New Year=New Machine (Frontier LE 8x8 aka green Scout)

[thorn]

IMG_1232.jpgStarted off the new year and decade with a new Argo. Found a good deal on a Frontier LE 8x8 (aka green Scout) that a dealer had been sitting on for a while and was clearing it out. I got lucky that it was a late year (2018) model that came with the big 1.375" axles and offset/revearsable rims. These have the 26.5 HP Kohler 749cc EFI motor that definately has a little "pepper". My 2004 Conquest is still going strong, but I wanted to replace it eventually with an updated machine, but one that had the old body style so I could transfer my aluminum hard top from my Conquest to it. Going to run it this summer and fall to break it in before transforming it into a snow machine. I don't know if I am going to lengthen my 22" Chanel tracks and put them on with the track tuners or try some Adairs with the snow kit. I would like to be able to just pop the tracks off to use the machine occasionally with tires, but that is what Polaris Rangers are for ...right? The only downside is that this machine has the standard gear set, but I can have the gears swapped for the 3.3 HT if necessary. I pulled the primary clutch yesterday and drilled out the 230 gram weights to 211 gram for better high altitude performance and installed some fog lights on the brush guard. Been having fun buzzing the family around the hills behind the house in the snow. Happy New Year!

[ARGOJIM]

Congratulations Thorn,
That efi should help up there and the trans noise in the cab should be less.

Did a family member lay claims to the Conquest yet?

[thorn]

Yep the transmission whining is gone and it is a quieter and smoother machine overall. The engine is a bit louder when you give it some juice but it is a deeper satisfying sound. No one in the family does the atv thing but me. I will probably put it up for sale locally this summer/fall. Kinda sad it has been a great machine. There is a reason the conquest was Argos #1 machine for a long time.

[ARGOJIM]

Weren't you one of the guys that did the 24 swap?

[thorn]

You talking about engine swap? I was thinking about doing a 27 HP kawi swap at one point like Rock Doc did but never got the time to do it. The 20 HP defenity gets the job done, its just a little slow.

[mightymaxIV]

Looks like you lucked out on everything, better axles, reversible rims, and the last year you could the 750cc Kohler with 26.5 horse power. All the best thing you could possibly get on an 8x8 Frontier. I hope you enjoy it, you got all the best before everything switches to the new body styles and Briggs engines.

[thorn]

Thanks Dan. I looked at it in the same way you broke it down. It was a 10 hour drive one way to get it but because it had all the options and old body style I wanted it was worth it and we turned it into a short overnight family trip. I saved $4K as well on it. I changed out the tranny oil and engine oil a couple of days ago just to put some fresh "blood" in it. I like knowing exactly what is in it from the get go. It looks like the 2020 Scouts still have the Kohler EFis in them, but they went back to putting the 730cc 23 HP in them.