Last winter I started rebuilding an old snowplane that I got out of
a tree row north of Bismarck.  My son found it when he was hunting deer
with some friends of his.  He called me on his cell phone and asked if
he should check with the owner to see if he would sell it.  He knows my
passion for these old machines.  I told him to go for it and he was able
to buy it, and the aircraft engine for it, that the guy had in his
shop.  The aircraft engines are now worth too much money to use on
snowplanes so I used an automotive engine I had in my shop.  It’s a V6
Buick and a bell housing from an inboard boat.  The rest of the prop
drive I made from other parts I could find locally.  Being the snowplane
has an automotive engine, I was also able to use a heater for the cab
just like those used in a car.  It’s nice and warm in this one.  The air
cooled aircraft engines we run on other snowplanes have to have the
exhaust pipes run through the cab to keep you from freezing while
driving them. They are also hard to regulate the heat to coincide with
the outside temperature.  I don’t have all the ‘bugs’ worked out of the
snowplane yet but I’m getting closer.  I sold/ am selling this snowplane
to a fellow from Sherwood, ND.  He’s been very patient as he knows I
don’t have a lot of spare time to work on this project. It was a fun
project and I made something fun out of extra stuff I had lying around.Â
Just thought some of the folks might like to see the before and after
pictures of the project and it might just stir some memories from some
of the old snowplane guys who are reading this.  Thanks Gary!

Dick