Bolens Diablo Rouge and Hus Ski Discussion Forums

Hello,

I am Recoil (Paul) and have an interesting little Hus Ski story. A very nice 92 year old gentlemen knew about me collecting vintage snowmobiles and asked his grandson-in-law to see if I wanted his Hus Ski. I have never had a Hus Ski or a Diablo before and jumped at the chance. I received this machine about a month ago and started to research them. I must say that I am hooked on the Hus ski and now want more!! I am a die hard roll-o-flex and boa ski collector and have other vintage sleds but not one like this.

Here is the problem...I don't think this machine is original. It looks like a bastard child of a couple machines. Any help from the pictures would be fantastic. The old fellow said it was bought new in 1964 and he has had it ever since. He drove it 2 years ago but the gas tank came off the brackets and he never got it back together. He stated that he never did anything major to it which makes me wonder who put the machine together if it is a bastard child? Did it get sold as is from the dealer. It still has the dealer sticker on it! A funny little side to this story is he said he would give it to me for free providing I never sell it....if I want to get rid of it I promised him I would have to give it away! Not a chance I am parting with this creature.

I took the gas tank off, flushed it, made a new bracket and replaced it. Motor runs on spray and I am looking forward to hooking it back to the gas tank and getting it to run. It came with the sled and it looks like some cool home made metal skis but I will add those pics later. Again, any help with identifying it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Paul "Recoil"

more pics...

more pics...

few more...

last ones....

****The motor is a JLO L252****

I have seen this before... a 400 hood and handlebar set on the base of a single track model 600. I doubt very much this was sold as you have it. The single track bases were discarded after the recall but HUS-SKI did sell the unassembled bases to the enterprising people who thought they could build something from them.

Barrie,

Thanks for your reply. The interesting thing about this is that the old gentleman said he didnt do any major work on the machine...i assume he would have remembered putting a different bottem on he machine. It was sold by a dealer in northern Saskachewan so who knows, perhaps they bought a bunch of bases and made a frankensled themselves. When and why was the recall? Again, he said he bought it new and thought it was a 1964.

How hard would it be to make it whole again? Does anyone have a bottom wnd for a 400?

Paul

Had it running tonight. Great little motor....cool machine.

Paul

I am no help in identifying that machine, but I have to say that it's cool as he'll.awesome find.

Hi Paul,

Barry Graham is correct about this machine. Please see my post Hus-ski Ed 1961 about prototypes, for more info.

Ed

P.S. it may be a week before I can post. Ed