My crusty $75 Tri Sport 340

125ccCrazy

Well-Known Member
#1
picked this up over the weekend, guy orig wanted $250 but that was not even an option for me, after looking it over and nearly going back home I asked what he would have to have today for it, it thought about and said $75, he has been cutting grass around it all summer...supposedly his Dad bought it new but unfortunately it was neglected and sat outside for better than 20 years and the engine filled with water :doah:, a JLO 440 came with the trike, the engine has good compression and did fart a few times so I may be able to use it... After 3 hours, several cuts and burns later I had it stripped to the frame... now I'm soaking the axle assembly with pb blaster trying to get it all apart. PICT0011.JPG PICT0012.JPG PICT0014.JPG PICT0025.JPG PICT0018.JPG PICT0028.JPG PICT0031.JPG PICT0012.JPG PICT0013.JPG
 

125ccCrazy

Well-Known Member
#2
The body was fairly cracked up so I started chipping away the gelcoat around the cracks and breaks and ended up stripping all the gelcoat off down to the raw fiberglass...the gelcoat came off like an eggshell on a hard boiled egg.. There are many voids in the glass work that I'll have to fill and lay more mat over before I can spray some fresh gelcoat over the whole body... right now the plan is orange metal flake reminiscent of the 70's dune buggies PICT0034.JPG PICT0035.JPG PICT0036.JPG PICT0037.JPG and jet boats..
 
#3
Nice. Try to keep track of the cost of everything. I am guessing about $1500 to finish it. But that is just a guess. I am curious what different people spend to get them going. And this seems to be the most common condition of what people are finding..
 

125ccCrazy

Well-Known Member
#6
Nice. Try to keep track of the cost of everything. I am guessing about $1500 to finish it. But that is just a guess. I am curious what different people spend to get them going. And this seems to be the most common condition of what people are finding..
yeah unfortunately these were not taken care of just like the old minibikes.. I'll be looking for as many deal on parts as I can.. a lot of it will be changed or customized since it's too far gone to do a correct restoration..

can't beat that for 75 bucks
pretty sure the body is plastic (not gelcoat) with glass underneath,ours was.
I believe you are correct..I just took a piece of the body and held it over a flame and it started to melt, certainly not gelcoat... hmm interesting... well when it's done it will be gelcoated like it should have been originally..
Nice score Randi.
Thanks Tom, you know your the one that started all this with that CL post on the other one :laugh:
 

wjustice

Well-Known Member
#7
The bodies were vacu-molded abs plastic with fibreglass backing. The abs didn't hold up well to long term sun exposure. It shrinks and cracks. Chip off anything that is loose and cover it with paint or whatever to protect it.
 
#8
Mine is a work in progress. I will have easily $1500 in mine when I finish it. I paid $325 for mine. I've purchased Willwood brakes, a restored and polished Kohler 340 engine, NOS clutch, and new kill switch. Taking the body and front fender to a friend of mine that does body work, ordering new upholstery, intake adapter for my Mikuni carb, new tires all around, brake line and brake/master cylinder, decals, new belt and chain. Yeah, I'll prolly be over $1500 when I'm done.
 
#10
As for this machine being a Phase III the main frame should have two main rails from the back bumper all the way to the neck. I went to dual shocks on my race machine but didn't use the Showa shocks I went to some gas adjustable ones. And the phase III did not come as a street legal with all the lights. Sure a shame that this machine was left out in the open for so many years.
Steve
 

125ccCrazy

Well-Known Member
#11
The bodies were vacu-molded abs plastic with fibreglass backing. The abs didn't hold up well to long term sun exposure. It shrinks and cracks. Chip off anything that is loose and cover it with paint or whatever to protect it.
this was too late for saving the plastic so it's all coming off and getting gel coated after all the body work is complete, it should last another 40 years...
With the double rear shocks is yours a Phase III racer?
I'm not sure what each model was, I thought these were ad ons...

As for this machine being a Phase III the main frame should have two main rails from the back bumper all the way to the neck. I went to dual shocks on my race machine but didn't use the Showa shocks I went to some gas adjustable ones. And the phase III did not come as a street legal with all the lights. Sure a shame that this machine was left out in the open for so many years.
Steve
your right, real shame it wasn't at least stored in a garage or under a tarp but I'll bring it back to life with some custom touches...
 
#12
That's a great find. Price was right as so many of these come up for sale in similar condition and people are absolutely nuts on their asking prices.
I would've bought it in a heartbeat,(but I also have ALL the parts to put it back)
if ya need a body let me know
 
#13
125ccCrazy, I'm thinking about saving mine for the build off. I've gathered some of my parts but haven't started anything. We could go head to head in the vintage division.
 
#14
Nice score. Especially for $75.00! Unfortunately, I over paid for mine.

I'm subscribed and will be following along.

Good luck and have fun. :thumbsup:

Shawn
 

wjustice

Well-Known Member
#15
With the double rear shocks is yours a Phase III racer?
Believe it or not, even the phase 111 didnt come stock with dual shocks. It had a rollbar, expansion chambers and dual carbs (k340 2as instead of the 2ax). Lots more power, i believe they listed it 50+hp.
 
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125ccCrazy

Well-Known Member
#17
125ccCrazy, I'm thinking about saving mine for the build off. I've gathered some of my parts but haven't started anything. We could go head to head in the vintage division.
That sounds cool but unfortunately I don't get much done in the winter out in the garage, takes too long to heat up and by then I lost my enthusiasm.. The build offs should start at the end of winter through summer to give us in the snow belt better weather to work on something, folks out west and down south have an advantage over us....
 
#18
Sounds good to me. I'm spending all my free time deer hunting this time of year. Plus my 10 year old son turned to golf cart over and broke his femur. It's been 10 weeks and the bills have started rolling in. Mama's not going to be letting me freely spend on one of my projects.[emoji15]
 
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