Last year I started a thread called Testing "Thundercat" and I uploaded a few pictures, which were taken from videos. Here's a link to that thread:
http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=75527&highlight=testing+thundercat
There are a fair number of restoration threads on the forum with some truly top-notch craftsmanship. I think forum member Weatherby started the trend and set an incredible standard. More recently, Pontoon Princess and sno-drifter have brought that level of quality to the Tucker world, and even the Tucker factory has entered that realm. Restoration, be it cosmetic, mechanical, or both, certainly requires a great deal of work (and money!), but the vehicle's concept has already been proven by the manufacturer.
Thundercat is not so much a restoration, but rather a "resto-mod". Honestly it's the most comprehensively modified Tucker I know of, and when you start modifying - you enter uncharted territory. The farther off the reservation you go, the more imperative it is to test the vehicle to see if those modifications work, or if they need further refinement, or perhaps they don't work at all. I think the inclination is to baby the machine - at least at first, but that isn't really testing, per se. If there's a problem, we want to find it - and that means using the machine harder and making it work. My snowcat buddy and I think it's wise to make the modifications, test the machine, and only when we're satisfied with its performance do we take it all apart for media blasting, paint and upholstery. It takes a lot longer to do that. These videos are part of that process.
The first time we took the machine out was May 29, 2016, and we brought it to almost the top of what is known as Mirror Lake Highway in Utah. The elevation was between 10,400' and 10,800'. In a normally aspirated engine that elevation robs about 30% of an engine's power - due to the lower atmospheric pressure.
You will not find these videos by searching. They are what youtube calls "unlisted". Due to someone "wanting to be me" (trying to steal my identity) I'm gun-shy of some social media. Another forum member has urged me to post these, and this is the method I thought I'd try.
Here are the first two videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYcYW8-vH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38X-n4d_bHU
A few things I'd like to point out:
1.) If you listen closely you can hear the Allison automatic transmission upshifting and downshifting on-the-fly. Realize if it were a manual transmission you might be able to upshift, but a downshift would require coming to a stop.
2.) Listen to the tracks... and what you don't hear. This Tucker has the damper wheel modification/upgrade. It uses smaller diameter wheels to support the tracks on both sides of the drive sprockets. If you listen to other youtube videos of rubber-belted Tuckers without damper wheels, you'll hear a "clackety-clack" sound, which is the grouser bar track guides contacting the hyfax on the track support system.
3.) You'll also occasionally hear a rattling/ringing sound. A previous owner welded trailer tie-down "D rings" to all the carriers. That was to facilitate easily securing the Tucker to a trailer. That method works great, but you get the rattling. We subsequently cut off the D rings and installed a weld-on shackle clevis on each carrier...no noise, but you have to remember to keep shackles handy.
I'll upload more videos soon...
http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=75527&highlight=testing+thundercat
There are a fair number of restoration threads on the forum with some truly top-notch craftsmanship. I think forum member Weatherby started the trend and set an incredible standard. More recently, Pontoon Princess and sno-drifter have brought that level of quality to the Tucker world, and even the Tucker factory has entered that realm. Restoration, be it cosmetic, mechanical, or both, certainly requires a great deal of work (and money!), but the vehicle's concept has already been proven by the manufacturer.
Thundercat is not so much a restoration, but rather a "resto-mod". Honestly it's the most comprehensively modified Tucker I know of, and when you start modifying - you enter uncharted territory. The farther off the reservation you go, the more imperative it is to test the vehicle to see if those modifications work, or if they need further refinement, or perhaps they don't work at all. I think the inclination is to baby the machine - at least at first, but that isn't really testing, per se. If there's a problem, we want to find it - and that means using the machine harder and making it work. My snowcat buddy and I think it's wise to make the modifications, test the machine, and only when we're satisfied with its performance do we take it all apart for media blasting, paint and upholstery. It takes a lot longer to do that. These videos are part of that process.
The first time we took the machine out was May 29, 2016, and we brought it to almost the top of what is known as Mirror Lake Highway in Utah. The elevation was between 10,400' and 10,800'. In a normally aspirated engine that elevation robs about 30% of an engine's power - due to the lower atmospheric pressure.
You will not find these videos by searching. They are what youtube calls "unlisted". Due to someone "wanting to be me" (trying to steal my identity) I'm gun-shy of some social media. Another forum member has urged me to post these, and this is the method I thought I'd try.
Here are the first two videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYcYW8-vH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38X-n4d_bHU
A few things I'd like to point out:
1.) If you listen closely you can hear the Allison automatic transmission upshifting and downshifting on-the-fly. Realize if it were a manual transmission you might be able to upshift, but a downshift would require coming to a stop.
2.) Listen to the tracks... and what you don't hear. This Tucker has the damper wheel modification/upgrade. It uses smaller diameter wheels to support the tracks on both sides of the drive sprockets. If you listen to other youtube videos of rubber-belted Tuckers without damper wheels, you'll hear a "clackety-clack" sound, which is the grouser bar track guides contacting the hyfax on the track support system.
3.) You'll also occasionally hear a rattling/ringing sound. A previous owner welded trailer tie-down "D rings" to all the carriers. That was to facilitate easily securing the Tucker to a trailer. That method works great, but you get the rattling. We subsequently cut off the D rings and installed a weld-on shackle clevis on each carrier...no noise, but you have to remember to keep shackles handy.
I'll upload more videos soon...