Models 293, 340, 438, 645, 797

    The Blizzard for '73 came in two styles. The three cylinder 640 and 800 sleds were basically '72 models with slight technical improvements and a new paint job that included orange as an accent color. The twin cylinder rotary valve 295, 340 and 440 were all new machines, and were in my opinion the finest looking sleds Ski-Doo ever produced!

    An interesting variation of the 73 Blizzard was the G/R or grass racer version. The G/R was available in all engine sizes and ran on rubber tracks with bogie suspensions.

Technical Highlights

     Last production Blizzard with free air engines
 
 

1973 T'NT Free Air ****

Models 340, 400

    The success of the '72 400 Free-Air in the stock racing class the previous year was repeated in spades in '73. The 1973 T'NT F/A was fitted with twin cylinder piston port engines and shared the same aluminum chassis as the '73 Blizzard. It was a potent stock racer as well as a wild trail machine.

    Collectors should be wary of the aluminum front cross member on these sleds.  It was prone to bending under hard trail riding, twisting the ski posts. The clutch for the T'NT F/A's were built under license from Polaris, and referred to as the HP clutch.  This clutch was a problem on these sleds. They were prone to vibration failure and were recalled by Ski-Doo in 1975 to be replaced with a Roller Square Shaft unit.  If your sled has an HP clutch, be very wary. A final note which applies to all T'NT F/A engines, the pistons, especially on the 400 and 440 engines were prone to skirt cracking. If your sled has over 1000 miles on it, you should pop the jugs and inspect the piston skirts near the pin boss. If there is any sign of cracking, replace the pistons before riding the sled.

    Another note about the Polar Fire CDI units.  They are very susceptible to damage from cranking with no spark plugs. There's more details in the restoration page.

Technical Highlights

    First use of a hydraulic brake on a consumer Ski-Doo.

    First use of a CDI on a consumer Ski-Doo

    First front mounted engine in a consumer Ski-Doo