MTFCA Forum

Does anyone have any history or knowledge on Snowbird Canvas snowmobile tracks? I can’t find anything about them. Thanks Jared

I don't know any specifics, but belting like that used to be in common use. I don't know if it's available anymore. Antique engine and thresher people may know of a source.

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/3 ... 1359393743
by Bob McDonald, Federal Way, Wa. January 28, 2013
"The snowmobile units were made to fit all T so year of car will not date the picture or the year of assembly and use.#1 would be 1917 or earlier the tracks are canvas belt type that were used from 1916 to 1922 and then the steel tracks were used after that. Snowmobile Co. did buy some new cars (Mr. White also operated a Ford Dealership and the fenders and running boards and other parts that were changed were put in there parts stock for resale)."

few more links
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/4 ... 1400428163
https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=1036

in one of the sales brochures, Snowmobile referred to the material the belts were made of as ''Balaka''. I do not know if that is a special material, a type of heavy canvas or a name Virgil White made up for advertising purposes.

TractorGlenn wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 24, 2022 12:36 pm

in one of the sales brochures, Snowmobile referred to the material the belts were made of as ''Balaka''. I do not know if that is a special material, a type of heavy canvas or a name Virgil White made up for advertising purposes.

Think "Balaka" is a typo and likely should be "Balata"
Balata transmission belting is tough, durable, robust belt made from heavyweight cotton fabric impregnated with high quality rubber compound.
The skin on professional golf balls in the 50's-80's were covered with a balata skin, to provide back spin but cut easily when miss hit.
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balata, also called Gutta Balata, hard rubber like material made by drying the milky juice produced principally by the bully tree (species Manilkara bidentata) of Guyana and the West Indies.