Let's Talk Cyclecars

Amilcar C6 track is listed as 44.3" front and rear.

 

Thanks, july08. And I see that car has a 88 inch wheelbase, giving me the dimensions that I'm looking for.

And thanks for the welcome. Been reading (mostly this thread admittedly) for about a year now as the ideas percolate and you guys really seem to know what you're doing.

Time to run off to work now, there are broken cars that require assistance. And I took last week off to work on a business investment, so I should probably not be late this morning. Thanks all. Keep the info rolling and I'll try not to make too big a fool of myself as I drool and make new-guy comments.

 

Good Lord. Another thread to add to my favorites and cause me to spend to much time daydreaming. Oh well keep it coming.

 

Looks like the sister's last activity was about 4 months before the quake so that's not it.

 

I once worked on a chain drive GN Cyclecar but it was hideously over bodied in terms of the ash frame that was put on it. I may have some photos somewhere. I will see if I can dig them out.

David

 

Sharpen up your French and see if you can work out the transmission system on this. It is much more in the true cyclecar mould than many other postings in this thread - and it makes my Sizaire's "change speed" mechanism look positively conventional!

http://tricyclecaristes.forumr.net/t64p30-cyclecar-lafitte

 

I know not a word of french, but the transmission diagram is kinda cool. Sort of a proto-variant of the constant velocity transmissions they use in scooters.

With the domed flywheel fully seated in the cup-shaped clutch, you would get a 1:1 which is obviously the high 'gear' setting. As you tilt the junction, the flywheel and clutch bite off-center with the flywheel riding on only the bottom part of the clutch surface. As that friction surface gets closer to the center of the flywheel, the effective gearing is reduced. And if you go past-center, you get reverse.

Ingenious! And so elegantly simple in design.

 

As did the curious mid-engined GWK, from 1911:





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWK_(car)
http://www.age-net.co.uk/vintage_motoring/gwk.asp

 

I've seen a railroad speeder with the same trans setup, it was in a transportation museum but they claimed it still worked ( they had it all cleaned up, didn't see a reason to disbelieve them).

 

Most (?) friction drive systems gave an "infinitely variable" drive ratio(s) - and pretty much the same in reverse. The Lafitte used compressed paper as the drive medium, I think - and one can only wonder how it coped in wet conditions!!!
Another friction drive auto you Yanks should be familiar with is the Metz.

 

Or a Snapper riding lawnmower.

 

Something (almost) went Arai (awry) har har! Gary

 

First Christchurch quake was Sept 4 2010, about 6 days after her last post.

 

Now that you mention it I believe one of the wheels was coated in rubber (fairly hard as I recall) on the one wheel (driven wheel I think).

 

The Waltham orient also used a similar system.

 

Hiya Bob,

feel free to PM me anytime you want: I'm 6'3" so I appreciate what you're on about with trying to squeeze into the average European "proper" cyclecar... I can JUST fit into an Austin 7 "chummy" but I'm damned if I'd want to drive it any real distance!
Cheers,
Geoff,
Adelaide South Australia.

 

That would be a model T speedster...3 litres is a touch big for a cycle car.

 

What? After 58 pages, over 11 hundred fun posts, now we have to define what is and what isn't a cycle car?
Hell, half the cars in the thread would have to go...

My opinion is, a CYCLE car should be built around an engine originally designed for and actually used in production motorCYCLEs, or occasionally maybe a lawn mower type engine like the ones used in a 2 wheeled Cushman product.
Otherwise, it's just what was called in the '60's, a compact car.
Hell again, Anything from the "horseless carriage" era would qualify!

But that's ok, keep all the fun "little cars" coming!

 

First of all that OX5 powered GN is a close to perfect "Mad Professor" 1920's race car as you'll ever find, yes I know it was made up, but I sure would make room for it around here. If you are looking for the ture "Cycle Car" I think they were motorcyle engined, and belt driven, Zip, and Scripps-Booth are the first to come to mind. But PLEASE don't spoil a great thread with details.

 

amen!!

 

Old Fox,
Here is a 1952 Monark that I restored and a sidecar and frame I built. Don't be afraid to jump into the wood body world.
That said I'm a retired antique furniture restorer so I do have an edge on how but even if I didn't, I'd still try.



Yes I'm going to start a Amilcar Skiff style build. I live in Canada and it has to have an electric motor with bicycle pedals and be three wheeled or it would be almost impossible to register. Not really a true cyclecar but I'm sure I'll have a ton of fun with it.

Any questions please let me kmow.

Steve.

 

Here's a rear view. The battery goes in under the rear hatch. It's a lithium polymer battery and 36V.

Steve.

 

That "Curtis OX5 engine" in the GN isn't a Curtis---rocker arrangement is all wrong for an OX5 or OX6. Likely a Rolls or Renault

Herb Kephart

 

Cirrus air cooled V8 I believe. I think there is one with an OX5 as well.

 

well, it is not the size of the engine that matters, but the general construction around the engine that matters.

A model T, albeight spindly to some...like incomparison to my Stevens, could be misconstrued as a cycle car. But model T is just not a cycle car.

A ox-5 powered GN would still be a cycle car, just as would a JATO-bottle propelled Trojan.

A Brescia is a full blown car, but a GN isnt.

 

Stevens? As in Stevens-Duryea? When did that arrive?

 

Very nice. Looks like you have a hub motor on the sidehack wheel.