Phoenix Coyotes Zamboni — We drive the coolest ride on four wheels



By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(September 30, 2022) PHOENIX — Snoopy drove one in the Peanuts comic strip, The Gear Daddies had a minor hit song “I Want to Drive the Zamboni,” on the television sitcom “Cheers,” Carla’s hockey-playing husband, Eddie LeBec, died when he was run over by a Zamboni, and even former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin told People magazine she thought it would be a great name for a son.


Growing up in Michigan I was a big fan of the Detroit Red Wings professional hockey team.  Back then the Red Wings had arguably the greatest skater to ever play the game in Gordie Howe.  But I didn’t want to take a slap shot from to the net or body check a right or left winger into the glass.  Me?  I wanted to drive the Zamboni ice resurfacer.

I’m sure you’ve seen one; almost everyone has, either at an ice rink, on television during the Winter Olympics or watching a hockey game.  It looks like a cross between a street sweeper and a forklift truck sans the forks. Even people who know nothing about hockey know about Zamboni.

Frank Zamboni first developed the machine that bears his name in 1949.  Originally from Utah, Frank and his older brothers moved to Southern California in 1920 to work in the auto repair business.  As demand for cooling expanded into the produce business, the brothers built a plant that made block ice.  But as refrigeration technology improved, demand for block ice began to shrink.

The popularity of sport ice-skating was growing and with few rinks in Southern California Frank built and opened Iceland Skating Rink in Paramount in 1939.  
(The rink still operates today just blocks from the Zamboni factory. In fact, it's not unusual to see Zamboni ice resurfacers driving down the neighborhood streets on their way to be tested at Iceland.)

The challenge now was to maintain this much-improved indoor surface. At the time, resurfacing the ice meant pulling a scraper behind a tractor, shaving the surface.  It took about an hour. Today, Brad Priest, official driver of the Zamboni for the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team at their Glendale, Arizona home the Jobbing.Com arena can do the entire rink perfectly in about 10 minutes.



After years of tinkering with scrapers, hot water tanks and snow removal Frank was finally able to get a good sheet of ice consistently. It wasn’t until 1964 that the Zamboni HD-series took on the enclosed shape and design that we know today.

Priest walked me around the Zamboni explaining that it’s powered by a 2.4-liter inline-four-cylinder Nissan engine that produces 65-horsepower delivered to move the massive 9000-pound machine. Two tanks filled with compressed natural gas fuels the engine; a propane tank is backup.  “Mileage isn’t spectacular said Priest, it uses half of one tank to complete one ice resurfacing.” Zamboni has also gone green and now builds fully electric powered models.

With only one seat, Zamboni isn’t much of a family vehicle.  The Coyote’s have added one additional seat used during games for one lucky fan that wins the ride along during game period breaks when the ice is resurfaced.    “People are just fascinated by the Zamboni rides,” said Priest.  Fans just love watching the Zam do its thing between hockey periods.  Kids wave, cameras are flashing; it makes people smile when the Zamboni takes the ice.  They applaud its precision and even jeer missed spots.

The Zamboni is four-wheel drive with studded tires.  There isn’t any power steering but it does have a Necker knob on the steering wheel, a necessity considering 4.5 turns lock-to-lock.  There’s a brake pedal but no gas pedal.  Rather the Zam uses a gearbox selector and engine-speed lever.  

Zamboni use is measured in hours not miles therefore no speedometer or odometer.  

The dash is adorned with any number of gauge
s with needles pointing to numbers; warning and operational stickers completely cover every flat surface of the dash keeping OSHA happy presumably limiting liability for injuries.  

Levers to control hydraulics for conditioners, vertical and horizontal augers, dump tanks, and other large contraptions seemed to be everywhere.  Added that were control wheels for hot water that makes the ice, wheels, to move the scraper blades, other controls for cold water washes and ice brushes that all operated in a melodic cacophony of heavy equipment as it smoothed the surface and picked up snow in one smooth operation.  

The Zamboni is fun to watch, actually hypnotic doing its thing on the torn-up surface of an ice rink.  But it’s even more fun, so much more fun to drive.  

“So can I drive the Zamboni?” I asked looking at a wincing Brad knowing full well turning over the keys of the $100,000 machine I’m sure with frightening visions of me crashing through the glass barrier wall.  With a quick look around for nervous Coyote personnel and seeing none, I hear the magical words:  “Well, I guess so.”

I climbed up and firmly placed myself behind the wheel before Priest changed his mind.  He reached over and fired up the 7,500-pound behemoth and I idled it onto the ice.  Brad gave it full throttle and all 65-horsepower rocketed the Zamboni from 0 to its top speed of 9 mph in a sweet 6.0 seconds. A run through the quarter mile takes 93.5 seconds. The average Zamboni will rack up about 2,000 miles per year.

Ok, so it isn’t a Corvette, forward visibility is poor, steering is at best vague with complete oversteer (like driving a 1965 Buick station wagon) but the ride is smooth as ice, and it doesn’t even have a suspension.    

The Zamboni has LED headlights and taillights and a horn, power steering, but no windshield, directional signals, break lights or radio. A heated seat is optional. Safety equipment includes driver and passenger seat belts, no airbags.  The brakes felt good and as expected it handled superbly on ice.

Exterior styling is highly fashionable for a Zamboni including alloy wheels, so much so that it has kept the same shape and design we know today since 1964. Our test Zamboni came painted in bright red with huge white Toyota logos covering most of the exterior.  It fooled no one as everybody instantly recognizes it as a Zamboni and not a Toyota.  

Zambonis continue to be built today at the same Paramount, California facility as the original factory just blocks from the Iceland Skating Rink. Nearly 12,000 Zambonis are operating in 68 countries around the globe.  About 200 new Zambonis in a choice of ten different models including all-electric, are built each year.

I complete my rounds on the ice between numerous poses for pictures and safely returned my Zamboni back to a relieved Brad Priest.  Grinning ear to ear, a life-long dream satisfied, I climbed down, pat her on the chassis, hand the keys to Brad and took one final walk around.

Charlie Brown once said there are three things in life that people like to stare at:  a flowing stream, a crackling fire and a Zamboni clearing the ice.

Zamboni

Price:  Up to $144,700 (gas powered) $160,000 (all-electric).
Fuel Economy:  Half of one tank in about 10 minutes
Fuel Type:  Compressed natural gas

Likes:
Unique design, cult following
Smooth as ice ride
Turns heads everywhere

Dislikes:
No audio system
Not much good on paved surfaces
Won’t fit in the drive-thru

Competes With:
Olympia Ice Resurfacer

Website:  www.zamboni.com