Teaser photos

[AirborneX4Special]

Cracked open the 1979 literature brochure and there's no provision for a "John Deere" logo on the console in the one picture where a Trailfire has a gauge unit. It looks exactly like the console on this Sneak Preview machine and the rest in the brochure have the lower profile no gauges unit.

[WinnipegStPaul9]

Pat, I have one of the "replacement" consoles from about 79 when John Deere began to offer guages and get rid of the short console. It does not have either the "John Deere" decal or the indentation for one. Guessing that came along a few months later. I should also say that this console is not for sale.

DA

[AirborneX4Special]

1983 Parts book indicates the only replacement would be to the 1980 style in the typical "sub up" parts guy lingo if you needed one, which tells me you have a rarity there. Is it made out of the same hard plastic as the 1980 version that usually cracked at the corners where the rubber bumpers attached?
By the way that p/n M68165 that looks handwritten is not listed in the parts book. AM54922 was supposed to be the console for s/n -120000 and subs to AM54200 which was used on s/n 120001 - 155000 and had those plastic caps over unoccupied gauge locations that were used from then on in production.

I apologize for wandering off into the weeds on this thrilling plastic console topic....

[sledhead16]

That dash is cool

[robtan88]

Pat, I have one of the "replacement" consoles from about 79 when John Deere began to offer guages and get rid of the short console. It does not have either the "John Deere" decal or the indentation for one. Guessing that came along a few months later. I should also say that this console is not for sale.

DA

Don. I remember very well many years ago when I had my 1979 Trailfire back in the day, my gauged dash cracked and broke. My older brother back then was an apprentice mechanic at the local Deere dealer. I had him order me in a new dash for my Trailfire and it was the EXACT same dash panel you are showing here in your pictures. The little aluminum tag "John Deere" emblem then was a separate order that you peeled and stuck on this dash panel. I remember just re-using my emblem with some silicone to glue it back on. I had to cut out the Speedo and tach to install my gauges...Rob.

[AirborneX4Special]

Apparently they were made from the same fragile material as the 1980 production. How were they mounted? 80 Liquifires had that clamp arrangement, sort of like a broom storage mount on a garage wall only it slipped over the radiator mounting bracket. I had a 79 Trailfire 340 with a short dash but don't recall how that was fastened.

[robtan88]

Mine had the same metal bracket as shown riveted on Don,s plastic dash panel, except mine was held on with screws that used a flat blade screw driver. The pivot points where it mounted to the metal bar on the sled were just a couple of scews using ny-lock nuts that the dash could swing on to open. Had to be careful not to over tighten these screws, or you where buying that dash panel all over again as it would crack again when cold. They where a problem child these dash panels...lol. I still have 1 of those short dash panels in minty shape that doesn,t take the gauges...Rob.

[AirborneX4Special]

Mine had the same metal bracket as shown riveted on Don,s plastic dash panel, except mine was held on with screws that used a flat blade screw driver. The pivot points where it mounted to the metal bar on the sled were just a couple of scews using ny-lock nuts that the dash could swing on to open. Had to be careful not to over tighten these screws, or you where buying that dash panel all over again as it would crack again when cold. They where a problem child these dash panels...lol. I still have 1 of those short dash panels in minty shape that doesn,t take the gauges...Rob.

Yep that does sound familiar....apparently it was so annoying I blocked it from memory!

[ziebellski]

Thanks for the kind words everybody!
To those that asked about the history of the photos, I agree that they are official Deere photos.
Sure would like to learn more history from the fellas that worked on them back in the day! Last year I got to meet Stan Hayes, but this IFS machine was not on my mind while we were talking.
I've got some factory pix of Spitfires with alternate color/stripe combinations. I'll have to dig them up. Not as exciting as the IFS machines...lol

Todd

[sledhead16]

Still would be cool to see them