TheSamba.com :: View topic - VW flat 4 powered "Snow Trac ST4" from Sweden

Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:10 pm

As the winter storms are starting to roll in I figured I show off my winter car :shock: Well I admit I drive my Touareg more often than I drive this, but more people look at my Snow Trac than any other vehicle I've ever driven.

This is a 1972 Aktiv Snow Trac ST4 from Sweden. The body was made by Aktiv, but the engine is a VW industrial motor, the transmission is from a bus, the steering wheel is from a Schwimwagen. Almost all the lights, mirrors, interior switches, brakes, etc are surplus VW parts.

Snow Tracs were produced from the Mid-1950s to the early 1980's and the Aktiv company had a relationship with VW to supply them parts. Anything that VW discontinued or had in surplus were fair game to be added to the Snow Tracs. Typically a part that was discontinued one year from VW showed up in the following year's production of the Snow Tracs.

Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:51 am

i like! 8)

Sat Dec 23, 2006 4:50 pm

oorwullie wrote: i like! 8)
Well if you like it, then you might want to look at two other threads where Snow Tracs have been discussed.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1955789#1955789

and

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=207031

Have you seen any Snow Tracs in your area? I'd bet there are a lot more of them in Switzerland where you live than in Indiana where I live! I know of a few in Austria, Germany and in the French Alps too.

Mon Dec 25, 2006 1:40 pm

nope,haven't seen any round here. but i do know of a few other wierd VW powered items. :wink:

Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:53 am

have you run it on sand and dirt too? does it run as well? nice.

Sun Dec 31, 2006 7:07 am

90volts wrote: have you run it on sand and dirt too?
I've run mine on grass, mud, gravel, dirt, asphalt and snow. But not yet on sand.

It handles best on a loose surface.

A normal lawn is probably one of the hardest tings to drive it on because of the way these machines turn. To turn right the left track speeds up and the right track slows down. This creates a sort of "skid" turn. But with the metal cleats (called grousers) on the tracks that dig into the lawn it has a difficult time turning easily because there is very little skidding or slipping on the grass. In something like snow, gravel or sand, the surface lets the tracks slip during the turn and that is needed for easy operation. It will actually turn easily on smooth concrete or asphalt too, because it has minimal grip on those surfaces.

Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:45 am

saw this,. thought you could use it.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=378753

figured those parts are hard to find.

Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:50 am

oorwullie wrote: nope,haven't seen any round here. but i do know of a few other wierd VW powered items. :wink:

Yo man, what models are these? The second looks like it has Bungartz fenders, but it is certainly something I've never seen in any literature!!!

Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:53 am

take a look here:

http://www.v-meili.ch/Nostalgie/nostalgie_index.htm

Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:36 pm

1. Is it road legal?
2. Where can I get one if it is? (no one would dare cut me off, and I could "get revenge"(read "run over the cars" ) of people at my school who bother me!)

Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:58 pm

vwpimpster wrote: 1. Is it road legal?

2. Where can I get one if it is?
#1 -- I imported mine as an agricultural vehicle (a snow tractor) so as long as I obey the agricultural laws for farm tractors then I can drive it on the road. In my state I am required to have the lights on and to use a SMV sign on the rear. But to be honest I've driven it on the road several times without the lights on and I've never used a tractor's SMV sign (and I have one, I just never bothered to mount one on the Snow Trac)

#2 -- As for where to get one, I imported mine from England. They are not really common anywhere in the world, but there were several hundred imported and shipped to Alaska. There are probably several hundred of them in Canada. As far as in the continental US, there are probably another 100 or so of them scattered around the lower 48 states, mostly in the snow regions. I know of some open top units that were used in the Texas oil fields. Snow Tracs are equally at home on sand dunes as on snow.

Over 2000 were built between the mid 50's and '81, making it one of the most successful tracked vehicles ever built. The reports I've found say that the only reason they stopped production was because they could no longer get the VW industrail flat 4 engines from Germany.

Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:13 pm

could you take to the highway in it though? could it be used as a DD if absolutely necessary?
Also, how much would I figure to pay for a good one?

Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:24 pm

Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:26 pm

I don't know of any tracked vehicle that is reasonable to use as a regular vehicle. They don't go as fast, they are loud, and you feel all the bumps on a hard surface. Plus, your track life would be miserable if driven distances on pavement, and tracks are expensive.

As set of belts can easily cost a couple thousand dollars.

A good Snow Trac can easily run $15,000.00 It is not uncommon to find them for less, but there are usually issues when you do. Bear in mind for $15K, you do not get a heater, radio or the comforts of a regular car either. There is no insulation in the walls, in fact they are single sheets of aluminum.

But for a fun vehicle for sand, snow and fields, its tough to beat these things.

Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:50 pm

melensdad wrote: Have you seen any Snow Tracs in your area?
Yes, in the Czech Republic, snow trac after reconstruction. On Sunday we took pictures with his family. Snow Trac is found at the Prague cottage in Giant Mountains.

More photos:
http://alesselix.rajce.idnes.cz/Snow_Trac_Prazska_bouda/

Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:37 pm

Ales-X wrote: melensdad wrote: Have you seen any Snow Tracs in your area?
Yes, in the Czech Republic, snow trac after reconstruction. On Sunday we took pictures with his family. . .

WOW, I had the opportunity to tour much of Czechoslovakia in the 1970's before the fall of communist rule. My family is that region.

Your Snow Trac (Snow Master ST 4-B) looks awesome!