resto-mod

[BadSeed]

i have been thinking of doing a resto-mod restoration on a 81 spitfire if anyone knows of other engines(maybe a 440)that will fit id appreciate it thanks

[kenwaters]

How far from stock are willing to go? There were 440 cc free air Kawasakis that went into Arctic Cats in the early seventies. Be mindfull of the reason John Deere only put a 28 hp 340 cc motor without a tuned exhaust in that machine. The 7 tooth drive sprocket is only about 4.5 inches in diameter and the track is very thin to wrap around that small diameter. Couple that with the track's age (26 years) and the fact that the track is barely obtainable used, I would suggest finding a different Deere to hot rod.

Now, if your willing to spend some money and some time, you could do the Polaris Cutlass track swap, and go with the optional 8 tooth Sprintfire sprockets if you can find them. After you widen out the suspension to accept the Polaris track, and you correct the driveshaft sprockets (to the correct centerline for the track drive lugs) your machine will be ready to accept a bigger motor. Find a T-1 Kawi free air motor from an El tigre or a Panther. Once you get the motor bolted in, realize that the only clutch that won't hit the spindle is the Duster clutch that the Spitfire came with. I don't know if you can tune the Duster to take advantage of any more HP/torque gains from the 440 cc. The other problem, is the addition of a tuned exhaust. There simply is not enough bulkhead room to do much more than what John Deere did. But, some scrounging at a local sled junkyard may reveal something that can be cut and rewelded into some form of usefullness.

Personally, I would find another Deere to have fun with, the Spitfire is plenty of fun just as it is.

Kenny Waters (boy)

[BadSeed]

thanks for the info