Great collection.. grew up on a 71 Skiroule S-250 but I had all the snowmobile mags and my favorite photo all time is a Chaparral coming down a trail with the skies lifted (fronts pointing down).. still got it somewhere
I was grass dragging in '75. I was riding a Rupp lightweight homebuilt racer w/ a 650 Blizzard engine, it was pretty quick. I won every race that day until I raced against a 650 Chaparral factory racer. Anyways, I got a great launch and was ahead about halfway on the run. Then that Chaparral came by me so fast, with its skiis floating about 6" off the ground, it almost sucked the paint off my sled. I'll never forget that race, damn those Chaps were fast!
The 634 cc Hirth, the last sled you talked about actually is a 1970. I was a Chaparral dealer at the time. 1970 was a huge improvement over the 1969. 1970 included polyurethane track, aluminum tunnel, enclosed hood, thick soft seat, raised seat with storage under seat. In 1971 Chaparral made them lower and sleeker, nice sleds. 1969 models had issues. Rubber track, steel body, recoils all broke on third pull on all kohlers. Chaparral was purchased by Armco steel, then when the recession hit and gas shortages on the west coast caused a loss, at that point Armco discontinued production. The last couple years Chaparral tried too many new things and had too many warranty issues. About 1973 or 1974 was last year of production I believe.
Bought a new 1973 SS-3 440 when I was 19 and absolutely loved the machine. I was a kid, and did what most kids do when that age, ran the dog do out of it. The week link of the sled was the suspension. The bogie par-a-rail suspension didn't hold up to my madness. If I had known the great improvements that were going to be made the following model year, I would have definitely waited for the 74 model. The 74 liquid cooled 440 SSX was much quicker and handled even better with the new slider suspension. I was working for GM and for the life of me don't know why I didn't buy the 74 model. If I had known, it was the last year for Chaparral I may have done just that. One great thing about the Chaparrals was there handling. When out on the trails, I could easily outpace the other machines of the day. I was wild and loven every minute of it while ridden my SS-3 440. If memory serves me right, I paid 1100.00 dollars for the machine. Great memories and I am thankful I didn't seriously hurt myself while riding my sled. When looking back at how I was back then, it amazing how I have changed sense then. Like I said, I am thankful for my guardian angles. That much power in the hands of a crazy teenager is not recommended. And to think of the powerful sleds that are made today. That is really a scary thought. Loved the drive down memory lane. Thanks for the video.
@@mcasteel2112 Yep, I had plenty of money until I bought my own house when I was 22. I remember while still living with mom and dad, I would cash five pay checks at a time. My beloved parents refused any rent money. I never married and later in life I spent a lot of time with my parents and went many places with them. I sure miss them. They were wonderful parents. I would love to have that Chapparral 440 SS-3 and restore it to good riding condition. I still have the memories and that is a wonderful thing. Now my time spent in the snow is snow blowing or plowing it. If I didn't have a precious doggie that requires much of my time, I may purchase a newer used snowmobile. One thing that has changed, we just don't get the snow we used to back in the day. Most around where I live in southeaster MI go north to ride their sleds. Where I live in Waterford MI there are lakes all over the place. I can remember riding with my buddies from lake to lake and spending the whole day and into the night on our sleds. Those were some fun times.
@@russellmaddock3492 I'm originally from Grand Blanc. The sixties through the seventies saw mountains of snow every season however, the solar cycle changed which brought less snow from the 80s on, all cyclical. I love watching these old snowmobiles.
@@mcasteel2112 It is the same for me, the sleds of the late 60's and into the 70's are what brings a smile to my face. Those were much simpler times. I was looking at some new sleds and the prices are ridiculously high. I know they are high tech, but how can a sled cost as much as a 2-year-old vehicle?? Like most recreational stuff, they depreciate very quickly. I just stick to watching videos of sleds of times gone bye. I agree with your assessment on the way our weather has changed. Everything evolves around cycles. I don't buy the WOKE agenda they are trying to force feed us. Have a blessed and safe winter.
@@russellmaddock3492 I can talk about this all day long LOL we started out with an old Evinrude 437 I think it was with reverse, then I had a rupp nitro, a couple of free air tnt's that were garbage and then a TXL 340 liquid which was a 9k rpm screamer
My first Sled as a kid was a chaparral, the high handle bars saved my life one night, I went through a barbed wire fence and the handle bars were so tall that I tucked under them and only received a small puncher wound on my upper left leg, still have the scar. However after that my mother band all night rides.
A friend of mine had a few of these SSX 440 liquid and would keep one nice by using the parts ones. When he was a teen a friends dad bought one right out of a semi trailer along the side of the road. They just wanted to liquidate them. They found that they were jetted rich so they jump down a size or two,and that made em come alive. They also found out the hard way about making them too lean. he said they used a phone book cover for the base gasket after replacing the burnt piston🤣. The factory jetted them rich so that didnt happen.They were just covering their butts .That was probably 1974 and the two friends were 15 years old. As the years went by my buddy would buy them when he could. He saw a add and the old farmer had a fan cooled one and a SSX liquid cooled one.The farmer said he never liked the SSX because it was always fouling plugs. My buddy said "sold". When he finally got a new modern snow machine he gave me the SSX. We went through it and one of the things we found was the rear suspension was limited in the travel. It would travel 5 inches out of the tunnel but when in the tunnel only 3 and a half before it hit the top of the tunnel. Hmmm. We bolted and riveted steel plates on the tunnel and lowered the mounting holes. That gave it the full travel. It also putt more weight on the ski's. When you nailed it in the stock form the ski's were in the air and they don't steer well when their in the air. you know what i mean? we also put a taller seat on it so your knees wernt in your arm pits'. I port matched the intake and put in some Boysen duel stage reeds. The baffles in the pipe broke loose so i cut the end of the tube off and removed them, then welded the end back on. Removed the dash board and moved the tach up on top and the temp gage into the carb cover. We did this so we could modify the hood and uncover the whole engine. No speedometer because i can tell when I've reached terminal velocity and the speed i would splat like a bug on a windshield. Why did i paint it red? Because why would they choose baby poop brown for the high performance model? Not me. That was like a slap in the face. Had a friend with a indy 650 three cylinder, on the groomed trails he said he couldn't pass me because when i got around a corner and he said when he got around the corner I'd be gone. He would catch me and then another corner, I'd be gone. He said i looked like a monkey f*&#king a foot ball riding it. You actually have to ride these old machines. Only time he could pass me was on a long straight and out horsepower me. One guy was bragging on his 485 fan cooled and how fast it was. He was checking out the old SNAPPY CHAPPY and said he was surprised the old jalopy had made it this far on the ride. You should have seen his face as i caught him and went by at 90 plus. At the next stop i told my buddy i had beat him, he goes right over and asked the guy what it felt like to be SPANKED by a old jalopy. The SSX sleds had different gears in the chain case for the record. Many more stories of throwing snow . Came out on the power lines one night and this group was flashing the lights. WE go over and we knew them.They said they knew it was us 5 miles out, because that sled sounds like no other. It cackles. Definitely a scary ride, it outruns its brakes and it's headlight. The new sleds set fire to the brush and I'm back here with a candle. Good times. I still have this machine but I'm 60 now and it's hard work and beats the crap out of me. When i do fire it up, its like hearing a good old friend. If you have read this far go to my channel and look for a couple videos and hear the cackle for yourself. Leave a comment.
Interesting , Thank You . As I remember from an old Snowgoer? Magazine they had so much more cornering power that a lit of racers got dumped on there first turn .
Nicely done, but can't believe there wasn't a word mentioned about the burnt orange 1974 liquid cooled SSX, Chaparral's last entry in the sport. Fastest 50hp machine I ever saw. I bought one still in the crate, a 440, when they went out of business. $815 OTD!!!!! Best $800 I ever spent. It whipped my Arctic El Tigre, so I sold the Tigre!!!! Didn't handle as well, but would just kill it in any sort of straight line race. Never overheated, either.
Yes. One of my favorites, The 74 SSX 440 was actually probably the best & fastest one there. My Dad was a dealer back then so I had a 440 SSX for a year or so. I raced it stock against triple mod polaris's in a, I think it was about a hundred miler, cross country race that went from Roseau MN. into Canada on logging roads and back to Roseau. I came in third as I remember because it blew a belt and it got all wound up in the clutchs so it took me awhile to get a new one on. I think I might have been able to win it if that hadn't happened as I was running with the top two guys. Fast machines those old SSXs were.
My close friend got killed in a car accident in Nov 1973.The 440 Chapperell is still in the create in parents garage. He was supposed to get it for Xmas. In Miramichi New Brunswick
What beauties! Wow! Too bad good ole chaparral did not last! Seeing these machines make me wish i had bill gates money so i could buy everyone of them . I actually had a chaparral 100cc enduro type motorcycle i rode year round in michigan.
Bought one new in 1972 it was a 340 twin Koehler engine i think handled very well wasn't quite as fast as my dad's 340 tnt ski door but handled and rode a lot better.
He danced around the best one Chaparral ever made, the SSX liquid cooled Fuji powered speed demon!!!
Yup
Great collection.. grew up on a 71 Skiroule S-250 but I had all the snowmobile mags and my favorite photo all time is a Chaparral coming down a trail with the skies lifted (fronts pointing down).. still got it somewhere
Had a SkiRoule 440 liquid and Mikuni 44mm carbs. It was the fastest around in 78.
I was grass dragging in '75. I was riding a Rupp lightweight homebuilt racer w/ a 650 Blizzard engine, it was pretty quick. I won every race that day until I raced against a 650 Chaparral factory racer. Anyways, I got a great launch and was ahead about halfway on the run. Then that Chaparral came by me so fast, with its skiis floating about 6" off the ground, it almost sucked the paint off my sled. I'll never forget that race, damn those Chaps were fast!
Beautiful examples of great American made sleds. So rare. Great video. I remember these red beauties new racing at Boonville NY in USSA competition.
What a amazing collection a true piece of history
Cool those were nice looking machines
I had a 1974 340 ssx liquid cooled. Fun sled
Yep me too
The 634 cc Hirth, the last sled you talked about actually is a 1970.
I was a Chaparral dealer at the time.
1970 was a huge improvement over the 1969.
1970 included polyurethane track, aluminum tunnel, enclosed hood, thick soft seat, raised seat with storage under seat.
In 1971 Chaparral made them lower and sleeker, nice sleds.
1969 models had issues. Rubber track, steel body, recoils all broke on third pull on all kohlers.
Chaparral was purchased by Armco steel, then when the recession hit and gas shortages on the west coast caused a loss, at that point Armco discontinued production.
The last couple years Chaparral tried too many new things and had too many warranty issues.
About 1973 or 1974 was last year of production I believe.
Bought a new 1973 SS-3 440 when I was 19 and absolutely loved the machine. I was a kid, and did what most kids do when that age, ran the dog do out of it. The week link of the sled was the suspension. The bogie par-a-rail suspension didn't hold up to my madness. If I had known the great improvements that were going to be made the following model year, I would have definitely waited for the 74 model. The 74 liquid cooled 440 SSX was much quicker and handled even better with the new slider suspension. I was working for GM and for the life of me don't know why I didn't buy the 74 model. If I had known, it was the last year for Chaparral I may have done just that. One great thing about the Chaparrals was there handling. When out on the trails, I could easily outpace the other machines of the day. I was wild and loven every minute of it while ridden my SS-3 440. If memory serves me right, I paid 1100.00 dollars for the machine. Great memories and I am thankful I didn't seriously hurt myself while riding my sled. When looking back at how I was back then, it amazing how I have changed sense then. Like I said, I am thankful for my guardian angles. That much power in the hands of a crazy teenager is not recommended. And to think of the powerful sleds that are made today. That is really a scary thought. Loved the drive down memory lane. Thanks for the video.
19, working for GM with a lot of disposable income!
@@mcasteel2112 Yep, I had plenty of money until I bought my own house when I was 22. I remember while still living with mom and dad, I would cash five pay checks at a time. My beloved parents refused any rent money. I never married and later in life I spent a lot of time with my parents and went many places with them. I sure miss them. They were wonderful parents. I would love to have that Chapparral 440 SS-3 and restore it to good riding condition. I still have the memories and that is a wonderful thing. Now my time spent in the snow is snow blowing or plowing it. If I didn't have a precious doggie that requires much of my time, I may purchase a newer used snowmobile. One thing that has changed, we just don't get the snow we used to back in the day. Most around where I live in southeaster MI go north to ride their sleds. Where I live in Waterford MI there are lakes all over the place. I can remember riding with my buddies from lake to lake and spending the whole day and into the night on our sleds. Those were some fun times.
@@russellmaddock3492
I'm originally from Grand Blanc. The sixties through the seventies saw mountains of snow every season however, the solar cycle changed which brought less snow from the 80s on, all cyclical.
I love watching these old snowmobiles.
@@mcasteel2112 It is the same for me, the sleds of the late 60's and into the 70's are what brings a smile to my face. Those were much simpler times. I was looking at some new sleds and the prices are ridiculously high. I know they are high tech, but how can a sled cost as much as a 2-year-old vehicle?? Like most recreational stuff, they depreciate very quickly. I just stick to watching videos of sleds of times gone bye. I agree with your assessment on the way our weather has changed. Everything evolves around cycles. I don't buy the WOKE agenda they are trying to force feed us. Have a blessed and safe winter.
@@russellmaddock3492 I can talk about this all day long LOL we started out with an old Evinrude 437 I think it was with reverse, then I had a rupp nitro, a couple of free air tnt's that were garbage and then a TXL 340 liquid which was a 9k rpm screamer
Wow, nice to see a fellow Albertan with such a passion for old sleds.
My first Sled as a kid was a chaparral, the high handle bars saved my life one night, I went through a barbed wire fence and the handle bars were so tall that I tucked under them and only received a small puncher wound on my upper left leg, still have the scar. However after that my mother band all night rides.
A friend of mine had a few of these SSX 440 liquid and would keep one nice by using the parts ones. When he was a teen a friends dad bought one right out of a semi trailer along the side of the road. They just wanted to liquidate them. They found that they were jetted rich so they jump down a size or two,and that made em come alive. They also found out the hard way about making them too lean. he said they used a phone book cover for the base gasket after replacing the burnt piston🤣. The factory jetted them rich so that didnt happen.They were just covering their butts .That was probably 1974 and the two friends were 15 years old. As the years went by
my buddy would buy them when he could. He saw a add and the old farmer had a fan cooled one and a SSX liquid cooled one.The farmer said he never liked the SSX because it was always fouling plugs. My buddy said "sold". When he finally got a new modern snow machine he gave me the SSX. We went through it and one of the things we found was the rear suspension was limited in the travel. It would travel 5 inches out of the tunnel but when in the tunnel only 3 and a half before it hit the top of the tunnel. Hmmm. We bolted and riveted steel plates on the tunnel and lowered the mounting holes. That gave it the full travel. It also putt more weight on the ski's. When you nailed it in the stock form the ski's were in the air and they don't steer well when their in the air. you know what i mean? we also put a taller seat on it so your knees wernt in your arm pits'. I port matched the intake and put in some Boysen duel stage reeds. The baffles in the pipe broke loose so i cut the end of the tube off and removed them, then welded the end back on. Removed the dash board and moved the tach up on top and the temp gage into the carb cover. We did this so we could modify the hood and uncover the whole engine. No speedometer because i can tell when I've reached terminal velocity and the speed i would splat like a bug on a windshield. Why did i paint it red? Because why would they choose baby poop brown for the high performance model? Not me. That was like a slap in the face. Had a friend with a indy 650 three cylinder, on the groomed trails he said he couldn't pass me because when i got around a corner and he said when he got around the corner I'd be gone. He would catch me and then another corner, I'd be gone. He said i looked like a monkey f*&#king a foot ball riding it. You actually have to ride these old machines. Only time he could pass me was on a long straight and out horsepower me. One guy was bragging on his 485 fan cooled and how fast it was. He was checking out the old SNAPPY CHAPPY and said he was surprised the old jalopy had made it this far on the ride. You should have seen his face as i caught him and went by at 90 plus. At the next stop i told my buddy i had beat him, he goes right over and asked the guy what it felt like to be SPANKED by a old jalopy. The SSX sleds had different gears in the chain case for the record. Many more stories of throwing snow . Came out on the power lines one night and this group was flashing the lights. WE go over and we knew them.They said they knew it was us 5 miles out, because that sled sounds like no other. It cackles. Definitely a scary ride, it outruns its brakes and it's headlight. The new sleds set fire to the brush and I'm back here with a candle. Good times. I still have this machine but I'm 60 now and it's hard work and beats the crap out of me. When i do fire it up, its like hearing a good old friend. If you have read this far go to my channel and look for a couple videos and hear the cackle for yourself. Leave a comment.
Awesome just awesome video and machine's love old vintage sleds and thank you for sharing and keep the information and videos coming !
Interesting , Thank You . As I remember from an old Snowgoer? Magazine they had so much more cornering power that a lit of racers got dumped on there first turn .
Don't know why they would they had the same engines everyone else was running....
The short answer , those were the engines that were avalable and functional .
Nicely done, but can't believe there wasn't a word mentioned about the burnt orange 1974 liquid cooled SSX, Chaparral's last entry in the sport. Fastest 50hp machine I ever saw. I bought one still in the crate, a 440, when they went out of business. $815 OTD!!!!! Best $800 I ever spent. It whipped my Arctic El Tigre, so I sold the Tigre!!!! Didn't handle as well, but would just kill it in any sort of straight line race. Never overheated, either.
Yes. One of my favorites, The 74 SSX 440 was actually probably the best & fastest one there.
My Dad was a dealer back then so I had a 440 SSX for a year or so. I raced it stock against triple mod polaris's in a, I think it was about a hundred miler, cross country race that went from Roseau MN. into Canada on logging roads and back to Roseau. I came in third as I remember because it blew a belt and it got all wound up in the clutchs so it took me awhile to get a new one on. I think I might have been able to win it if that hadn't happened as I was running with the top two guys. Fast machines those old SSXs were.
Yeah, it was crazy. I also got a 440ssx. Fine sled!
Roger Janssen raced one of the first Chaparral IFS sleds. He said it was ahead of its time but needed development.
So many things old , still in use today
Just awesome machine's
My close friend got killed in a car accident in Nov 1973.The 440 Chapperell is still in the create in parents garage. He was supposed to get it for Xmas. In Miramichi New Brunswick
Where is this museum?
Excellent videos of forgotten times
Be even better if you could open all the hoods
Looks like Chaparral was using Rotax motors?
The Chaparrals used a FUJI motor, but it was a different engine than the Fuji's used by Polaris
What beauties! Wow! Too bad good ole chaparral did not last! Seeing these machines make me wish i had bill gates money so i could buy everyone of them . I actually had a chaparral 100cc enduro type motorcycle i rode year round in michigan.
How much do you know about Red Line snowmobiles ? we don t see too many do we ? 🤔
where's the lc models, is that not what the brown one was ??
Quality
I had a 1968 OMC SNOW CRUISER and it didn’t have anything independent……
Bought one new in 1972 it was a 340 twin Koehler engine i think handled very well wasn't quite as fast as my dad's 340 tnt ski door but handled and rode a lot better.
I had 1970 Arctic Cat Panther 399 Kohler Engine