Cold weather hot rods
A bunch of young guys, filling the school parking lots with cheap-but-entertaining machinery, working on their own vehicles and squeezing the most from meagre dollars. Sounds like every hot rod story you’ve ever heard, right?
Right. Except here we’re talking Lab West, and the machines are snowmobiles.
“There are Ski-Doo parking lots at the school and the mall, so when you’re 15 or 16 your Ski-Doo is your freedom, it’s who you are,” Carl Simmons told me over a Facebook chat this week. Yes, we’re related.
Down here in the balmy south (where most of the Avalon is snowed-in as this is written), young gearheads spend their time and money on more conventional motivation. First cars are generally smaller and Asian, a truth that gave birth to the tuner culture. Bit of neon, bit of exhaust and you’ve set yourself apart. Well, different like everybody else, but you get the idea.
Yeah, that goes for Lab City sleds, too.
“When I was in high school, mine could do 220 km/h and had underglow, haha!” Carl wrote.
“Most times kids cut the windshield down, put a riser on the (handle) bars so they are higher and (an exhaust) can so it’s loud.” Sounds like the tuner boys to me.
Like any good hot rodder, Carl and his buddies wheel and deal for the bits and pieces they use to build their machines. And like any good society, they have their language. Witness this exchange that followed a video of Carl on his Ski-Doo MXZ800. Friend: Is it a renegade or shorty ? Carl: 121 800 haha just a toy Friend: What year? Carl: ’07. Having a hard time getting her to rev out tho
Friend: Did you try changing to a higher click position?
Carl: I just did the engine, clutch kit, V force, reed spacer, 19/43 gearing, straightline Y pipe haha
Carl’s not kidding about it being just a toy. He’s built it expressly for standing on its tail. Call them wheelies, if you will. Thus the changed gearing. “I had 25/45 gear but went to 19/43 for less speed and just snap,” he told me.
Love it. As the boys on TV’s “Gas Monkey Garage” say, “Get you some of that!” Sounds like more fun than sitting inside griping about the snow.
Ken Simmons, The Telegram’s new media editor, breathes exhaust and exhales clean, fresh air. Twitter @Ken_Simmons_NL/Tumblr