Zollinger Tube Chassis Restoration
- Thread starter gp800
- Start date
Here it is completely finished Travis Zollinger’s 800 tube chassis originally built by Glenn Floyd of Chromalloy plus. I must say I am very happy with the results of this restoration. For using nothing but the old photos you’ve seen posted I think it came out very close to original which is what I wanted.
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I’m sure many have questions about the black sled seen in the background through out the build. That sled is what started this adventure it belongs to my father in law, Tony Zollinger. I found it for him after a few months of searching shortly before proposing to his daughter. Being a fan of his growing up you could only Imagine how cool it was for me the day he and I went out to tune in this newly restored beast with the help of cousin Nate Zollinger on his restored 910 Williamson chassis.
If you’ll remember way back to the start I was hoping to locate a sled with the help of those who read this thread. This is it. Another one of Travis’ tube chassis, in fact it is his first one he had built. It was sold after the Mt. Rose hillclimb in Reno Nevada without the hood or motor. I would love to find it and restore it back to original as well if you have any information about it or know someone who may please send me a pm.
If you have taken the time to read this entire thread I thank you Immensely, but rest assured the story doesn’t end here. The second chassis I mentioned coming back from Alaska is well under way to becoming a complete sled once again. I’m thinking of starting another thread of its own as it was in far worse shape and far more challenging
of a build than the blue one but for now I’ll show you a quick before and after to this point as well as some more photos from the archives. And again if you have any information on the missing sled in my prior post or you just feel like talking about old tube chassis or sharing photos, feel free to send me a PM.
of a build than the blue one but for now I’ll show you a quick before and after to this point as well as some more photos from the archives. And again if you have any information on the missing sled in my prior post or you just feel like talking about old tube chassis or sharing photos, feel free to send me a PM.Awesome, thanks for sharing the stories and the build!
love the story and the pictures! Thank you for sharing. Hillclimb racing is very cool but in my humble opinion it was far more fun to watch when the specially built sleds came out... completely custom in the old days... As you know, now sleds off the showroom fare better for hillclimbing... but racing lost something from the old days. BTW congrats on marrying into the Z family... very nice folks!
I really like your thread...thanks for sharing! I too recently acquired a famous tube chassis sled that I will restore over the next few years. I hope to document the process as well as you have.
To be honest, I wish more people took an interest in reviving old sleds that are unique and have a rich history. This happens for almost everything else...dirt bikes, street bikes, hot rods, planes, homes, etc. But for some reason, sleds are just sent off to pasture and are lost to time. That sled is a racing legend that inspired characteristics we see in sleds today. BTW, you did a fabulous restoration! I bet it is nicer today then it was new.
To be honest, I wish more people took an interest in reviving old sleds that are unique and have a rich history. This happens for almost everything else...dirt bikes, street bikes, hot rods, planes, homes, etc. But for some reason, sleds are just sent off to pasture and are lost to time. That sled is a racing legend that inspired characteristics we see in sleds today. BTW, you did a fabulous restoration! I bet it is nicer today then it was new.
Thank you! I’m interested in hearing about your project What do you have? Toss up a few pictures if you get the chance.
Great thread and great job! I'm starting to get a taste for old sleds and can totally see myself restoring them when I get older like some people do with cars or trucks.
I do not want to hijack your thread with my future restoration. You have done a great job here. The focus should be on your work.
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Since you requested in the PM. Here are the pictures from my phone. It is Powerhouse Customs Propex build #1; PHC's very first propex, and the one in all of Laird's videos. The original build of this sled is well documented in a prior post within this section. In short, the sled is beat! Especially for only being 9 years old. But, it will be restored better than new when I am done with it.
The sled was originally sold to someone in Washington who beat on the sled and traded it in poor condition for a turbo viper a guy had in blackfoot idaho. I tried to buy it from him 3 years ago in similar condition, no luck. Some one from Evanston wyoming bought it from him then, and he sold it to me this summer.
He told me that he went through the motor and everything looked good. I was told the sled runs hard on 12 psi too. These statements about condition are laughable. The intake tract has a film with dirt in it, so the motor, while it runs, likely has been dusted. The wastegate is not connected to the actuator, so there is no way the sled can make boost. And, the coupler between the turbo and intercooler tube does not even span the impressively crooked gap between the two points, making it impossible for it to hold pressure. If you look close, the left front ski is pushed back and the spindle angle is off from that on the right, indicating a bent frame. Much more is wrong, but I leave that for a future thread.
In the end, I am excited to take on this project and give this sled much needed r&r. To do so, I need a donor apex turbo. So, if anyone knows of such a sled in idaho, Utah, Wyoming, or Montana, please send me a PM so responses don't highjack this thread.
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I think you like your father in law more than your wife likes her father! Ha
Good job
Get us some video, I miss the sound of my ol 809s snort
Only thing I don't like is that finger track!
Good job
Get us some video, I miss the sound of my ol 809s snort
Only thing I don't like is that finger track!
I’ll see what I can whip up for videos and how to post them from mobile. Haha as far as the Father in law goes he’s given me much more than an old sled it was the least I could do for him. The finger track was meant to be period correct but man does it hook well in the hard stuff. Which is where this will mostly be ridden.
C
Clarke673
Somewhere between too dumb to quit and flat earth
Guage ? I remember going from a 96 sls to a 2001 or 2 600 141 skidoo in that blue. Probably one of the first times my pants got tight was lookjng at that famous tison pic! officially useing this as a blue print to build a restomod 96 xlt 600 rmk. My late mother bought the sled from a local. Not sure I could best ya in some sort of vintage class hill climb race but it would be fun to try ?
Some questions. Whats the dry weight? Care to post some front suspension geometry measurements? I went into a great amount of effort to build a 98 srx mountain with 17.5" shocks and a narrowed ski stance with a tall ride hight. Still needs some work but the sleds a pull and go buggy. Unfortunately a friend managed to roll it down an icy road in front of his house one night getting back from a ride so the whole steering system and overstructure needs replaced.
Awesome work ??
Some questions. Whats the dry weight? Care to post some front suspension geometry measurements? I went into a great amount of effort to build a 98 srx mountain with 17.5" shocks and a narrowed ski stance with a tall ride hight. Still needs some work but the sleds a pull and go buggy. Unfortunately a friend managed to roll it down an icy road in front of his house one night getting back from a ride so the whole steering system and overstructure needs replaced.
Awesome work ??
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