lot better. The ABS pans looked a lot sexier as well.

The big question is if there is a market for these.

[HoosierDeereMan]

Chuck,

I applaud your efforts. Almost all of the 340/S sleds I've seen have the metal pan and the Cyclone style front bumper. In order to use the fiberglass pans you would have to find a original thin bumper and brackets. If someone were to offer a thin bumper kit (bumper, brackets & hardware) to complement the fiberglass pans, I feel there would be a lot more interest in your glass pans. I would think some of the guys would convert their sleds to glass because as Brian mentioned they are much better looking. If I'm not mistaking a few years ago the Make A Wish 340/S team took a stock Cyclone bumper and modified it into a thin bumper. It looked great.

Troy

[400brian]

Troy makes a good point, I hadn't thought it out that far.

We were working on this several years ago. If I am remembering correctly, I found a source of square tubing that could be used to reproduce the original 340/S bumper. I believe Grumpy obtained some of this, and was looking for a shop that could bend it.

I don't know if anything became of that. Kenny would have to weigh in here.

[400brian]

Exchanged texts with Kenny this afternoon. He says he never found any tubing he liked.

I have never seen an original design off the sled, so I'm not sure exactly what is needed. Wade has an NOS bumper that could perhaps be used as a pattern if he was willing.

Just throwing some ideas out there.

[400brian]

OK, it has been longer ago than I thought! I can't find any of the original e-mail that went back and forth on this. Troy sent me a print of the bumper this am, from that it is obvious that we were talking about having the repro'ed bumper milled out of bar stock. That would leave the issue of finding a way to get them bent.

The"make a wish" sled used a Cyclone bumper after modifying the glass pan Lee now makes, so I guess the bumper is not a deal breaker.

A run of glass hoods based on the ABS design would be a great upgrade, I would be interested. The AB S hood I have on the sled creaks and snaps every time I handle it.

That leaves the pan. Chuck, I guess you need to show us what the issues are. Almost all the 340/S' I've seen have the metal pan, and I am not aware of anyone swapping one out just for the look.

[lwb140]

I have narrow bumper hood brackets repopped , screws are available from Deere

[I500]

Thanks for the input everyone. Kind of looks like the interest in 340/s sleds is at an all time low. With interest dying I just don't see that it is worth having new molds done for the 340/s sleds. Sure, there may be a few sold each year as Guys get to their projects <or maybe not>. Either way sounds like a losing proposition. Will just have to make due with what we got. With Lee getting out of the fiberglass business that will eventually leave Guys without anything to complete their sleds. I guess it was bound to happen. I see interest in other sleds also falling.

Thanks

[cledussnow77]

I need a hood for mine, how do I go about getting one here in Ohio?