Let's Talk Cyclecars

from just a car guy

 

Straight out of Wacky Races. Interesting story about the electric torpedo car. I wonder if anyone used the Naval whitehead torpedo compressed air motors of the 1880s to power a road vehicle. I think they were the first machines to work out that the pointy end of the teardrop should be at the back.

 

Hello Rolf,
the first one is Oldsmobile Pirate, quite strange racing car.
As now we know what was the second one (thank you Kume!), just to find what is the third and the fourth?





Ciao,
Zoran

 

Kume,​

Interesting idea! Probably that vehicle powered by torpedo's motor shouldn't be too heavy comapred with electric racer? Speed and endurance - good for short sprints, the same as electric racers?
Porbably - unsolvable problem should be to find such torpedo-complete, if not be sponsored by Navy or manufacturers of torpedos.

Z.​

 

??????????? well at least it is historic.

 

Their are a couple of concept compressed air powered cars maybe even one production car, were there any early cars powered like that?

 

Recent ones were largely French experiments, I think? The problem remains pressure loss as heat.

 

Darmont G.C.L.

 

...connection between cycle-cars and compressed-air motors?​

I am not sure if such combination as ever used in vintage era, but now it could be done, converting small 4-stroke engine in to compressed-air, similar to steam-powered conversions.




Is it possible in DIY workshop - YES! But, is it practical - NOT quite! Power isn't significant and range is symbolic. However, who want to play with that - it isn't too complicated and expensive. Just to reconstruct camshaft to have two strokes: intake (pressurized working cycles) and exhaust... and, to buy big bottle(s) and workshop compressor to fill it/them with a lot of compressed air!

Ciao,
Zoran​

 

How about a two cylinder engine? One to pump air to fill the tank and the other to use the air to power the cyclecar? smileyface!

 

The brotherhood 3 cylinder radial engine used in thousands of torpedos from 1880s to WW2 was quite light 30 - 40 lbs. early ones ran at 1200 psi (to begin with). I understand many were sold for scrap or utilized as stationary engines or used to power capstans etc.

 

=================================
... or, to move money from one pocket to another, and becoome rich?
... or more techical solution: to use diesel engine to propel electric-generator of 220 volts and convetor to 12 volts to produce electrictiy to fill accumulators, then convertor to 220 volts to give electrictiy for workshop-comperessor with big bottle to fill small bottles to propel air-compressed motor wich propel cyclecar?
(all of that on cycle-car! with 200 kg total weight of my wife and myself)

Z.​

P.S.: I would like to try simplest solution of small engine tranformed to compressed-air motor (working on workshop table)... maybe, next time!

 

P.P.S.: Serious problem is storage of big quantity of compressed air, on relativelly small and light vehicle!
Z.

 

Years ago I read a 1903 book on the latest inventions. One of them was a compressed air powered car. It was a typical 1900 'gas buggy', powered by liquid air. Ordinary air compressed to 600PSI becomes liquid. An insulated tank contained the liquid air which powered a steam engine.

If you wanted to build one today you can buy cylinders of compressed nitrogen @ 2000PSI very reasonable. They are sold by welding gas dealers. This is the same nitrogen that tire dealers have been promoting for the last 10 years.

A simple uniflow engine can be made from a 2 stroke modified to admit steam or compressed gas through the head, and exhaust through the crankcase.

 

The crate cargo says "speed". I'll bet, with that lawnmower engine it must get up to 12, maybe 15 MPH!

 

Actually that is a sign on the property fence--maybe an early iteration of Speedwell Engineering? Nope, maybe not. I just checked and the basis of the most recent iteration of Speedwell was started in 1957 and this photo looks earlier than that (although you never know with the Brits)

Roo

 

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Herb,​

With such construction - I would be satisfied with lower number and higher speed use just to show-off!


..and, that above could be three-wheeler hot-rod gang, good for speeding and frightening of people?
... and, that bellow a SUV (sport-utility-vehicle):



... above: off-road, edventure three-wheeler with front-wheel drive? (as all other)

Zoran​

 

Fiberglass Messerschmitt parts kit available from http://messerschmitt-werke.de/ @ $2607.00 U.S.D. ...

 

If we are going to talk about trucks.......
This is our Solyto New Map "Camping" It's a deluxe meaning it has a passenger seat!

Anyone need a shop truck?

 

Hello Bluto,​

Nice photo indeed, with two cars on oposite scale of size and style! Maybe Rolls-Royce has more space, even for camping, but for practical reasons I would take Solyto New Map "Camping"! Maybe too small for me (for camping), but could be good for short cruising across and around Bern, with excursions to nearby rivers and lakes, smaller hills, too!



Again we have front-wheel drive on three-wheeler!

Ciao,
Zoran​

 

Lee Stohr found these on ebay. A little rich for me...http://www.ebay.com/itm/14-vtge-ori...007463?hash=item4645d091e7:g:1LwAAOSwKIpWBGaL

 

Zoran

"Camping" is just the model name.....

This on has very very few... less that 1000 kms from new. When I got it they had pulled the rope starter just make sure no one could get it going. My thought is the first owner must have scared himself and stuck it in the garage We went thru the engine and just replaced the crank seals (a good idea on any old 2-stroke). I got a Briggs rope starter to fit. Even have a spare engine.

 

Riley powered Amilcar special . images by G.C.L. ....

 

Is that like a shooting brake has nothing to do with brakes or shooting?

 

A Russell Brockbank cartoon. He was the absolute best.

Roo

 

um: "Shooting-brake originated as an early 19th century British term[1] for a vehicle used to carry shooting parties[2] with their equipment and game."

 

http://www.rmsothebys.com/pa17/paris/lots/1956-inter-175a-berline/1701536