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"Military" Thiokol on ebay?

AdkSnowcat

AdkSnowcat

New member

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I saw that too. So is that some 601 variation? I considered a 601 but read that while they are fairly fast, they are somewhat heavy and not much of a powder machine. Kansas is not too far away, but if I brought that home, I woulld need to plan on sleeping in it....
 
AdkSnowcat said:
Somebody can probably tell if this is the real thing. I don't see the escape hatch or headlight guards. . .
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If it was a "real military" unit then why would the original orange paint be poking through in so many places?

Military units I've seen had no such orange paint. Then again, I've only seen a few military snowcats. But none had orange paint.
 
I have looked a few of these in the last three years. the artic package is a option.

3 of the five I test drove had sun roofs.

four where strata blue at some point.

One was yellow.

the Grousers look pretty good on that one just saying......
 
Melensdad said:
If it was a "real military" unit then why would the original orange paint be poking through in so many places?

Military units I've seen had no such orange paint. Then again, I've only seen a few military snowcats. But none had orange paint.
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Happy New Year to everybody in the F.F.

Melensdad
I think you all right, Millitary units does not have orange paint. BUT if you paint again the unit with a new color on the original one, like on this Thiokol, in Desert color, possibly with the time pass, and the conditions prevailing in the region (air - dust, sand) the shade of color became like this.

Regards Nikos
 
I grew up on a military base full of 601 in the 70's. I never remember seeing the army with 601's the air force ,had ton's of them. the army had huskies until they traded up to 113's and 578's than later decided the bv 206 was needed I think in the early 80's. if the army had 601' they were either a civilian model bought under a tmp or gsa contract or they were redistributed from air force stock. all the air force models purchased under contract looked like weatherbys rigs . looking at this one someone added the new style military taillights, and attempted to make it fit in with their MV collection. that one was never an issue piece of equipment had it been army issue it would have had the army specific trailer light plug on it to.
 
It actually is a 602 Thiokol several of us members have that model normally
It if it was orange is was civilian. But the tag would tell the story
Looks painted rattle can olive drab

Also the drivers mirror would be wrong and the front grill has been changed also from one picture it looks to have maybe
Bucket seats now

But also appears to have the markings of camp Navajo which is in AZ. And the number of the AZ CN 83
So it could have at one time come from camp Navajo in AZ.
 
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I requested twice from the seller a picture of the tag to see if it is a air force machine but have not received anything as of yet

Looking at the condition of the inside I would wonder the if the engine was cared for. He states the the steering cylinders need work which means maybe they can
Be repaired? replacements are 500.00 ea.
 
Melensdad said:
If it was a "real military" unit then why would the original orange paint be poking through in so many places?

Military units I've seen had no such orange paint. Then again, I've only seen a few military snowcats. But none had orange paint.
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My 1980 DMC 1200 Spryte has the orange paint. It's from the US Navy the tag says US NAVY
 
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Melensdad said:
If it was a "real military" unit then why would the original orange paint be poking through in so many places?

Military units I've seen had no such orange paint. Then again, I've only seen a few military snowcats. But none had orange paint.
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Exactly what would be the difference other than color and the roof hatches?
 
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If you could get it for under $8000. it might be a deal if the rear end isn't messed up
 
irongoat said:
My 1980 DMC 1200 Spryte has the orange paint. It's from the US Navy the tag says US NAVY
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I'm guessing your navy rig was a tmp unit which is where the agency orders a civilian piece of equipment for support of garrison operations. I would guess yours was never intended to go into battle like the bv series or the nato spec snowtrac's.
 
It was surplussed from Antartica sent to California and auctioned off to a fellow who really wanted a snowmobile . It was then sold to a contractor in Smokey Point WA who sold it to me.
No signs of battle LOL
 
irongoat said:
Exactly what would be the difference other than color and the roof hatches?
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Mainly a collector thing the air force rigs IMO are a better collector item at least I am more interested in those. The more original the better I have sold most of the 600 series units that are not original. 6 to members on here. The one that had the fuel injected 300 with the auto was the snappiest of them all if would not hesitate to unleash its horses and spin it's tracks not even trying. Now some fisherman's dream machine. One with V8 now may try pulling a groomer from time to time. The white ghost now some happy camp machine. others sitting in someone's warehouse but under cover

I do rent some out in the winter for personal transports to some commercial clients of mine. They like to sit in them and stay warm eating lunch along the way
 
irongoat said:
what motor rear end and tranie do you think it could have ?
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Well, I never did get the picture that I asked for of the engine, but if it was
Original inline 6 Ford, 4 speed manual and the OC15 differential

The only one I could see was the OC15 the rest is a guess at this point.
 
irongoat said:
the seller says it dose 25mph top end
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They will under ideal conditions flat area, little snow or none, low elevation

Otherwise conditions on any tracked carrier rarely are condusive of those speeds
Many new tracked vehicle enthusiasts, some of the first questions, how fast will it go? Running at those speeds is hard on many parts of the systems not mention unsafe in almost all conditions. Even slight movements of the steering lever can spell disaster at speed. Suspensions can fail, tracks can break causing loss in control and worse no ability to stop! Without a track you have no way to
Stop if this is on a mountain, if you do not have a blade to drop your in trouble.

10-12 is fast in a tracked vehicle fast enough in most cases.JMO
 
boggie said:
They will under ideal conditions flat area, little snow or none, low elevation

Otherwise conditions on any tracked carrier rarely are condusive of those speeds
Many new tracked vehicle enthusiasts, some of the first questions, how fast will it go? Running at those speeds is hard on many parts of the systems not mention unsafe in almost all conditions. Even slight movements of the steering lever can spell disaster at speed. Suspensions can fail, tracks can break causing loss in control and worse no ability to stop! Without a track you have no way to
Stop if this is on a mountain, if you do not have a blade to drop your in trouble.

10-12 is fast in a tracked vehicle fast enough in most cases.JMO
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I would like to just reinforce almost word for word what Boggie states in his post about Sno-Cat speeds.
I also have first hand experience with the speeds that a 6 series Thiokol is capable of. My 601, after I restored it to "new original" condition, it was easy to hit a speed of 25 or even 30mph, however, at that speed I had a VERY uneasy and uncomfortable feeling about the control (steering) and possible track failure (that' a LOT of un-balanced track weight going around)....There is a video of my 601 on Youtube going down a plowed road, I was going between 25 and 30mph closer to 30mph, even though it "looks" like it is nice and smooth and quite, IT'S NOT ! Even though it can do those speeds, I feel a 6 series Thiokol is way out of it's comfort zone at those speeds.
Another characteristic of a 6 series Thiokol is it's grousers, they have what's called a "drop center" grouser, which in turn allows the tracks (on hard pack) to contact the surface with just the 4" center of the grouser and the rest of the track is about 3 to 4" above the "hard pack" or driving surface (as the pics below show) and this can and does create a "ice skating" situation if you should "unintentionally" pitch the cat one way or another at a high speed when on ice or hard pack. That drop center acts a lot like the blades on ice skates when turning at speed.

I feel the comfort zone for a 6 series "on hard pack" is 15 to 20mph TOPS

Bottom line...I feel even though a 6 series can obtain a speed of 20 to 30mph, you are risking a lack of control and premature track failure (I would think if a track came apart at those speeds, it would take a lot of aluminum skin with it).:thumb:
 

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On the trails I run my cats on if you try to go fast you'd need a jock strap a sports bra and a barf bag
This doesn't count the wear and tear on the cat
If you want to go fast you don't want a snow cat
 
26 bids took it to $9800. Price for a total project with very little information about it, sight unseen. There's a fresh paint 601 on KSL for $18.5 that hasn't sold yet. Wonder where Mainer is these days?
 
boggie said:
They will under ideal conditions flat area, little snow or none, low elevation

Otherwise conditions on any tracked carrier rarely are condusive of those speeds
Many new tracked vehicle enthusiasts, some of the first questions, how fast will it go? Running at those speeds is hard on many parts of the systems not mention unsafe in almost all conditions. Even slight movements of the steering lever can spell disaster at speed. Suspensions can fail, tracks can break causing loss in control and worse no ability to stop! Without a track you have no way to
Stop if this is on a mountain, if you do not have a blade to drop your in trouble.

10-12 is fast in a tracked vehicle fast enough in most cases.JMO
Click to expand...

Not to mention that you would get beat to hell with the ride at that speed... 10 to 12 was about as fast as I ever went unless on a hard packed and really flat trail.
 
My 601 i run across the lake 25 to 30 it seems to handle it but that's flat going on a groomed trail...running bout 3200 rpms....my 601 has 1997 300 six with multi port efi with an auto and new tracks...=0) I happen to weasel that rig from boggie =0)


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