I know this will generate lots of comments here like "pychological help" for instance, but here's the deal. I had the chance to buy a Kristi several years ago as a basket case but had new tracks to go with and supposedly a recent overhauled engine. I passed because the guy was kind of shady and had screwed me on a smaller deal. The guy who bought it while putting it together found the engine was junk and wasn't even told about the new tracks so no idea where they went. Regardless I heard a rumor he may want to sell it and I might try to get over there next week to have a look. I know very little about them but I know there are people on here who know plenty. I am curious what I should be looking for as far as expensive problem areas, needed upgrades, etc. I wouldn't be running it much if at all but don't want to get screwed in case I wanted to resell down the road. The last time I talked to the guy he tought it was pretty special. There the gates are open for the Kristi jokes and hopefully some constuctive advice. Thanks.
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What should I look for when buying a Kristi ?
- Thread starter sledhaus
- Start date
Do you know what model it is ?
The KT2, KT3 were the most popular . The kt3 is a better unit . I'll post a bunch of stuff for you to look out for , when I get back from town .In the mean time read my Kristi KT3 #00113 Restoration W/ pictures . It has quite a bit in it that may help you .
The KT2, KT3 were the most popular . The kt3 is a better unit . I'll post a bunch of stuff for you to look out for , when I get back from town .In the mean time read my Kristi KT3 #00113 Restoration W/ pictures . It has quite a bit in it that may help you .
thcri
Gone But Not Forgotten
See if the seller will offer a sound "trail-side assistance plan" or at least throw in a set of tow hooks......
to each his own but why ride in a bath tub when you could ride in class like a snow trac or a tucker
Sledhaus, Please disregard all the other post from that less fortunate group of Non- Kristi owners . Remember that they wear slip on shoes because they never learned to tie lace ups .
Back on Topic ! Kristi has very few items that were made exclusively by Kristi . One is the Transmission and the other is the Clam shells on the front of the tract rail . Just about anything else can be repaired or purchased else where .
If you have a transmission problem you may be SOL on fixing it . transmissions are hard to come by . Same with the Clam shell that house the chain drives for the spockets .
If it has been setting for a long time the track bearing can be bad and will set you back about $500-$1000 . Roller chain for the Clam shells is cheap . Usually the fiberglass is busted where the tracks have hit the body . A good fiberglass man can fix that easily . Windows are pexliglass and easy to replace . New rubber belt for track will run you a $1000. New Cleats can be made out of HDPE for under $400 for the whole set . New steel wear bars will run about $200 . A replacement VW engine will set you back about $1600 .
I have about $5000 in new parts on my KT3 so far .Finished and ready to roll it should fetch $9-$10,000 . I'm not talking about cosmetic repairs ,but a total frame off restoration .
A good non running restorable KT3 should fetch $2500 - $4000 .
All this is with you providing the labor .
Back on Topic ! Kristi has very few items that were made exclusively by Kristi . One is the Transmission and the other is the Clam shells on the front of the tract rail . Just about anything else can be repaired or purchased else where .
If you have a transmission problem you may be SOL on fixing it . transmissions are hard to come by . Same with the Clam shell that house the chain drives for the spockets .
If it has been setting for a long time the track bearing can be bad and will set you back about $500-$1000 . Roller chain for the Clam shells is cheap . Usually the fiberglass is busted where the tracks have hit the body . A good fiberglass man can fix that easily . Windows are pexliglass and easy to replace . New rubber belt for track will run you a $1000. New Cleats can be made out of HDPE for under $400 for the whole set . New steel wear bars will run about $200 . A replacement VW engine will set you back about $1600 .
I have about $5000 in new parts on my KT3 so far .Finished and ready to roll it should fetch $9-$10,000 . I'm not talking about cosmetic repairs ,but a total frame off restoration .
A good non running restorable KT3 should fetch $2500 - $4000 .
All this is with you providing the labor .
Another one who will be waiting a long time for rescue by the famous Kristi Recovery team !
I would probably much echo what BIG Al says about the Kristis. The prices he quotes are about what my estimates would be. Yes I am warped just like AL . I have 3 Kristis haven't had time to go through any of them yet, and 2 of them are for sale. The 2 for sale run and move under their own power , but are restoration candidates in my opinion. The third one I actually bought from AL. Don't know where you live, but mine might be an option for you . they are consecutive serial numbers.I will get flamed for this, but I think KT3 Kristi Snowcats are the coolest looking snowcats ever built , at least that was what I thought when I bought my first one. After that, I learned about the innovative track system and was further impressed. Good luck with whatever Kristi you end up with and don't believe anything you hear on this site about Kristis unless you hear it from me or AL. Everyone else is just jealous and refuse to admit it.
That felt good, haven't posted here in a long time.
Flathorn
That felt good, haven't posted here in a long time.
Flathorn
Thanks for posting !!! This just shows you guys that I ain't as crazy as you thought .
bill w
Member
well we are all a little off our rockers for even owning track rigs.....but with that said....does anyone have a video of a kristi running in snow?i remember growing up outside of palmer ak and a guy that used to have a cabin out by our homestead had a kristi.long before any roads back to where he lived existed he hauled all his supplies into his place.so i know they do go in snow....come to think of it..i think it might still be at my cousins place by the matanuska glacier...bill w
Don't forget the duct tape!
that is one cool looking rig i might have to build up one like that for bv recovery and the ocasional misshap with the snow trac when i drive into rock hard snow holes.
utahwilson
New member
Couchloafer does triple AAA cover towing of a Krusty?
This is a prime bobcat thread, is he under a rock somewhere?
This is a prime bobcat thread, is he under a rock somewhere?
Wasn't there a law passed that requires all Restored Krusti's to have Onstar installed???
Thanks for the advice Flathorn and Big Al. Glad I could create an outlet for everyone else's "inner comedian" too. I'll see where the guy is at on price because a few years ago he wanted $5k so unless reality or Obamanation has set in there won't be any reason to look it over too closely. I am used to paying $500 to $2500 for the kind of "treasure" I drag home unless it is pretty special. I knew of another Kristi belonging to a communications company that used to sit in a remote shed for many years. Once in awhile I would see someone there with the door open or a trailer sitting beside the building. That has been several years now but the building is still there. I'll have to check that one out too. If you get a chance Flathorn, please PM me with some details about yours. Thanks.
As a CONFIRMED and ADDICTED Snow Trac owner, let me say a few things about the KRISTI snowcats. ALL HUMOR ASIDE: (and that is not normal for me when it comes to talking about Kristi Snowcats) They are pretty darn cool little snowcats. And in every way that I can tell they are also very capable little snowcats too.
I've actually logged many hours searching everything there is to find about the Kristi Snowcats and I certainly don't consider myself to be any sort of expert, but the prices that Big Al quotes seem very reasonable based on about a half dozen sales that I have watched. Now that said, I'm not sure that BigAl will be able to sell a fully restored Kristi for the price he is quoting but that might also be possible. I know from restoring a couple cars that it is pretty easy to put more money into a restoration than you'd even hope to get in return on a sale. But then again, a fully functional snowcat, of any brand, restored for roughly $9-$10K is probably a bargain, especially if BigAl does the work because he did an AMAZING job with his KT-7. I was really hoping to see him restore the KT-4, but
From the RESALE standpoint, the Kristi Snowcats would probably be most valuable to a collector as there are some POTENTIALLY more practical snowcats on the market. But I say POTENTIALLY because that is obviously based on the NEEDS/WANTS of the buyer of the snowcat.
For a small snowcat these are remarkable little machines that seem to be as (if not more) capable as larger machines for transport in the back country. On the downside is somewhat limited cargo capacity and the need for a trailer with a bed over the tires because these are wider little machines. On the upside is light weight that allows for easy towing by smaller vehicles. Another upside to the KT-2 and KT-3 machines is the VW engine and the common parts that are available for repair. Other than those couple of proprietary items outlined by BigAl, pretty much all the other parts can be repaired or can be replaced from off-the-shelf pieces that are still available. So unless there has been catastrophic damage to the machine, it is possible to restore just about every KT-2 or KT-3 that has ever been built.
I've actually logged many hours searching everything there is to find about the Kristi Snowcats and I certainly don't consider myself to be any sort of expert, but the prices that Big Al quotes seem very reasonable based on about a half dozen sales that I have watched. Now that said, I'm not sure that BigAl will be able to sell a fully restored Kristi for the price he is quoting but that might also be possible. I know from restoring a couple cars that it is pretty easy to put more money into a restoration than you'd even hope to get in return on a sale. But then again, a fully functional snowcat, of any brand, restored for roughly $9-$10K is probably a bargain, especially if BigAl does the work because he did an AMAZING job with his KT-7. I was really hoping to see him restore the KT-4, but
From the RESALE standpoint, the Kristi Snowcats would probably be most valuable to a collector as there are some POTENTIALLY more practical snowcats on the market. But I say POTENTIALLY because that is obviously based on the NEEDS/WANTS of the buyer of the snowcat.
For a small snowcat these are remarkable little machines that seem to be as (if not more) capable as larger machines for transport in the back country. On the downside is somewhat limited cargo capacity and the need for a trailer with a bed over the tires because these are wider little machines. On the upside is light weight that allows for easy towing by smaller vehicles. Another upside to the KT-2 and KT-3 machines is the VW engine and the common parts that are available for repair. Other than those couple of proprietary items outlined by BigAl, pretty much all the other parts can be repaired or can be replaced from off-the-shelf pieces that are still available. So unless there has been catastrophic damage to the machine, it is possible to restore just about every KT-2 or KT-3 that has ever been built.
I'm thinking of parting with my KT7 . It will be expensive ,but winter plans are shifting for Idaho . I am starting to enjoy the warmer weather and will not be spending much time in Idaho in the winter . The KT3 may be for sale too but it will set you back about $12,000 with the matching trailer .
secretly he is planning in replacing the kristies with a snow trac and a lamtrack
Well been reading all the things you should look for when you get a Kristi.
First thing to look for under the hood is a setup like this for the Engine power plant. Kristi's have a very simple power supply.
Second it to see if this critter is inside the engine compartment or if the previous owner sold/ate it.
Once you have the new engine installed, it should look like this when in operational condition.
They run on peanuts, should get about two to three years off each engine. You can even carry a spare.
First thing to look for under the hood is a setup like this for the Engine power plant. Kristi's have a very simple power supply.
Second it to see if this critter is inside the engine compartment or if the previous owner sold/ate it.
Once you have the new engine installed, it should look like this when in operational condition.
They run on peanuts, should get about two to three years off each engine. You can even carry a spare.
sorry Al every one else has taken a jab at kristies couldn't resist jokes aside i got one of them all expenses paid trips to the middle east and after a year of over 100degree heat i love the cold.Secretly..... I'm planning to spend a hell of a lot more time in Panama and will only be heading to Idaho in the summer months from now on . Not a lot of use for a snowcat that time of year .
And if itemized, that would be $300 for the KT-3 and $11,700 for the trailer because without the trailer the KT-3 . . . oh never mind, its just too easy
I dunno Foggy, that engine looks over powered for the feeble Kristi power train. Maybe one of those new mini-Zhu Zhu pets they sell at Toys-R-Us might be a better fit.
Al, take the KT-3 with you. Since it is made just like a bathtub it will serve as a pretty decent 'dug out' canoe.Secretly
Hey, I made one serious post in a Kristi thread, I think that may qualify for sainthood in some church. But you couldn't expect me to remain constrained
I agree...you should nominated for sainthood with that previous post. At first, I was thinking of making you a referral for some kind of therapy.
Then you came to your senses.
Then you came to your senses.