TUCKER TORPEDO Restore

[DAVENET]

AAutofab1...I believe the letters on the side said "Pond MT. New York" and from my researching, I think it spent most of it's life in up state New York.

Northeastheavy...I agree with you, something this rare and unique needs to be saved!

I've been wasting some time at work after a crazy week & have been trying to find where this may have been used. There is no Pond Mountain in NY, so then I started searching old ski areas http://www.nelsap.org/ny/ny.html .

Any info on it being used in another location before going to NY or did Tucker have any info on who it was first made for?

 

[northeastheavy]

Been in NY a long time so I looked into pond mountain and there is none in NY.
Other possibilities!! Looks like part of the name may have been cut off!!! How about-
mud pond mountain, ny
wolf pond mountain, ny
rock pond mountain, ny
goose pond mountain, ny
grass pond mountain, ny
horse pond mountain, ny
There are so many old ski places, summer camps, private estates in the Adirondacks, and all over upstate new york, all near the above mountains. Bet it came out of a summer camp or summer resort!!! Good luck!!! Let you know if I find anything else!!!

 

[weatherby]

Thanks guys for doing your researching......But Northeastheavy, you jogged my memory, There WAS a word in front of "Pond" but the previous owner could not remember what it said, but does beleive it was some sort of a old ski resort.

That would be pretty cool if I could ever find out which resort it was at, (they may have some old pic.)

 

[northeastheavy]

What are the two letters above pond mtn?? is that a "ci" Might be able to track it down from there!!! Do have a few possibilities already!!! Enjoy digging up this stuff.

 

[weatherby]

Here you go Northeastheavy, maybe "hI" ??

Remaining pics. are of the front "steering support post"

 

[fogtender]

Well you look like you are off to a very good start!

Keep the photos coming!

 

[northeastheavy]

I may have found your torpedo!!!!!!!!!!! Could it have come from HIGH POND MOUNTAIN in VERMONT??? Very close to NY. The post on old ski centers is great!!!!
Check out the second photo!!!!!!!! I swear I see a orange groomer with skis and NO CAB!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost fell through the floor when I saw it!!!!!!!!! The picture is the 1950's or 60's.
COULD THIS PICTURE BE YOURS!!!!!!
Let me know what you think????

 

[northeastheavy]

Weatherby!! Go to the NELSAP site Davenet listed!!! Go to vermont and of course, go to pond mtn !!! In the text they talk of the groomer from MEDFORD OREGON!!!! Sure sounds like your tucker!!!! There are no other pond mtn ski places and I thing those 2 letters are a "KI" as in SKI !! Got to be yours!!!!! This such fun!!!!!!
Tom

 

[pixie]

Good detective work, Tom.
Here it is blown up a little.

Weatherby, I am in awe of your fabrication skills.

 

[weatherby]

TOM...OMG.......When I seen that photo you found, I also about fell out of my chair....THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE !!! The odds of more than one torpedo in that area I think would be very high.

The info of it being from NY was never 100% confirmed, it was just the state it was picked up from when it was brought to Michigan, so it was "assumed" it came from some (something) Pond MT. in NY.

I don't know much about the guy that Dave (Thepooguy) got it from, except that he was NOT the original owner or how long he owned it or how many owners there had been since it left "High Pond MT Vermont"......But what you just found is like "striking gold" for something this old AND with a pic. to boot..... it is UNBELIEVABLE

I can now see from the photo that it (the torpedo) has no windshield, and that is one thing that I have been trying to find out for the longest time with no success, till now.

THANKS Tom

 

[weatherby]

Thanks Pixie....I am also trying to play with this photo.

 

[northeastheavy]

Got to hit it lucky one in a while!!!! Sure made my day also!!! I think the odds of that torpedo not being yours is slim!!!!! Now you also know the lettering on that panel!! You do know this is going to cost you!!!!!!!! If I ever get up to northern Michigan, have to see the torpedo in person!!!
Tom

 

[weatherby]

Got to hit it lucky one in a while!!!! Sure made my day also!!! I think the odds of that torpedo not being yours is slim!!!!! Now you also know the lettering on that panel!! You do know this is going to cost you!!!!!!!! If I ever get up to northern Michigan, have to see the torpedo in person!!!
Tom

Yep...I agree Tom .... I OWE YOU ONE ...excellent researching

 

[aulen2002]

if you click, there is a higher res

 

[northeastheavy]

Just reading through the High Pond ski site and they describe your torpedo as one of the first tuckers???????? Davenet hit gold on that lost ski place website.

 

[weatherby]

Aulen2002.....Thanks for the help

 

[weatherby]

Just reading through the High Pond ski site and they describe your torpedo as one of the first tuckers???????? Davenet hit gold on that lost ski place website.

Yes... that site is a very interesting site I have been doing a lot of reading Thanks for sharing Davenet

 

[DAVENET]

Good detective work there NEH! I had assumed the top two letters were Ski, but where it was located on the panel led me to think the main name wouldn't be much longer across the panel. So I was looking for ANY slope that ended in "nd" in NY, but ran out of time before leaving Friday.

I do have to say don't think I (personally) would have continued to look thru Vermont, so good job finding that!

And if it was in Vermont, Cooks Equipment almost certainly sold it and or has some paper trail for it.

 

[DAVENET]

You may also be able to track down Bill Jenkins in Castleton, VT??

He did this interview in 2008 when he was 83 and may still be around: http://www.necn.com/pages/landing?blockID=126293&tagID=20095

 

[northeastheavy]

Figuring the ski on top, I knew it was a ski resort!! If it wasn't in NY it had to be near by!!! If it wasn't for that great site, would have had no place to look.
That site has such great info!!!! I grew up in NYCity. That site even mentions a ski place in NYCity about a mile from where I lived that had a rope tow in the 1930's!! I used to sled there as a kid, but NEVER would have though in a million years there was a ski place in the middle of NYCity!! Finding that was as good as seeing that orange blip in the high pond mtn photo!!! Both

Lots of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[weatherby]

You may also be able to track down Bill Jenkins in Castleton, VT??

He did this interview in 2008 when he was 83 and may still be around: http://www.necn.com/pages/landing?blockID=126293&tagID=20095

I will be trying to contact anybody and everybody that may have info on this torpedo, including Bill Jenkins. Thanks again for all the help guys.

 

[Blackfoot Tucker]

And if it was in Vermont, Cooks Equipment almost certainly sold it and or has some paper trail for it.

I grew up in southern Vermont and skied a fair amount there (mostly at Mt Ascutney). Tuckers were the Sno Cat of choice at virtually all the ski areas we went to. My recollection is the Tucker distributor at that time (sixties) was the Ed Gil company in Ludlow, VT (home of Okemo Mountain ski area). I don't have any idea if Ed Gil was the distributor when Weatherby's Tucker was sold, but I'm virtually certain Cook's Equipment was not the dealer.

Perhaps they acquired all of Ed Gil's paperwork archives?

 

[northeastheavy]

Weatherby
For some strange reason I keep adding to this post!!!
Just came across this antique Groomer!!! Look familiar!!
From that old photo the original Roller on your Torpedo looks about 8 foot wide!!!
This one is 6 foot, but definately from the 1950's or 60's!!!
It is white, I just used it to flatten my driveway after ripping it up!!! Its mud season here!!
Still works good!!!
Too bad you are in Michigan!!!
Would look good behind the Torpedo!!!
Tom

 

[MNoutdoors RIP]

Weatherby
For some strange reason I keep adding to this post!!!
Just came across this antique Groomer!!! Look familiar!!
From that old photo the original Roller on your Torpedo looks about 8 foot wide!!!
This one is 6 foot, but definately from the 1950's or 60's!!!
It is white, I just used it to flatten my driveway after ripping it up!!! Its mud season here!!
Still works good!!!
Too bad you are in Michigan!!!
Would look good behind the Torpedo!!!
Tom

For some reason that does look very very familiar to me. won't charge you rent if you don't charge me storage.

 

[northeastheavy]

Boggie, You know this is the land of the free!!!!!
Storage is always free here!!!! Especially if it has keys and runs!!!
With this post, I would really like to drive a Tucker next
As to your old(ex-roller groomer, as I have grown to like it) I just figured Weatherby was the only guy in the country who could use it!!!
You could give me credit for finding such a good home for it in such a specialized market!!

 

[weatherby]

Tom...It's always exciting to see you add to this post, you have brought some valuable info to this Tucker restore, and now you show up with this vintage groomer/roller, VERY cool That would sure look correct with that roller hooked to the Torpedo when on display someplace.

What would REALLY be strange, is if this torpedo ended up in up state NY after it's been restored and your roller/groomer hooked to the back

Seriously....If you should ever decide you could part with it, make me the first to know

I hope to hear something from NELSAP sometime soon (I hope)... I have sent them Emails.

Haven't been able to do anything for the last several days and probably for the next week...I was using a hand grinder with a cutting wheel on it, when it jumped out of the cut I was making and wacked my right hand. Now my hand is twice the size it should be and can't do a thing with it now.

 

[aulen2002]

I was using a hand grinder with a cutting wheel on it, when it jumped out of the cut I was making and wacked my right hand. Now my hand is twice the size it should be and can't do a thing with it now.

Still better than half the size be careful with the rest of the restoration

 

[DAVENET]

Another link for 423 reference pics.

http://www.barthworks.com/cars/indexsnowmobiles.htm

That 442 'Tank' is pretty damn cool!

 

[snotrans]

Bill at Snotrans has some complete files and photos taken during the restoration of most these machines while in our Tucker Classic Inventory. If interested in more history of these machines let me know Most have been sold a few years ago to a private collector but may be for sale again., AS he did contact us last year to discuss selling them for him . The Tucker Tank I restored for my father years ago ,note the AT&T Long Lines door markings it has been used in several AT&T Ads. as well as some of the Tucker Kittens. Bill

 

[Bulldog1401]

Please do share that info. Thanks!