OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

[superbenk]

I had no idea OMC was into snowmobiles too!

http://vintageomc.webs.com/theomcproduction.htm

 

[Bass Man Bruce]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

I used to see them skeeters way back, they weren't really nimble as they weighed a ton.
I guess the circle is complete now that what was OMC is owned by BRP.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

They were horrible to repair....... absolutely not a shining moment for the Evinrude name.

 

[6meter]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

Hasn't everybody tried a hand in snowmobiles? More so in the 70's

 

[jkust]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

Hasn't everybody tried a hand in snowmobiles? More so in the 70's

Yes it is amazing to see how many manufacturers there were back in the 70's and early 80's. Harley Davidson, John Deere and a lengthy list of others. There were even Chaparrals out there (unrelated to Chaparral boats however). Around here in MN they do get togethers of vintage snowmobiles and it's amazing how many survived. It's down to just a handfull now. At our house we have Arctic Cats and Ski Doo's which are BRP.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

I wouldnt mind to have one as a cool old vintage machine, some of the real weird Rude sleds were Wankel powered.

OMC also made Lawn Boy lawnmowers and owned Cushman I believe.
OMC was alot of good jobs in this area and its too bad they are all gone.
BRP does build a good deal of outboards here still just not from start to finish like OMC did.

Mercury marketed sleds as well, as mentioned just about everyone did.

 

[jkust]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

I wouldnt mind to have one as a cool old vintage machine, some of the real weird Rude sleds were Wankel powered.

QUOTE]

Those old sleds are about as unreliable/ in need of constant repair as anything I can imagine. To me you really have to have it be more than a casual hobby since they require so much to stay running and riding. Thats not to say there aren't some oldies out there that buck that trend though. I have seen some of the rattyest, 30+ year old sleds out on the trails that are still going. The vintage I owend years ago seemed like a full time job to keep it going and to locate parts.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

My old Bolens Sprint comes to mind.....

 

[DJ]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

They were out there. Read: expensive and GROSSLY overengineered.

They actually were quite technically ahead of their time.

The SnoMo market, at that time, wanted cheap. They weren't.

The Wankel powered units were a little low on power but set standards for low noise.

They where engineered with outboard technology, which was advanced-for that time.

Find a nice one and you have a true collectors item.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

Still run a 1970 Snow cruiser (crusher). Kohler single cylinder 20HP.
Needs a good tug to start....

 

[Brewman61]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

At one time Johnson and/or Evinrude (was there even a difference back then?) put a rotary engine in some of their sleds. They did some doofusy stuff like calling the choke a "Warm Up Control".
I remember my buddy had a Mercury Trail Twister- for it's day it was one heckuva a fast sled.
But those old sleds rode like buckboards compared to now. No Independent front suspension (leaf springs). Bogie wheels, or slide rails with about 2" of travel. Very crude clutch/torque converter arrangement.
HORRIBLE BRAKES!
Pre mixed fuel. Smoked like banshees. Fun to remember but I'd not want to ride one any great distance. Not that you'd get very far between mechanical failures!
Back then if you put in 20 miles you had a lonnnnnggg day.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

Not much of a difference between Evinrude and Johnson back in the day hence the JohnnyRude moniker.

OMC was probably one of the first with reverse on a sled in the 70's
Yea I have not time, patience, money or place to keep an old sled.
I like my 96 ZRT600 just fine despite the 4" of suspension travel and buckboard ride, no breakdowns last season. 500 miles total, powered by Suzuka.

 

[superbenk]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

At one time Johnson and/or Evinrude (was there even a difference back then?) put a rotary engine in some of their sleds. They did some doofusy stuff like calling the choke a "Warm Up Control".
I remember my buddy had a Mercury Trail Twister- for it's day it was one heckuva a fast sled.
But those old sleds rode like buckboards compared to now. No Independent front suspension (leaf springs). Bogie wheels, or slide rails with about 2" of travel. Very crude clutch/torque converter arrangement.
HORRIBLE BRAKES!
Pre mixed fuel. Smoked like banshees. Fun to remember but I'd not want to ride one any great distance. Not that you'd get very far between mechanical failures!
Back then if you put in 20 miles you had a lonnnnnggg day.

All those old specs sound very familiar When I was a kid, we rammed around the country-side on a couple of late 1970's Polaris 340 TX.

At the time I thought they were pretty nice machines, but they're pretty pathetic compared to what's out there now, it seems. I don't live in an area that's very conducive to snowmobiling anymore, but I sure do miss it.

I remember Canandaigua Lake in NY that I lived on would freeze over & we'd take the sleds out on it & go flying up and down the lake at about 50 MPH. Terrifying to think about, but man was it fun!

 

[superbenk]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

I also remember going through a few cans of ether every winter trying to get the things to run. Then there was the weeks of riveting new treads onto the track while the sled is hoisted half way up to the ceiling. And yes, there was gobs of smoke everywhere. Good times!

 

[jkust]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

At But those old sleds rode like buckboards compared to now. No Independent front suspension (leaf springs). Bogie wheels, or slide rails with about 2" of travel. Very crude clutch/torque converter arrangement.
HORRIBLE BRAKES!

Don't forget about the awful steering. Turning the handle bars was more of just a suggestion of the direction you wanted to travel.

I like my 96 ZRT600 just fine despite the 4" of suspension travel and buckboard ride, no breakdowns last season. 500 miles total, powered by Suzuka.

One of our sleds is a ZR600 EFI with reverse. It is a few years old now but was a top notch sled in the late 90's early 2000's when they were produced And can sort of keep up with the newer ones. Have never had an issue with it except it is picky about which oil it uses.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

I always like the one that looked like a snowmobile made from a fighter plane cockpit.

 

[rbh]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

My 1978 640cc alpine twin track closely resembles a big rig!
OH, do you remember john deere's sleds????

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: OMC & Snowmobiles!?!?

John Deere was kind of ahead of the curve there in being early into water pumper engines with their Liqui-Fire, I'm sure it was a Japanese engine but oh well.
That old twin track is pretty far out, my favorite is on display at my local power center and is about a 1963 Polaris Snow Traveler.