1973 Olympique 400

**85hondaatc125m** · 09-29-2006, 07:52 PM

Have to know every possible thing about these snowmobiles because I think I am trading my quad for one, let me know good things, bad things, if you have one, have you had any problems, top speeds, what they are worth, anything about these snowmobiles, Thank you
Clint

**trikes4life** · 09-30-2006, 03:59 PM

depends on the condtion, old technlogy, To speed maybe 55. i would rather have a quad just my opinion. Tracks are impossible to find. I think they stopped making them long ago. If you where trying to find a sled, i would look into trading for something newer than 93. ware and tear, are your big problems. more than 4000 miles is considered a beater.

**85hondaatc125m** · 09-30-2006, 04:23 PM

Well... I think I might get it, my quad is a piece, and this snowmobile is in really nice shape.

Thanks for the info trikes4, anybody else have any comments on this skidoo?

**Chevy200s** · 10-01-2006, 01:59 AM

hmmm, thats a tough one. While you get more riding out of a quad than a sled, you say your quad is beat and that sled is really nice. I agree with trikes4life though in that its hard to find tracks for those machines. Not impossible, I just got one for my 1972 Elan

I also dont know about 55mph top speed. I guess its possible, but I want say it will be something more along the lines of 45.

If you are planning on doing a lot of riding on this sled and want to help the handling a bit, you might want to try adding some ski spreaders. There pieces of steel or some other metal that extend your ski stance by about 4 inches. Really easy to put on, and it made a world of difference on my old Ski Doo TNT 640. Theres also the obvious things like check to make sure your belt is in good shape, bopies are well lubed and working properly, and that there arent any mouse nests in there.

Nice looking sled, I say if you like it, go for it!

Edit: just looked at the pic closely and noticed it already has the spreaders on it, nm sorry about that

**85hondaatc125m** · 10-01-2006, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Chevy200s

Edit: just looked at the pic closely and noticed it already has the spreaders on it, nm sorry about that

Thanks for noticing, I have no clue what spreaders are so I would have went out and bought some and the stance would have been huge. Alirhgt, Thanks for your help Chevy and Trikes4, I think I will get it.

**trikes4life** · 10-01-2006, 05:31 PM

this is odd, after i posted the first time. i was going down a street in town and a guy had the same one out for sale had less than 10 minutes riding time its hole life. sat since 73 and it was fired for the first since 73, the other day. There was not one inprofection. Still had the oem sled cover and paper work and is currently registered hes trying to find a collector to buy it. He want 1000 cash in hand. i thought it was ironic. And he had an elan same condition.

**troy** · 10-01-2006, 06:31 PM

NOW there you go. Get the elan, can't kill them, and are the best things to use for towing. I'v had 3 of them, two 1977 and a 79 with slide suspenstion. I would love to have one again. But the one your looking at you shouldn't have a problem finding parts for. Alot of parts from that date up might very well fit. I know on my citation i have parts from different years, Also had a 377 engine fit perfectly into it, but took it out because i sold it, plus the ski doo was fast enough with the 250 in it.

Good luck

**85hondaatc125m** · 10-01-2006, 09:17 PM

Well guys, I guess it is mine, ill be getting it Thanksgiving Monday because it is at his farm, and that is when he is next going there. About the 377 engine, I hear a TNT 440 engine might fit fairly easy, my moms BF has a 1973 TNT 340 but he put a rad through the block and he said a 440 engine fit in fairly easy. one more question for now, would this skidoo have a speedometer and tachometer on it?
Thanks

**84honda200s** · 10-01-2006, 11:10 PM

i have had tons of old sleds i love em easy to work on and parts arnt to bad priced either. i have has a 73 colt 294ss,2 79 gemini 244, 74 tnt with a 440 f/c eletric start, everest 444 l/c, 80 enticer 250, and a 82 blizzard 9500+ bored 30 over. they all wer great runners but the liquides wer alot better when it was 40 out. they can be a pain but i loved to tip em on one ski and ride the field like that.

as far as a speedo and tach i doubt it but you never know.

if you need a 440 i got a 440 fan cooled out of a 74 it has eletric start. i have the exhaust, speedo, and tach for it too. it is just missing the wire harness and speedo cable.

**85hondaatc125m** · 10-02-2006, 12:02 AM

Thanks for the info 84honda200s, does anybody know what a bogie is? I was doing some reasearch and you can get a track for it, but it says for bogies, WTF is a bogies.
Thanks.

**84honda200s** · 10-02-2006, 12:27 AM

there are 2 diff. track set ups bogie and slide/rails. all mine wer slide/rails.

bogies are little wheeles that a track rides on aka your suspention. its a rough ride. i believe your sled would be a bogie set up. if you need more info let me know i have 3 books full of info on vintage sleds.

**Chevy200s** · 10-02-2006, 05:50 PM

yeah, bogie is usually a rougher ride when you get the sled going a lot faster. The thing is, when these sleds were designed with the bogie suspension, they werent thinking about hitting jumps or doing 80 down a trail, you were cruising around over the top of the fields. if the bogies or the springs are stuck spray some wd-40 on them, might get them to move again.

The bogies are more for absorbing the small little bumps and irregularities and let different spots in the track move up and down a few inches to smooth it out. The slider suspension is for bigger bumps and dips, and instead of parts of the track moving the whole thing can move up and down.

Congrats on the purchase! If you ever need any parts let me know, I got a ton of old sleds and I love seeing them get put back together

-Pete

**85hondaatc125m** · 10-03-2006, 05:46 PM

How stiff are these bogies, is it like riding without any suspension at all, and how bad is that? Is there any way you can do a conversion to make it a slider spring suspension without too much work? Also, during the summer, I know it is alongs way away, but I might drop a bigger engine into it, maybe a TNT 440 engine?
Thanks

**84honda200s** · 10-03-2006, 07:42 PM

i have herd of people putting slide suspentions in them. but i have no clue how to convert it over. but i can tell you that some people use the suspention out of the older everest and tnt to convert it over. as for the 440 i have one out of a 74 tnt and it is f/c if you ever decide to go with a 440.

**Chevy200s** · 10-04-2006, 09:37 AM

Maybe I'm going blind or crazy here, but now that I look at that pic again, does it look like its got slider on it? I think I see white hyfax in there. Plus there's only one idler wheel up front, unless its missing a heck of a lot of bogies I think that might be slider suspension. I assumed it would be bogie wheel being 74 and all, but they did start doing slider around that time as well. I might be wrong and if I am someone please correct me, but I think you've got slide rail suspension on that TNT.

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1973 Olympique 400