Let's Talk Cyclecars

yep 490
John Gerber successfully raced a 490 bob tail in the early 20s before switching to a lighter T chassis in 25 but kept the chev 4. motor. The quarter springs on the 490 are quite heavy and not really light/cycle car material.

 

I think Tom pegged it. I missed the flipped rear springs. I was hoping it would be something lighter.

 

that casting, it seems to keep the sterring box and the brake cross shaft tied together and stops the brake cross shaft from binding up under chasis twisting,
it may have been fabricated from parts then the welds ground down to give the impression of a casting ,, a friend build a Mk6 bentley special and made the bulkhead from 1/4 and 1/2 inch aluminium sheet welded them all together then ground the welds off , he is always getting asked where he got it cast

 

Well we didnt make it ,, i have been busy on the Jappic , with the hope of getting it to the Vintage revival meeting at Monthlery this weekend , but a while ago it became apparent that this wasnt going to happen ,
in some ways its good as i know that i would rush to get it running and those parts would proberly remain on the car forever ,
but im going to miss a fantastic weekend ,, but it will happen again in two years
so now i can relax (just a little) and get back to making nice detail parts for the car , without any pressure , but a deadline can be a good thing

 

Keep at it Mate. We know it's going to be worth the wait.

 

does anyone have info on the Spaeke cyclecar. I think it had an air cooled V twin .

 

No info, but great looking car.

 

I do not have it any more but I had a Spacke cycle car engine. It was an IOE valve V twin with a magneto. Gary

 

It looks like an older photo of the car RM auctioned last year. RM listed the car as a 1913 Spacke prototype, but there is little provenance before the 1930s to document it. I noticed that there is no badge above the grill in your photo, but it had one for the auction. The hubcap shown on RM's site is also clearly modern. The photos at RM don't show a serial number, only a brass plaque on the dash. Spacke themselves do not appear to have produced complete cars until circa 1917. Their primary business before then was building air compressors and one & two cylinder engines for motorcycles and cyclecars. The site Spacke.com has information about the company and its products, but no mention of this car. It is a neat car, but what it is remains a mystery.

 

The pic I included is a postcard on ebay. I initially thought it was a saxon but it has more springs than a spring catalogue. can anyone get the picks off that web site (RM auctioned last year)- that is a stunning little car. is it a mock up. I want one!

 

ok call me a plonker . the problem was in the spelling. a quick search reveals this car (Spacke) has been dealt with in this thread already - my apologies. I still want one though!

 

Kume, ​

Not any problem for re-start discussion about SPACKE cyclecar! There were some information posted before as many photos. If I remeber well, in its period it was advertised as junior-automobile (for older kids), but could be used for adults, too. It could be inspiration for cute replica of mini-speedster?
Attached is part of the photos from auction.

Ciao,
Zoran​

P.S.: Garry is lucky to have Spacke engine!

 

Thanks Zoran
It looks well engineered. It has given me some ideas for my Alldays and Onions speedster as it is of a similar scale.

 

Kume,​

It was my pleasure!
Now, I remember story about your reconstruction project - have to go back and re-read that!
Anything new with project, new photos?

Zoran​

 

Here are a couple more pics of Chev 490 stuff.The frame rails are buried in the pile beneath the bucket.I didn't like the weight of the springs or hangers.So,I drilled the rivets and removed the brackets.The cross members were too wide too.Now all I have left of the frame are the rails themselves .

 

Is that the fuel pump at the bottom of the second photo? (Grin)

Herb

 

Interesting radiator shell in the top picture. "V8 Industrial Motor"? Be nice to know it's history.

 

It was all that was left of a KR Wilson power plant.I'm sure the engine was run out and the rest of it dispersed long before I got to it.

 

Cool piece anyway. I love old vintage stuff like that, it neat to see stuff that's different from the run of the mill parts. Back in the late 60's I had a friend who had a front clip (frame and engine from firewall forward) from a early 1920s Star (built by Durant). It had a neat honeycomb radiator and I would have loved to build an early style speedster with it, but he wouldn't part with it.

 

Having said that Tom,the '28 Chev truck was used for a saw mill.I have the arbor.
The front axle was rigged so that the truck could be towed like a trailer.The only thing left of the body were some twisted parts.Some rusted beyond repair.The engine had been disassembled .Those parts went to a Model T friend who is going to use the head on an OHV conversion.

 

Nice stuff!

 

I know the A7 is on the margins of this thread but this wee seven is like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now.

 

Kume, the wheels appear to have slots at the lugnuts. Can you explain? Very stylish body!

 

Doug, those slots are typical/stock for the English Austin 7 wire wheels.

 

Yes I think it is mostly stock A7 but the body and wings are fabulous and the Marchal lights and Jaegar instruments are probably worth more than my house.

 

The Austin was built by a young man named Oliver Way.The car is called "SALAMANDA" and was recently for sale in the neighborhood of 40,000 POUNDS.
http://www.oliverway.co.uk/

 

Thought this was a cool cyclecar. Built for British military prior to WWII