Early Liquifire Identification

[Cdnturboz]

Found a good deal on a first generation liquifire - brought it home tonight, missing a few small items but fairly complete. Thinking of doing an indepth restoration one day.

Build date is showing 09/76 - does that mean this is 1977 then?

I’m sure I’ll slowly have to start finding parts - what differences are there between the 76s and 77s?

78 is more straightforward/ easier to tell the differences from what I’ve read.

[Cdnturboz]

[400brian]

Looks like you have a 77.

Some quick facts:

The 76 Liquifire was rated as 56 hp, 6076 were built. They came with the problematic Gates "bonded on" cleated track.
A quick way to tell the difference between 76 and 77 is that in 77 the sides of the pan are smooth.

For 77, while the appearance was little changed, Deere had taken around 25 lbs out of the sled through the use of aluminum over steel parts.
The engine internals had been tweaked a bit to better use the regular grade fuel of the time, and it was rated at 58 hp.
4560 units were produced.
77 was the year Deere finally decided to address the track issue, and introduced the 2/3 cleated track which was far superior.

The 78 Liquifre had the all black paint scheme, and Deere did away with the under the seat coolers, and went to a radiator along with a bulkhead heat exchanger. Also the suspension was considerably lighter.

[Cdnturboz]

Great thanks so it sounds like the majority of the 76 parts would fit then (in case I come across one for parts)