"What you see is what you get." Doesn't look like much does it? My goal is to make one good sled out of these two. The sled on the right is a 1970 model and will be the base sled, while the machine on the left is a 1971 Star Jet and will donate some parts.
The '70 is the first sled I ever drove waaaaay back in the 80's. Dad bought it new in 1970 along with a Ski-Doo Olympique. The 'Doo is gone, and the Jet has survived...sort of.
The '71 belonged to a nighbor. Both of these sleds were donated to a neighboring family about 10 years ago when their kids were getting to that age of wanting to ride. And ride they did! They literally rode the track off of the '71 and as the '70 wore things out, parts were swapped to it.
I haven't really begun to dig into this project, but I do know that it runs, and that's the important thing. The engine is a Hirth 292cc single. Sno*Jet offered two versions of this engine: one was 15 hp, the other was 19 hp. This is the 15 hp version. And it is bulletproof, too!
I remember spending many Sunday afternoons running this thing constantly. I hate to even think how many hours this engine has been run over the past 30+ years - and it's never been rebuilt! The summer after it's last season of heavy use it was stored outside. I came to it one day and found the engine stuck. I remove the recoil, put a pipe wrench on the pulley and gave it a twist. It broke free and started right up!
The neighbor kids used these sleds for a few seasons before they grew into newer machines. The two Jets were then left in a grove and they stayed in the wind, rain, snow, and sun for about 4 years. I decided to bring them home before they were brought to the dump.
It had been about 6 or 7 years since the Hirth's had been fired up. Amazingly, neither engine was frozen. I pulled the spark plug on the '70 and found a hot, blue spark. I sprayed some fuel into the carb, one pull, and she fired right up with that same loud POP-POP that was so familiar many years ago.
I ran the engine for a few minutes, revving it to engage the clutch and lube everything up. So far so good.
It's good news that mechanically this sled is in pretty good shape. But cosmetically and structurally, I'm not sure. I know there are a few cracks in the running boards that will need to be welded. The hood will need fiberglass work, and I have no idea how the electrical has held up.
Dad put on a new seat several years ago, but even that one has succumed to the elements. The original rear backrest and tool compartment was removed and discarded when that seat was put on. Thankfully, the donor sled has a decent seat that should work fine. The backrest is a little different than what this sled used to have, but I'm not going to be too picky about originality.
The track on the '70 just might be salvagable. I'm not sure how strong it is, but it looks ok. Time will tell. Several track clips have fallen off. The donor sled track is completely shot, but I may be able to use some of the track clips. If the track can't be saved...well, I'll figure out what to do when the time comes. The bogies look good, and I have a few extra in the event I need them.
You can see the seat here that I will use from the donor sled. Another part I will need is the front wrap-around bumper. The hood hinge is part of the bumper and it is broken on the '70. The bumper on the '71 is in good shape.
Yeah, it's going to be a long project, but I think it is doable. Updates will be posted as progress is made!
