• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Who Can Name These Machines

highrocky

New member
Saw these machines in Mont on a resent trip. I know what they are and I'm wondering if they are as rare as I think.
 

Attachments

  • cat 1.jpg
    cat 1.jpg
    90.4 KB · Views: 322
  • cat 2.jpg
    cat 2.jpg
    63.9 KB · Views: 315

sledhaus

Member
I guess the true meaning of the "KEEP OUT" signs escapes some people. I don't know why it is but it pisses me off when someone trespasses and takes photos of my stuff and plasters them all over the Internet. Ask first and I have a completely different attitude and gladly give tours and bs with fellow enthusiasts.:glare:
 

newj5owner

New member
Best post i have read all day. I love it too how some people just wander into my yard to ponder over my machine like some workshop elf. I really need a garage to store it in.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
i got kind of a pic of that m7 snow jeep i told you about has a custom cab on it so there is more room for passengers will try to post it soon and to answer the question the top pic is a m7 snow jeep built by allice chalmers during ww-2 and i will let the owner post additional history if he wants
 

sledhaus

Member
Thank you for the support NewJ5owner as I was hoping it just isn't me who feels violated when I have been .....well.....er....VIOLATED. When I go to my shop and find doors on things flapping in the wind and empty beer cans sitting on machines, etc. I can't help but get mad. I have a Model A Ford (with a snowmobile conversion) that had beautiful original headlights and lenses and someone took the rim off, stole a lens and replaced the rim. Obviously not just kids. They needed one and helped themselves. Should I be happy they didn't lose the screw for the ring and carefully put it back? Or should I take down the three No Trespassing and KEEP OUT signs at the driveway to reduce temptation? There is an eticate that should be followed when curious about someone else's property.
 

DynatracGuy

New member
Thank you for the support NewJ5owner as I was hoping it just isn't me who feels violated when I have been .....well.....er....VIOLATED. When I go to my shop and find doors on things flapping in the wind and empty beer cans sitting on machines, etc. I can't help but get mad. I have a Model A Ford (with a snowmobile conversion) that had beautiful original headlights and lenses and someone took the rim off, stole a lens and replaced the rim. Obviously not just kids. They needed one and helped themselves. Should I be happy they didn't lose the screw for the ring and carefully put it back? Or should I take down the three No Trespassing and KEEP OUT signs at the driveway to reduce temptation? There is an eticate that should be followed when curious about someone else's property.
More physical barriers the better, like gates, fences, etc. An electric fence is easy to put up and it is something most don't want to deal with. Especially as the electronics is designed to make an impression on a 500 pound cow, not a 200 pound human!
 

Trakternut

Active member
More physical barriers the better, like gates, fences, etc. An electric fence is easy to put up and it is something most don't want to deal with. Especially as the electronics is designed to make an impression on a 500 pound cow, not a 200 pound human!


But you will be the one on the hotseat in front of the judge. :hammer:
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
up here there is a lot of stuff that ppears to be abandoned and i could grab it and no body would know but respect for property goes a long way and i try to track down ownership before i touch any thing and after a national organization indian gave me a cushman trackster that i moved 15 miles overland and than got it 50 miles back to town i make shure i have it in whiting now
 

sledhaus

Member
Couchloafer,

Yes and it was more expensive than I thought. Someone from Thiokol contacted me and wanted a copy. I told him I had spent a bit of money on the films and a greater bit on getting them transferred to DVD and if he was willing to contribute toward those costs I would get him a copy. There is no benefit to me going through the expense and effort and then find it available on youtube a week later. I never heard from him again. The professional who transferred them put some weird function codes on the dvd or something because I can only play it on certain machines. Very strange. I haven't tried to copy it yet to see if he prevented that but I should still be able to capture it with a video program I am just not that up on videos but I'll play with it one of these evenings. I would like to put out a short clip at least. Keep reminding me please.
 

sledhaus

Member
FYI I have received a personal message from Highrocky apologizing. I think we are all reminded of how we should respect other's property and privacy. In his defense he did inquire at my rentor's residence so he attempted to make contact first. Just an unfortunate chain of events.

To answer the other half of his original question (dds quickly identified the M7 hiding under the home-made cab)only a handfull of people could guess what the Red machine is because it is a one-of-one built by Dave Porter a boat builder in the Seattle area as a personal snocat. He is an avid snowmobiler and used to have an IMP I believe he said and decided to build his own. He is currently restoring a Kristie. (that should spawn conversation on this site) :biggrin:It has a Ford Ind 4 cyl and is heavy and he said under-powered. It has no suspension at all. Looks kind of cute with the tracks on and has his Porterbuilt emblems on it from the boat manufacturing end. So this is the only Poterbuilt you will ever see.

In the end my advice based on this experience is to build bigger buildings to hide your stash. Or move further up into the woods. And of course ask first.
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I am a real estate appraiser, and in this capacity, I am required to take pictures of thousands of homes each year. Basically, there is no expectation of privacy if your property can be seen from the street. About once a year, I am stopped by the police after a complaint call. As soon as I hand them my card, the problem is solved.

When a property is not visible from the street, I always ask permission. Never have been refused.
 

couchloafer

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Are you still planning on rebuilding and running the Porterbuilt??? I do know several people interested in paying for a copy of the Thiokol film if you ever decide to make it available!!!

FYI I have received a personal message from Highrocky apologizing. I think we are all reminded of how we should respect other's property and privacy. In his defense he did inquire at my rentor's residence so he attempted to make contact first. Just an unfortunate chain of events.

To answer the other half of his original question (dds quickly identified the M7 hiding under the home-made cab)only a handfull of people could guess what the Red machine is because it is a one-of-one built by Dave Porter a boat builder in the Seattle area as a personal snocat. He is an avid snowmobiler and used to have an IMP I believe he said and decided to build his own. He is currently restoring a Kristie. (that should spawn conversation on this site) :biggrin:It has a Ford Ind 4 cyl and is heavy and he said under-powered. It has no suspension at all. Looks kind of cute with the tracks on and has his Porterbuilt emblems on it from the boat manufacturing end. So this is the only Poterbuilt you will ever see.

In the end my advice based on this experience is to build bigger buildings to hide your stash. Or move further up into the woods. And of course ask first.
 

sledhaus

Member
I am not sure what I'll eventually do with the Porterbuilt. Dave Porter would like to get it back for sentimental reasons and I would surely consider a trade to him or something but it was given to me by a friend who insists I keep it for my collection because it is one-of-one. I'm bound by that to hang on to it.

With regards to the Thiokol films Couchloafer, I am undecided yet. Even if enough people contributed to recover my costs it would send it out to the world and likely Youtube at some point so eventually it would be worth nothing because everyone has it. When I purchase an old photo from a University Library or such I have to pay for it and any reuse fees if I ever plan to display it and even if it is for personal use it is controlled by strict copyright agreements. They likely acquired it through donation but now it's their's to control. When I buy an original old photo or film such as these, it is only rare if I have one of the few copies that may exist. If I scan it and put it out on the Internet some guy will be selling posters of it on Ebay a week later and claiming copyrights. That exact situation has happened to me. I have a Honda 750 engine designed specifically for a snowmobile. It is the only one known to exist. It has special sand-cast cases with no transmission. A Honda collector wanted to borrow the cases from me to have his own made and build one for himself. What good would it do me to have paid substantial money to have the only one in the world and then let someone else make one so a few years down the road he can represent his as the only one and say mine is a fake? I hope you see my point that there is a huge difference between a collector and a philanthropist. Collectors enjoy displaying rare items to people who appreciate them. Philanthropists make everything available to everyone they can for the good of humanity in the name of social justice. They can afford to because they are using YOUR money that would otherwise be paid in taxes you are now making up for. I am afraid I am a collector. I would love to put out a sample of the films for fellow enthusiats to enjoy but that's as far as I have decided at this point.
 

couchloafer

Member
SUPER Site Supporter
understood.........just wish I hadnt forgotten to bid that day..dratttttt lol
I would love to see the film someday! Maybe we should put together a snow cat outing and a private screening?????
 

sledhaus

Member
That sounds like a good plan. Or meet at some hole-in-the-wall that will let us pop it in their DVD player while we enjoy a sandwich or a beer. Problem is I won't be over in CDA on a regular basis again until Jan or maybe Feb. Let's keep in touch and I'll see if I can play with the video a little.
 
Top