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Tommo's New "Utility Company" Snow Trac in England
- Thread starter Tommo
- Start date
Very nice Tommo! Is that you in the pic as well? If so your shoes are untied.
Very nice Snow Trac! You belting on the tracks looks very stout! I wonder what type of belting they used. Now its clean her up time.
Very nice Snow Trac! You belting on the tracks looks very stout! I wonder what type of belting they used. Now its clean her up time.
Careful Bob, I think Tommo has access to cool guns and knows how to use them!
TOMMO, First thing you need to find is a good rubber seal for that air intake sheet metal (top of air intake box) that creates a tight seal and draws cool air in from the outside. If its not sealed it will draw alot of engine compartment heat. Change the engine oil and transmission fluid. You look like a big man so it will be a difficult job getting to the drain hole on the transmission. The fill hole is the hardest though. I still have the bruises and some kinda knot under the skin when I was trying to fill and then retighten the cap. Goes with the territory though. (Hire someone to do it if you have big hands!) If you decide to go with a paper airfilter let me know I will buy your current air intake assembly. Also get the "BLUE LOCTITE" This is a medium strength but is designed for nuts and bolts that are taken off frequently. This is a tracked vehicle and vibrates a bunch on any surface but soft snow. ANY nut and bolt or fastener that is not torqued down will simply vibrate loose. If you apply a couple of drops before you tighten then it wont vibrate loose. (Not needed if you have nylock buts) But Nylocks were designed for a one time use so keep that in mind. You will want to use the best gear lube you can find for your transmission. This is the biggest pain in the ass area to change. Other than that I am available by phone or email if you need any help. You can PM me too.
gordon robertson
New member
your dash indicates that this was purchased in scotland , maybe someone knows about this dealer , and maybe there is some materials . etc. still floating around the area. i have attempted and done some searches maybe in scotland and provide some details.
perthshire scotland alex maclarty ltd. crieff scotland its near perth or atholl.... close to robertson country..... g. robertson
perthshire scotland alex maclarty ltd. crieff scotland its near perth or atholl.... close to robertson country..... g. robertson
gordon robertson said:
I have exactly the same dash tag on my Snow Trac, but since I personally imported mine from England it makes sense mine should have that tag.
I wonder if the guys in Alaska, Canada or in the western USA have a tag that identifies the North American distributor? And what about the folks in Europe or Iceland?
Is there some sort of tag or other indentifying mark on your Snow Trac (perhaps in a different place???) that shows your importer or distributor?
Mine has no tag of this type. Mine was picked up in Canada.
Hi folks,Where do i start! Well my brother new i was looking for a Snow trac, since watching the Brit 'Salvage squad' programme on the Snow trac restoration (Well nearly). He went with a friend to look at a 180 digger and saw what he thought was the vehicle i was looking for and asked the bloke what it was and whether it was up for grabs, 'Yes' came the reply. Brother emailed me saying he thinks he's found what i have been looking for! I told him to describe it to me, and sure enough, it sounded just like a trac!.
Brother went back and rang me in Baghdad to say he was sat in the vehicle (some days later) and it started first time and drove OK etc. I went through the process of asking lots of questions about did it have this and was this there etc!!. I new then, that this was in fact a Snow trac and instructed him to find out how much it was up for! Back came the answer and i told him to offer the bloke £..... and see what he says. Brother said, the bloke said 'Pi..off'!. So we then came to an agreeable price (Via the cell phone)which was some £1,000 less than he had it up for. I got the Snow trac for less than £3,001......... I'll let you work that one out!!. I am happy with the price and he has it has gone from his yard!
The 'thing' in the photo is not me nor my wife (Fare to good lucking!!), but a 'Scottish Yettie' that some how stowed away in the track on route to the south! I have managed to train and domesticate the beast, but as you can see, tying shoe laces is going to take longer than anticipated! Ug,Ug.
I'm still in Baghdad and wont be home until March, I only have the shared photos (Thanks Bob) so will have to wait like a child on Christmas day to see my baby!
Don't worry Bob, i leave my Sniper rifle and SAW gun in Baghdad, so wont come looking for you.........YET!! Remember 'Target will fall when hit'
The name plate on the dash has far as i know, is the Agent (Name on plate) from the Salvage squad show, who imported them from Sweden and bought all the spares from the company when it ceased trading in Sweden and carried on for a few years in scotland until the early 80's?? I could be wrong though!
Some things for you fine bunch of people to answer/advise me on!
1) Seat frame: Original or non std?
2) Boxed in seat benches with hatches!
3) Name plate on dash?
4) No turn signal lights on top corner of window/quaterlight area!
5) Wiper motors above windows!
6) Exhaust, full length under slung.
7) Info plate below number plate/above tail lights!
8) Front indicator and side lights! (Nice Mod)
I think the turn signal and side lights where ordered with the vehicle and the rear lights are add-ons since old ones where broken off?
The front lights are in deed from Land Rover's. Most 1950's to 60's cars had these style of ruby (Glass) held in place by the chrome circle which fitted into the rim of the rubber internal gaiter. Cars like the Riley, Austin, Morris, Ford Pops and many others came with this style, which matches the year of the Snow trac, 1965.The Scottish Electricity board would have asked for the modification to have been made at purchase or by there fleet management section within the company soon after arrival and before being road registered and going out on task.
I am looking forward to applying my classic car and bike restoration experience to this Snow trac once i get home again!!
I will do my best to Trac! (Track) down the history of it's issue and release from the Scottish council as soon as i can and will post my findings for you all to see.
Well folks, that's all from me, until the next time!
Hey, how was I supposed to know that was your BROTHER in the photo, not some frisky English hottie?Tommo said:Don't worry Bob, i leave my Sniper rifle and SAW gun in Baghdad, so wont come looking for you.........YET!! Remember 'Target will fall when hit'
1) Seat frame: Original or non std?
2) Boxed in seat benches with hatches!
3) Name plate on dash?
4) No turn signal lights on top corner of window/quaterlight area!
5) Wiper motors above windows!
6) Exhaust, full length under slung.
7) Info plate below number plate/above tail lights!
8) Front indicator and side lights! (Nice Mod)
Besides, Mith had previously described lovely English ladies to me so I figured it must be!1) the seat frame is an early model frame, commonly seen on models from the 60's . . . also you have 6 lower bogey wheels instead of 4, so that would correspond with the seat frame.
2) never seen that before!
3) exact same name plate as mine
4) lost?
5) some were top mounted, some were bottom mounted. I don't know when or why it changed.
6) that is the orginal way they did it, under the cabin and I think (not sure about this part) out the right side through the track in front of the large rear wheel.
7) that is where mine is
8) ?
EDIT: Tommo, here is a photo from a 1963 owners manual. It shows a seat frame that is the same as your seat frame.
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I too have the Alex MacLarty name plate on my dash - they were the distributors of them up in Scotland. I have managed to track down the firm, but the chap is not forthcoming, have sent them two emails and made two phone calls, but have got nowhere so far! I have a feeling that they may well have actually built my snowtrac, but that is only a guess, I am pretty sure it was made in the UK as it has too late an issue number to have been made in Sweden.
Once i return home and my brother brings the Snow trac to Plymouth i will be able to see close up, what i have bought and what condition the trac is in!!It looks OK and in fare condition for its age. I'm looking forward to researching it's history from when it left the production line to when it left the Scottish electricity board and how it ended up in Leicester?
It would be nice to get it to 'off the production line' standard of restoration, this is floating around in my head, but the lights on the front look OK and is what was on it during the 60's.
The joy's of restoration are looming! Has soon as I'm getting stuck into the restoration, i will send in the pictures etc.
Tommo
Restoring these things can go lots of different directions. My personal goal is to get mine very close to original, but then to improve the interior for practical reasons. I don't see any real 'historical' value in these machines from a collector's standpoint. They are popular simply because they are useful, practical and fun. I am not a big fan of the original orange paint scheme these things rolled of the assembly line with, and am seriously thinking of painting mine British Military Olive Green or maybe British Military Snow-Camo white/black -or I might just fix the lousy paint job the the Salvage Squad did. But the inside will continue down the path of adding comfort and practicality (Magellin GPS and 2 way radio) with a few luxuries (XM satellite radio and Blaupunkt AM/FM/CD) and I'm looking at insulating the cab walls and ceiling. I also may add a NATO style front receiver hitch for a winch.Tommo said:It would be nice to get it to 'off the production line' standard of restoration, this is floating around in my head, but the lights on the front look OK and is what was on it during the 60's.
The joy's of restoration are looming!
We all have our own uses for these things. Brad at "Mountain Home Lodge" and Larry at "Roughwoods Inn" use theirs to give tourists rides. Gordon Robertson rebuilt his to be a luxury family hauler to take them up the face of backcountry ski runs. Dmeisner uses his for backcountry ski trips too. I presume Ice Queen will go the full military restoration for shows. Others use them as personal winter vehicles for remote areas.
You could easily restore yours to be a Scottish Electric Board vehicle, accurate to their standards/specifications. And that would certainly be an unusual restoration.
B_Skurka said:Restoring these things can go lots of different directions. My personal goal is to get mine very close to original, but then to improve the interior for practical reasons.
This coming from a guy who says practical interior means Palm Tree seat covers and Bamboo dash!
Yah but now you belong to the club and not that so called Kristi club either!
Tommo said:Yeah, i guess so! I wonder if the 'World wide' Kristi club have as much fun as us Snow Trac owner's?? What do you say Al Sorry 'Duke'!
We Kristi Klub ( note clever spelling of club ) members have a wonderful time . Many glorious hours have been spent thinking of ways to make life misable for Snow Trac owners . Everything I have ever printed here on FF is true except for the stuff that isn't.
Now that Kristi shares the Marquee with Snow Trac we, the members , have realized a life long dream to begin "down the road to greatness" that we deserve . Ok !! Ok !!! We only got two members ! So maybe it is a short road ! Geez!
On another note , Kristi Klub ( note clever spelling of "club" again ) had its first meeting and all members in good standing were invited and attended . "Lovely Livu" had been drinkingso he wasn't in good standing . In fact he couldn't stand at all ! Anyway "Kristi Klub" ("again note cool spelling" ) officers were elected and a charter and bylaws were established
. "Big ( the Duke) Al"
was immediately made VP, Treasure, Secretary and "Chief cook and Bottle washer"for calling the new president "fat" ! . Meeting was adjourned at 7:15 P.M. as "Lovely Livu" wanted to go to the bathroom
and we had ran out of beer .
So now all I can say is "No Snow Trac" owner is safe from our relentless ridicule and harassment . But if you want to sent us beer money we will be your friend.
And "Toe Jam Tomma" that crack about "move over Kristi ,I'm coming through ... Beep Beep " reminds me of a great saying once used in a great John Wayne cowboy movie . "BIG WORDS FROM A ONE EYED FAT MAN !!!" ur... no wait!! that was directed towards "The Duke" not used by him . Dang!!! oh well... never mind !! Ta-Ta for now .
Big Al
So the truth is OUT! You Krapi (Note my cool spelling!) I mean Kristi owners are kristi owners because you spent almost all of your money on beer! Then you realized you only had $1.50 left and decided to get the only snowcat you could afford. A quick blurred view in the local paper for sale section showed one Snow Trac and a Kristi. The Snow Trac was in the $10,000 range (WAY above your class level as well I might note) and the Krapi I ment Kristi (did you see that spelling again?) was only $1.48. Hell you would even have change left over! Of course when you got there the owner told you the paper had a miss print and the add was supposed to say will pay you $148.00 dollars to haul this tub on tracks away! So you got you Krapi and beer fund as well!
Snowcat Operations said:So the truth is OUT! You Krapi (Note my cool spelling!) I mean Kristi owners are kristi owners because you spent almost all of your money on beer! Then you realized you only had $1.50 left and decided to get the only snowcat you could afford.QUOTE]
Shows what you know !!!! We never had $1.50 to begin with !!! ur wait ... Did I cut you down or myself ??? Never mind ,But I ain't as stupid as I look ! no wait ... that doesn't sound right either ??? Dang !!!
Big Al
ps : Its snowing hard here now ! So I guess it is headed your way .
Stay warm
Been snowing hard all night and day! There yuppie 4x4s will be stuck for sure!
gordon robertson said:
I just got a DVD in the mail from Villi that answered a few more questions! THANK YOU VILLI
First off, Alex MacLarty is still alive (or at least he was recently) and living in Scotland. He was the importer for Snow Tracs into the UK. He imported 400 Snow Tracs into Scotland and has records of who he sold every one of them too.
Also, the British Commandos operated approximately 120 Snow Tracs in Norway. Some were open top, some were tent top, some were enclosed cab. I have no numbers on any of the variations. I am making a wild guess, but I suspect that the 120 Snow Tracs used by the Royal Army forces are in addition to the 400 units imported by Mr. MacLarty. Of the 120 used by the military, I have no idea how many actually came back to England because most were used in Norway.
Hi JMB, welcome to the ForumsForums.
If you dig around a bit, you will see that ICE QUEEN also seems to have a utility company version of the Snow Trac. It is possible that she has one of the last units built, as a small number were apparently put together in Scotland by the Scottish importer after Aktiv ceased production in Sweden.
If you dig around a bit, you will see that ICE QUEEN also seems to have a utility company version of the Snow Trac. It is possible that she has one of the last units built, as a small number were apparently put together in Scotland by the Scottish importer after Aktiv ceased production in Sweden.
My snowtrac, also orange at the moment was built by the Scottish people and spent its life working for the electricity company in and around the north Yorkshire moors. It has a horribly out of proportion high cab, apparently this was to accommodate large men with hard hats!! They also cut the bottom of the door off, and it has a 50mm ball hitch on the rear, had the door been full size it would not have cleared the hitch, perhaps they also carried something long in the cab?