The Ultimate Barn Find to be Shown at Waconia
Pulled from an abandoned, ramshackled chicken coop in Northwestern Wisconsin, this Arctic Cat gem had bought/sold numerous times and forgotten for decades until recently being semi-restored its original glory…a glory that dates back to 1973, when the original owner, Kirk Hibbert, set out to build the very first mod sled Idaho would ever see.
Some snowmobile historians claim that this is one of the rarest cross-country race sleds on earth because of Hibbert’s unbelievable vision.
“Think about how crazy this is on so many levels”, claims snowmobile historian, Casey Hanson. “Not only did this Panther slip through the hands of time, but now we know Kirk Hibbert was responsible for the Monster Energy logo design…30 years before the beverage itself!”
“And what’s the real story behind the chosen number 68? Did Kirk, in 1973, not only sense a future son… but also that the yet-unborn kid would one day race snowmobiles with the very same number and graphics package? Dude!”
In this photo it is shown with a temporary seat pulled off a 2010 Arctic Cat Crossfire, but the machine will be on display with its original leopard print seat at the Waconia Vintage event (Jan. 30-31) in Waconia, Minn.
We’re told the unit won’t be in complete running order, and that the owner’s arm is completely wrecked from trying to start it. But the 340 Kawi engine did crack off on the when a little gas was squirted in the carb. We can’t wait to hear the complete story behind this rare Panther.
