Years ago we were contacted by re-seller of old automotive magazines to see if we had a bunch from our sport that we wanted to off-load. As a part of the conversation, he told us one of his little trade secrets:
“I’ll put them on ebay for a week or two, and then if they don’t sell I’ll cut-up the magazines and sell the individual ad pages – I usually make more money that way, actually,” he said. “People really dig the old ads. They’re like a snapshot in time that some people frame and put up on their garage walls or in their man caves.”
We flashed back to that conversation recently when paging through the February 1995 issue of Snow Goer as we were putting copies on the SnowGoerStore website for sale. Some of the ads were fabulous!
With that thought, we decided to share: Below are some interesting ads from that 1995 Snow Goer issue, including those from the major manufacturer ads plus a few fun ones from the aftermarket. There are more Ski-Doo ads to show from that issue than from the other manufacturers: Don’t blame us or accuse us of brand bias – instead, blame whoever was working at Ski-Doo’s ad agency in the late fall of 1994 booking the space. Enjoy. (And, we down to three copies of that issue in our inventory in the SnowGoerStore, so if you want a hard copy of the issue, act fast.)
Editor’s Note: Every Snow Goer issue includes in-depth sled reports and comparisons, aftermarket gear and accessories reviews, riding destination articles, do-it-yourself repair information, snowmobile technology and more. Subscribe to Snow Goer now to receive print and/or digital issues.
Can we please have those sticker prices back! Under $3K!
Ordered 96 Tcat and 95 ZRT800 and was close to 25G in Canada in fall of 95.
Love that 95 Formula III ad! That Royal purple hood with the red,yellow,& orange graphics. AWESOME!!! My brother & I immediately Snow checked sleds for1996. Smartest thing I’ve ever done. I put 4,400 miles on it that winter. My ex brother in-law bought a 96 Arctic Chicken ZRT 600 & besides me crushing it in races. He might have put 200 miles on it because it was always in the shop. I traded it in & Snow checked a 97 Formula III because it had the new rear suspension SC-10.I put 4,000 miles on that sled.I piped both sleds with FAST pipes,clutch cam & carb Jets. Then shaved the head,& changed weights in the clutches.Had 192 studs. I never lost a race until my first ride on my 97 when I met neighbors who had the 97 Mach 1 700 & Mach Z 800 both triple cylinders like mine. I thought I would either beat them or run even or close with the H.P. gain from the pipes,etc..because my 96 F III
beat the 96 Mach 1 670 twin & 96 Mach Z 780 triple pretty easily. But it wasn’t the case with the 97’s. That’s why Ski-doo upped the Mach 1 to a 700 triple & the Mach Z up to 800 because the 95 & 96 F III’s were so fast. They de-tuned the 96 because the 95 was so fast.But the 96’s were still crazy fast.Everytime I got off those sleds I said GOD I LOVE THIS SLED!!! Honestly I did. My ex-wife was so jealous of that sled. I still want a F III motor to put in a Rev chassis because the twins just don’t have the same snot as those triples! Everyone always says they have more torque. No twin I’ve ridden pulls as hard as my F III’s.Not even close.Even the Mach Z didn’t pull as hard as my F III.The Mach was just smooth but fast as hell.I could pull the skis off the snow at 80 mph.I blew one belt on 1 96 & 3 97 Formula III’s that i put over 12,000 miles on in 4 yrs. Only problem i encountered with all my Ski-doo’s is my 96 had one of the 2 screws in the dual stage throttle come out while riding up in the U.P.of Michigan but it didn’t hurt anything or cause me not to be able to ride. I even sank my 2nd 97 water skipping when I ran out if gas. LOL Swimming in Wisconsin in February sucks let me tell ya! Pulled it out of 10 feet of water,tipped it on it’s side,pulled spark plugs & pulled it over.Shot mud & water about 30 feet out the plug holes.I loaded (lifted) it backwards into my 4×4 truck.I usually did it myself! But I was freezing & soaking wet from diving down & looping the skis with a rope.So my brother & a friend also pushed the sled the last foot or two into my truck bed,right thru the back window of my truck.The day just kept getting worse! The coming weekend was a Snocross race in a nearby city we were racing in,so I pulled the seat off together it dry.Pulled it over to get more water,mud,& debris out of the cylinders.Got Pneumonia a day or 2 before the Snocross race but raced anyway.Took 3rd place sick as heck. A week or 2 later we went to Wyoming & rode in the mountains for a week. Brought it home & sold it.Ski-doo’s are bulletproof. Best sleds I ever bought. We had Arctic Chickens in the 70’s,80’s,Yamaha Enticers in the 80’s. My Dad & brother had Polaris’s in the mid 80’s & early 90’s,I had a 95 V-Max i bought new & traded it in on my Snow checked 96 F III
Smartest thing i ever did!!!