Snow Mobile Questions

[tom_strickling]

I recently purchased a 1924 Roadster with a snowmobile conversion.
I see in videos of snowmobile meets that many have RED skis and tracks. Is this how they were when they were new RED ???

Also It has a water pump. What am I ,missing? Why a water pump for extra cooling in the winter??

Is there a registry of "original White's Garage" engine serial numbers?

Thank you

[J and M Machine]

One to ask questions to is the snowmobile man Brian Moriarity
https://www.nhsnocar.com/

[Humblej]

Tom,
Congratulations on your purchase, I have been looking for snowmobile parts for a couple of years to build one.

Snow ski and track kits for cars were made by several manufacturers, snowmobile, snowbird, snow flyer, arps, etc., colors varied between manufacturers and years.

No model T needs a water pump in my opinion, and certainly none need one in winter.

What is original White's Garage?

Please post a picture of your find.

[Arbs]

+1 for posting a pic. These snow machines are always interesting to look at.

[Joe Reid]

This is a 1931 Model A with a Supersnowbird kit made by ARPS. I chose to paint it red to highlight the parts of the kit. The pickup bed is 26/27 Model T.

[Joe Reid]

The building process.

[Joe Reid]

I got new C-clips and spacers from Brian at NH-Snocar to build the tracks, links also to connect them. He makes quite a variety of parts. I sandblasted and made welding repairs to all the track pieces.

[RajoRacer]

Joe - that appears to be a '25 box - '26-'27 had the fender outline similar to a Model A box.

[Joe Reid]

It could be. It is not Model A. For some reason they bent the Model A frame straight also to accommodate the box. It does use the 26/31 tailgate.

[RajoRacer]

Yes, same tailgate throughout. The stamping in the middle of the box (notice the 2 rivet holes) are for special, one year only rear fender brackets - that's a rare box as it is a one year only also ! Does the front panel have a "kick-out" for the battery access ?

[Joe Reid]

Yes it does. It was in pretty rough shape.

[RajoRacer]

What a great snow machine !

[Joe Reid]

Tom, have you got any pictures of the 24 T. Does it have a Ruckstall? Do you have any idea of the manufacturer?

[Joe Reid]

This was last year at the Manawa Snodeo, in Manawa, WI. Two Supersnowbirds.

[Joe Reid]

I have doors to rebuild now. They have to be cut to open over the tracks. I don’t think these were kits you took on and off depending on the season. The Supersnowbird kit is from probably the mid thirties. They were used in big snow areas for RFD delivery, maybe rescue and other snow work.

[Joe Reid]

I have seen T’s with the idler axle ahead and behind. Behind lengthens the wheel base and keeps everything clear of the doors.

[RodellJunior]

The Snowmobile Company from West Ossipee, New Hampshire had red skis and steel tracks after they stopped using the canvas and steel tracks. I have found them with the original paint intact.

[Scott_Conger]

I second Steve Tomaso's enthusiasm!

[Nv Bob]

In the midst of biulding one myself
Since high desert and hills or should say mountains here mines based on a TT

[Nv Bob]

My rear wheels TT hub fitted to 30x3.5 fellow

[Joe Reid]

Looks like a good start. Is your rear axle a standard TT axle?

[TractorGlenn]

The early White built ''Snowmobiles'' wood skis were not painted as were the metal cleats on the Balaka belt tracks. I have seen later original parts, the same parts like springs, that had either traces of red or black original paint. I have not found any original track that had paint on them. I would love to know when ''Snowmobile'' changed from black to red. I painted my later Snowmobiles a 44ga. and a 56ga. red, even the tracks. Probably not correct but looks good, shows the non Ford parts on the chassis and no rusty track. For early Model T and A ''Snowbirds'' I use Smoke Gray. For later ''Snowbirds/Arps'' Grass Green. The earliest ''Snowflyer'' made when Langenfeld and Arps were partners was black (only one survived). For the later Snowflyers both T and A I use Royal Blue and red for T and A ''Eskimobiles''.

[Nv Bob]

Right or wrong I paint mine red I'm using WARD KIMBELL theory make pretty

[TractorGlenn]

Bob- Who made your rear wheel wood? They sure did a nice job! Glenn

[TractorGlenn]

Tom- Did you get one of the snowmobiles from the Smith sale?

[tom_strickling]

I did. What a sale that was !

[TractorGlenn]

Tom- Both were a bargain but the one that had the skis and track as a separate lot was ridiculously cheap. I bought several items online including a nice set of tracks cheap. Wish I could have gone to the sale but I did get some great items including a ''Maxfer'' truck attachment that still had enough original paint (about 103-105 years old) that I will be leaving it as is when I connect it to a T chassis. Glenn

[TractorGlenn]

Tom- Is this your first Snowmobile? Glenn

[tom_strickling]

Yes it is my first and probably only. If I didnt get it, I was going to try for the MAXFER