Combining vintage snowmobiles and Wankel engines?! Win-win, at least for the unusual factor. I’m trying not to overdo the vintage snowmobile thing here, but this 1972 Arctic Cat Panther with a 303 Wankel engine and Arctic Cat Cutter was just too good to pass up. It can be found here on Facebook Marketplace in Dolgeville, New York, and they’re asking $2,750. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jeff C. for the tip!
If something looks a little off here, it’s because this Arctic Panther sounds like it was restored or rebuilt, and there are no decals on it. You can see that the Cat Cutter pull-behind sled does have decals, and I’d get some for the snowmobile pronto. They’re available on eBay and probably elsewhere, and it would make a world of difference to have them on the snowmobile. The shocks on the front skis appear to be missing here; maybe they come with the sale, or the next owner can find a set of them at a swap meet or online. This one would have cost $1,250 new in 1972.
I love seeing this unusual snowmobile out in the wild, covered in actual snow. What a concept for photos, showing a vehicle in use where it’s meant to be used! They weren’t as unusual as I make it sound, as Arctic Cat sold around 10,000 of the Wankel-engine versions of this sled. They also reportedly made 451 versions with an 8hp Kohler engine (The same one in our white-cowl 1966 Arctic Cat 141!), and 16,600 with a Kawasaki-sourced 440 engine. Zinnnnnng! This rotary-powered Panther was about 360 pounds, so not a lightweight by any means.
The “dash” could use some help from a silver pen to touch up the worn spots. Have any of you used those to redo the silver trim on dashboards? Arctic Cat listed a Sachs-Wankel engine on their model list as early as the 1968 model year, and they appear to have gone away after the 1974 model year. Cat was one of the big manufacturers offering them; they even had a riding lawnmower with a similar Sachs-Wankel engine. Regulations for noise came around in 1973, and snowmobile companies started insulating and enclosing the engine compartments. A kill switch (the red button above) was a new safety feature for ’72 Cats, as were kink-resistant cables. Sadly, there is no optional lighter on this one; you’ll have to bring a match for those cigars out on the trail.
The seller says the 303-cc Sachs-Wankel rotary engine has a “fresh rebuild,” including new seals, new o-rings, decarbonized rotor, a NOS carb, an updated recoil (is that a Honda pull-starter?), and more. This looks like a winner with just enough cosmetic work left to do to make a fun summer project out of it for next winter. Have any of you ridden or owned a Wankel-powered snowmobile?
Great write up!!! To answer your pull start question Scotty, Yes, that’s either a Honda or possibly an aftermarket Honda pull start on there. Who knew that would fit? Cool snowmobile and I have never seen a tow behind sled before. Thats a great combo.
Actually I’d feel sorry for the kids in the tow behind. Sleds kick up a LOT of snow! Plus no heat coming off the engine. They’d likely be frozen blocks by the time they got to wherever they were going!
Some things look cool but…
Bring a few more 👨👩👧👦 to the ice ❄️ fishing 🎣 hole 😃🙌
I saw one of these and that was it; it disappeared almost as fast as it showed up in the mountains at Essex, MT. It was there the one day and vanished after that. No one knows for sure although the dealer said they were experimenting with a new concept and that might’ve been it…
Well, my friend, I, and the previous 3 and many others once this goes “public”, can assure you, you couldn’t possibly overdo the vintage snowmobile thing. In fact, we all probably have a wish list of sleds we would love to see again. Now, I did a LOT of snowmobiling, no brag, just fact.( Walter Brennan, remember him?) I can say without reservation, never saw one. I did see an Arctic Cat like this that was a hydraulic drive, hydrostatic(?) goofy thing, motor turned a pump to the drive motor on the track, but like this, weighed a ton, and not good in the cold. As mentioned, I had a Johnson Rotary I got for nothing in the 80s, it had 50 miles on it, like brand new, never even tried to get it running, and took it to the dump. A fate of many of these,,oddballs. In snowmobiles, there’s something to be said about traditional power, and not much could beat the 2 stroke. The pull sled is a novel addition, not for scary rides with aging family members screaming for dear life, more for a simpler time, a slow putt through the woods, a modern sleigh ride, as it were, just hope they like oil fumes,, I would.
Find a ’79 Kawasaki Interceptor and we’re talking! Dad’s friend had one when I was a kid. Did 110 across a corn field on it. She booked! Had to lean real far forward off the dig to keep the skis on the ground.
please don’t stop the vintage snowmobile stories and I also enjoy the vintage dirt bike ads as well. It’s cool to see these old sleds of my youth. I do remember those tag along trailer things and saw many little kids wrapped in layers riding in them. My wish list for old sleds are Arctic Cat El Tigre, 70s SkiDoo Blizzard, Polaris TX 340. Your not overdoing anything, your making it more interesting
Had a TX 340. Absolute rocket ship. The windshield would bend over.
Never been on one, but how much snow would get thrown onto the cutter riders? Looks like it is plastered after the last ride…
Theses Panther are a blast to run in full snow, large track, aluminium body, rear tank to get a better weight distribution.
There is not many better sled to run in 6′ of snow from that era.
This one brings me so much memories, it will be a long text.
My dad bought a new 1971 Panther with the same engine and with the trailer too. He reminds us every time he talks about it, he paid 1300$ for the sled with the the snow suit and helmet. The 1971 with the rotary engine had a different cab with chrome front grills.
When we were around 8-10 years old, my bro and I were always excited when we saw the first snow. The sled was parked behind bundles of stock, we wanted to have a ride, dad says, pull all the stuff around and we will ride the sled!
At 14, I asked my dad to ride it more, but thoses rotary engines are quite hard to start, I wasn’t able to start it. So my dad replace the engine with a 340 Suzuki. Then we restored the sled, paint, shining the aluminum frame, etc. On the second winter that I ride it, I crashed it on a stalled tractor in the middle of the trail. I didn’t adjust the brake before my ride and knew they were not ok…
The sled was still running!
So I came back slowly to home. Then I cried and was so afraid of my dad reaction. He was not mad at me but I saw his regard, he was really disappointed, it happen just because of the brake adjustment that I skipped.
We repaired the sled and ride it another full winter.
I always said to myself that I would restored it in secret and show it to my dad. But life isn’t going that way, dad is not with us anymore. But I still have that goal, I still bought different parts for the cab on ebay. I have almost everything.
Thanks for this post!