1942 Ford-MH SnoGo.

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#46

06-19-2011, 09:01 AM

Tony Pennell

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Sure, will do

The SnoGo's still in bits, but I have pics of my old blower (that it will replace) on the tractor - and Vee plough.

Tony

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#47

09-05-2013, 04:14 PM

Colin Budden

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Hi folks,

I hope you don't mind my crashing in here but i have just bought what i believe to be one of the missing 1942 snogos in the UK.

I live on the Isle of Wight and i have found it in an old chalk pit where she has sat for 30 years!!! She's in a bad way and missing all the front blower unit and rear motor but to be honest....that's the least of her problems!!!

I just had to save it.....what's left of it

If i can figure out how to post pic's then i will if anyone's interested

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#48

09-05-2013, 05:00 PM

Colin Budden

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#49

09-06-2013, 12:15 PM

christurney77

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Great find... Very rough shape though...

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#50

11-20-2013, 09:36 AM

Mack0238

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Question for the Pros out there

Hello Ford/Marmon-Harrington/SnoGo guys! (Sorry to hijack this post, but it seemed most appropriate!)

My name is Pete Macken. I’m 30, and from Rochester, Minnesota. (Land of unknown snow possibilities)

I have the opportunity to buy a 1948 Ford F-5 Marmon Harrington truck complete with Snogo unit attached. (I have pictures but I can’t attach them until I’ve been a member for 10 days!!)

As mechanically ambitious as I am, I am cautious as to how much work this “wonder of engineering” might take to restore back to a well oiled snow-blowing machine.

First, I think this thing is really REALLY cool. This is a “barn-find” that I found as a teenager and is still there! The current owner knows all the previous truck history, and here’s what I know so far:
Original truck was ordered in the USA in 1948 by the Rochester, MN Airport. After the F-5 was equipped with the Marmon Harrington 4-wheel-drive and Snogo blower, it was delivered to the (at the time) small Rochester airport. Sometime during the next 10 years, a second PTO driven sweeper-head was purchased for warm-weather operation on airport property (don’t know what company would have made the sweeper). The sweeper and the blower were changed-out every Fall and Spring. (The sweeper is now gone) After airport use, the City of Rochester used it for a time, and ultimately a private owner used it to clear a college parking lot.

FRONT ENGINE: Standard Ford Flathead V8, 239 CID, 100bhp
ORIGINAL REAR ENGINE (I’m guessing, due to the huge radiator still there): Climax 1,187.5 CID “Blue Streak” Gasoline HOG.
CURRENT REAR ENGINE (installed in the 1950’s or 60’s?): Detroit Diesel 4-71 “Screaming Jimmy” 2-stroke. 284 CID Roots-type blower aspirated. 159 bhp. (no turbo installed)
Multiple transmissions, including the stock tranny, high/low, and deep reduction Snogo creeper.

Both front and rear engines were run in 2003. The current owner said that “with just the right amount of snow coming in, at the just the right truck speed, the entire rear engine and drive-train would howl perfectly and rattle the windshield of any car behind him”. COOL.

The only thing I can see that is missing would be the curved loader attachment for the blower.

Question: If I were to offer him a price for this “beauty”, does ANYONE have any idea what a fair number would be? Also, if I were to then restore the truck, overhaul both engines and clean everything up, would there be ANY resale value? In other words… could I sell the truck for what it would cost to get it 100%?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
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#51

11-20-2013, 12:20 PM

truckdog62563

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Snogo M-Hs, as great and unique as they are, aren't worth a lot. As you said, the drive trains and gearing are suited to their work, not casual usage. Many that show up on CL or eBay are priced at a couple thousand dollars. If yours is complete and functional maybe more. Buy it because you love it, not because you expect to recover your investment. Stu

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#52

11-22-2013, 10:39 AM

Mack0238

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Here she is! Thoughts on a fair price?

What do you think I should offer?

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#53

11-22-2013, 11:40 AM

truckdog62563

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My fear here is that the old guy that owns it thinks its rarity, low miles, and overall good condition makes it valuable. Not really. They are so task specific that there's a limited market for them. I've watched many go begging on ebay and CL with $1500 asking prices. Clearly spend more if you really want it, and think it's in really good shape, but do so with your eyes open. Stu

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#54

11-22-2013, 07:10 PM

Mack0238

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Quote:

Originally Posted by truckdog62563

Thanks Stu,

I get what you're saying 100%. There's a certain type of guy out there that thinks all the stuff out in their shed is "worth a lot of money" and would say "well... I can't let that go for cheap.... that's a collector item". When really, their "collector item" is slowly rotting into the ground as they bargain away. Think of all the hoarders that are sentimentally attached to the most random things. Heck, I think most things never get restored because someone is "holding out" for the right buyer until he/she passes-away and the stuff is auctioned off.. or worse, thrown away! (Ok... maybe I went a little far on that one)

All-in-all, I think the truck would be very fun to restore as a mechanical hobby. It's a true HOBBY: a black hole for hobby money

and NOT a money-making adventure. I'm going to need a proper shed to clean it, take it apart, and restore it in, and until I have that, It would be foolish to buy it. At least my initial gut-feeling that it really isn't worth a whole lot of money was true. Maybe good for a local history museum, or a fun once-a-year parade princess!

If/when I buy it, I'll have to try and find manuals for the blower and the truck. It would be great to have all my "guns loaded" and paperwork in-hand the day I buy it.

Any advice on finding the necessary SnoGo/M-H manuals? I'm gonna keep reading the forum posts and hopefully other members that previously posted important info are still around/active!

Thanks again, and happy Ford-ing.

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#55

11-22-2013, 07:46 PM

truckdog62563

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If you can, next time you go see it, copy down the info on the data plates located on the glove box door, left side of the firewall, and on the M-H plate that's located over the windshield. The Ford 1949-1951 Shop Manual is essential. Even though the truck is a '48 that manual still applies. Also, a copy of the 1948-1956 Chassis Catalog on CD is gonna provide schematic breakouts of key component areas. Last, depending on the M-H number, one of us might have the M-H manual and/or Snogo manual. I have an original R5-4 manual that applies to the Ford F-5 model, and would copy it for you, but have somewhere in my memory that the Snogo is a different model. And finding a manual for the rear engine would no doubt allow you to burn many hours on Google. I'd also suggest following along with discussions over on the 1948-1956 forum. Seems there's more of us M-H guys there than on other forums. Stu

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#56

11-22-2013, 08:54 PM

Mack0238

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Cool. I'll get all the numbers off that baby and hang out with you guys on the '48-'56 Forum and see how things progress. Thanks for the advice... at least other people out there have seen these awesome trucks before. In the wise old words of Tim Allen: "we're gonna need MORE POWER". Haha.

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#57

04-19-2024, 01:41 PM

jb.welded

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MattRimmer

Hi
I've just bought a 1942 Ford Marmon Herrington SnoGo.the truck is very complete and original and it thought to be one of a batch bought to the UK during WW2 under "lend-lease".the basic truck before Marmon Herrington carried out the 4wd converson was a Ford 29T. the chassis number of the truck is KMM5-4-499640.I know KMM5-4 is the Marmon Herrington model but I would like to know if it is possible to find out the year and month the truck was made? I say it's a 42 as that's the style of cab.I'm also looking for details of the Ford MH SnoGo trucks being used during WW2 and basically any details relating to the SnoGo units would be of great help.
Thanks!
Matt.

Hi Matt, were you ever able to track this down? I might have a lead for you, but I don't want to post it publicly out of respect for his privacy. He does have a job to tend to, after all ;-)

I also recently purchased a '42 SnoGo, and he helped me track down the original Klauer build sheet(s). I say sheets (plural) because it turns out my truck/blower combination isn't the original.

Thanks,
Jeff Bowman
Fairbanks, Alaska

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