Found a Hustler

[Vandy]

Background: My friend and I were doing some Hurricane damage reconstruction in TX and we saw a 6 wheeler sitting out in the middle of a cow pasture. Upon further inspection we saw that it had been sitting there for some while and later found out it had been there for 6+ years from the owner, My friend and I half jokingly asked the owner what he was planning on doing with it and he told us if we could get it off his land that day it was ours free of charge. Well you better believe we found a trailer and had it loaded up within 2 hours.

So now I have a Hustler in my possession. It needs some work, A LOT of work, and I'm not sure where to start. So far we've removed the top cover, the engine, and are working on removing the tranny. As soon as I can post some pics you'll see where I'm having trouble removing the tranny because the previous owner jerry-built a tranny mount which has been giving me some troubles. Basically anything that's metal has some amount of rust, EXCEPT for the tranny. It looks to be in relatively good shape.

So now I am here looking around the site for some tips, info, help, whatever I can get because this thing looks like it would be a blast to drive around.

PS. Could anyone point me to a site where I can load multiple photos?

[brushcutter]

Vandy,
You can load up to 5 pics with your posts by clicking on the manage attachments paperclip.
What engine does your Hustler have?If you could give us more info on the tranny mount we could probably help.What kind of trouble are you having-rusted or stripped bolts-the more info we have the more advice we can give.

[Mike]

Welcome to the site. For pictures click on the gallery. You can upload as many photos as you like there.

[Vandy]

It appears that my Camera decided to take a crap on me and I've lost all my pics so I'll be uploading them tomorrow. As for the engine it had a Onan Performer 18, I'm guessing that isn't stock. I was able to removed the tranny after taking a sawzall with a metal blade and cutting the top of the make-shift mount the previous owner had put on (DON'T worry, I'm 100% the mount I cut off wasn't stock as I could see some very very very bad welding joints).

At this moment I've removed the engine, tranny, floorplates, top cover, both main drive chains, the seats (what was left of them), and the lights.

The lug nuts holding the tires onto the axle are EXTREMELY rusted so I've been kind of hesitant to applying to much pressure and breaking one of the studs. So I've just been soaking them in WD-40 and tapping them in hops of finally breaking up the rust.

Once I can get everything out of the body I plan on sand blasting everything metal, touching up every joint that looks bad and coating the inside/outside with a spray on bedliner (good/bad?).

At that point I'll be getting more into the specifics of what size/brand motor I should shoot for.

Could anyone give me a rough estimate it would cost to restore one of these machines? I don't need the best of the best, but I also would like some reliability. I'm running on a pretty tight budget as I just graduated and still looking for a job.

Thanks for the replies so far, and pics incoming tomorrow!

[Mike]

Your probably better off not using a spray on bedliner on any part of the Hustler. As for cost, you will definitely need all new bearings but the final cost really depends on what else you need. Are axles bent, can you even get the axles out or are they rusted on the sprockets, do you need a new motor, does the trans work properly, etc. Once you get it torn all the way apart then you will see where you costs will come in. If you aren't missing any parts then you are off to a good start.

Someone can probably give you a guess once you get the pictures up. Good luck with your restoration!

[boncrshr]

Hey Vandy,

Ditto on the bedliner....as long as you are storing it inside and properly maintaining your chains etc, your frame WILL NOT RUST. Trust me, I am in the salt marsh every weekend and have no rust inside the tub.

Here is the order I would go in for a budget rebuild.
1) Blast/clean the frame and make sure it is structurally sound.
2) Inspect axles and sprockets, replace all bearings and chain. Buffalo Bearing would be my first choice for bearings.
3) Re-seal T-20. The kit is about 40 bucks from Recreatives, this will also give you a chance to look inside the T-20. There is an EXCELLENT rebuild article on this site.
4) As far as motor, 20HP would be minimum in my book. Motors can be had in many different ways...if you are looking to buy a new one. Tulsa Engine Warehouse is hard to beat. No tax and free shipping. I bought my Honda 20HP there for about 1100.

Keep us posted on your rebuild!

[superherojohn]

I to have been working on a max II project since Dec 2nd and I took my first test ride this weekend. It went like a champ!
I started with a good: tub, bearings, axles, (Transmission?) & body parts. In short the whole engine from the gas cap to the exhaust was missing/shot. I've kept track of the cost because my deal with the wife is that for every dime I spend I have to sell a toy to pay the family budget back.

Hull $400
used 18hp Vanguard $300
new 4 stroke C-Clutch $250
New drive Belt $55
6 new Dirt devil tires $319
mounting tires $72
throttle cable+fittings $52
and another $300 in nickle and dime stuff:
pipe fittings for exhaust $20, epoxy to reline the gas tank $34, Gas cap $9, Fuel lines, oil + tune up for the vanguard $35, tranny fluid $4, new battery $31, battery cables $7, bulge pump $17, switches $5, Choke cable $8, $50 for some machine shop work $22 for title & registration.

Most of this stuff was bought mail order and includes freigth. I may have been able to save a few dollars buying used parts but once I start a project I want it to move forward not sit half done for a year and become forgotten.

There was an 18hp engine listed for sale a week or two ago with a C-clutch for $350 I don't know if it sold but I would jump on it if I were you.

[argohunter]

You covered a lot of stuff. Curious if you put in the recommended GM differential additive into the T-20 when you put the new fluid in?

[superherojohn]

I'm sure that I missed a few things on the transmission chains & axles. I'm going to start a thread over in Transmissions with a few questions.

As for Vandy best of luck with the Hustler, just remeber fun ain't cheap but it's worth it.

[fasteddiesllc]

Vandy, understand your plight...going through the same thing myself. Found another hustler 950 for parts, turned out to be in better shape than the one I was rebuilding. Got a lot of info right here. BONCRSHR was a BIG HELP. Trust him he has been there. As for the rebuild..you're headed in the right direction. If WD 40 doesn't do it..look for silicroil or PB Blaster at your local auto parts store. Axles were all bent, building my own using 1.250 cold steel.....keep us all posted..