Yesterday we got a early '80s 731. It was a "Five gallon overhaul" that is loaded with electrical issues and is a noisy little thing to boot, but right now it seems a little TLC will fix it up. The one thing that concerns me quite a bit is the complete lack of operator restraints and lockouts. while operating it yesterday, I had a few "Pucker Moments" when the thing would start bucking over rough terrain and gave me the feeling that it would kick me out! So I am wondering: how hard would it be to retrofit a lap bar onto it (And where can I find one?) Should I also go for a seat belt? Thanks!
seat belt should be easy, bar maybe not so easy, never seen a machine without a bar yet.
I would definitely add a seat belt like dporter says, our 732 has a nasty habit of bucking like a bronco too especially to people new to the machine. You might be able to retrofit a seat bar kit for a 740 series machine onto it, but the cab might be different as the 730 series cab doesn't tip up like the 740 series does. Then again it could be that the seat is just attached to the cab versus the frame... I'm not sure... Either way I'd say install a seat belt for sure. As far as the electrical issues go, I rewired our 732 because the old wiring harness was falling apart, cracked insulation and little shorts all over the place. Thankfully it's a fairly simple electrical system and it didn't take all that long to do. One other thing you'll want to do is make sure the double u-joint between the engine and pumps gets greased. It's a real pain in the rump to get to but apparently it can be done without pulling the engine. We didn't know about this on our 732 and then one day the u-joint failed. It made a heck of a mess, the imbalance was so bad it broke the exhaust manifold right off the engine before my dad had a chance to shut it down... Another weak link is the tilt cylinder mounting, my dad managed to break it on ours, check it for cracks around where the base of the cylinder mounts to the arms. Aside from these two issues we've had no problems with our 732, it's a tough, solid, simple workhorse and it would be the last machine I'd get rid of if I had to. Enjoy your new machine, and post some pictures if you can ;-)