Rob, you might want to look at an old Beetle front suspension. There won't be any legality issues there for sure! I've considered something similar to what you're doing. Too many projects!!
Keith - I really do enjoy and appreciate all your posts, but more often than not wish for a litttle information to go with them. As is the case here: what, and approximately when, please? That centrifugal blower is a beauty! Regards, Geoff.
???......................In this pic? I think that "centrifugal blower" is a cooling fan for an air cooled engine.
Same here too many projects.. but that is how I keep my brain going. Happen to know of a bug front-end with some spindle mount wheels, pretty nice setup to start with. I've got the engine and a rear-end setup, seat and steering. Frame seems pretty straightforward. In Texas you can actually register/title quads for the road, so that shouldn't be a problem, but you may be right it may be a little light.
Hi Rob, I used 19" Model A wheels with Avon vintage motorcycle tires on my cycle car project with a VW front end. I found a company in Nevada that could make the wheel adaptors for about $110 each with all hardware. I couldn't buy the aluminum to make them myself for that price. I would of preferred motorcycle wheels but I couldn't come up with easy way to adapt them and have good brakes. If you like I can look up the supplier of the adaptors John
John, don't you have a website with construction photos of that "car"? Too many pages to back track through! Rob, if registering isn't a problem you should be okay. I doubt the front end of one of the heavier quads (800cc or so) is too light. They were made to take a bit of off road abuse, should be okay for the street with a bit more weight. You're not talking about much more weight anyway.
Here is a link to an album of pics of my cycle car engine,it's a blackburne tomtit aircraft engine a v twin engine of 700cc http://rides.webshots.com/album/582324615VZNCST?vhost=rides&start=12 I am currently sorting out the total loss oiling system as it was originally run inverted so I am making a new feed pipe to drip oil onto the big end This year is the 100 th anniversary of the birth of the cycle car club in the Uk so I need to get my car running this year
Your project is a lot more of a car than what I have in mind, I'm thinking something more nimble/light. I just SCORED!! an early 1960's hotrod frame with a bug frontend with magnesium spindle mount wheels. So I guess that is what I'm using. My motor/trans will be from a recent Yamaha Raptor 700 and the single rear end a 1982 Suzuki 1100 Planning to make this a project to do with my 2 younger kids. Maybe a center driver seat with 2 passengers slightly behind..
Ade, Can you please email me : johnhearne41@yahoo.com with your postal address as I have a picture and story about a Chater Lea Cyclecar just found today whilst looking for something else.
I love this. I found more of the authors drawings, and a website: http://lnago.livejournal.com/172458.html http://atlantic-rep.livejournal.com/38960.html
That is one very pretty machine. The lines flow together in exactly the way that modern car designs fail to.
Kind of looks like a Citreon 2cV, but better. I ain't seeing how the front springs work though, or steering for that matter. I know it's just a drawing, but.
They're spindle springs. The front end is mounted on solid beams with springs above and below the axle, around the spindle. The steering arm would come off that spindle as usual. Didn't some of the early Morgans have a front suspension like that?
Usually called sliding pillar suspension. More accurately, it comprises hollow spindles sliding on fixed 'pillars'. This one seems to effect steering by rotating the pillars, so there would have to be some way of keeping the spindles from rotating relative to the pillars. Splined? square? keyed? pillars?
Here's a modern take on a cyclecar: http://www.benjaminmbader.com/commercial/misc/rockabillyrenegade.html I've often thought sort of lakes modified body with a motorcycle/saddlebag/pannier rear would be an interesting concept. I seem to remember seeing a Harley-Morgan pastiche with the same rear end treatment. Bit 'new' for me but I quite like it.
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