Mobilera Trailblazer

[jpswift1]

I am happy to help. I bought the tranmsiion from JP for a spare for my Newt The Bold but would like to see the Trailblazer up and running again. When can I go for a ride!!!

Matt

Matt, that's really great of you to do this for Keith. You certainly have the true 6x6 enthusiast spirit.....this is what the 6X6World Network is all about.

[kghills]

I just got a chance to watch the video. Great job! I was thinking it sure looks to nice to be rigged up. Maybe an earlier design. Then read other post on others thinking the same thing. It is very interesting. You machine looks real nice. Glad Matt hooked you up with a hagen.
Thanks for the video.

Thanks Larry, If you get near your Trailblazer I would really appreciate pictures of the transmission mount and pictures of the center saddle with the gear shafts. If your transmission is still out that would be better as I could see all the mounts clearly. I know you said your AATVs were in a couple different places but if you could put it on your list I would really appreciate it.

Matt, that's really great of you to do this for Keith. You certainly have the true 6x6 enthusiast spirit.....this is what the 6X6World Network is all about.

Matt was VERY cool about selling the transmission and at the same price he paid for it. I hardly slept the night before calling him wondering if he would be willing to sell it. Given the fact that he has another machine that uses it I can see why he would want to keep it for a spare. I was really excited when he said he would sell it to get the Trailblazer back in service. Matt O. rocks.

Keith.

[LarryW]

Ill try to run down there and grab some pictures for you when I get a chance.
Steve Devaney did reply back with some cool news.

We had a flurry of activity to get things apart (rust locked) and easier things came up. No, haven't done anything with it for quite a while. The only info I got was from the internet, other than one contact.

(I removed some stuff to protect some identity but he found a sales rep/employee) and sent him a Christmas card. He called me and we talked. It turns out that there are less than 12 of these out there. It was a Small Business Loan scam. They got the money, set up a shop on an Indian Reservation in NW Minnesota (economic development) made a few and took off with the rest of the money. He did have a few OEM parts (which I bought). That's about it.
Steve

I removed the info on how he got the contact because Im not sure if its a good idea to have a swarm of people call him. Not sure if a swarm of people would or even if the contact would care but....
Keith if your interested pm or email me. Or if you get automatic emails you might already have it because I originally posted it.

[kghills]

This is the coolest Trailblazer news ever! Contact with a former employee so there is a reliable source for info. Less than a dozen units means it is actually quite rare. I sent you a PM, keep me in the loop and thank you for following up on your leads.

Keith.

[jpswift1]

I love when the history of a rare vintage AATV is unearthed......how exciting to hear about these from a man that saw them being build back when they first began. COOL! Thanks for sharing that, Larry.

[kghills]

Took a few more pictures with the Trailblazer all shined up.


It really needs an engine cover. Too bad none seem to exist for me to copy. Would be nice to find a picture at least to use as a guide.

Keith.

[LarryW]

That is a clean machine! Thanks for the pictures.

[JoeMeg]

Nice looking machine Keith. That's unfortunate about the history of the company,what a shame.

Joe.

[jpswift1]

Looks great! A little elbow grease certainly goes a long way.

[kghills]

Nice looking machine Keith. That's unfortunate about the history of the company,what a shame.

Joe.

My guess is it was part of an economic development program circa late 60s to early 70s. Being in Waubun on the White Earth Reservation makes more sense given the Trailblazer emblem and its obvious Native American influence. The tribe was supposedly given 40% share in the company from what I can find.


I would be willing to bet after the first dozen or so machines shipped another check showed up from the government for expanding the operation and off the owners went to some place warmer.

Keith.

[kghills]

Matt O is my hero! This weekend he delivered the correct drive for my Trailblazer. Here is the Hagen all cleaned up.


The controlls from a Newt the Bold which the drive came from were much fancier than the trailblazers but the steering cylinders will fit in my control pod.


I hate to take time from my other projects but I think I can literally pull the drive that is in the Trailblazer now, add two upper brackets to the crossmember and bolt the correct trans and drive hydrolics in. Would be a days work tops. I am tempted.

Keith.

[jpswift1]

Ah yes, this looks familiar. I'll give you the entire history of this unit. It was in Newt the Bold, obviously. The Newt was purchased from the original owner by a gentleman that used it at his camp that was about half an hour west of Meadville, PA. He had it for about 20 years and then his grandson sold it to me after we worked out a deal for it when I came across it on Craigslist. This was last January. He told me they didn't use it that much after they had some minor problems because they weren't very mechanically inclined. After 6X6World member Amphibiousdrew and I started doing some work on it, we found that those problems were a couple rusted solid drive chains, a bad ignition switch, and the head of the Tecumseh HH120 engine had a stripped out/enlarged spark plug hole. We replaced the head, and the engine now runs. I then sold the machine to 6X6World member Hydromike without the engine or transmission for his next project machine (he does really great work, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with Newt). I then sold the transmission to Matt, which worked out perfectly since we were both going to Ashtabula last month. And the rest writes itself.......another cool rare vintage machine about to come together!

[kghills]

Thanks JP. Newt was obviously the Rolls Royce of amphibs. Wood grain dash, chrome handles, and of course the grill. The Trailblazer is a bit more pedestrian but I am still pretty excited to have the correct drive and glad to know its history.

Keith.

[kghills]

Here is a picture of an engine cover for the Trailblazer. It is not what I expected. It is solid rather than some form of mesh screen. It looks like a better latch was added to both sides.


Control pod is missing other than that a pretty complete machine. I am hoping to get a serial number from the new owner.


Keith.

[LarryW]

Nice find! Thanks for posting that as I can try to replicate the cover too.