This 1970 Moto-Ski vintage snowmobile is one of my favourite restorations. I have to think of all the hours of painstaking work that went into this project to make this old sled probably look better than original showroom condition. I snapped this shot at a snowmobile convention in Calgary a number of years ago.
According to a vintage snowmobile page devoted to Moto-Skis, this little orange wonder was first built in LaPocatière, Québec by Jean Yves Bélanger and Raoul Pelletier in 1963.
Evidently this was not their first sled endeavour as they built a "snow contraption" called "Le Cupidon" or "The Cupid" first—Le Cupidon was green with a big windshield and a cleated track.
History tells us that the "Cupid" venture was financed by a Mr. C.E. Bouchard (Industries Bouchard) for whom Mr. Pelletier was a salesman. Mr. Bélanger was the machinist-mechanic behind the venture. Surprisingly enough, Mr. Bouchard owned a pharmaceutical manufacturing business (aspirin & cosmetics). Evidently Mr. Bouchard fell out of love with the "The Cupid" project or possibly cash which prompted Belanger and Pelletier to start Moto-Ski.
History also tells us that the Moto-Ski name was the result of a contest at a local school to name the new sled.
The Moto-Ski snowmobile underwent an evolution over the years it was produced:
- The '67's had a new design, hood and metal trunk, and new 15 HP Hirth 300cc engines.
- The '68's had a new hood design, body design, seat design, engine design (Hirth & JLO) and rubberized steel cleats. The rubberized cleats didn't break nearly as much. They also had plastic trunks. 1968 is the first year that the MS-18 is made.
- The '70's had different designs with thicker seats, a new cleat design and more engine choices—Hirth, JLO or Sachs. In 1970, the Grand Prix was introduced. It was a Capri with a gold metal flake paint job and larger front cam clutch (11" vs. 10"). The MiniSno was introduced in late 1970. They were the same as the '71's except with a white fiberglass engine cover.
Gotta love this one!
