Cool Flathead-Driven Antique

[Minimichael]

I was out of town for the holiday and seeing this up close made me miss my garage.

 

[Lizardking]

I was out of town for the holiday and seeing this up close made me miss my garage.

Is that Santas sleigh? Cool beans!

 

[sparkwizard]

Looks like wooden skis? How did it steer?
That is a neat old machine!

*edit* I see the little steerable skis now.

 

[Brooklyn Bob]

I'm digging it. That would be a blast. Never saw one before.

 

[massacre]

Very cool!

 

[Minimichael]

It looked to me like a little 3 or 4hp powering an old time snowmobile by Polaris. Or is that a two-stroke? Anyway, probably not one you'd want running across thin ice without a real good headstart. Seems the modern comforts were limited to a windshield and cushioned seat.

 

[sparkwizard]

It is a 4 stroke, but a small one.

 

[Minimichael]

It is a 4 stroke, but a small one.

Probably not original, as it didn't have any of the sled's authentic pinstriping. Here's a better view of the skis.

 

[Studeman68]

That engine is period correct and probably original. Its a Medium frame Tec from late 50's to early 60-61 ish. More commonly known as H50, H60 nowadays. I have a few of em from that timeframe. They also used them in old Bolens garden tractors. one of them I have is labled as a Lauson/Tecumseh H55...

 

[Minimichael]

That engine is period correct and probably original. Its a Medium frame Tec from late 50's to early 60-61 ish. More commonly known as H50, H50 nowadays. I have a few of em from that timeframe. They also used them in old Bolens garden tractors. one of them I have is labled as a Lauson/Tecumseh H55...

I did suspect Tecumseh, but couldn't see any other markings. Wonder what the top speed was for the 'snow traveler'.

 

[sparkwizard]

My rough guess...15 mph downhill...
No experience with that machine, but we an orange one from that era. It worked well on the packed snow on the roads, but did not like ice or deep snow. That is really a cool sled. Did you find it in a museum?

 

[Minimichael]

My rough guess...15 mph downhill...
No experience with that machine, but we an orange one from that era. It worked well on the packed snow on the roads, but did not like ice or deep snow. That is really a cool sled. Did you find it in a museum?

Nope, just a bar in northern MN. It does appear to be more of a commuter or service type vehicle. Tho I'm green on snowmobiles and not familiar with when they became high performance sport vehicles.

 

[sparkwizard]

They became dangerous in the seventies...in my opinion.
I had two friends come off a lake, up a hill onto a cul-de-sac and out into the country. The owner wanted them to stop jumping into his yard. He strung a cable across his yard near the hill. My friends shot up the hill, jumped into his yard and were decapitated by that cable. 1975

 

[Studeman68]

Broke my neck on a heavily modded Arctic Cat Wildcat back in the day coming up out of a ditch in northern MI.. Fellow riders I was with had to drag me off Mancelona highway before I got ran over... not long after that I sold all the sleds, equipment and the trailer and never looked back...