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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Italian Suicide Sno Ski Torpedo...Wait...What?

June 15, 2011 11:38 a.m. carzan HalfDork

http://hartford.craigslist.org/pts/2441994669.html

"We are selling a italian suicide sno speeder ski torpedo attack corvair propeller sled thingy...wacky mid-50s experimental ice lake sno-speeder..3 big skis-front one steers...ford steering box and colume..first came with a continental motor-now has a corvair 110hp motor with rear mounted pusher propeller...no brakes-just full speed ahead and lots of prayers...from wisconson..1 of 6 hand made...only one known in existance..shock and scare your freinds and neighbors..your wife will just love the deadly thrill of a prop and high speeds and no brakes this winter...terrorize the little cousins so they dont bug ya..be careful-dont loose the mother-in-law thru the prop...the italian navy has issued a warning on the use of this midget sub speeder..might just go boom-zip-boom when you least expect it....needs a coat of wax and some motor work to make it eye-popping,cheek flappin,hairdoo messing fun..supermodel approved..."
June 15, 2011 11:42 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
June 15, 2011 11:45 a.m. N Sperlo HalfDork

Ah... Supermodel approved. MUST HAVE!
June 15, 2011 12:09 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

I checked with my wife (a supermodel) and she indeed did approve it.
June 15, 2011 12:43 p.m. RossD SuperDork

Being that I'm a Wisconsin native, I'm strangely proud of that thing.
June 15, 2011 12:45 p.m. mndsm SuperDork

Best part is the no brakes and almost no steering.
June 15, 2011 1:27 p.m. NickF40 Dork

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

that's the face I made lol

I do have to agree though, there is so much win!!
June 15, 2011 2:04 p.m. N Sperlo HalfDork

I can imagine it went like this: "How can we combine a bunch of things that do stuff into one thing that can barely do most the things that the ingredients did?"
June 15, 2011 2:16 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

I want
June 15, 2011 2:57 p.m. carguy123 SuperDork

That points out one of the joys of living down south, you don't have to worry about the kids getting their hands on things like this!
June 15, 2011 7:45 p.m. VividRacing New Reader

So does the propellar hit the ice when it spins?

Im thinking this could be fun in the sand dunes or on the beach.
June 15, 2011 8:04 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

put floats on it instead of skis
June 15, 2011 8:09 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

carguy123 wrote:

That points out one of the joys of living down south, you don't have to worry about the kids getting their hands on things like this!

Oh, there's plenty of stuff like that down here as well. That's how I ended up as a participant, rather than a spectator... Friend of mine had a yard kart with the 4hp Briggs & Stratton replaced with one from a McCulloch chain saw. Don't know if the HP changed very much..but the RPM sure did..
June 15, 2011 8:43 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

oh there's plenty of redneck ways to hurt yourself anywhere
June 15, 2011 8:48 p.m. egnorant Dork

Kinda reminds me of my old gokart that we built as kids. Had a straight axle kart with no engine when we discovered that the local scrapyard had a huge pile of miscast chainsaw motors (block crank and piston) so we scavaged around and found other chainsaws with carbs and exhaust stuff.

One engine turned into 3 as we progressed, but we were lacking in such luxuries as brakes, throttle and clutches (and belts, helmets and judgment).

Push start, full time wide open throttle and a cool J turn in the gravel would kill the engine 8 times out of 10.

It was during one such J turn that my brother discovered that these engines run backwards as well as forwards. Luckily there was a gymnasium to stop his rearward progress and scrape him off as it receded through a sheet metal wall.

My big fun came after he swapped the solidly welded metal hoop steering wheel for a cool blue metalflake rimmed steering wheel held on by a couple of locally sourced screws that had held a light switch plate in place for many years. Somehow my J turn managed to break these screws leaving me with few options.

Hit a curb, cart turned a complete front flip of which I participated in the first 20% and watched as our newly lightened beast raced across the band practice field and savage several bikes and a chain link fence where it somehow caught fire.

Never saw it again after that as I was getting stitches while the mess was cleaned up. I asked, but my Dad just gave me one of those looks that indicated that further inquiry not in my best interests.

Bruce
June 15, 2011 11:18 p.m. NickF40 Dork

how fast does it go around the Top Gear track?
June 16, 2011 2:02 a.m. Keith SuperDork

Some guy named Bombardier tried a prop-driven snow machine when he was 15. Not sure what happened to him after that, but the name's familiar...
June 16, 2011 8:10 a.m. keethrax HalfDork

Now it just needs a gun or two:
June 16, 2011 12:10 p.m. wlkelley3 Dork

VividRacing wrote:

So does the propellar hit the ice when it spins?

Im thinking this could be fun in the sand dunes or on the beach.

Looked at that and wondered myself. Not a very good picture of it but I think the engine/prop slides down for transport and up in that bracket for use.

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