AmSnow.com is now SnoWest.com
Today, Art makes and sells remade parts for old sleds, so it was hard to build a replica without Art seeing what was going on. The build was done in Art’s garage, often late at night. They covered it up whenever Art was around. Finding parts had to be done by word of mouth.
The sled was Art’s original twin cylinder 1972 Kohler free air that came with sunburst heads, but all of it needed to be rebuilt. The sled used twin Walbro diaphragm carburetors. Back then, you could run tuned exhaust pipes to get more power out of the engine. Replacement decals had to be made to make it look just like Art’s original #52 race sled.
Art was in the swap meet at the 2016 Waconia Ride-In when his family gave him the Vigilante replica. Ricky, Art’s grandson, drove the sled while wearing Art’s original I-500 snowsuit and replica helmet. Art couldn’t believe the sled was for him! His old suit even still fits him.
The large holes in the windshield? Art said they were meant to cut down on turbulence and keep his glasses clean. His family paid attention to every detail.
Minnesotan Les Pinz is a vintage sled expert with an extensive collection of historic and other antique sleds, and is a former snowmobile racer. He is a member of the International Snowmobile Hall of Fame and one of AmSnow’s
regular test riders.