DAVID'S VINTAGE
SNOWMOBILE PAGE.
RESTORING THE
SPORT ONE PIECE AT A TIME.
PAGE 21,819
DECEMBER
16, 2016
1978
ARCTIC CAT EL TIGRE 5000 SNOWMOBILE
David - Please find enclosed
attachment of pics of my Dad's
1978 Arctic Cat El Tigre
5000; as well as a little history of the machine.
Dad bought the machine
new in the fall of '77, from Haycraft Marine in Owen Sound.
He more or less assembled
the machine himself out of the crate.
I can still remember
the crate arriving at the house; when his good friend and manager
of Haycraft Marine Ross
Potter delivered the machine in the back of a
1974 blue standard cab
Dodge pickup.
During the first season,
paint began peeling away from the sides of the tunnel and the
foot rests. Despite
being offered a warranty on this; after the last run of the season;
Dad took the whole machine
apart, and chemically stripped the entire chassis of black
paint, then reapplied
the Cat decals. Upon any return outing with the machine; Dad and
I later would go back
over the entire chassis each time to repolish the entire chassis.
Being a big fan of the
Cat factory sno pro race team; Dad soon turned his attention to the
engine bay during the
spring of '78, and applied show chrome. Most of the show chrome
you see currently on
the machine, was chromed plated back in 1978; I believe through
Cambridge Chrome.
The machine was also campaigned in the 1978-1980 Kawanas Sno
Rally Event. Dad
took 1st place in the 78, 79 events. Took 2nd in '80, which proved
to be
the last event; as part
of the Owen Sound and area Winter carnival. Of note, the winner
in the last Sno rally
won a trip to Hawaii, and also got to keep the annual trophy.
Dad also won the award
back in '77 with his 74 El Tigre 340.
However never had
the pleasure of winning a trip; despite the fact he won the
event a total of 3 times,
more than any other sledder.
Dad kept the El Tigre
until the fall of 1988. I relocated the 'tigre in the fall of 1996,
when I
bought it back from the
fellow who had bought it off of dad. Dad and I proceeded to give
her a light restoration.
The clutch, as well as the jackshaft were replaced and/or rebuilt.
Many more hours were
also given to going back over the entire chassis and
repolishing it to the
standards dad always kept it in.
I both trail rode, as
well as showed the machine at various vintage meets from 1996-2004.
After the Morrison Flats
2004, we mouth balled the 'tigre, as other machines were either
acquired or being restored
in our collection. The pics you see in the attachment, were
recently taken of the
machine, after it was removed from the barn 2 weeks prior to
Sledarama 2016.
After a little clean up/ prep for this years Sledarama, the ol Tigre proved
she can still roar, and
can still manage to show off nicely at a vintage event.
Thanks again to both Joe
and Christine Scollard for taking the time to take a pic of Dad
and his tigre while we
were setting the machine up for the event. Sadly there was never
a picture taken of Dad
back in the day with this machine. In addition, the machine is
currently featured on
both Joe Scollard's Sledarama; as well as the ACSCC facebook
pages. Of interest,
you can manage to see in some of the Sledarama pics some of the
period Cat suits hanging
up behind the machine. Those are Dad's original suits which he
didn't sell with the
machine back in 1988. At one point before we reaquired the machine,
I can remember dad using
one of the suits for blowing snow! There both in a safe place
now. For anyone
who has ever bought or seen the "Classic Sleds" video/ or DVD
collection produced by
Phil Molto; the machine was featured on
VHS/DVD #2, back in 1998.
Jeff Carmichael
THANKS
JEFF FOR THE GREAT PICTURES !
