Let's Talk Cyclecars

I saw this one on a cinema classic the other night. It boasted a couple of styling changes but definitely the same car.

 

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So, Rev. Bow - you like it so much that built one for yourself!
(of course, something smaller - it is in CycleKart class, but cute the same as original)




Regards,
Zoran

 

P.S.: Rev. Bow - pardon me for stealing a photo and video-clip with you, your dog Luc and your 4-wheel Morgan "R.I.P." (CK-replica)

 

Sima Violet seen at the Lane Museum in Nashville. If you haven't been it is a must see place.

 

Hello, Fred!
For me, Sima-Violet is one of the most elegant between cyclecars, in any of body styles!











Ciao,
Zoran

 

One Sima–Violet for sale
https://www.vintagedrivingmachines.com/1924-Sima-Violet-Cyclecar-For-Sale?ad_id=201791394

 

Very nice one. I do like the boat tail ones though.

 

We had 9 cars in the Morgan 3 wheel class at the Hilton Head Concours show this month. Amazing car show with 20 million dollar cars!!!

 

Definitely a a must-see. Unfortunately, my camera was malfunctioning when I was there...

 

Jappic at Brooklands

 

Clive Lones' "Tiger Kitten"









500cc Class J.A.P. Engine
Morgan Sliding Pillar Front Suspension
Austin 7 chassis

 

That Falcon is pretty cool looking

 

I love the lines on this one, but man, there isn't much to that frame...

 

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Hello, Rev. Bow!​

Beside Falcom, for me, Malcom is quite cute, too! Obviously that all of the posted pictures are from some USA catalogue with cyclecars for 1914. Until some 10-15 years ago, when I met internet friend from the USA that loves small cars the same as myself - I didn't know that in America were any company that produced cyclecars! obviously thatt there were a lot of them with big total production, maybe the same as in Europe!
I managed to found a few more pictures with MALCOM cyclecar, but then it became MALCOLM, with one more "L" in the name? From other information, incluidng Wikipedia, it looks to me that it was the same company?
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1914 Malcolm Jones
The Malcolm Jones was an American automobile manufactured in Detroit from 1914 to 1915. The first model was a cyclecar that used a V-twin engine with a belt drive and had tandem seating. A larger 4 cylinder model with shaft drive followed in 1915.​

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Not of big importance, but little mystery for me!
So, both FALCOM and MALCOM/MALCOLM are cute... from pictures printed in American catalogueg for 1914 and many other information, it seems that a lot of American cyclecars are quite long, with wheelbase of around 100", similar to G.N. or Bedelia and many more... A pair of pictures with FALCON scheme...

Ciao,
Zoran​

 

I’ll definitely post updates as progress is made and no, that’s a Vintage Speedster replica 356 I pulled out of the jungle years ago. The owner parked it on some property where it sat for 7 years with nothing but a sheet of plywood on top of it. Needless to say everything needed going through, so I built a jungle outlaw with our tropical environment in mind. When I removed the interior I found the floors were gone so I fabbed new ones 13ga stainless sheet, bedlined the interior of the tub, installed all weather tractor bucket seats with drain holes, built a 1776 with dual Dellorto 36’s, dialed the suspension in and installed discs all the way around. It runs, stops and rides better than the real thing, won’t rust before my eyes, and I can leave it in the rain with the top down if I want!

BTW, I just returned from my CA trip and was able to buy and ship off the English wheel. Looking forward to playing with it next month and starting on the Airhead Roadsters body after the new year.

 

Amilcar drawing.

 

That chassis looks like someone set out to build an Austin Seven, only moreso!

 

A reply worth waiting for. You ARE a true Airhead (in the most complimentary way) and not just in the BMW sense. I too have been involved in early VW's currently with a `69 Ghia; stock internal 1600 DP, QP exhaust and dual Kadron 40's. Plans are for a 74 X 88 stroker and upgrade to Dell 36's. I also have and still ride the 1951 BMW 500 I bought in 1974.
I never came across the term 'Jungle Outlaw" before, must be an island thing. Sounds like a cool take on a Speedster. I hope the floor didn't involve much forming, 13 g SS would be tough.

Nice group of pics you put up, too.
Look forward to your postings.

 

Sometimes if you stare at the puzzle long enough, you figure out how to arrange the pieces until it all makes more sense. In my case, I’ve been staring at the pieces for years trying to figure out how to make them all work. The issue has been that everything on the AR wants to live and work in the same space, the steering box, the right carb and cylinder, the hand brake, the foot brake, the driveshaft and the accelerator pedal, they all want to be in the right forward footwell area and it’s been a nightmare trying to figure it all out, but finally I had a break through, I think.

Yesterday I finally cut down the steering column. I left it on the long side since I may need to cut it shorter to achieve the correct shaft angle up under where the fuel tank will sit. As I did that, I thought perhaps I might be able to swap the two halves of the stock Austin brake actuating cross shaft side for side which would in turn position the hand brake to the left side of the centerline out of the way of both the driveshaft and steering shafts, and it worked! This then allowed me to move the steering box back along the frame rail alleviating the interference issues with the right cyclinder and carb, and allowed a position in the same plane that it was originally mounted but in an area much stronger where the outer rail meets with the X member. Now all I have to do is extend the drag link arm instead of shortening the pitman arm. I was also worried about the steering box getting cooked by the cylinder. Now there’s plenty of room for a shield.

Lastly, I have decided to build a pedal system around a single cross shaft on which the brake, clutch and accelerator pedals will pivot. I’m hoping to find some period looking forged pedals to match the original brake one I have. If I can’t, I might have to go with “spoon” style units. I don’t want anything modern or too go cart looking.

Anyway it’s not much, but it’s progress. Dare I say, things are once again beginning to fall into place??

BTW, all the photos I’ve been posting have come from a Instagram. I take screen shots and upload them once I have a handful. I figure some of you may not be on Instagram. If you are, feel free to follow me at @willdesignsandbuilds . It’s where I document all my design and project builds including motorcycles, boats, cars, etc.

Happy Holidays to you all!

 

That mental process is extremely familiar to me!

With the Morris Minor, the spatial conflicts of exhaust ports v. chassis "legs", steering rack v. starter motor, and steering rack v. top of gearbox have been rotating slowly in my mind for many years. Changing from a Subaru EJ to a VW Wasserboxer, i.e. trading some tuning potential and engineering sexiness for idiomatic appropriateness, may offer a solution to all the conflicts.

 

why right hand drive?

 

It's the correct side of the road to drive on...

The US switched to the left in solidarity with the French Revolution.

In the twenties and thirties RHD was the choice for many expensive luxury cars in Europe.



Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

So, Blackjack,
similar to my opinion: it is our Right to be on the Left and be Right!

As you said, many automobiles from the vintage era, outside of the British Empire - used steering wheel at the right side, especially luxurious automobiles, or sport and racing two-seaters...

I remember that in old Yugoslavia older lorries and busses from Italy (Fiat, or Lancia) had steering wheels at the right side to the end of the sixties, early seventies. The same was with city-busses and trolleybusses in Belgrade (mostly Italian)! There was some logic in that: for such vehicles, it was more important to better see sidewalks than to looks for overtaking other buses and lorries (in any case, had a good view over passenger automobiles)...
Pity that The USA didn't accept entire Metric System and Celsius scale from Napoleon, too!

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... and, now something quite different, but connected with our American friends!

For the People that like this popular Celebration,
Happy Thanksgiving Holiday,
for You and all Dear Persons that You love and respect!
Good Mood, good Food and better Drink in nice Company/Society!​

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The same for the persons from Canada, Central and South America, or the rest of the World, if they celebrate the same Holiday!

For the rest of us - we should try to have all that without Thanksgiving Celebration...

Ciao,
Zoran

 

Different strokes for different folks. It's all a fine lifestyle choice

I've often wondered why the American founding fathers didn't adopt the metric system. They were inspired by the French Revolution in so many other ways.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

All that aside, he lives in Hawaii where the steering is on the left so why not build it that way.
When I got the Morgan I wondered how it was going to feel driving it on the right side of the road. I found it to be quite alright and shifting with my left hand works fine also. That now opens the door to freely buy any right had drive car.

 

Good for you. I go to France and Spain several times a year so have the same issue in reverse. You just have to remember that you need to sit next to the pavement, if you're sitting next to the white lines you have a problem.

 

Here's to self imposed challenges! I share the sentiments but I'll stop short of insisting that the underpinnings comply.

 

The Austin 10 is a RHD car with the steering box and kingpin arms setup as such. Changing it to LHD wouldn’t really make sense since the original components can’t be used that way. I always try to leave steering and Ackerman alone. I may lengthen a drag link or shorten a pitman arm on a project, but major changes can often be a slippery slope when modifying a steering system. This project is a lot like a remodel rather than a new build. I have to work with the existing foundation and system locations, while trying my best to find a balance between its redesign and use of new components.

Plus the car will be a single seater with center mounted wheel, so it’ll be a both hander. In its original configuration, the driver would be sitting above the right hand frame rail creating an imbalance in the loading of the suspension like you see in a lot of small antique two seat cars from the period. I think it’s going to work much better a a single seater. It won’t be fast, but hopefully it will feel like it is.