Let's Talk Cyclecars

Have we had this one? A friend just posted it on Facebook.

 

By the way, does anyone have any information on the cowl lights on the above car? They look very much like the pair I found at a local swap meet. The seller had several. The body is copper painted black and rather soft. The lens is glass and quite convex, held in place with a large wire clip. If I remember correctly there is some stamped text which suggests French manufacture, though by no means conclusively.

The plan is to run them on top of the '31's front fenders, with amber globes in them, for turn signals.

Is anyone familiar with them?

 

Lens held by a wire clip is a very French way of doing it. Another clue is if the bulb is also held in with a complicated wire clip - sort of H shaped.

 

.....for a front wheel drive "Cycle Car" check out the "Arlen Special", built in the 30's but could be done just as easy now. It is darned small,..450 lbs, and a claimed 108M.P.H.,...small,...yeah,.. with a wheel base of 63-1/2 ", Austin Bantam tranny, Model T flipped rear and a Henderson/Indian 4,..don't see why a BMW wouldn't work.....yeah it's do-able....full article is on there with the needed casting drawings and spring sizes is at ...Packmag.net ,.. website....along with a nice A Model Growl Buggy set of frame and body dimensions. If nothing else it is one heck of a read....this guy Don Arlen was a pretty sharp early rodder, racer!

 

ooooh... Like those Henderson fours are lying under every bench and very affordable!

 

Lombard and Hinstin.Marc pics

 

Old Mad Jack,do you suppose that the article was the inspiration for this car?

 

http://packmag.net/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=28&catid=5

Edit: I tried to insert a few of the pages, but there seems to be some sort of wonky code issue that causes all of them to revert to the last page, which is only text. There is detail of the DeDion front axle on Page 4 (page 79 in the original). That with effectively equal-length control arms formed by stacked twin leaf springs at the rear should give fairly balanced handling for a front-driver.

 

Banjeaux Bob,...... as far as inline fours go,..an Early Honda 750 four turned sideways should have enough umph to cause some serious, redesign of everything, up front......and the twin springs,..that should be interesting to dial in, maybe with a really long friction arm shock, .........darn it now I got to try it, .......they don't call me Mad for nothing......I got to drive one of the little cycle Karts that they "race".....no brakes to speak of, and not enough weight on the front end to be able to steer at any kind of speed.....maybe a kart version first, at least it would have enough weight up front to steer,....and then maybe by the time i get it finished, I'll have enough stuff scrounged up to put a real runner together? The Harley Trike rear end is going in a Bloody Mary type,.....an the Nissan Altima is kinda sorta looking like a Morgan,...and that old........so little time.........lol

 

This is a 1915 Baby Cup Racer, one of a pack of 12-15 Harley Twin powered cars.

 

A variation of the Arlen Spl. This appears to be V-twin powered, probably Knucklehead or Indian.

 

Arlen special scans here http://www.flickr.com/photos/55288722@N00/

 

Thanks Ade. I considered saving them to my Photobucket, but the link is there.

 

Just read the arlen special piece , the last few paragraphs are interesting advising caution when using the brakes at speed,
It does say most people should be capable of building this car the shows complicated machined and cast parts

I think there would be a good book in publishing o compendium of how to build articles like this , well I would buy one

 

I think there would be a good book in publishing the "how-to" of the JAPPIC. I would buy several copies, one for me to enjoy and a few others to pass along to young builders who have the essential tool skills but often come up short with the funds required to build domestic Ford-based hot rods. What you're doing is presenting important and compelling re-think; one could base a rather complete vocational education program on your approach and solutions to creating this very sweet tribute racecar.

Mike

 

Y'all have to remember, back in the day, when this article was written, every town still had a "Blacksmith". Ours was still going strong in 1969, when I had an idiot clip the rear fender on my '34 Coupe....the guy straightened it, hammer welded it,(it was torn from 1-o'clock in the wheel radius, back to the mount flange),...and when it was buffed, you could not find the weld, before prime and paint...if I hadn't seen it, I would not have believed it either.... there were only 8 machine shops, in the county,... (that only had 20,000 folks),if you didn't count that every coal mines had their own,...and every mile, there was a mine. We had a foundry 50 miles away, but you could drop your patterns, or drawings off at the nearest mine, or call the place and the Rep would pick it up, and leave you a quote the next week,...if you were in a hurry, you drove those 50 miles... I still find Old home made lathes, mills, etc...every now and then on some abandoned barn site.....now we have progress..and body filler lol

 

We do still have a blacksmith in our small Market town
I also have a couple of useful engineering companies who don't mind doing a few little jobs
I may have also found a local company that can do small casting jobs

 

To advertise that the vehicle could be built by anyone is quite a stretch.

 

A stretch by today's standards, for sure. But most of those how-to articles were read by 13 year olds. I like the expectations back in those days. Nowadays you're lucky if the kids can read a ruler...

 

I may have to get off of the HAMB...too many great idea's in one place!

 

No need to leave ,just leave some great ideas of your own and fan the flames.....

 

The following images are by Marc of the Trophe'e Jaques Pothrat 2012 ,Avignon Motor Festival.These folks drive their cars on a tour.

 

Darmont Special

 

Becogne'e

 

Amilcar C-6's

 

Fiat Coppa d'Oro

 

Robur AR8

 

BNC Monza

 

Georges Irat

 

Supercharged Amilcar CGS's