[Oskar]

G'day everyone,

Nice to know there's a forum for me and freddy. Oh, freddy is my very trusty 300 fourtrax. I just got him back from having a check up and he's running better than ever.

A few weeks ago I was riding in my forest and suddenly he lost power. I found this site and it was the catalyst for me not to panic. You guys have had all the problems before and I was able to calm down a little with the knowledge that the carby was dirty/blocked. This was also the thoughts of a couple of motorbike friends. You know how your imagination can sometimes get the better of you and you think the worst. Hmmm, reminds me of religion.

Anyway, thanks for being here as a kind of reassurance, cos I really love my freddy and I know he loves me too. No, it's purely platonic! We just love working out together in the forest, mainly getting firewood. He was made for the task!!!

One thing that did concern me when I chatted with the mechanic/doctor who cleaned his carby and changed the diff. oil (plus putting in a fuel filter in the line) was that he said freddy was quite an old man. Hmmm. That didn't really bother me except that when I bought him (rescued him) the previous owner said he was only about 10 years old. Well, my mechanic reckons his probably more likely pushing 20-30 years. How can I tell? He came to the conclusion because of the style of the engine.

Just on the quiet, I don't really mind how old Freddy is, cos I know he is tough and as long as I look after him, he'll probably outlive me.

Oh well, just thought I'd introduce myself. Yes, I'm in Australia and live deep in a forest. Heaven!

All the best
Oskar and Freddy.

 

[Helmut]

Welcome to the forums. The oldest it can be is 22 years old. The first year for those was 1988. If you can tell me the 10th digit of the VIN number, I can tell you what year it is. The VIN number is located on the front of the frame on a cross piece welded between the two frame rails, behind the front bumper/brush guard.

 

[mud99]

Welcome to the forums.

 

[Helmut]

The picture below shows where the VIN is located. On the earlier years, they were a little lower down, but still in the same general area.

 

[69quadracer]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[tomgodd]

Welcome to the FamilY!

 

[dubsd]

Welcome this is the place to be.

 

[shadetree]

welcome to the forums

 

[ostrx250]

welcome to the forum and tell freddy your only as old as you feel

 

[Oskar]

G'day friends of the forum! Nice to know there are other nutters out beyond my little stretch of forest. Not being one to dabble in most things mechanical, I reckon I'll need your help occasionally because I'd love to get more intimate with my forest-friend, Freddy. I mean, I have a bunch of trustworthy mechanically-minded folks nearby, but nothing beats knowing first-hand the workings of Freddy. To this I'd like to ask if it's possible to obtain a decent service manual. I have been able to download a PDF for free that gives me some clues to tinkering with him, but it falls short in a number of areas.

And a big thanks to those who have given me a clue as to the whereabouts of the information to determine the age of my dear friend. Presently, it hasn't stopped raining and I haven't had a chance to examine his frame, but I reckon there's a patch of blue sky coming, so I'll be out there soon (like in about 5-10 minutes). I'll report my findings.

Yeah, Freddy is old but is much loved (I reckon you don't need convincing of that, just don't let your imaginations wander too far. :icon_eek: )

All the best,
Oskar.

 

[Oskar]

Okay, I went outside into the rain with Helmut's advice and photo in my mind, but came up blank because it seems the previous owner painted over everything with black paint. Hmmm. I'll try again with a bright torch and maybe something to try and scrape some of the paint away. Is the VIN a sticker or is it etched into the metal? If it's a sticker I don't like my chances because I'll probably scrape the number away. Besides, removing the paint might expose Freddy to future rust problems. I'm just guessing.

If this turns out to be a dead-end, are there other things I can do to try and determine his age? Perhaps, body shape, engine style, etc.? In the meantime, I'll take a few photos of him and post them up.

All the best,
Oskar.

 

[Helmut]

Is the VIN a sticker or is it etched into the metal?

It's stamped into the frame.

If this turns out to be a dead-end, are there other things I can do to try and determine his age? Perhaps, body shape, engine style, etc.?

You might be able to narrow it down to either the '88-'91 or '92-'00, but that's probably as close as you will get without the VIN.