Thanks Bob- it's not a true vintage cyclecar but I enjoy it. Started out in french blue gel coat, then painted in that colour, then was dark grey with silver mudguards for many years (see below). I like this itteration a lot. Has new Brooklands screens too as well as many other mods and upgrades like the new ally tank to replace the fibreglass one that was suffering the effects of modern petrol.
Geoff,were the lower pertions of the Brooklands screens made just for this application? No apology needed for your post! Bob
They're made by John Kimble over here in Blighty. I believe they are intended for an early MG T series but because of the gradually flaring shape of the cowl on my car I was able to get a good fit. John will send an unfinished screen mount to potential customers on request (you just pay postage) to make a trial fit. He has done this for US HAMBers too. He also make Bluemels steering wheels. http://www.johnkimble.co.uk/main.htm
Gary,that is one of my favorite images.I've been thinking of having it printed on some nice rag paper and framed.
1914 Woods Mobilette tandem cyclecar made in the U.S.. Now residing at he Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks,Alaska. http://www.fountainheadmuseum.com
Hi All, I posted months ago about my cycle car project and now that I have finished it's time for an update. My car is a scratch built copy of a Velorex. Its powered by a CX500 Honda, and has most of the bike incorporated into the frame. The steering head was cut off and some of the rear fender brackets,but that's it. It keeps the CX500 registration. No problem with registration or insurance. I used a collector car insurer. I learned after being refused by the first insurance co. I tried, not to say, I built a three wheeled car out of a motorcycle. They didn't like hearing that. My next try, I just said I had a three wheeled car, a 1979, the year of the bike , I needed insured. They were hesitant at first but once they saw a picture of the car they said "sure we can insure that". They asked very few questions, it was easy and cheaper than our family car's insurance. The CX500 makes a very good car motor. It has a low first gear and is very easy to find neutral. It's no power house, 45 to 50 HP, but can cruse at 60-65 MPH easy. It gets right around 40MPG so far. The finished weight is just under 800 LBS. I'm trying to ad pictures, and I hope this information is useful. Cheers, John
Here's a 1922 GN special.The ad says it's in fairly good condition and ready to go for only...(are you holding onto to your hat?) 78,500 GPB or $122,236 U.S.D. !
Hey John, will you lift up the skirt on your rig and let us see what's underneath? Looks great and I'm impressed by the speeds you can achieve. Anybody else out there working on or building a cycle car? Thanks, Charlie
From Europe, thro' the "Stans", India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia??? A mate and I have been kicking that idea around for a while. I'd love to do that trip. Maybe not in a Velorex though. Must have been hard with them both being below the knee double amputees ;-) Read a book about a guy who did it in an Austin 7 - tough little cars. There's a couple of girls who went from Thailand to the UK in a TukTuk - their big problem was that they had to have a government employee in the car with them all the way through China.
Ignoring the crazy looks and joys of barn-yard creativity, I wonder why the continuing fascination with these gizmos? I really don't know the real reasons why they were first created - fuel ecomomy, a cheap supply of surplus engines and readily available bicycle parts, or what? Still, I'd love to build one. But... you can get brand new (or used), inexpensive car with all the ammenities and safety features for probably near the same price (or far less than the 50K+ for the new Morgans or vintage versions) and not have to pack rain gear or UPS your cargo ahead to the next destination. Just wondering, Gary
As far as the Velorex is concerned, I believe it was originally conceived during the Soviet Era as a kind of mobility vehicle for those with physical disabilities. CZ also did a trike version of its Cezeta scooter for much the same reason.
The Jalopy Journal
