 |
e-mail
|
 |
comment
|
Zephyr Moto-ski runs like new
After 34 years, this sled is still in prime running condition
by BRUCE MALCOLM
 |
| BEST ORIGINAL: This sled, a 1972 Zephyr Moto-ski with a 340 BSE engine has won several trophies for "Best Original" in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. —photo by Bruce Malcolm |
I wish I could say that I've spent many hours with this sled restoring it from the ground up but I would be taking away the passion and care of those who kept this sled in its original condition you see today.
My obsession for Moto-ski goes back to 1964 when my dad bought a '64 Cadet 10 horsepower with a metal cowl. Being a 12-year-old that was very exciting, especially night riding. We would ride for a time and then put our sleds in a circle, gaze up at the stars, build a fire, talk the night away and then ride home.
We lived (to make things more interesting) next door to Richardson's Lawn and Garden Center in Norridgewock, Maine. When I got home from school I'd change my clothes, run over to the storeand watch them unpack, assemble and start the sleds. Clarence the owner, would tell me to go break them in. Jumping on a brand new sled almost every day was quite a feeling for a youngster my age—breaking in the inventory of his sleds.
My first sled, a 1971 Capri, didn't last very long because a friend broke through the ice with it. He survived, but the sled got pulled out that spring never to run again.
With life's challenges of a 20-year-old the sleds took a back seat to a career in engineering and family life.
In 2002, I talked with some friends who belonged to a vintage snowmobile club in Newport, Maine. This started the fire and brought back the passion and memories that I enjoyed so much.
It was that winter that I bought my first restoration project, a 1970 MS-18 Moto-ski. Three years later I needed some parts to complete my restoration and this is where my story begins with the '72 Zephyr.
The 1972 Zephyr was first purchased in New Hampshire in the winter of '72. The family who owned it took excellent care of it. The wife told us that after every ride her husband would bring it into the garage to clean it and remove all the snow and water from every nook and cranny—even from the running boards.
In 1998 Mrs. Little was watching a local program called Bill Greens Outdoors, and she saw a man whose hobby was collecting vintage snowmobiles. She wanted to find someone who would take care of her husband's sled with as much passion as he had, so she called the vintage collector.
Paul Rioux purchased the sled and has won several trophies in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont as Best Original. During one of
Paul's visits to a show a gentlemen offered him $1,500 for it—I'm glad he said "No". Paul was the individual I was directed to for the spare parts I needed for my MS-18. When we met, he introduced me to his collection of sleds. We talked as if we had known each other our whole lives. As he showed me his collection, the '72 Zephyr caught my eye.
What stood out more than its originality was that the cowl had not one scratch or registration sticker or any other sticker on it except for the original weathered Moto-ski decals. The cowl looked as clean as it did when it was on the showroom floor more than 30 years ago. To make a long story short, we traded machines—my newly restored MS-18 for his Zephyr, a dream of a sled. We both acted like parents with our children going off as exchange students.
Paul bought the sled with only 250 miles on it and he and I combined have added 227 more.
Everything is original with the exception of the chrome on the windshield and decals made from AFE Graphics.
These decals really make the sled stand out. The front decal has reflective material just like the original ones, thanks to AFE. I sanded the surface rust and scratches, primed and painted parts of the chassis and added a couple coats of wax. Overall, the paint is still as vibrant as the day it was painted. Running board mats are perfectly in place and everything is original including the windshield. The only new item the 336 BSE twin engine has seen is a carburetor kit and plugs. Three pulls on the primer and it starts the first time,
every time.
I enjoy riding a couple of times a month—anywhere from out the back of my house to as far north as Canada.
This summer, I plan to complete the restoration project by finishing the leaf springs, skis and polishing the bogie wheels. Everywhere I have taken this sled I see jaws drop and people saying, "I have to get Dad to see it for themselves."
