Missin my Elan

[AirNorth1]

Lately I,ve bin thinking I had more fun on my Elan.

All I had to pack was a spark plug, an ACME plug wrench, vice grips and a peice of rope.
No worry about a bag of wrenches as the vice grips worked on just about everything, even as a hammer to bang whatever failed.
I always had my styrofoam cooler aboard, the luckier ones had the plastic coolers.

I don't remember anyone gettin hurt real bad tho back then.
Lots of frostbite and different ones goin thru the ice and hittin fence posts.

Didn't even have a groomed trail.
Didn't need one. The Elan track would not spin standing still and carve out the mogul.
So the trails seemed to stay not to bad for the most part.
Never heard of a mogul really till the 81 Enticers come out.

Never had to worry about wearin a Klim costume either, as K-Mart sold the "Ski-Doo suits". One peice covered your whole body.
We all looked the same. The lucky ones tho got the Ski Doo suit with the Bombardier crest.
Or even a ski doo suit with an Polaris crest. They were all called ski doo suits then.

Never needed a big deck on the truck then either, as the old Elan would not climb it.

Sometimes I think I would like to buy an old Elan & sink a bunch of bucks into it.
And do it all again, as for sure it was way more fun.

 

[meierjn]

Sounds like you got bitten by the vintage bug! I've picked up some old iron to work on in my spare time. It will not be a restore but more of a recovery. My wife thinks I am crazy but what's new? Welcome to the site!

 

[elan300ss]

Lately I,ve bin thinking I had more fun on my Elan.

All I had to pack was a spark plug, an ACME plug wrench, vice grips and a peice of rope.
No worry about a bag of wrenches as the vice grips worked on just about everything, even as a hammer to bang whatever failed.
I always had my styrofoam cooler aboard, the luckier ones had the plastic coolers.

I don't remember anyone gettin hurt real bad tho back then.
Lots of frostbite and different ones goin thru the ice and hittin fence posts.

Didn't even have a groomed trail.
Didn't need one. The Elan track would not spin standing still and carve out the mogul.
So the trails seemed to stay not to bad for the most part.
Never heard of a mogul really till the 81 Enticers come out.

Never had to worry about wearin a Klim costume either, as K-Mart sold the "Ski-Doo suits". One peice covered your whole body.
We all looked the same. The lucky ones tho got the Ski Doo suit with the Bombardier crest.
Or even a ski doo suit with an Polaris crest. They were all called ski doo suits then.

Never needed a big deck on the truck then either, as the old Elan would not climb it.

Sometimes I think I would like to buy an old Elan & sink a bunch of bucks into it.
And do it all again, as for sure it was way more fun.

Gotta agree with you there about the elans,they sure won't break any speed records but can get you home with a bit snare wire and vicegrips.
I use mine mainly for icefishing,I have lots of spares also.Cheers

 

[Longhorn]

Wow, nice catch!!

 

[Sledderglen]

Freeze that Trout and you can use it for a spare ski. Nice fish

 

[ferniesnow]

Ahhhh, the gold days.....if only the young farts that write on cabin walls, ride unsafe slopes, steal all our stuff, grew up with the experiences we did, I'm sure the world would be a better place.....

 

[tundra twin track]

Lately I,ve bin thinking I had more fun on my Elan.



Sometimes I think I would like to buy an old Elan & sink a bunch of bucks into it.
And do it all again, as for sure it was way more fun.

A guy on dootalk in the vintage forum built a alumnium body Elan with a 503 and long track,the entire build from start to finish.

 

[overkill131313]

at one time I had a dozzen of the great elans! I love them.

 

[beeonaplug]

at one time I had a dozzen of the great elans! I love them.

A dozen! Unbelievable. You could of welded a few together and had a real climber. I had the old single 12hp 1971 model. If I remember correctly it was $1100. new. Great memories of welded up skis, welded up boogie springs, welded up leaf springs, welded up steering stems, and lots of frost-bite. Sure like to find one and restore it.

 

[overkill131313]

I did build a alum tunnel long track (136) with a 340 liquid Blizzard 7500 plus engine. I was going to build an IFS set up but it was crazy fast and had a big crash that put me off work for 15 months. it was the coolest elan out of my dozzen. it started off as a 78 250 twin with sliders. the black hood looked so good with the alum tunnel!

 

[elan300ss]

I did build a alum tunnel long track (136) with a 340 liquid Blizzard 7500 plus engine. I was going to build an IFS set up but it was crazy fast and had a big crash that put me off work for 15 months. it was the coolest elan out of my dozzen. it started off as a 78 250 twin with sliders. the black hood looked so good with the alum tunnel!

I'm up to a dozen plus parts,you wouldn't happen to have any pics of the elan long track? I may have all the parts to build one with the blizzard motor.Did you cut the elan body off to fit the back tunnel portion of the blizzard? Sounds like a fun project for the summer. Lshobie did a real nice job with the 503 elan LT.He has a still video on youtube but it would be nice to see what it does in the deep stuff.Cheers

 

[overkill131313]

I cut the steel tunnel off at the back of the engine mount....then fab a one piece alum tunnel and hammer riveted it to the steel bulkhead. I dont have any pics but 75 hp in a elan is nuts and I should have looked at posibable death before I started the build lol.

 

[Mongrol]

I've had a 440 Rupp, 440 Magnum Rupp, 900 Nitro Rupp, 250 Elan, & an SS Elan.

Absolutely loved the Elans.

 

[kenvb]

my son had more fun this past winter with the old 74 SS I bought from original owner than he did on his new 800 Assault,, well, that day anyway.

and the Elan was all legal too. a Antique Plate and insurance.. pay once for the plate and never again, 25 yrs or older .

 

[J_E_SUMMIT]

I don't have any pictures here at work, but my dad restored his 74 SS 300 Elan for me when I was 4. It is now stored in the back of my dad's heated shop and still starts first pull.

 

[BlindBayBoy]

My first sled. My dad bought one in 1971. It arrived in a crate and he made me put it together before I could ride it. Lasted through my younger brothers as well. Could go anywhere, climb trees. Loved that little sled!

 

[08summit]

my son had more fun this past winter with the old 74 SS I bought from original owner than he did on his new 800 Assault,, well, that day anyway.

and the Elan was all legal too. a Antique Plate and insurance.. pay once for the plate and never again, 25 yrs or older .

Nice Pic Kenvb....I had the same sled growing up...lol.