Last year produced

[George]

I think I might have a Spirit. I bought it from AmphibiousDrew last summer. He picked it up from JPSwift a few months before. Swift was of the impression that it was a Spirit. The only reason I'm not certain is because the original engine was replaced with a single Rotax. The rear sprockets look a little bigger than what I've seen on the Superchiefs I've owned. They look closer to the size on the Crazy Colt. Any idea if they went to bigger sprockets to make up for smaller engines? The machine I have is Poly green on top and bottom, no decals.

I also have a little truck that came with a Chaparral/T-20 that is stamped with an 82 at the end of the serial number.

[Matt O.]

Thank You Bill for posting the photos. I really enjoy seeing photos from the 6x6 past.

Matt

[Bill Gerber]

The sprockets on the 4 stroke were bigger than the 484 chap. I think they were two teeth bigger. The Spirit should have had the bigger ones too. I drove one, but that dont mean it was a production machine, They would only let me drive the demo or prototype stuff. I was known to be a little hard on equipment. Go figure!! My attitude was if you ask me to test something. I felt personally responsible to flog the snot out of it to see if it would hold up. That is the point, Right?? There was a sales brochure on the spirit. There was a lot of brochures on machines that never made it to production.. The Spirit was supposed to be the small machine but the small machine ended up being the 4 stroke Tomahawk.. I tested a machine with a wankle in it, pretty sure it was a JLO. It was smooth but no power. From what I remember about the serial numbers. I thought they were two lines. the top line was the year and the bottom line was the serial number. What they did after 79, I really dont know.

[Don]

Thanks for all the information, Bill. It's really interesting to many of us (mostly old guys). I've seen two Spirits that made it out of the factory, but if I remember right, neither of them had any stripes or model names on them. They did have the G25A engine and (trying to recall) the T20 locked into forward gear(?).

[jpswift1]

I think I might have a Spirit. I bought it from AmphibiousDrew last summer. He picked it up from JPSwift a few months before. Swift was of the impression that it was a Spirit. The only reason I'm not certain is because the original engine was replaced with a single Rotax. The rear sprockets look a little bigger than what I've seen on the Superchiefs I've owned. They look closer to the size on the Crazy Colt. Any idea if they went to bigger sprockets to make up for smaller engines? The machine I have is Poly green on top and bottom, no decals.

I also have a little truck that came with a Chaparral/T-20 that is stamped with an 82 at the end of the serial number.

George, That machine that I picked up had the motor mount plate that was for a 2 stroke, but it was only half as wide as a G50B engine mount. It also had a driven clutch on the T-20 that was slightly different that a driven clutch compared to a Superchief I remember. It also had larger sprockets like you said (to gear it down so the smaller engine could move it sufficiently, just like the 252 Colt did).

My 450 Tomahawk 'Lil Truck is stamped "80" at the end of the serial number in larger font and a space between the last digit of the serial number and the "80".

Thanks for all the information, Bill. It's really interesting to many of us (mostly old guys). I've seen two Spirits that made it out of the factory, but if I remember right, neither of them had any stripes or model names on them. They did have the G25A engine and (trying to recall) the T20 locked into forward gear(?).

I only saw one pic of a yellow Spirit (I think it might have been your pic, Don) and it had the G25A Chaparral in it like you mentioned. There was only one green one that I ever saw and that was the one I bought, then sold to Drew and Drew then sold to George. It had no stripes or model name on it too, as Don mentioned. I too remember hearing how the T-20 had two little metal mechanisms that were attached to it to keep it locked out of reverse gear. That was to probably help the dealers up sell people on the Superchief and Lil Truck models by stating that the Spirit had fewer features including the lack of reverse. Those little mechanisms were very easy to remove from what I hear, so the T-20 on the Spirit could be shifted into reverse just like the other models. There are some brochures or other information here in the "Brochures" section of 6X6World that mention the Spirit.

[Bill Gerber]

Those bigger sprockets will put a awesome little snort in your superchief if your willing to give up a little "going entirely way to fast for no rollbar anyway speed". The chains rub on the bottom if they get loose at all. (just like a tomahawk). I recommend putting two triangular gussets on both rear sprockets. Take it from just under the chain to out just past the bolt holes on both sides of the bolt holes. You dont need to weld it solid.
Just stitch it on the three corners and dont get it too hot.