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porsche powered snow tracs the rest of the story

Snowtrac Nome

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i was using my 2 meter radio talking with a fellow named john vk3jd who years ago worked for porsche in australia he said that snow tracs tor antarctica came to australia with the little 34 and 40 hp motors and were converted to twin carbed 1600 porsche motors there and than sent south he claimed to do several of them he told me that the porsche motor was good to a sustained 6000 rpm and produced more torque than the bug motors and the internals of the porsche motors is different from the vw engines food for thaught i may have to go looking for one. i wished he had still had some pics or documitation from those days but he gave it away to local air cooled clubs many years ago
 
You would have to wonder how the variator would handle the increased torque and revs. Might be sort lived hot rod.
 
I have a snow tra that has a porsche tacometer instead of a speedo. They may have used some porsche parts.
jim
 
Somewhere buried in the forums we have a whole thread on the Porsche powered Snow Tracs that were used in Antarctica.

I'm under the impression they were converted to Porsche power in Australia or NZ and then shipped down to Antarctica. We had some documentation on some of this, and had some contact with a guy who was down there too.

Here are a couple threads on the topic => http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=3058&highlight=antarctica+porsche

http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=22749&highlight=antarctica+porsche

http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=3851&highlight=antarctica+porsche
 
G-Day,I have a Snow Trac which I believe was used in Antartica , and some how ended up in Perisher Valley in the early 80s where I bought it.As I under stand it,some Snow tracs were imported through Hamiltons Porsche dealership in Melbourne Australia.Iam guessing they were then fitted with a 616/33 Porsche industrial motors (1.6 litre,50hp).Some Snow tracs were sent to Recar in Sunshine Victoria(a auto/truck body rebuilder) and had their cabs modified to the forward slanting windshield shape.(for what reason I'm not sure!) for ANARE (Australian antartic division).I know of 2other vehicles fitted with the Porsche motor,one being a Trac master which was used for the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme,now called Snowy Hydro,still in service until about 95.Next time I get down the hill I will get some pics and serial numbers.Cheers Usha Australia.
 
Usha: Pictures of various Porsche powered (and even VW powered) units that went to Antarctica would be great.

I know that some of the units that went down to the bottom of the world had reversed windscreens and other altered cabin features specified by ANARE. I think there are quite a few members who would be interested in seeing how the bodies were modified, if the tracks were the same, and the engine swap pictures.

It might even make some interesting historical record of the differences between the units.
 
Please do Usha,

Many of us here are very interested in any historical facts we can find regarding snow trac's. Especially those with Porsche engines, and what engine they may have used. Has your forward sloping unit still have the Porsche engine? Also does it have leaf springs above the 4 rear wheels, or are there could springs throughout? The pics of the forward sloped windscreen machines I have seen show the earlier all coil spring design. From what I have read, it was not as durable, hence the change to the leaf springs used in all the later models.

Thanks, Kirk
 
i have befriended a guy who worked for hamiltons in melbourn in the 70's they would install compleate 356 motors in them some even had dual carbs he said most motors he installed were around 80 hp we speak with each other through the ham radioif you want to contact him down under pm me an e- mail and i will forward it to John the forward sloped windshield is called a frost free windshield the under cut helps prevent frost to form on the glass overnight
 
Hi Guys,
I will definitely get some pics up shortly,just finnishing winter here and will get time in a couple of weeks to get off the hill.The snow Trac I have with the forward sloping cab has the six small idler wheel set up and each pair are sprung with vertical coil springs same as the ANARE snow trac photos on wiki.Engine is the Porsche ind 616/6 version 1582cc,50 hp.(I am correcting my self here!).The Trac master has the convential cab design fitted with a Porsche industrial 616/33 motor 1.7litre,not sure of it's HP output,it has the convential 4 idler wheel set up on leaf springs
Don I tried to PM you for your contact that worked at Hamiltons Porsche in Melbourne,but it may have been my operating skills with this forum that you didn't get my earlier message.

Usha
 
Well I know that the late Roughwoods had put a 105 hp Toyota engine into his snowtrack and the transmission/drive system handled it well. He made a lot of cross country trips out to where both our cabins are and he towed some oversized loads with it as well. The second one has a 90 hp VW engine he ordered and dropped into it, they both ran very well.

I've posted this video before when he was building his cabin, but these two snotracs have the two larger engines in them, the trip was 40 miles one way and they made multiple trips out and back. Issues they had were blown tires and broken spring mounts due to the trail conditions. So I don't think the Porsche Engine upgrades would be an issue at all.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTJ7Fka6YWo&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Roughwoods cabin II - YouTube[/ame]
 
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