My JD Dator/ oval clone

[lwb140]

looks awesome if shipping wouldnt eat me alive id love to have those motors as cores looks like one of those has spitfire skiis posibly as they look narrower to me than originals super nice key switch looks like the hoods are nice too i here are a couple pics of my clone pretty well done accept for the seat and the dator radiator mounted in place

[liquidatorkid]

went trough yesterday and cleaned up the garage and used the drill and some screws to try to keep parts organized, im sure eventually ill have the whole wall covered with jd parts haha, and the 440 daul carb set up bolts right it, just need to clean and polish everything and im gonan go through and rebuild the carbs,i also found an alm. engine mountign plate off from the l/f i might be able to use on my cyclone ot help save some weight, as well as an alum. lower steering post bracket






and i got another spare chassis to build into somethign someday lol the collection is growing lol

[liquidatorkid]

tossign around some new idea's for a running board lube tank


and an oval foot rest as well

[liquidatorkid]

got some more work done hanging parts up in the garge, still have more parts to hang tomarrow after work,

[liquidatorkid]

cut out the hole in the cyclone hood for the dator scoop, and had to trim the dater scoop to sit flush against the underside of the hood, look quite a bit of trimming and getting it to fit just right but i am planning on laying some more fiberglass on the underside of the hood this week if it warms up again its gonna take work but i think it will be worth in when its done ,as far as the rest of the chassis and parts, are all pretty much ready for paint, I'm gonna use the radiator and heat exchanger off a 78 liquifire, and an alum rear skid outta a 78 liquifire if i can find one for the dater clone

[S_Kyle]

That looks like it will be a sweet hood when it is done. Lots of sanding left though.

[liquidatorkid]

picked up a radiator off an 82 liquifire and I'm working on getting the heat exchanger out to see if it will work for my dator clone as well, im gonna fab some brackets for the radiator to make it work but it should be pretty slick when its done



i also picked up a heat exchanger outta a 82 liquifire today as well as a chaincase that has the roller bearing style chain adjuster i was told they are a good up date to the 76-77 chassis, i also started fiberglassing the scoop into the hood this evening

[liquidatorkid]

made the plastic insert for the dator seat yesterday using my friends liquidator seat insert as a template to make mine, i don't think it turned out too bad looking, i am gonna fill in the square holes and the strip that's cut out between the 2 square hols, I'm wondering if a soldering gun would get hot enough to met the pastic so patch up the hols, if i used it on both sides, this week i am planning on sending out the cyclone seat foam to have it altered to the dator seat foam, and to have the plastic piece put in as well as the cover, i cant wait to see the finished product

[S_Kyle]

Can you measure the seat front? ? I might make one myself for a future project.

Thanks
Scott

[liquidatorkid]

i can get you the measuremts when i get a chance no problem

working out a deal on a 78 340 lf that in over all good shape for a parts sled i figured i can use the whole engine set up9fresh rebuild of course0, with the radiator, coolinglines etc.. as well as it ha the light weight alum rear skid, good usable track, i plan on using the whole steering system, drive train, having a seat made by johns ulhpostery, maybe sending out a pair of dator pipes a friend said i could barrow and have another pair made for it, as well as going through the whole sled painting, and polishing all the alum parts, id like to get the tunnel, pan and hood painted here soon before winter hits

[liquidatorkid]

planning on getting back on this build this spring, / summer after i finish the chaparral, seeing all the nice looking sleds, and custom sleds at the white out, has really motivated me to get back on this build, and get it all done, i am planning on having it don to show at the white out next year, its gonna take some time and $ but i am planning on using what parts i have left over from my 76 340 liquifire, the tunnel, and pan, would be a good starting point because they are in good shape, and already have the heat exchanger set up, so i could tie the radiator into that , and it would be less work, having to pound the dents outta the chassis, we finally have been getting some snow here in NY today and its been nasty outside so i stayed around the house and sketch up, another idea that i have came u with for the liquidator clone, in all reality, to build a sled that is nice enough to take to a show, its gonna take quite a bit of time, money, patience, and attention to detail, but i would like to make the liquidator oval clone the nicest sled in my collection, and i am planning on buying nos parts when the time comes, like speedo cable, speedo, drive elbow, spindles, etc.... as well as a northstar skis.

i just have a question, Ive been thinking about, it would prolly be too costly, for what its worth, but if i could find an old titanium cleated track, like a Kalamazoo, etc... would it be possibly to pull the cleats off from that track, and put it on a 76 or 77 liquifire track, but as a full bar track, i know that the 76 "flex cleat" track, I'm not really fond of because i would like something that would hold up a little better, and save some more weight, bit it seems like it wouldn't be impossible to do, as long as i have a set of bands that are in good shape to start with, and replaced the cleats one at a time, to keep everything aligned properly

[lwb140]

you just sold all your good parts ?? , shannon , i always like you , i love your enthusiasm , i admire your abilities , i wish youd lone me some of your energy , sell me your buddys dator ,but not sure i see your focus , never understand your plan ,hope you get your clone to materialize like you want just sayin ', your good buddy in indiana... wade

[liquidatorkid]

Still alive and kicking, new job has been keeping me busy, so i havnt had a chance to mess with the sleds in a couple of months, but i did decide to pull the dator clone outta storage this weekend and get back on it, my goal is to have it into a rolling chassis by fall and done for the whiteout

[liquidatorkid]

spent sunday afternoon dissembling the chassis, cleaning parts, then re assembled it, to start mocking up the sled, did manage to get a rolling chassis put together besides the two rear cross shaft bolts, i will have to make 2 new holes further back in the tunnel, i am planning on using an 82 lf rear suspension, so far everything seems to be lining up. I also picked up a parts lf that has a good running 340 but i am planning on going trough the whole motor and giving it a fresh rebuild including crank seals, paint/ polishing, also picked up a KH caliper off a TX and got that installed, and a master cylinder off a newer Polaris that i am planning on making a bent lever that will contour of the handle bars once i get the steering post welded together and raise them up a little bit to clear the hood

[liquidatorkid]

i got the steering post done as well as got the bars mounted on it today, i ended up getting a sleeve machined at work to fit the wildcat bar clamp to the LF steering post