"It's unbelievable how much heavy snow it'll handle," says Denis Desjardins, Alcove, Quebec, about the articulated 4-WD snow-blower he built. He used a variety of parts, including the chassis and wheels from a Chevrolet 1/2-ton 4-WD pickup, a 6-cylinder Oldsmobile gas engine, and the front axle and transmission off a Honda Civic 4-WD car.

Desjardins cut off the pickup's body and used 2 by 6-in. channel iron to make a second frame that he welded inside the original frame for extra weight. The Oldsmobile engine, mounted in back, drives the Oldsmobile's 3-speed automatic transmission, a 5-speed truck transmission, and a transfer case. The 7-ft. wide snowblower is powered by the Honda's 5-speed transmission.

The cab is equipped with a tilt steering wheel, two heaters, stereo radio, electric push button doors, power windows, front and rear window deicers (he used rear windows off junked cars), big windows, and a Jeep rear seat with room for two people.

It's built heavy so it has great traction and is geared low so I can drive slow in second gear without spinning the tires or stalling," says Desjardins. "I'm able to keep the engine at about 3,000 rpm's which makes it very fuel efficient.

"It's so comfortable to use that when I'm driving it I don't want to go home. I can work in my T-shirt even when it's 30 degrees below zero outside. I used 1/8-in. thick steel plates and self-tapping screws to make the cab. The floor panels can be removed with an impact wrench, making the drive components easy to service. The hood tilts back for easy access to the engine. The 15-in. high, 10-in. wide tires are off a Chevrolet pickup."

Desjardins mounted the Honda axle and transmission sideways in front of the rig. He cut off one side of the axle, then welded on a steel plate to keep that side from turning. A driveshaft runs from the other half of the axle to the Honda transmission and continues to the snowblower.

A hydraulic cylinder is used to raise the snowblower. The electric-powered snow-blower chute turns left or right.

A pair of hydraulic cylinders connected to a steering box salvaged from an old backhoe provide articulation. The cylinders are powered by a hydraulic pump that's belt-driven off the engine. Another hydraulic pump is used to raise or lower the blower.