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Ski Doo "Snowcat"?

sheep_mtn

sheep_mtn

Well-known member
Anybody seen one of these before? I just drove past and snapped a few pics. Couldn't tell if it had two tracks, but I assume it would.

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I've got a 1980ish model. I always thought they were the coolest thing when I was kid. Mine is a project in need of a full restore.......some day.
 
As popular as the side by side atvs are I am surprised the newer Elites didn't become a instant hit. I would certainly take one for cabin hopping.
 
I think it's only a matter of time before ski doo/Arctic cat/ Yamaha/ start producing side-by-side over the snow vehicles. The popularity and profitability of the summer buggies has been outrageous. Why not expand that market to winter vehicles as well?

I'm sure there are a few of us here that could buy into that concept.
 
sheep_mtn_jon said:
I think it's only a matter of time before ski doo/Arctic cat/ Yamaha/ start producing side-by-side over the snow vehicles. The popularity and profitability of the summer buggies has been outrageous. Why not expand that market to winter vehicles as well?

I'm sure there are a few of us here that could buy into that concept.
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A few years ago I had the opportunity to buy a Polaris Ranger on tracks. It was a very well equipped machine, it had low miles and was well maintained by the local dealer. The price was very reasonable and so I bought it.

We took it out in the snow to see how it performed and it was pretty disappointing. On a packed trail it was okay, but off trail, and the snow really wasn't all that deep, it lacked sufficient flotation and more or less chewed its way through the snow. It was definitely no snowcat and I sold it. I'll add that the folks I bought it from had eaten huge depreciation. In just four years they lost more than what what I've paid for three of the four Tuckers I've bought. That's a big Ouch!

Since then I bought a Polaris RZR XP 1000. I use it mostly in southern Utah; in sand dunes, rock crawling and ripping along in desert washes. I have been blown away by it's capabilities. Terrifically fun machine, but I have zero interest in putting tracks on it.

With the Rangers and RZR's everything is extra; and I mean everything. You want a windshield:$$$, a cab roof:$$$, doors:$$$, windshield wipers:$$$, a heater:$$$, a winch:$$$. The list of available options and accessories is huge, and when you're done adding things up the total price is staggering.
 
I'll add that Arctic Cat introduced a single seat light duty groomer a number of years ago called the Quad Trac (I think the prototypes were called Boss Cats).

Here's a link. Notice in one of the photos it's pictured with a Snow Trac and the caption underneath says (in part) "A small group of dealers and trail specialists gathered in Mac Tier early in December to get a first look and chance to drive Arctic's new Quad Trac (foreground) and the Snow Trac Arctic is bringing in to the market from Sweden...":
http://www.bosscatlegacy.com/acproto/groomer/groomer.htm

So what happened to Arctic Cat's importation of Snow Tracs?
 
That boss cat is an interesting machine. It looks like it steers by articulation, like a loader. I would agree that simply adding tracks to a ranger would produce sub-par results. I actually think there is a market for two-track machines with adequate flotation. But certainly would not be cheap. Agreed that the prices of side-by-sides are staggering.
 
sheep_mtn_jon said:
I actually think there is a market for two-track machines with adequate flotation. But certainly would not be cheap.
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Anybody besides me here thinking "passpartout" just now? Was Bob Cantin right all along...?
The one I used to own had wonderful flotation, IMHO. With a newer engine and a bit faster gearing, it might be great fun.
 
I've never owned either, but the Passpartout seems very similar to the Cushman Trackster. I remember looking at a bunch of youtube videos and various websites. While it certainly looked fun, my impression was that it's capabilities were pretty limited. Especially compared to a modern, mountain-performance snowmobile.

If my memory is right there were also a bunch of product liability lawsuits as people were seriously hurt when the heavy machines rolled over on the driver and/or passenger. That may have ended their product lives.
 
Ski doo Elite. Originally made 70s-early 80s.

Revived mid 2000s with the unit above. Pricey not comfortable or as fast as a traditional 2 up. Poor powder performance. Heavy and didn't fit in most snowmobile trailers.

Novelty ride.
 
Blackfoot Tucker said:
I've never owned either, but the Passpartout seems very similar to the Cushman Trackster. I remember looking at a bunch of youtube videos and various websites. While it certainly looked fun, my impression was that it's capabilities were pretty limited. Especially compared to a modern, mountain-performance snowmobile.

If my memory is right there were also a bunch of product liability lawsuits as people were seriously hurt when the heavy machines rolled over on the driver and/or passenger. That may have ended their product lives.
Click to expand...

It was fairly similar to a Trackster. It was quite slow compared to other vintage snowmobiles, so yes, extremely slow compared to a modern mountain sled. :sad: But name me one snowmobile that can turn around easily, under it's own power, in a garage stall. :biggrin:

However, when I spoke with Bob by phone, he warned me about some shortcomings of the Passpartout.

The Sachs 2-stroke engine was popular and so had been produced in a rush. As a result, the crank seals didn't seal to the blocks properly, leading to air getting sucked in. So the engines were hard to adjust and, more dangerously, were prone to unintended acceleration from idle. If left in gear, they could start moving by themselves, a bad thing if you've dismounted to open or shut a gate... It was fixable, just a PIA to RTV in new crank seals.

The engines were forward-mounted and kind of high. They steered by either declutching one track or braking one track, depending on how hard a turn you desired. Going downhill, the declutch method was ineffective, so you had to brake turn. Bad idea, as they would tend to roll over forward, often leading to real bad things for the driver. A rollover was even more likely if you used the brake! It was a great system for flat land, but dangerous on hills.

Lastly, while not so much a safety issue, the declutch method of steering was a real problem going uphill, as you lose 1/2 of your uphill drive.

Still, it was real fun to drive, and it got more attention than any other antique sled.
 
Well the passe par tout i have has a 500 rotax in it now,probably go 50 mph ,which is faster then you want to steer. I have been up some pretty steep slopes,and down them without any problems. I think they were just ahead of their time. Most of the guys that see mine ,think they would like one !!!!!:biggrin:
 
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