Rupp 3D

[bankRUPPt]

snosnake said:

That e-bay sled is about as real as a 73 3D

OK, this one got my attention and thought I'd start a new thread. Was there a 73 3rd Dimension sled? Does anybody have a picture of a 73 3rd Dimension?

I thought the 3Ds were built for Sno Pro. Essentially the same thing as Gene's widened 73 Magnum, why would the expense of new fiberglass be done in the winter of 73? While in 74 "Factories were encouraged to come up with 'Super Sleds' that would create a high degree of curiosity."(taken from Best of Sno Pro volume II). This seems like good reason for a new fiberglass body, it surely must have created curiosity as it looked so cool.

I'm sure somebody will bring up the pic on page 188 of Volume 1 of Gene on a 3D that's sporting a Tohatsu power plant. It appears to be brand new in this picture...Check out the differences in the throttle set-up. Is this in a race, or at a test track...It is clear that this picture was taken early in the 74 season, not late in the 73 season...Before the race department got the word they had to run Kohlers I'd imagine. No wonder they didn't rule the track in Sno Pro, it had to have been an absolute bomb to get the word to run Kohlers after snow was already on the ground.



Thoughts anybody?

[snosnake]

If you look on page 154 of EARLY YEARS you will see Gene Bloom and John Binckly on there 73 Magnums (look at there suits) as far as that goes look on the cover.
Now go to page 188 here is Gene on a 3D look at the suit. Now go to the last page this picture is in the 74 season. again look at Genes suit.

[redleader]

Everyone that knows me knows that I am writting a book about the history of Rupp snowmobiles from their inseption in 1965 with Mick riding a competors sled and thinking "I can improve this". I have interviewed many people from all over the United States and Canada that either worked for Rupp or raced for Rupp. In an interview dated september of 1997 with Clarance Harms, the then race director of Rupp Industries. I will quote..."In 1974 Rupp built a sled called the third dimension. The project was started by the racing sactioning body of the time. We had already had great success with Gene and the 73 magnum and were not looking forward to a whole new enginering layout to come up with a new professional drivers sled. We started in april or may of that year with different ways to improve on the magnum. We tried all sorts of combinations to come up with what we thought was the best equipment for the best driver of the year. The sleds were ready for the season opener in Ironwood, Michigan with three different kohler engines". I have the transcript, I will add this quote to the book in the 3rd Dimension chapter.
Note: The quote is copywrited by my publisher.

[racingelvis]

remeber gene and john got there jackets stolen in 1973 at a race. i do know that talking from gene they never did get the same jackets made up. so the new ones were differnt. the later 73 jacket is the 74 jacket. half way through in 74 he swiched to a black jacket. i have both of these jackets from gene and they are going into the hall of fame with his sled. so this is what we can assume, maybe that the picture of gene riding the 3d in the early years book was him testing this sled in later 73 after his jacket was stolen. the sled does have tohatsu power in it. i have talked to gene about this over and over and he just cant remeber. the pictures, the suit and the tohatsu power makes sense that maybe the sled was built in later part of 73. if you look at that picture it really doesnt look like he is racing. it looks like he just riding the sled and listening to it like if he was testing.?? if the sleds were built in late 73 for the74 season then why would he have a tohatsu in it when at that point they already have swiched to kohlers. if you do think about all the facts it does make sense that the orginal 1st 3d was built in feb. 73 just like my brochure says. MAYBE!!!!!
i will dig alittle deaper on this and try to find out more info. b.s.