A March Vintage Afternoon

skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
It was suggested last year by garageguy and goofy600 this year that I try to get a photo of my vintage sleds in a single shot. I did get manage to get everything running in time to get them outside today, which turned out to be a nice, sunny day.

By a lot of vintage guy's standards, my inventory is fairly small, but it does represent a dozen or so years of acquiring, repairing, rebuilding, and riding. I did include the two rat sleds in the photo because they are part of the family and they did need some restoration to be rideable. Maybe someday they’ll get the full treatment.

The cool thing was, they all ran beautifully. It’s really interesting how differently each make/model rides, which makes riding them on the same day a lot of fun. I have space in the backyard for a “mini” dragstrip so I gave each one a couple of passes. The Skiroule RTX 440 was by far the quickest in that distance.

Seeing them lined up it brings back a lot of shop memories. Seems like a good way to wrap up the season.

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goofy600

goofy600

Well-known member
Absolutely beautiful, great collection. And how great that you could get them all out and running.
 
gary_in_neenah

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
He could a ride a different one each day of the week and still have a leftover.

Speaking of Leftovers, that's a handsome stack of wood you have there!
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R

rv245

Member
Awesome collection, thanks for posting it. Is it possible to get a few pics of the Chappy? I have a 72 Firebird SS 400 that I will be doing once I get my 73 TNT 294 done.
 
skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
Thanks guys! It’s awesome to know that you appreciate these old sleds. It seems like each project had a different set of challenges to overcome but were always rewarding in the end. I’ve learned a lot.

I suppose the psychiatrists would say I’m trying to re-live my lost youth and maybe that’s partly true. Each of these sleds has a special appeal, going back to when they were new and I was MUCH younger.

I'm sure I’ve mentioned before that the only sled left on the list that I haven’t found (at an affordable price) is a 74 Chaparral SSX liquid cooled. It seems like they just can’t be found west of Lake Michigan in the Midwest. One shows up in lower MI once in a while but that’s 900 miles away.

gary_in_neenah said:
He could a ride a different one each day of the week and still have a leftover.

Speaking of Leftovers, that's a handsome stack of wood you have there!
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It’s kinda funny you mention the wood pile Gary, I was actually out cutting wood yesterday and will be cutting again today. This winter was hard on the wood pile.
 
mezz

mezz

Well-known member
I would not call that a small inventory. That is a great looking collection. Your level of ambition is amazing. They need a showroom to be displayed in! Thank you for sharing that.
 
skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
heckler56 said:
Skiroule, this has your name all over it!
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Excellent! How cool would that be, to meet the man himself! I'll bet he would even autograph my Skiroule RTX shirt. He is probably a little surprised that his sleds are still extremely popular and live on, long after production ended.

jedoyle said:
My Dad bought a brand-new Skiroule back in 1973 that he still talks about to this day. Too bad it's so far away.
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When the production RTX models came out in 1972, they looked like a rocket ship, compared to many of the other sled designs at the time. If you owned one of these sleds, you never forget it. The 72 RTX 440 I owned back in the day was the inspiration for restoring the 73 that is pictured in the photo.
 
gary_in_neenah

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
skiroule said:
Excellent! How cool would that be, to meet the man himself! I'll bet he would even autograph my Skiroule RTX shirt. He is probably a little surprised that his sleds are still extremely popular and live on, long after production ended.


When the production RTX models came out in 1972, they looked like a rocket ship, compared to many of the other sled designs at the time. If you owned one of these sleds, you never forget it. The 72 RTX 440 I owned back in the day was the inspiration for restoring the 73 that is pictured in the photo.
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What he said...


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In 1972, now owned by the Coleman Company of Wichita, Kansas, “Skiroule shook the industry with the sharpest styling ever” according to our Snow Goer predecessors.

The super-sleek new design was based on its successful 1971 factory racers who had taken the Mod 340 class at the Eagle River, Wisconsin, Snowmobile Derby and Mod 440 at the second annual United States Snowmobile Association World Series in Boonville, New York. The later was the first major victory for an unknown named Gilles Villeneuve.

Long and low, the sleek new Skiroule was highly aerodynamic while all the others were still ugly crates or tadpole shapes. Even the Skiroule headlight was covered with a streamlined, clear lens.

With the engine moved to a forward position, a much lower center of gravity took the acrobatics out of maneuvering even though Skiroule retained the leg-breaker stirrups from the old engine-in-your-lap layout. Comparative tip-over testing by Snow Goer verified that these low-slung beauties had some of the best side-to-side stability in the industry.

More new ideas included instruments mounted on the handlebars, externally mounted rear suspension for more travel and improved ride quality, and a completely enclosed engine console that, according to the brochure, “not only looks great but also reduces the sound of the engine.”

Coleman soon tired of the snowmobile business and sold Skiroule to a private owner who kept the basic RTX/RT platform in production relatively unchanged until the brand expired in 1977.
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skiroule

skiroule

Well-known member
skidoolouie said:
I swear I just seen 74’ Chaparral SSX for in south haven MI. but it’s been removed. I was going to ask skiroule if he needed help in getting it closer to him.
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I am really impressed that you kept me in mind when you saw the sled. I guess it’s just the sort of thing JD members do. It’s much appreciated.

I figured the odds weren’t good but I put out some feelers a while back and finally managed to score one from a fellow in northern IA. He wasn’t actively looking to sell but said if I was interested, he would be willing to let it go. I figured that it was about as close as I was going to find one and besides, I didn’t see anything unusual about making a 1000-mile round trip to pick up a 50-year-old snowmobile

Lots to like about this sled and the fact that it’s a hard to find 440 is a bonus. I just picked it up this week and I’ll probably post more details in the fall when I’ve had time to get into it more.

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