Bolens Diablo Rouge and Hus Ski Discussion Forums

Barrie, I looked at my early 200A, the one with the cast aluminum hood latch and all steel clutch, it has both headlight supports.

The parts are all primed and ready for "corrective" work. I use a body filler to repair some minor dents and bruises. This stuff has never come off any of my restorations. It is however not very thick. I finish with a glazing compound for pinholes and minor scratches then prime again with the epoxy primer. This prep stage is my least favorite but it essential to a good paint job. Applying the paint is one of my favorite steps. CAN'T WAIT!!!

I timed the HUS-SKI sparying on the same day I was spraying a cabinet. The shop was clean and relatively dust free. Tried hard not to get the yellow on the mahogany toned maple TV cabinet. (HA)

more parts

When the paint mixture is right, this stuff goes on beautifully. I usually add more thinner than suggested. I find this allows the paint to "flow out" more evenly. It is a fine line because if too thin then the paint will sag and run on vertical surfaces. That would mean more sanding and starting again.

MUSTARD!

You're doing a very nice job of that 400 Barrie. Looking sharp so far.

I can't help but notice the "vents" on the sides of the hood. I like the mesh look. Do you think a Diablo 500 model with no louvers could profit from something like these. (I was wondering if it would not cut down on the heat trapped inside my hood of my 500)
What do you think?

I'm a little late at responding to this question but based on the heating issues experienced by the Diablo 500 and the HUS-SKI 600, side vents are probably a good idea. When Bolens installed the muffler below the deck, a lot of the heat issues were probably avoided. The 600 still had the muffler within the cab so overheating isssues never really stopped even with the side vent.

Another couple hours of spraying and all yellow is finished. I'll let this harden for a couple weeks before |I start to assemble. There is plenty to do while this is hardening...spray black parts, apply finish to skis, clean motor and make sure it runs, buy a brake cable, make tracks and on and on it goes.

The flywheel on this 400 engine has had a hard life. Maybe it was designed for very cold weather where cooling isn't necessary.