My fifty dollar 6x6

[Nubs]

Hey, new here and to these machines. this was sitting in a garage at a cabin in northern Wisconsin since 1981, the roof started to fall in so it was drug out and offered to me. no engine and pretty rusty, tires bad, bla bla, anyways i started to strip it down and found that the frame is bent. right center axle mount is bent about a 1/2" and leans pretty good, it bent the center frame down as ya can see by the jackshafts. startin to think its not worth it










from the front

[LarryW]

Pull the frame out. Bend it back. Reinforce it. Throw it together and ride!
It is well worth it. May take some elbow grease to make it right but for $50 you still got a steal!

[Mike]

It's easy to turn a $50 project into a $2500 machine. At first glance it may seem like you only need a handful of parts but add wheels, tires, axles, bearings, flanges, chain, etc. not to mention any engine/transmission work and the price can add up quickly. If you are into restoring older machines and have fun doing that, then go for it. Just know that at the end of the day you will have a lot of money in the machine and can probably buy something cheaper that is newer and better built.

It really comes down to what you want to do. There are a lot of members that enjoy the nostalgic side of the hobby and would have fun restoring the Argo but if you are looking to do any kind of serious trail riding, I would sell the machine and pick up something else.

[Nubs]

well i do like restoring old machines and have done frame repair work, i have not looked into the trans yet so thats a unknown but i have plenty of engines and clutches to re power with. I'm guessing that i would have 1K into parts and my labor is free, well kinda i think i would be lookin' to sell it or trade for something else. if done right, would it be worth 2K at the end of the day?

Thanks for the replies

[twinlakemike]

I am about to do the something to my Argo. I bent the frame at the Ashtabula trail ride; I am a little throdel happy. I am with Mike and think you can get some bigger money from a collector and buy something that has newer parts. Check with Buggyman and see if he is going to sell one of his machines, he is excellent at rebuilding machines. Good luck from Mike

[Twizted1]

If you don't wanna mess with it I'll give you a chance to double your money. Lol. Nice find.

[ARGOJIM]

If you don't wanna mess with it I'll give you a chance to double your money. Lol. Nice find.

You beat me to it, I had the same in mind.

[Nubs]

Well i'm thinkin' i'll see if the axles pound out and can get the frame on some stands and see what i got.

[amphibious drew]

I think, if you watch your pennies, purchase good used parts from members, and take your time finding the parts you need, you could put this together rather cheaply. It's fast and easy to get out the plastic and call an Argo dealer and order everything you would need, but it will cost 3-4 times more. Shop around for bearings and chain. I have found amazing deals on partial and even full boxes of good chain on eBay, and the guys at Buffalo Bearing always seem to give me a good deal on bearings. I personally enjoy the challenge of a budget build, and am more impressed the less you spend. I built my Colt Concoction from garbage, and did it for less than $1000 total. I made my own axles, bartered and bargained for parts, and sought out the best deals possible to do so. Check it out in my gallery. It will give you hope for your project.

[Nubs]

I think, if you watch your pennies, purchase good used parts from members, and take your time finding the parts you need, you could put this together rather cheaply. It's fast and easy to get out the plastic and call an Argo dealer and order everything you would need, but it will cost 3-4 times more. Shop around for bearings and chain. I have found amazing deals on partial and even full boxes of good chain on eBay, and the guys at Buffalo Bearing always seem to give me a good deal on bearings. I personally enjoy the challenge of a budget build, and am more impressed the less you spend. I built my Colt Concoction from garbage, and did it for less than $1000 total. I made my own axles, bartered and bargained for parts, and sought out the best deals possible to do so. Check it out in my gallery. It will give you hope for your project.

Yep, I too get a kick outta seein' what i can reuse/rebuild for little or no money.

[Nubs]

Well i got er' stripped out in 2hrs this morning so that ain't bad i guess. still have to deal with the bearings etc, the frame looks plenty fixable, somebodys pasted handy work just ain't doin' it. i do agree that some added bracing would be worth the time, all the drive sprockets look good expect one on the brake rotor. i would think a fella should be able to cut them off and re weld new ones on

[Mike]

Nubs, I was re-reading this thread tonight and I think I was overly pessimistic with my original post. I didn't mean to sound so negative. We see it a lot here on the site where new members buy an old cheap machine and get frustrated because of how much time and money they end up having to put into it. You obviously enjoy projects like this and are capable of doing your own work so I'm sure you will get out fairly cheap and have a fun toy at the end of the day. Keep posting photos as you go so we can enjoy your build.

[wheeler]

Nice pics nub. Go for it and have some fun. In some ways you got something that you can be real proud of when your done. In fact I wish that ya lived next door to me because you sound like you got a lot of ambition and are good with making do with what you have. Keep us posted with pics.

[Nubs]

Nubs, I was re-reading this thread tonight and I think I was overly pessimistic with my original post. I didn't mean to sound so negative. We see it a lot here on the site where new members buy an old cheap machine and get frustrated because of how much time and money they end up having to put into it. You obviously enjoy projects like this and are capable of doing your own work so I'm sure you will get out fairly cheap and have a fun toy at the end of the day. Keep posting photos as you go so we can enjoy your build.

Its all good on my end, i'm deep into golf carts and its the same deal. a guy buys an old 2 cycle cart and thinks he'll just throw in some fresh gas and seat covers and he's good to go
I've learned a ton over the yrs from just lookin' at pictures so i'm always lookin' to pass it on, You fellas have a great thing goin' here and i'm happy to be part of it.

[spookum]

Hi buddy! It is REALLY worth the time to add in a frame rail extension there for the front while it is apart. Adding in some 14 or 16 gauge sheet metal to the bottom makes a world of difference too! I went totaly nuts with my build, but the "long" axle shafts in the front no longer exist, but since your going to do some welding any way, you may as well add in the frame extensions (their realitivly easy to fabricate) and use the old long axles with a spare bearing and flange to "jig" it into place. This way when you bend one (yah, it will happen) you can use standard argo axles.

Way cool!