1963 Arctic Cat Model 1000 4x4

We purchased this in approximately 1994 from a man in East Grand Forks ND. He said that he had bought it out of a grove out in western ND a few years prior. The original engine was missing but a similar-to-original 10hp Kohler was with the machine when we bought it. Wayne and family friend Don went and picked it up. Not too many days after getting it home we had it running and operating. It was our main Deer Camp ATV until the late 1990s and is very capable off-road. While we had it on display at a Hay Days event in the late 90s, we ran into Edgar Hetteen. He was at the event promoting his then-new book Breaking Trails. He was generous enough to stop by and discuss the Model 1000 with us. He stated that this was the very first Model 1000 that they made and it has many differences from the production models…this does not have the belly mounted fuel tank, this one does not have the flat front grille, this units final drives are mounted at an angle not straight up-and-down, etc. The Arctic Enterprises ID tag on this reads…Serial: 63-1001 Model: X. For now we use it and display it with its original rusty red paint, as seen in the picture. This very ATV is pictured on page 115 of the book 50 Years of the Cat, by John Sandberg. Regarding the old black-and-white image posted here of this machine: Tom received this photo from Gary Sunsten in May of 2022, whose dad is pictured. It was taken by Edgar Hetteen on November 3, 1963. (Pictured R-L) Hjalmer Sunsten (Gary’s dad), Roy Billberg, Robert Johnson, Paul Grand, Ed Sunsten and standing in front is Ronald Hetteen.