HERE ARE SOME MORE PICTURES OF A 1974 BEARCAT - KODIAK 400SE. SEE HISTORY BELOW THIS
IS A VERY RARE.....
WHICH THEN BECAME: UNITED
SNOW SPORTS INC
HERE IS THE HISTORY OF ACQUIRING THIS SLED. ON DECEMBER 10 - 2006, I SAW THIS SLED LISTED ON EBAY.
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS SO I EMAILED GERMAIN AND ASK IF HE KNEW. HE GOT BACK TO ME WITH THE FOLLOWING HISTORY. ACCORDING THE INFORMATION HE GOT, HERE IS WHAT HE FOUND OUT. THE BEARCAT WAS MADE IN 1973 AND 1974 AND PRODUCED IN LIMITED NUMBERS. THE BEARCAT NEVER MADE IT TO FULL PRODUCTION AS THE COST OF MAKING THE SLED BECAME TOO EXPENSIVE. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE COST OF BUILDING THE PLANT TO PRODUCE THEM. ADD TO THAT THE OIL CRISIS ABOUT TO HIT AND YOU CAN SEE WHY IT NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND. GERMAIN AND I DISCUSSED THIS SLED, AND TOGETHER, WE DECIDED TO BID ON IT ON EBAY. WE HAVE GONE 50/50 PARTNERS ON SEVERAL SLEDS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT MAKES IT EASIER TO BUY AND RESTORE A SLED IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE CASH FOR THE FULL PROJECT YOURSELF. ON DECEMBER 17, 2006 WE WON THE BIDDING AND THE PROJECT WAS ON THE WAY. I WAS NOW LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO GET THE SLED CLOSER TO HOME AS I BOUGHT IT IN WESTERN PA, USA. ONE DAY, I SAW AN AD POSTED ON A VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE CLASSIFIED SITE BY DAN CLANCY SAYING THAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH OHIO AND HAD ROOM FOR ANOTHER SLED IN HIS TRAILER. HE COULD TRANSPORT A SLED FROM HIS PLANNED ROUTE TO CLOSE TO SYRACUSE NY FOR A REASONABLE FEE. I JUMPED ON IT AND DAN SAID YES HE WOULD GET THE SLED FOR ME. DAN AND HIS SON JOE, WENT TOGETHER TO GET THE SLED. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE ADDRESS OF WHERE THE SLED WAS TO BE PICKED UP AT WAS A DIFFICULT ADDRESS TO FIND IN THAT AREA OF PA. DUE TO DAN'S PERSISTENCE, HE FOUND THE HOUSE AFTER 1 HOUR OF LOOKING. DAN TOLD ME THAT THE BEST PART OF THE TRIP WAS THE FACT THAT HE SPENT SOME QUALITY TIME WITH HIS SON JOE AND THAT IT MADE THE TRIP VERY REWARDING. ( A BIG THANKS TO DAN FOR NOT GOING HOME WITHOUT THE SLED AS IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT TO FIND THE HOUSE. I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH DAN THAT YOU STAYED UNTIL YOU FOUND THE SLED ). DAN TOOK THE SLED HOME AND ALTHOUGH IT STATED ON THE EBAY AD THAT THE SLED RAN, IT DID NOT. THE MOTOR WAS STUCK. DAN TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO GET TO WORK ON THE MOTOR AND FREE IT UP FOR ME. HE WORKED VERY LONG AND HARD UNTIL HE GOT IT RUNNING. I
WAS NOT ABLE TO GO GET THE SLED FROM DAN UNTIL THIS PAST WEEKEND.
I DROVE FROM MONTREAL
SOME OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF THIS SPORT IS MEETING THE PEOPLE WHO HELP YOU OUT. DAN WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP ME OUT ON SEVERAL FRONTS AND FOR THAT I AM VERY GRATEFUL. WE CHATTED FOR SOME LENGTH, DAN SHOWED ME SOME OF HIS SLEDS AND THEN WE WENT OUT FOR BREAKFAST. A VERY NICE TIME. THANKS GUYS. Ron Kelly has 1 original 1973 Skiroule RTE-300, a restored 1972 Skiroule RT-340 , and a Restored 1971 Ski-Doo Elan. As for Dan Clancy- he has both original, a 1970 Scorpion Mark II 300 and a 1972 Ski-Zoom Rebel. LATER SUNDAY, I DROVE TO JIM TSEPAS'S HOUSE IN WILLIAMSON NY AND STAYED THE NIGHT. THANKS JIM & JEAN FOR YOUR WARM HOSPITALITY. JIM SHOWED ME SOME OF HIS SLEDS AND PROVIDED ME WITH SOME GREAT BROCHURES TO POST ON MY SITE. I WILL BE POSTING THEM VERY SOON. MONDAY AT 3 A.M., I STARTED MY TREK BACK TO MONTREAL, QUÉBEC. POSTED ON THE NEXT MANY PAGES ARE SOME PICTURES OF THIS 1974 BEARCAT - KODIAK 400 SE. ENJOY. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR HISTORY ON THIS SLED, PLEASE EMAIL ME. THANKS DAN, JIM AND JEAN FOR EVERYTHING! |
