Muskin cat collectibility

FunWithStuff

Well-Known Member
#21
Does anybody 3D print these little Cat chain guides? I used my last two recently. I’m sure a lot of people could use some of these. View attachment 282629
There's been remakes of those chain guides. They come up on here and eBay occasionally. I don't know who is doing it though or if they are still making them. That would be awesome if someone could make a large production of them to help with restoring these Cats!
 

DaddyJohn

Well-Known Member
#22
I had a Cat 400x that was too far gone to restore (no seat, no shocks, bent and bugger-welded bars, rotten tires, roached engine, etc.), so I sold the stars, fender, stand, and flywheel off it and made enough money to build it out with $ left over. The engine is an HSSK50 from a Lawnboy snowblower, Carlisle turf-saver tires off the same blower, the shocks are a bit too beefy ATV take-offs, I got an original Kelsey Hayes caliper off eBay for $20, Coleman CT200U seat, fabricated a steel seat frame, welded my own chain tensioner, key switch panel, and brake cable mount to the chassis, plus I had to dissect the bars, bend, and welded them back together. It came out as a really nice rider none-the-less!
 

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desert rat

Well-Known Member
#24
I had a Cat 400x that was too far gone to restore (no seat, no shocks, bent and bugger-welded bars, rotten tires, roached engine, etc.), so I sold the stars, fender, stand, and flywheel off it and made enough money to build it out with $ left over. The engine is an HSSK50 from a Lawnboy snowblower, Carlisle turf-saver tires off the same blower, the shocks are a bit too beefy ATV take-offs, I got an original Kelsey Hayes caliper off eBay for $20, Coleman CT200U seat, fabricated a steel seat frame, welded my own chain tensioner, key switch panel, and brake cable mount to the chassis, plus I had to dissect the bars, bend, and welded them back together. It came out as a really nice rider none-the-less!
That one turned out very nice fast too. I did the opposite all I had was a clutch cover to start with.
 

red baron

Active Member
#26
I had a Cat 400x that was too far gone to restore (no seat, no shocks, bent and bugger-welded bars, rotten tires, roached engine, etc.), so I sold the stars, fender, stand, and flywheel off it and made enough money to build it out with $ left over. The engine is an HSSK50 from a Lawnboy snowblower, Carlisle turf-saver tires off the same blower, the shocks are a bit too beefy ATV take-offs, I got an original Kelsey Hayes caliper off eBay for $20, Coleman CT200U seat, fabricated a steel seat frame, welded my own chain tensioner, key switch panel, and brake cable mount to the chassis, plus I had to dissect the bars, bend, and welded them back together. It came out as a really nice rider none-the-less!
That's a great bike! Anything to keep them out of the scrape heap is what I say
 
#28
I had a Cat 400x that was too far gone to restore (no seat, no shocks, bent and bugger-welded bars, rotten tires, roached engine, etc.), so I sold the stars, fender, stand, and flywheel off it and made enough money to build it out with $ left over. The engine is an HSSK50 from a Lawnboy snowblower, Carlisle turf-saver tires off the same blower, the shocks are a bit too beefy ATV take-offs, I got an original Kelsey Hayes caliper off eBay for $20, Coleman CT200U seat, fabricated a steel seat frame, welded my own chain tensioner, key switch panel, and brake cable mount to the chassis, plus I had to dissect the bars, bend, and welded them back together. It came out as a really nice rider none-the-less!
good work. Ain’t it fun to improvise and modify stuff? But a lot of stuff on Cats is kinda generic. The tubing is 7/8 x.125 DOM. forks and frame sections are easy to make. Engine plates are 3/16 and can be made if you have a good strong vice and some 7/8 bar for forming on. Bars are easy to make with the right bender or jig. The one I have is just a little tighter radius, but works good enough. Seat frames are just 1” angle. I was making my own fiberglass clutch guards for a while, and it’s easy if you have a good original to mold with. BMI carts had (or still might have) NOS wheel sections for next to nothing, no need to get shilaylayed off of e pay for the right wheels. You can even make yer own wheel stars if you have a decent one to hammer flat, trace and cut out, and make the proper bends. I thought about having a die made to stamp them out of polished aluminum, but never did, due to I was moving and sold most of my stuff. I made my own the hard way. The real one is on the right: 38D3CC8B-BFF9-4E48-A310-C68E018D485F.jpeg

There’s nothin like original or a good restoration, but sometimes it’s just out of reach. It’s all about havin fun!
 

FunWithStuff

Well-Known Member
#34
I believe the blue one was a 4001. Drum Brake.. The 400X had a disc brake.. May just be speculating... Great looking bikes
The R4001 also had a mounting tab on the frame for mounting the clutch cover but it looks like it might have either broke off or was removed.
 

SGDB

New Member
#35
The R4001 also had a mounting tab on the frame for mounting the clutch cover but it looks like it might have either broke off or was removed.
Have any CAT parts ?? Fenders, Clutch covers (short and long) Upper Bars.. We have a perfect 300 Upper set. Need the angled like the 350 / 400 type
 
#37
good work. Ain’t it fun to improvise and modify stuff? But a lot of stuff on Cats is kinda generic. The tubing is 7/8 x.125 DOM. forks and frame sections are easy to make. Engine plates are 3/16 and can be made if you have a good strong vice and some 7/8 bar for forming on. Bars are easy to make with the right bender or jig. The one I have is just a little tighter radius, but works good enough. Seat frames are just 1” angle. I was making my own fiberglass clutch guards for a while, and it’s easy if you have a good original to mold with. BMI carts had (or still might have) NOS wheel sections for next to nothing, no need to get shilaylayed off of e pay for the right wheels. You can even make yer own wheel stars if you have a decent one to hammer flat, trace and cut out, and make the proper bends. I thought about having a die made to stamp them out of polished aluminum, but never did, due to I was moving and sold most of my stuff. I made my own the hard way. The real one is on the right: View attachment 282694

There’s nothin like original or a good restoration, but sometimes it’s just out of reach. It’s all about havin fun!
Do you have a 400x Handel bar jig?
 
#38
Do you have a 400x Handel bar jig?
Great Job on the Center Stars... By the Looks of the Tire sizes, Going on a Slingshot, Eliminator, Dominator... Since that post I have found a few more Cats and have a bunch of sets of Bars. Doing 4 Cats at once gets a little hectic.. Gotta send everything out for Chrome and color.. Clutch Guards are all I need. Probably gonna do the Fiberglass repop until I find the originals.. Happy Holidays
 
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