Whenever I’ve restored any of the original Polaris factory race sleds, I have been very careful to document every single thing about them. Dents, scratches, rips, tears, cracks, and grime are all part of the history of those machines from the day it was completed until it found its way to my shop.
It’s really kind of fascinating to look closely at every ‘imperfection’ and try to figure out or imagine where it came from when it got there, and if it could tell any more of the story.
The video below is a collection of some of the detail shots on the sled that started out Jim Bernat’s 1977 340 (it became Steve Thorsen’s 250 right after Eagle River), Don Omdahl’s 250 (it became Brad Hulings 340 after the tests in Alaska), Bunke’s second 440X, and the two original leaf spring models.
