Bolens Diablo Rouge and Hus Ski Discussion Forums

OH Ed what a good story on the race model 444.I guess they never made it to production.Were they left behind or taken back to the plant?Were all the decals and body markings left the same or did they dress it up a little?

Sean

It looked like a stock machine complete with decals etc. The deal was that our distributor would pay for both machines, plus as many machines as we could stuff in a 30' straight truck. We expected to loose money because the truck had to return empty.
Ed

Good question.
If Barrie, or someone can telll me who made the clutch I will try to remember the supplier.
Your question about the supply of JLO Motors is interesting.
May I ask why you want to know?
Ed

While we're talking about the JLO motors. Why the clockwise rotating motors? Easier to buy L252R (clockwise) motors from JLO than "flipping" the cylinder to get correct intake positioning on a L252L motor?

Thanks....Mark.

i just was thinking it would be interesting why they were used and how many would you get orderd in at a time maybe shead some light into what the guys at hus ski were thinking about when they bilt them thats all i would be interested in any thing you could share about the hus ski company

We chose the JLO motor because it was readily available and in common use. Believe it or not the motor was most often used in Germany, as the power source for the refridgeration units on boxcars. They had huge fuel tanks, would start the motors in one city and they would run non stop until the train arrived at the end of the line. Sometimes they ran for days. The West Bend 8200 had a very short life.
The JLO motors came by ship so we had to order and pay in advance for a one month supply in summer because they came into Montreal. In winter we had to order a six week supply because they went to Halifax and then by train to Pt. Claire. The advance payment was a killer because we always had a cash flow problem.
Ed

Thank you Barrie. I was once stopped by the Pointe Claire police for driving a ?????? on Hymus Blvd. I invite everyone to meet me in Alliston and I will show you photos of ????????
I never talked to H. Fillion but Amy Fillion and I talked often.
I am sure much of this is very confusing to many of you. So--------
The McQuats and Pioneer Chain Saws Ltd. owned Hus-Ski when we made the model 200 (West Bend).
They continued to be Quebec and maritime distributors for Hus-Ski Ltd. owned by Johnson Wire Products, and now located in Pointe Claire, Quebec. They sold the 200-A, 400, 444, 600 and I akm not sure about the Diablo but Barrie would have that info.
One of our employees may well have been testing the Model 600 on the road in the summer because that was the only place it ran well.
I still have Model 600 nightmares.
Ed

thanks for the great info ed you should write this stuff down in a book for all hus ski folks to enjoy

600 Nightmares, thats funny cause i road my 600 for the first time ever last weekend and realize why they quit making um.. as long as your on a flat surface its alright but it is terrible in the deep stuff

The army built something they named in honor of the 600.......the Sherman tank.