Oooooooo I love that photo of the blue Bedelia Keith You don't often see photos of Bedelias taken from behind and I'm going to add this one to my collection. What make is that 3 wheeler? - is it an 'AC'?
Now, imagine that front end on a Velosolex ... Edit, a few hours later: Now that I think of it, I'd thought before that layout is just about the only dynamically-decent way to do a 1F2R trike, as the fwd will tend to counteract the tendency to oversteer. Early Bond microcars used the same layout. I'd toyed with the idea of a hot-rodded Davis replica on the same principle, but I don't know how to package a big-enough engine so it'll turn around inside the engine compartment. Spent a few days scratching my head about it, though.
The driveline would have to be small on your Davis replica, due to the shape of the nose. Your other alternative would be to have a small, low and statically mounted engine that had some kind of output to a vertically mounted final drive that would rotate with the front wheel. A bit of a Rube Goldberg methinks...
Or how about.... It´s a Megola from the mid twenties. I´m sure you´d easily turn up one of these motors for a donor.... ahem....
Wow! What an amazing 3 wheeler! As you say it's about the best way to overcome the deficiencies of the 1F2R layout Um..... just as a by the way please define wot you mean by 'a big-enough engine'? I would say most 500cc + modern motorcycle engines would be quite big enough to terrify anybody
Don't know how I missed a thread this long and interesting, 'cause I've been in lust with Morgan-style three wheelers since I saw my first one in the late '40s. I finally have one in the works (just) after 8-9 years of dreaming and scheming about it. You'll be hearing from me, and keep this thread alive! Mike
I visited the Owl's Head Transportation Museum in Maine just a month ago and saw this 1898 cyclecar. Sorry the info card is not sharp; just a little overexcited by it, I guess. Hahaha.
Maybe a hybrid using the electric motor Zerk has suggested, powered by a motorcycle engine of sufficient CCs to charge the batteries?
I'll be anxiously awaiting details on this build, Mike. Will it be under wraps for long? My "scheme" (see pg.8 of this thread, near the bottom) is roughly a 3/4 scale A roadster with big inch Jap V twin hidden under the hood. Japanese, that is. Not, alas the vintage brit engine.
Somewhere on U-tube (or similar) there is video of somebody demonstrating how to kickstart a Bond Microcar. Unfortunately I've forgotten just where I saw it Edit: Ooooo here we go, I've found it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36EwnYcc1a4&feature=related
I remember reading that with the old Berkeley bike engined cars, you had to lift up the back of the car and shake it, in order to mix the two stroke if it hadn´t been driven for a while. It´s all pretty far removed from the modern motoring experience isn´t it!
I'll be sharing the build as it progresses. Right now I'm in the process of setting up my area in Kent Fuller's new shop. I'd considered using a Japanese V-twin, most likely a Yamaha 1100cc Virago, and that may still happen if we build another three-wheeler when the first one's finished and sorted. This one will have a 1200cc Honda four-cylinder boxer harvested from a Goldwing, drive through the Goldwing rearend, and sit behind a Ford Anglia front end, under a Kurtis midget style nose. All the essential elements have been gathered, and we should start mockup in another week or so. Mike
I'm diggin the image in my head. Will the engine be ahead or behind the driver and is the Anglia FE a beam / tube with transverse spring?
A hydrostatic drive motor in one or more wheels would be even better, could provide a type of regen braking similar to other electric/hybrids. The Davis bodywork should be able to house the whole kit/kaboodle.
The engine will sit ahead of the driver, behind the front axle. The Anglia axle is a beam, one of the sweetest Ford forgings ever. We'll split the wishbone and use the spring-in-front setup to increase the spring base. The front spring (knife-edge double taper like the late-'30s and later domestic Ford) and Anglia spindles will also be used. The Anglia pieces are like scaled-down domestic hardware -- really******in'! While waiting for the utilties work to be completed in the shop so we can begin mockup, I've started massaging the Anglia bits to burn off some impatience energy. Here's some early work on the spindles, sort of setting the standard for build finish. Once all hardware like this is properly shaped and polished it will be powder coated in clear or a chrome-look finish that ends up looking like polished stainless of nickle. I see by your photoshop proposal that you also like the '35 Morgan tail-end. It's a knockout, for sure. I'd been thinking boattail with a side-mounted spare on the passenger-side cowl until I saw this rascal a couple of years ago. Mike
While on the subject of cyclecars, here are a couple of Morgans I spotted at Infineon Raceway (read 'Sears Point') a couple of weeks ago hanging out at the Sonoma Classics. The green car has an L-head 1200cc J.A.P., the only one known to exist in a Morgan three-wheeler. The L-head was essentially an implement engine. It's a little short on top end (about 80 mph-plus), but has bags of torque. This car also has a radiator (not connected) in spite of the motor being air cooled. The red car is a 'works' racer. The strange hood shape accommodated a supercharger at one point. The engine is an 1100cc air-cooled J.A.P. The cutout in the tail permits wheel travel with the car's lowered stance. A leather cover snaps in place for 'streamlining.' Mike
Spindle looks sweet. Clear or "almost chrome" powder would be just right, too. I wouldn't think my chances good at finding late 40's vintage Anglia axles in my part of the country, but it sounds ideal for the application. I was looking at more like a Speedway kit with spring behind, dropped tube and hairpins. Deleting a leaf or two. My inspiration was the BRA kit, which has a "Duece-ish grille shell. I wasn't planning on carrying a spare so I thought of incorporating body work like the front of this blue car into the rear. Will your's be a solo*****pit, ala Kurtis? My plan is a snuggily two place for me and the Mrs.. We both ride motorcycles now but see the days, not far off, when two wheels will give way to three. I'm riding the Vulcan 88 (cu.in.) this season and probably next year at least before it's ultimate donation. So mine is a projected project.
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