Velocars and other interesting vehicles.

[moto-klasika]

Originally Posted by curtisfox
1959 English Ford Anglia flat head four engine. Neet little engine i have had for years...............Curt

Terrific engine, - I tuned the heck out of one for hill climbing back in my twenty somethings. I eventually sold the engine to a guy restoring a Ford 10 special so it went to a good home.

Hello Annie and Curt,
As old fan for British specials, now I remember: that engine established new class for a few kind of races... Wonderful autos - and, quite nice engine for any DIY project! Some decades ago, I was near of starting such proejct, but with complet TRIUMPH 13/60 Herlad in good runing order but with bad body: just to remove it and make new simple on chassis! But, it was stolen when we were on winter holiday.

 

[moto-klasika]

Originally Posted by curtisfox
1959 English Ford Anglia flat head four engine. Neet little engine i have had for years...............Curt
Hello Annie and Curt,
As old fan for British specials, now I remember: that engine established new class for a few kind of races... Wonderful autos - and, quite nice engine for any DIY project! Some decades ago, I was near of starting such proejct, but with complet TRIUMPH 13/60 Herlad in good runing order but with bad body: just to remove it and make new simple on chassis! But, it was stolen when we were on winter holiday.

---------------------------------
P.S.: If I am not wrong, in similar specials, such engines were later replaced by Reliant engine?
Annie, is that photo of your special or some similar? Cute auto, with a grill of BMW Dixi?

 

[Ludwig II]

I am reminded of a vintage bike on a run some years ago, it had a bronze strip for the contracting band back brake. It was fine when well adjusted, but out one way or the other, and it either wouldn't work at all, or the drum would heat up and grab the brake strip. If it got oil on it as well, then Houston, you had a problem.

 

[Ludwig II]

Oddly for a car made in Germany, the Amphicar used a Triumph Herald engine. The 6 cylinder Herald was the Vitesse.

The Reliant engine was developed as a replacement of the old sidevalve Austin 7 unit they had been using. It started out at 600cc, then 700/750/850. It was a noisy but robust and willing little lump, which could haul the Plastic Pig it was in at surprising speeds.

There was a "hot" one as well, in some Rialto saloons, known as the Yellow Top from the rocker box. It went one full number higher on the compression ratio, and allegedly (on a private test track officer) could shove a Pig up to 115mph.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

---------------------------------
P.S.: If I am not wrong, in similar specials, such engines were later replaced by Reliant engine?
Annie, is that photo of your special or some similar? Cute auto, with a grill of BMW Dixi?

No it's not my one, but it's very similar. The grille is actually a shortened Ford Anglia (old, not 1960's) grille which does look a lot like a BMW grille.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

A description of Harald Winklers 12kg-velomobile:
http://liggecykelforeningen.dk/wp-content/uploads/vmsem6-winkler-12kg-velomobile-meufel.pdf
Even if the velomobile is not of interest here, it contains a lot of clever ideas.
For example the crankshaft and framework.

Kai

Thanks for sharing that Kai

 

[moto-klasika]

No it's not my one, but it's very similar. The grille is actually a shortened Ford Anglia (old, not 1960's) grille which does look a lot like a BMW grille.

Hello IWW,
I knew that somewhere else I saw such a grill, except on cute BMW Dixi (licenced copy of Austin Seven)... but, my old memory led me to

Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica! (it is somehting different but cute, too)
​

 

[moto-klasika]

Hello there,
A few photos of inetersting soap-box racers (down-hill racers, gravity racers, coaster cars...). Some details or general layout could be interesting as inspirtion for velocars...

 

[moto-klasika]

Hello there,
A few photos of inetersting soap-box racers (down-hill racers, gravity racers, coaster cars...). Some details or general layout could be interesting as inspirtion for velocars...

...and, a few more soap-box racers! Not all of them for kids?

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Those are pretty cool looking. I see much diversity of designs.

 

[BarelyAWake]

 

[Allen_Wrench]

I like these. Tri-cars seem ideally suited to slow routes with repetitious stopping and starting. Get a few riders who are in good shape, and I'm sure they could do a route just as quick as those Grumman trucks the USPS is using now. And you wouldn't need to replace the tranny as often. Add an electric motor so they can get to the beginning of the route a little quicker, and you could save the USPS quite a few bucks.
(Not sure if I'm really all that fond of the Post Office, but I'm not ready to see them go under yet either.)

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Hello IWW,
I knew that somewhere else I saw such a grill, except on cute BMW Dixi (licenced copy of Austin Seven)... but, my old memory led me to

Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica! (it is somehting different but cute, too)
​

I haven't seen a picture of that one in a long time, Zoran. You know, before BMW bought into the company, Frazer-Nash was considered a "cyclecar". And one of the best. It was descended from GN; it had chain drive; they offered a wide variety of bodywork and engine options. They were famous for their "rakish" look: with the radiator set way back, and the front axle gripped at the very ends of the springs.
When BMW started making them, they were still very well-made machines, but they became a totally different car. No longer a cyclecar, they now had shaft drive. And the new würst-like bodywork looked strange to British eyes. Yet these later cars are still rather popular and sought-after. I think this also may be an early attempt at aerodynamics.
I put in a picture of an earlier Frazer-Nash, to compare.

 

[Ludwig II]

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-capsule-xp-humm-e-the-electric-wood-canoe/

 

[moto-klasika]

I haven't seen a picture of that one in a long time, Zoran. You know, before BMW bought into the company, Frazer-Nash was considered a "cyclecar". And one of the best. It was descended from GN; it had chain drive; they offered a wide variety of bodywork and engine options. They were famous for their "rakish" look: with the radiator set way back, and the front axle gripped at the very ends of the springs.
When BMW started making them, they were still very well-made machines, but they became a totally different car. No longer a cyclecar, they now had shaft drive. And the new würst-like bodywork looked strange to British eyes. Yet these later cars are still rather popular and sought-after. I think this also may be an early attempt at aerodynamics.
I put in a picture of an earlier Frazer-Nash, to compare.

Hello Allen,
Fraser-Nash is one of my favourites, from earlly cycle-car models to final variant as that Le Mans Replica. Of course, it was fully BMW under skin and probably better than previous models, but with that spirit of great Archie finaly was lost. FN become good, normal automobile!
Ciao, Zoran

 

[Ludwig II]

1958 Lely Invalidwagen, Holland

 

[curtisfox]

HAY! now that would even work with a china girl engine,little refinning it would be KOOOOL.........Curt

 

[BarelyAWake]

I like these. Tri-cars seem ideally suited to slow routes with repetitious stopping and starting. Get a few riders who are in good shape, and I'm sure they could do a route just as quick as those Grumman trucks the USPS is using now. And you wouldn't need to replace the tranny as often. Add an electric motor so they can get to the beginning of the route a little quicker, and you could save the USPS quite a few bucks.
(Not sure if I'm really all that fond of the Post Office, but I'm not ready to see them go under yet either.)

UPS understands (Cargo Cruisers under trials in Germany);



...& pretty much always did lol, the electric bit anyway;


http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/01/ups-electric-vehicles-have-a-long-history/

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Wow! That's pretty cool. Hurray for UPS. Maybe these things will catch on after all.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

1958 Lely Invalidwagen, Holland

Nice, - I like that Ludwig. Much more classy than those electric scooter things that the disability people provide.