winnipeg, manitoba A sweet set of sleds A vintage snowmobile enthusiast in Manitoba
shows off a couple of his prized possessions by BARRY GUINDON
VINTAGE HERITAGE: Barry Guindon and John Sawchyn are proud of their 1976 Sno Jet Astro SS and 1974 Alouette Super Brute.
READY FOR AN INVASION: Guindon also sent a photo of his 1978 Kawasaki Invader 340 that he is currently working on. —photos courtesy Barry Guindon
I thought this would be a good picture for your old sled zone. It is of my restored 1976 Sno Jet Astro SS and my friend John's 1974 Alouette Super Brute. The photo was taken at the Canadian Power Toboggan Championships in Beausejour, Manitoba. They have a parade of vintage sleds every year.
I bought the 1976 Sno Jet Astro SS four years ago. I took it out twice the first year and it basically fell apart. During that summer, I completely disassembled the machine.
The motor was rebuilt, including a newer crankshaft. The suspension was taken apart and repainted and a new hyfax and shock absorber were installed. I could not find a track as the old Sno Jet tracks were only 116 inches in circumference as opposed to the standard 121-inch that most sleds now use. I had to modify the machine to accept a used 121-inch track from a Polaris, which included replacing the old sprocket drivers with new internal drive cogs. It actually works great.
My daughters, Chelsea, 12, and Ashley, 9, really like this machine as it is quite small and very light, making it easier to handle. We use the Sno Jet all the time and it runs like a clock. We haven't had one problem with it since it has been rebuilt.
I am now restoring a 1976 Sno Jet SST 440. I bought the sled a year ago. It has only 700 miles on it; however, it was backed over by a front-end loader, which destroyed the cowling, broke off the steering post and crumpled the belly pan. It was a mess. Once again, the sled was completely disassembled. I had the belly pan welded and revamped the suspension. I replaced the steering. All of this was possible thanks to my friend, John Sawchyn, who provided the parts from two sleds for free.
I found an old cowl at a snowmobile graveyard that was in rough shape but it was almost complete. I must have spent 30 to 40 hours sanding, grinding, fibreglassing, priming and painting to make the cowl look like it does now. The motor was taken apart, completely checked out and put back together after cleaning and painting. It appears to have only 700 miles on it as it was in excellent condition with "like new" compression. Only the points needed to be cleaned up to get it sparking. I'm getting excited as in the next few weeks I will be installing the engine and firing it up.
I've also included a picture of my 1978 Kawasaki Invader 340. I picked up this sled two years ago because it is rare to find one in such nice shape. Other than a piston, it really didn't need anything except cosmetic work to make it look the way I wanted. I have since upgraded the suspension with a gas shock, which has really improved the ride. I also purchased a new higher windshield as we found the low one too cold for most days. Kawasaki definitely was ahead of its time featuring leaf springs, is very fast and handles great.
I love the older sleds and I'm sure as the years go by and as space permits, there will be a few more oldies added to my collection. My snowmobiling buddies are always poking fun at me and saying I put more miles on my old machines than I do on my new one. I hate to admit it but last winter I think they were right. There's something about putting around on those old sleds with my daughters that brings back fond memories of snowmobiling with my dad on our 1968 Olympic.
