Tucker 222, 1957 Kitten

GMoose · Sep 30, 2020

Well it took me 6 months, one arm, one leg, a lot of encouragement and help from several friends (thank you), and a pissed off wife (not really), but I am now the proud owner of a 1957 Tucker square door 222 Kitten, serial number 157495.

It is the first snowcat I have purchased out of 5-1/2 (yes I have 1/2 a snowcat in my collection) that actually ran (after about an hour of persuasion) when I purchased it. I will need to do a few restoration items and some basic maintenance, but I will be able to use it this winter. I will be asking for some help here since I know very little about this machine.

Before anyone asks, the oil bath air cleaner, the extra lights over the windshield, the rear rack, and the stickers are all going.

The "Tommy T" was in honor of the owner prior to the owner I purchased it from, he passed away several years ago and his widow sold the kitten to the individual who I purchased it from. This owner was a part owner in the Kelly Canyon ski area near Idaho Falls Idaho.

Pontoon Princess · Sep 30, 2020

fabulous addition to your very fine litter of cats, hope you enjoy it for years to come, kinda sorry to see it leave Kelly Canyon Ski area,

if it did find a new home, yours is prefect!

nice kitten and good for you...

RRose · Sep 30, 2020

YES! tThats awesome - what a great looking cat! I hope to see it really soon!

230 Pilot · Sep 30, 2020

Nice looking machine, good luck with it.

Pontoon Princess · Sep 30, 2020

GMooSe, the first owner of your wonderful little kitten:

General Petroleum Corporation of Los Angles, Calif.

Cidertom · Sep 30, 2020

Very clean looking, great find.

GMoose · Sep 30, 2020

Looks like it has traveled a bit, thanks for the info!

DAVENET · Oct 1, 2020

Personally, I don't think the rear rack is that bad. Proportional, well built and able to carry extra fuel and some gear.

Track Addict · Oct 1, 2020

Gut that oil bath and you have a sleeper fresh air intake for extra HP.

Kitten looks real nice as she sits. Ill trade you for a project one you can put the torch to!

sno-drifter · Oct 1, 2020

You need to deep six the grill too. Nice Kitten.

LakeTucker · Oct 1, 2020

Welcome to the Family. and Brian don't you dare torch a kitten! I will remove it for free if it's in your way!

vintagebike · Oct 1, 2020

Everyone loves a new kitten. McCall 2018

GMoose · Oct 2, 2020

To address a few of the comments:

Air cleaner: was dry, so basically it was there for the look someone wanted. It basically performed no air cleaner function. I am taking this back to original if I can, and actually put an air filter on it. Possibly it did not have an air filter originally, my Frandee only had a screen over the carb inlet to keep chunks out. I guess the thought was that it was run in the winter where no to little dust/dirt was present. I will put one on this, need to protect that powerhouse.

Rear rack: I agree it is a good rack and has some utility, but if I decide to have one on it I will design my own and build it. One nice thing about the current rack is that it is a bolt-on, I can always reinstall it.

Grill: I agree 100%, this needs to be cut off and replaced. What I could use is more up close photos of the grill if anyone has any. Dimensions would help also. Or the ultimate, if you have an extra one sell it to me. Or, let me borrow one for a short time so I can replicate it.

The ultimate goal with this Kitten is to take it as close back to original as I reasonably can just like I did with my Frandee. I like it when someone gets in the cat and it is a step back in time to 1957. Don't get me wrong, those resto-mods are great, and some are just incredible works of art, but this one is going back (at least close) to what it was in 1957.

I really appreciate the comments, photos, and help, keep it coming.

Someday when you are at one of the jamborees and if I am there with it come on up and take it for a drive.

Sno-Surfer · Oct 2, 2020

That's a great looking kitten and glad it's in good hands. Hope to see it out and about this winter. :thumbup:

RRose · Oct 2, 2020

GMoose said:
Grill: I agree 100%, this needs to be cut off and replaced. What I could use is more up close photos of the grill if anyone has any. Dimensions would help also. Or the ultimate, if you have an extra one sell it to me. Or, let me borrow one for a short time so I can replicate it.

Does yours have the original 3/4” bars behind that mesh? I don’t think any of them had removable grills - mines all connected to the chassis.

RRose · Oct 2, 2020

As you can see in the second picture - the are 3/4” C channel - not square bar

If anyone knows where to get this material - please let me know - I’ve got a couple that aren’t salvageable

GMoose · Oct 2, 2020

Sno-Surfer said:
That's a great looking kitten and glad it's in good hands. Hope to see it out and about this winter.

You will see and drive it if you make it to the same jamborees I go to. I am currently looking into getting a larger trailer so I can haul the Frandee and the Kitten. Also looking at seeing if I can fit it in the bed of the truck. I would have to make a platform since it won't fit between the wheel wells, but then it sits up pretty high. A new trailer is the prefered path because I have some other ideas for the future.

PradoTDI · Oct 2, 2020

RRose said:
As you can see in the second picture - the are 3/4” C channel - not square bar

If anyone knows where to get this material - please let me know - I’ve got a couple that aren’t salvageable

Those don't look like normal C channel to me, more likely they are formed sheet metal (maybe 14ga?). It shouldn't be too hard to make a batch on a standard sheet metal brake as long as the machine is rated for that thickness.

GMoose · Oct 2, 2020

RRose said:
As you can see in the second picture - the are 3/4” C channel - not square bar

If anyone knows where to get this material - please let me know - I’ve got a couple that aren’t salvageable

Looks like one could use 3/4" square tube, if you wanted the C still you could cut one side of the tube away.

Thanks a million for the photos.

GMoose · Oct 2, 2020

RRose said:
Does yours have the original 3/4” bars behind that mesh? I don’t think any of them had removable grills - mines all connected to the chassis.

R Rose your the man, I looked behind the mesh and the grill is there, it is missing 4 bars but most of it is there. I will see what I can do to get the four I need fabricated plus a couple for you. Give me some time, but I might be able to scrounge something up, and if not make some out of tube, or use Prado TDI's idea and make them on a brake.

Thanks for making my day.

One other thing, I am going to have to fabricate a latch, mine is completely gone, both sides (grill side and hood side). If you could take a few pictures of both sides of the latch that would be great. Thanks again.

GMoose · Oct 2, 2020

Here is a photo from behind that shows the partial grill.

RRose · Oct 2, 2020

GMoose said:
One other thing, I am going to have to fabricate a latch, mine is completely gone, both sides (grill side and hood side). If you could take a few pictures of both sides of the latch that would be great. Thanks again.

Here you go

GYPSY · Oct 7, 2020

My 1959 Kitten has a 9 "bar" grille made of formed 5/64" channels measuring 3/4 wide with 3/4 legs. They are welded to a removable frame. The hood latches are "suitcase" style with one on each side mounted behind the headlight bracket.

GMoose · Nov 23, 2020

I was thinking it would be good to have a few extra track parts for the 222. By any chance does anyone have any of the following items they would be interested in selling. I don't need new, just usable good used stuff. I will try posting here first, if no luck I will create a thread in the for sale/want to buy section. Thanks.

- Maybe around four 3/4" rollers
- One or two track grousers
- Maybe around four track links

Pontoon Princess · Nov 23, 2020

mr G Moose, your kitten used standard 400 series grousers, links, and rollers

happy to help out...for you

GMoose · Nov 23, 2020

More help needed from the Tucker experts.

So my 222 did not have a Tucker sticker anywhere on it. I have seen pictures where most have stickers on the front cowlings and one with what looks like the die cast emblem on the door, one other with what appears to be a painted emblem on the door. So my question is, what is the most correct for a 1957 "square door", a sticker on the cowling, a die cast on the cowling, a die cast on the door, or does it matter? I believe the factory sells both and wanted to get a couple on the unit before I take it to Oregon in January.

Pontoon Princess · Nov 23, 2020

yours would have had a sticker logo on the hood side panels that would be factory original correct, stickers/logo from the factory would be correct, no die cast on a '57

GMoose · Nov 23, 2020

Ordered tune up parts today for the Ford Anglia 100e, with it's whopping 10 hp. Currently it runs, but very poorly. Pumped 10 gallons of old gas out and put in some fresh non ethanol 91 octane then fiddled with the carburetor a bit. Runs a little better but still needs plugs, wires, points, cap, rotor, coil, condenser, carb kit, thermostat, and a coolant fitting. Found a place in Colorado (Kip Motor Company) that sells engine parts, looks like they have everything I need, at least the order for these items was placed, we will see if they come through. Found the fan belt (Gates 8341) on ebay and the wiper blade (ANSO 2010) on amazon. Still need to round up some radiator hoses.

Here is a picture of the coolant fitting I want to replace. This one is a home made job, works, but I would like it to be the correct part.

GMoose · Nov 23, 2020

Pontoon Princess said:
yours would have had a sticker logo on the hood side panels that would be factory original correct, sticker one from the factory would be correct, no die cast on a '57

Thank you very much for the information, sticker it is.

GMoose · Nov 23, 2020

Correction: That Kip Motor Company where I ordered the Ford Anglia parts is not in Colorado (sorry it was way late last night when I wrote that note), it is in Dallas Texas.

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