DAVID'S VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE PAGE.
RESTORING THE SPORT ONE PIECE AT A TIME.
PAGE 19,396


SNOSCOOT HISTORY
RED SNOSCOOT SNOWMOBILES AND ( A BLUE 1966 SNOW KING MADE FOR SIMPSON'S SEARS IN CANADA ).
ALL WERE PRODUCED BY ROBIN NODWELL.
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT ( 1967 SNOSCOOT / 1966 SNOW KING / 1967 SNOSCOOT.
BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT ( 1966 SNOSCOOT / 1966 SNOSCOOT / 1966 SNOSCOOT / 1966 SNOSCOOT.
THE BACK ROW SNOSCOOT LEFT SLED HAS A SEAT FOR A 1967 SNOSCOOT.

RESTORATION TRIALS:  An obscure brand

By Valdi Stefanson

I grew up on the prairies of Canada.  My passion for education, demonstration and restoration has me attracted to
snow machines manufactured in the Western Canadian Provinces.   My friends north of the border love to
bring me “farm auction specials” --- their term for a rusty specimen of an obscure old snowmobile that nobody else
would bid on at the machinery sales they attend.

This is a tale of the lowly Robin Nodwell SNO SCOOT, made for three years in Calgary Alberta.
 The Sno Scoot brand rated one of 24 chapters in the large book, AS THE SNOW FLIES and will be
included in Pierre Pellerin’s SNOWMOBILE HISTORY Part 3 when published.

The Robin Nodwell Company made large equipment for Canadian oil companies.
 They specialized in huge tracked vehicles to support oil exploration in the bush and muskeg conditions of Northern Alberta.
Not unlike Armand Bombardier, Bruce Nodwell received several patents for tracked vehicles and was awarded the
Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honor, “for his contribution to the opening of the Canadian North through his
inventions and development of various types of tracked vehicles”.  See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nodwell

Over the years I have been fortunate to be able to speak with the manufacturer’s son in Alberta and the production manager,
now retired in British Columbia, to learn more about the motivation behind their snowmobile project and 
production experiences. Apparently, by 1965 the Calgary Company felt that they should enter the snowmobile marketplace.
From original company records, I acquired a feasibility study that spoke glowingly about the potential growth in snowmobiling.
The report compared the Sno Scoot prototype to eight other manufacturers and concluded that it was as good as or better than
the competition.  Marketing was to be two fold --- traditional motorsports distributors and a major merchandiser.
(1966 models were sold at Simpson Sears stores in Canada.) 
Production cost estimates were based on 5,000 or 8,000 units per year, at a cost of $ 600 and retail price @ $ 875. 

All of this turned out to be optimistic.  In a production span of three model years an estimated 475 were built.
Moreover, it was discovered impossible to build them at $ 600.  The manufacturer’s son told me that he remembered a
heated rant at the dinner table one evening when Bruce Nodwell lamented that there was no way to build their
snowmobile for $ 600, which apparently Ski Doo was managing to do out east.

The cost constraints were crippling.  Subsequently, most Sno Scoots were built very crudely: 

No brake.

No muffler.

 Engine exhaust was routed by flex pipe down into a tunnel cavity directly in front of the
track that was stuffed with raw fiberglass insulation.

No gas tank.  Instead, a fiberglass bowl was molded to the underside of the hood.

No continuous track.  Not even a piano hinge to seam the track.
Instead, the track material was simply overlapped at one cleat.

No front bumper.

Exposed drive chain.

No key switch.  A single toggle operates spark and lights.
Steering shafts made of tubing that was too thin.

Many of these deficiencies were remedied in their final model year (1967).
 As it played out, however, the upgrades were “too little and too late”.

For years at my place, I used to enjoy showing my snowmobile buddies these unsophisticated and peculiar features.
Soon, however, I got an itch to restore them.  After a decade, I had both ( 1966 & 1967 snoscoot ) model years and
a blue 1966 Snow King and went at it. In fact, seven un-restored machines were chosen for refurbishing.
 Most were in poor shape.
However, one prized 1966 model that I secured was never used.  I bought it from a Calgary kid who was just given it by a
neighbor who had won it at a 1966 golf tournament, but never removed it from the factory trailer!
 Ahh, the power of the Internet.  I discovered the kid’s post on a Canadian ATV blog, when
he posted, “SNO SCOOT – what is it and what’s it worth?”

The greatest restoration challenge came with the chassis units and track/bogies.  Once all stripped down, it became apparent 
that a major design flaw was lack of support at the chassis where the secondary clutch was mounted. 
Every chassis was cracked and ripped at this juncture.  The fix required reinforcement plates welded both above and below
the top of the tunnel.  It became apparent that the secondary clutch mounting was misaligned at the factory.  In one instance,
the engine mount plate had to be moved over nearly an inch so that the two clutches were aligned correctly!

Only two original tracks were usable.  Three bogie wheel sets were reused.  Other than that, early Alouette and Ski Doo drive-train elements were found to fit, or be modified to fit.  With these other brands the entire under-chassis drive was
changed over, including front driver, bogies, rear shaft, “scissor” rear suspension, track and all. 

The original steering shafts were too light.  In almost every case, the shafts were twisted and bent.  At one point in their lives, someone had tried to turn the skis that were frozen to the ground.  The skis stayed stuck, and the shafts failed.  Most were farmer-welded and could not be reused.  Special thanks to Mike Hubinak in Bend Oregon who took on the project,
built a special jig and hand crafted all new handlebar sets.

A decision was made to install mufflers.  The original set-up with flex pipe and fiberglass batting was too crude and way too noisy.  It was discovered that a Ski Doo muffler of that era would fit and were readily available.  Another “upgrade” was to
install a brake onto the secondary clutches.

The trusty old JLO L252 engines were no problem at all.  Even those that came to me after sitting outside on the
Saskatchewan Prairie were all able to run by cleaning the points and rebuilding their tiny Tillotson HL carburetors. 
One 1967 model had a Sachs engine.  Like all manufacturers in the day, they used whatever 
2-stroke European engine was available at the time.

No room for a real steel gas tank under the hood, so a decision was made to stay with the original setup. 
It was a simple “salad bowl” shaped fiberglass cavity, fiberglassed onto the underside of the hood. 
It must hold a couple of gallons of gas.  In practice, I have been advised to install a drain spigot on the hose leading to the
carburetor, and drain-down the entire tank for summer storage.  Also, I will unscrew the cap to vent any remaining gas tankfumes.  I have learned about other old snow machine brands where the gas tank was fiberglass, exposed and painted.
The gas fumes can tarnish the paint finish or leave a ghost image.

So there you have it.  This Calgary manufacturer was trying to emulate Armand Bombardier and his Ski Doo manufacturing
success.  It didn’t work out and after three years, Robin Nodwell decided to stick with his strong suit – manufacture of oil exploration vehicles.

P. S.  Some old Sno Scoots did migrate to the USA.

THANKS VALDI FOR THE GREAT PICTURES AND HISTORY OF THE SNOSCOOT AND SNOW KING.


 
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