November 2014 Ad for a Chance Turbo ride in Zhejiang, China, which sold to Playland in Vancover, Canada via usedrides.com
This week, ATZ learned that Playland Vancouver will re-sell the rare 1970’s Turbo ride purchased last year from China via usedrides.com instead of having it refurbished as planned. Last November ATZ had the scoop on the acquisition of the legendary and surreal-looking amusement ride by Canada’s oldest park, which hosts the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). The news galvanized the 700-plus members of the Turbo Amusement Ride Fan Club, who are ready to plan their vacations and travel to distant places for the ride’s comeback. Why did the PNE change their plans?
“Chance has given us an extensive report on the machine’s condition that has shocked us,” PNE Maintenance Supervisor Peter Tremblay told ATZ, referring to the Turbo’s manufacturer, Chance Rides. “With this report our board has voted to sell this ride, rather then repair to add to our park due to high costs and risks. On a more positive note, we have had very high interest in the machine, and now it will be sold to a U.S. buyer.”
The Turbo, which was brought to China from Australia a decade ago, was shipped to Chance’s factory in Wichita, Kansas. A spokesman for the manufacturer said Chance will not go ahead with any work on the ride until the PNE has sold it to a new owner. As ATZ reported previously, this Turbo is expected to get a re-do rather than a restoration. Chance and the PNE had agreed to “a full make over in line with today’s strict safety standards” and “new open style tubs limiting 2 passengers per arm to make this ride more modern,” much to the dismay of Turbo aficionados, many of whom were born too late to have experienced the unique thrill of the ride.
A total of 23 Turbos were manufactured by Chance Rides from 1970 through 1976, and none are currently in operation. The Turbo Amusement Ride Fan Club’s hopes are now pinned on the two Turbos being restored as labors of love by independent ride operators Jerry Baque of Classic Rides Amusements in California and Elwin Bell of Bell’s Amusements in Australia.
Mark Hackett, co-founder of the Turbo Amusement Ride Fan Club, after riding the Turbo for the first time – 12 times in a row!- at Maple Leaf Village in Niagara Falls, 1991. Photo © Mark Hackett
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January 21, 2013: Rare & Vintage: 1960s Chance Skydiver Car
Amusing the Zillion 
I guess we will have to wait and see who in the US purchases this unit– would have been cool at the PNE though
How often does an amusement ride return from China to make a comeback in the US? On the positive side, I suppose it’s possible that it could be sold to someone who will restore the original buckets
The ride as designed looks a bit under-engineered and that’s the reason that they’re so difficult to restore. When a ride is properly over-engineered (made much stronger than it needs to be), it can be re-furbished and run 100 years after manufacture. Case in point: The Mangels Whip. I’m restoring [2] 100 year old Whip cars right now. It’s very do-able because they were over-engineered back in the early 1900s. In fact, Mangels rides routinely break my high-quality (by today’s poor standards) tools because of the incredible hardness of the steel used.
Sadly, the 1970s was the beginning of the “let’s make it as minimally strong as possible” era. There’s simply no wiggle room. When a part breaks or corrodes, it must be extensively rebuilt as too much force is being applied to each part in the first place.
ya as if playland would fix a ride they dont care about the past as they tost the wildmouse in the garbage