Snow Tracs - any in Australia?

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 30 Mar 2009, 3:28 pm

#703814

The Swedish-made Snow Trac was made from 1957 to 1981. It was powered by a front-mounted air-cooled VW industrial engine, turned backwards, and attached to a VW Beetle or later a VW Transporter gearbox. Early ones were 36-hp 1200cc, but eventually they had 1600cc engines. They also used Volkswagen steering wheels, gauges, switches, lights, knobs and handles. Over 2,300 were built - production only ended because VW no longer made air-cooled engines in Europe.

Australia used them on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and at all three ANARE Antarctic bases. The Antarctic ones had custom-made strengthened bodies, and Porsche 356 engines instead of VW motors.

I understand that ANARE have a couple in museum storage in Hobart, and I think there is one in the Christchurch museum too. But are any still operating, in private ownership, in Australia?

Has anyone seen or been in one, or know where any are in Australia today?

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penguin ackkkkkk thhhhhpt!

3,383 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 30 Mar 2009, 6:46 pm

#703882

Anyone work for SMEC? They may have one up Cabramurra way in a shed soemwhere.......

'Ah, whatever................'

58camper Wolfsburg Wizard

591 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 30 Mar 2009, 7:35 pm

#703903

Dont know the current location of any of them but have a few relative photos from Antarctica 1 days.
countrybuggybill

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donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 31 Mar 2009, 5:56 am

#704003

Reckon I need the story about the bug in the background.

I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

squizy Thinking about another dub...maybe

4,082 posts · joined Dec 2002 · 31 Mar 2009, 6:03 am

#704005

donn wrote:Reckon I need the story about the bug in the background.

Search the internet or on here and you'll find it.

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 31 Mar 2009, 6:05 am

#704006

i remember seeing some in the Cooma wreckers in the mid 70s but only vaguely

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 31 Mar 2009, 6:43 am

#704018

That's Antarctica 1 in the background. It's another story altogether. Buy the excellent colour book, 'Volkswagen in Australia, the Forgotten Story' by Rod and Lloyd Davies, which has the story and more photos. Or my 1994 book Knowing Australian Volkswagens, if you can find a copy (you can borrow it from Bankstown Library). There is also a 16mm film called 'Taxi to Rumdoodle' that was made at the time - there is a copy in the Club Veedub library, together with both of the books, but you need to be a member.

Interesting Bill - that Snow Trac has the standard body, so it may be a normal VW-engined vehicle. I thought all the ANARE ones had the custom 'forward sloping' strengthened body and Porsche motors, but obviously not. Perhaps ANARE bought standard ones at first, then upgraded to special-order Snow Tracs over time. I will play with the contrast and colour balance of that old slide and see if I can't improve it a bit.

This is picture of the Porsche Snow Trac:

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waltermitty Legend when my beer goggles are on

1,993 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 31 Mar 2009, 10:06 am

#704042

THERE IS A pORCHE ONE IN pERISHER OR WAS LAST TIME I SAW IT 3 YEARS AGO IF YOU CONTACT hANS OVE3RSNOW YOU MIGHT FIND IT. mITCHELL

23 windows ...8 too many!

58camper Wolfsburg Wizard

591 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 31 Mar 2009, 1:05 pm

#704075

Here are another couple of Sno Trac shots with Antatctica 1 in the photo. I like the airport shot with the Russian plane on the airstrip. This was the reason for the Taxi to Rumdoodle where Antarctica 1 carried the pilots back to base camp from the airstrip. The snow trac in the airport short has Porsche written across the side rear of the vehicle.
countrybuggybill

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