Velocars and other interesting vehicles.
- Thread starter Intrepid Wheelwoman
- Start date
1914 Mercury Cycle Car.
Steve.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...9801276334_2844166829446384574_n-jpg.2974742/
Steve.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...9801276334_2844166829446384574_n-jpg.2974742/
Cool, I like that Steve 
Belt drive cyclecars are very appealing in that the drive is much simplified and the axle's unsprung weight is less than using a differential axle. It also looks properly cyclecarish
1914 O-We-Go
Belt drive cyclecars are very appealing in that the drive is much simplified and the axle's unsprung weight is less than using a differential axle. It also looks properly cyclecarish
1914 O-We-Go
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Anne,
I would think that it should be fairly easy to makes a belt drive car. They do have the eye appeal and as you said the simplicity of building one. Regrettably my frame builder won't make it home for Christmas or I run it by him.
It seems the lure of the summer in the Southern Hemisphere has swayed his thinking. He has mentioned his staying here for a while on his way to Alaska and then he's mine.
A 2 seat cycle car with belt drive and a light delivery body, now that would make the flea market people sit up and take notice would it not?
Steve.
I would think that it should be fairly easy to makes a belt drive car. They do have the eye appeal and as you said the simplicity of building one. Regrettably my frame builder won't make it home for Christmas or I run it by him.
It seems the lure of the summer in the Southern Hemisphere has swayed his thinking. He has mentioned his staying here for a while on his way to Alaska and then he's mine.
A 2 seat cycle car with belt drive and a light delivery body, now that would make the flea market people sit up and take notice would it not?
Steve.
Yes I really liked that light delivery body on that cyclecar Steve
It would be perfect for me to use as a local runabout around the township so I'm starting to do some serious thinking myself.
When your framebuilder finds Summer here in the Southern Hemisphere make sure he tells me where it is because we could certainly do with it around here
It would be perfect for me to use as a local runabout around the township so I'm starting to do some serious thinking myself.
When your framebuilder finds Summer here in the Southern Hemisphere make sure he tells me where it is because we could certainly do with it around here
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Anne, at the moment he is in the Peruvian Andes and is heading to Bolivia and Venezuela in mid October.
My niece is living in Australia and updates us about the weather regularly. The best part is she and her boyfriend are planning to be here for Christmas. He has never seen snow and when he was here in the spring he was certain that we were a mad as hatters because people were driving around with the tops down on their convertibles and it was 15C. We tried to tell him 20C was our normal summer weather and I think he felt we were kidding him.
The light delivery truck at the top of the photos you posted would be exactly what I'd want to build.
Steve.
My niece is living in Australia and updates us about the weather regularly. The best part is she and her boyfriend are planning to be here for Christmas. He has never seen snow and when he was here in the spring he was certain that we were a mad as hatters because people were driving around with the tops down on their convertibles and it was 15C. We tried to tell him 20C was our normal summer weather and I think he felt we were kidding him.
The light delivery truck at the top of the photos you posted would be exactly what I'd want to build.
Steve.
Anne & Steve,
I think you're on to something especially good with the belt driven light delivery truck. Would this be strictly gasoline powered as in the original or would it be electric? Or combination of the two? I ask because of the restrictions in Canada over gasoline powered vehicles. And then there's the question of four wheels or three?
SB
I think you're on to something especially good with the belt driven light delivery truck. Would this be strictly gasoline powered as in the original or would it be electric? Or combination of the two? I ask because of the restrictions in Canada over gasoline powered vehicles. And then there's the question of four wheels or three?
SB
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Hello Curt,
I am sure that with your imagination, knowledge and experience - you should find some nice veteran-car or cycle-car that could be easilly transformed to small and cute pick-up, with place for some goods...
Ciao,
Zoran
Zoran
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Hello there, after some time![/FONT]Excellent photos on that page Ludwig
That looks exactly like my kind of cyclecar.
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Anne, just to find proper bowl-hat?[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I am sure that for regular use of light 3-wheeler (pensioner-style?) - two wheels at rear are the best solution for two-seat vehicle, and for freight, too! Purist declared such vehicles as dangerous - but they could be dangerous only if we do not know limits of our vehicle, road conditions and ourselves! We are not building racing machines? Maybe a few dozens of such vehicles are constructed in hundred thousand examples - and were used without too many problems trough many decades!
For me - quadricycle is better option: could take have more weight on weak wheels! Otherwise, 3-wheelers are simpler in any way! Lighter, too.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Cycle-cars are good that could be constructed as bicycle-cars (velomobiles) or as (almost) real automobiles and anything between, with pedal power only, or with assistance of gasoline or electric motor, or without pedals at all (with engine/motor only) – and so on (hybrids)...[/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ciao,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Zoran [/FONT]
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Wow! 200 pages, - race you to 300 
Edit: Zoran where did you find that picture of the cat with a bowl on it's head?
A lightweight three wheeled van is highly possible and with two wheels at the back quite capable of hauling a good load with reasonable stability. This Winter my Hercules tricycle has been heavily used to haul loads from the township to home so that's why I feel confident about building such a vehicle.
I think I've already got a hat like that Zoran
Edit: Zoran where did you find that picture of the cat with a bowl on it's head?
I'd say that electric power is looking more and more attractive for me Silverbear. After everything to do with powered bicycle and tricycle type vehicles being in a grey area here in NZ the regulations have changed to require some form of registration for internal combustion powered lightweight bikes and trikes. So far electric power seems to be unaffected which makes it the more appealing choice. Quads are also a difficult area as the regulations don't include them under the bicycle/tricycle umbrella and if they are powered it's highly likely they would considered to be a car.
A lightweight three wheeled van is highly possible and with two wheels at the back quite capable of hauling a good load with reasonable stability. This Winter my Hercules tricycle has been heavily used to haul loads from the township to home so that's why I feel confident about building such a vehicle.
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Anne said what I was going to. Unless you live where they allow you to register a golf cart or similar vehicle for the road your pretty much forced to have a 3 wheeled vehicle that is considered a trike and it needs to have working pedals to keep law enforcement happy.
Other than Canada where we are allowed 500W blistering power and you more fortunate residents of the U.S. who are allowed a far more realistic 750W the rest of the world is forced by the law to use 250W and they have to pedal at the same time to use that.
The darned belt drive is stuck in my mind now. If you were to use a differential axle ahead of the rear axle to drive the rear wheels with either pulleys or belt clutches on the end of it and power it with either gas or electric on one side of the differential and the pedal chain on the other it would be hard not be legal.
Pedaling doesn't need to happen but like the electric scooters that have them it just full fills the laws needs
Steve.
Other than Canada where we are allowed 500W blistering power and you more fortunate residents of the U.S. who are allowed a far more realistic 750W the rest of the world is forced by the law to use 250W and they have to pedal at the same time to use that.
The darned belt drive is stuck in my mind now. If you were to use a differential axle ahead of the rear axle to drive the rear wheels with either pulleys or belt clutches on the end of it and power it with either gas or electric on one side of the differential and the pedal chain on the other it would be hard not be legal.
Pedaling doesn't need to happen but like the electric scooters that have them it just full fills the laws needs
Steve.
That's an interesting idea having the differential axle ahead of the axle carrying the driven wheels. Appealing as four wheels may be, three is the only sensible way to go here in the states in order to qualify as a motorcycle and electric power is the wave of the future. My hybrid trike using the 63 Schwinn American Deluxe frame is as close as I will come to what you two are contemplating. Electric front wheel and Gas Villiars in back in my case and I'm thinking of a rectangular dog carrier in back above the gas engine and driven wheels for the wonder dog and cargo. Otherwise I would need a trailer which combined with the trike seems a bit cumbersome. It would be something like the light delivery truck without any body panels... unenclosed, in other words. I think it will be a highly practical conveyance.
SB
SB
Yes! - give the man a cigar
That's exactly what I was thinking of doing Curt as I happen to have a Peerless differential to hand already.I had been turning my brain inside out trying to think of a way to mount the differential as an axle and attach wheels with brakes to it, so as soon as I saw the cyclecar van photo Steve posted it was forehead slap time because I should have remembered about that setup.
With electric bike motors the Police here in NZ don't usually 'officially notice' a motor that's over 250watts provided you're being sensible and not being a pratt in traffic. Still, it would be awfully nice to be officially allowed 500watts like you are Steve (sigh).
Your ideas for your trike sound good Silverbear
Remember I still have a Villiers carb here for you, - it's just with not being well these past months it slipped my mind about sending it to you.I was out in the rain on my old Hercules tricycle this afternoon, - much wrapped up in coats, scarf and a hat & etc, - and not surprisingly I started to think about trikes and what would be an improvement over the Hercules. By the time Winter ends the Hercules is going to need a major overhaul, so some of the new ideas I'm absorbing are likely to be tried out on my Hercules trike first before I start any new construction.
By the way I found the picture of the rat catcher trike this morning so I thought I'd share it here for your edjumikation
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How about a piece of chocolate ,don't smoke anymore.LOL I have 3 or 4 left yet also found another while cleaning,gave some to Steve & Silverbear for the tadpoles a couple years ago.
Regular trike rears are not good,solid rears skid on corners and one wheel drive pull to one side and wear tires out to fast. With a differential they both pull and give in turns.
Always love the looks of a C cab model T and that rat catcher is close and it is neeeeeet."................Curt
Regular trike rears are not good,solid rears skid on corners and one wheel drive pull to one side and wear tires out to fast. With a differential they both pull and give in turns.
Always love the looks of a C cab model T and that rat catcher is close and it is neeeeeet."................Curt
Gives new meaning to "Rat Rod"... had to save that picture! The stuffed rat would make a formidable fender ornament. There's a whole story there if that trike could tell it. What Steven King could do with that as a bedtime story for the kiddies. "The Rat Tale Of Peter Greengrow", gives me the shivers, it does. Cool trike, for sure.
Thanks for the photo, Anne and also for the Villiars carburetor when you get to it. PM me so I can send you postage.
SB
Thanks for the photo, Anne and also for the Villiars carburetor when you get to it. PM me so I can send you postage.
SB
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... anybody here mentioned Goliath Pionier?
This guy building replica of it, but it seems to me one on steroids?
Having quite unoriginal platform and mechanics, he insisted on some small details - but, it should be cute at the end... Too heavy-weight category for my taste.
This guy building replica of it, but it seems to me one on steroids?
Having quite unoriginal platform and mechanics, he insisted on some small details - but, it should be cute at the end... Too heavy-weight category for my taste.
Ciao,
Zoran
http://www.carcentric.com/Les.htmZoran
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