Indian Tadpole
- Thread starter silverbear
- Start date
Motor's clear coat turned out great Steve. Hope the weather holds out so you can press on towards the finish line.
Not trying to tell my Granny how to suck eggs, but you might want to consider (if not now, maybe later) trying a simple painting technique I find useful for 'vintage-ifying' my engines. Rather than just leave them painted an all-over metallic silver finish which can render details a little 'flat', I add a few highlights and shadows which really helps 'pop' all the details. I did this on my Morgan 3 Wheeler replica's Guzzi motor and it made a massive difference. (see engine block in attached pic). Created a lovely, subtle oily rag patina which I'm certain will suit your Tadpole's motor.
After clear-coating, I simply airbrushed a thinned smoky brown shadow into all the block's corners and round bolt heads. Then I dry-brushed a bright silver onto all the raised edges to create highlights. With the shadows and highlights applied, simply seal them under more sprayed-on clear coat. Simple! Superb results considering no more than an hour's work invested in total. These techniques are widely used in the modelling world and scale-up great on engines like ours. And I'm pretty sure you're familiar with similar techniques used to emphasize detail on furniture.
Not trying to tell my Granny how to suck eggs, but you might want to consider (if not now, maybe later) trying a simple painting technique I find useful for 'vintage-ifying' my engines. Rather than just leave them painted an all-over metallic silver finish which can render details a little 'flat', I add a few highlights and shadows which really helps 'pop' all the details. I did this on my Morgan 3 Wheeler replica's Guzzi motor and it made a massive difference. (see engine block in attached pic). Created a lovely, subtle oily rag patina which I'm certain will suit your Tadpole's motor.
After clear-coating, I simply airbrushed a thinned smoky brown shadow into all the block's corners and round bolt heads. Then I dry-brushed a bright silver onto all the raised edges to create highlights. With the shadows and highlights applied, simply seal them under more sprayed-on clear coat. Simple! Superb results considering no more than an hour's work invested in total. These techniques are widely used in the modelling world and scale-up great on engines like ours. And I'm pretty sure you're familiar with similar techniques used to emphasize detail on furniture.
Attachments
Hello Pete,
Ideas are enthusiastically encouraged here. Always a treat to see your car. Truly a work of automotive art. I like the subtle aging on the motor. We called it many things in the furniture restoration trade and had as many ways of adding it.
I was looking at the rather vanilla engine trying to decide if it should have a little "enhancement" done to it. Thinking that once it's back in the frame there should be something done to it. Just how remains the question.
Steve.
Ideas are enthusiastically encouraged here. Always a treat to see your car. Truly a work of automotive art. I like the subtle aging on the motor. We called it many things in the furniture restoration trade and had as many ways of adding it.
I was looking at the rather vanilla engine trying to decide if it should have a little "enhancement" done to it. Thinking that once it's back in the frame there should be something done to it. Just how remains the question.
Steve.
Spring staggered out of a dark alley into the sunlight after being repeatedly mugged by Winter. Sunny with decent temperatures and I was off to try my hand at turning a lot of creative thinking into an adjustable, spring loaded primary chain tensioner.
I think it will be a success. I need to weld a bolt to the tensioner and weld a piece to the clutch mount with a hole it so the bolt can pass through it and have a nut on the side so the spring tensioner can be adjusted as the chain stretches.
Steve.
View attachment 98143
I think it will be a success. I need to weld a bolt to the tensioner and weld a piece to the clutch mount with a hole it so the bolt can pass through it and have a nut on the side so the spring tensioner can be adjusted as the chain stretches.
Steve.
View attachment 98143
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Welded the threaded rod onto the spring tensioner and welded the tab that the threaded rod will go through and will have a nut on it so can be tightened up as the chain stretches.
The tensioner was inexpensive and cheap at the same time. The roller doesn't have a bearing in it and it has a lot of slop on the spindle. Have to go up to the bearing supply and see what they have in the way of ball bearings and if not I'll press a bronze bearing into it that fits in the spindle.
Not a daily rider anyways.
Steve
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The tensioner was inexpensive and cheap at the same time. The roller doesn't have a bearing in it and it has a lot of slop on the spindle. Have to go up to the bearing supply and see what they have in the way of ball bearings and if not I'll press a bronze bearing into it that fits in the spindle.
Not a daily rider anyways.
Steve
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Thanks Rick, Happy with it so far. Have to bolt it up tomorrow and get the chains lined up.
Steve.
Steve.
Thank's Pete, I wanted to have some say so in the amount of tension. At this rate I may even get it finished.
Steve.
Steve.
I'm catching up on long needed vehicle maintenance. Couple more days and I should be done.
Here is a link to the build.
Steve.
http://s866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/speedydick/Indian Tri-car Build/
Here is what I'm building a close copy of.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...sedan-chair/&usg=AOvVaw1EqEAnb-Hu0NVQZ2zsc3Fp
Here is a link to the build.
Steve.
http://s866.photobucket.com/albums/ab228/speedydick/Indian Tri-car Build/
Here is what I'm building a close copy of.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...sedan-chair/&usg=AOvVaw1EqEAnb-Hu0NVQZ2zsc3Fp
Back to the tri car and it was a bonus day. Had to clean off the work bench which led to a general area clean up and when I pulled a box from under the work bench I found all the tools that have been missing for a while. All I could think of was "bonus."
Putting the clutch and attendant parts back on with Loctite. I'll get some photos tomorrow. I hope to have the drive train all finished tomorrow as well and I can turn my attention to the gas tank and the gas lines.
Could the saga be over soon? I hope so. I started this the beginning of 2011.
Steve.
Putting the clutch and attendant parts back on with Loctite. I'll get some photos tomorrow. I hope to have the drive train all finished tomorrow as well and I can turn my attention to the gas tank and the gas lines.
Could the saga be over soon? I hope so. I started this the beginning of 2011.
Steve.
I had to make up a dual pull brake set up using one of the levers I had. They match the era of the bike and any dual pull brake levers I found were made for ATV's and modern looking so it was necessary to modify one of them to fit.
I took the cable adjuster from the lever I'm using and bored out the inside of it where the cable passes through. Then that was tapped to fit the cap screw that held the dual brake line guide/stop in place. The knurled end that the cable housing fits into and adjusts the tension on the brake cable was cut off and the threaded part was reinserted with Loctite back into the lever and the cap screw was put into the now threaded area where the cable would normally go.
It was a simple matter of removing one of the C clips on the round bar that pulls the brakes on and inserting it through the lever it's self and reinstalling the C clip to hold it in place.
The cable guide/stop is on backwards in the photos. I turned it around after I took them. The one from the factory had it on backwards as well.
Steve.
I took the cable adjuster from the lever I'm using and bored out the inside of it where the cable passes through. Then that was tapped to fit the cap screw that held the dual brake line guide/stop in place. The knurled end that the cable housing fits into and adjusts the tension on the brake cable was cut off and the threaded part was reinserted with Loctite back into the lever and the cap screw was put into the now threaded area where the cable would normally go.
It was a simple matter of removing one of the C clips on the round bar that pulls the brakes on and inserting it through the lever it's self and reinstalling the C clip to hold it in place.
The cable guide/stop is on backwards in the photos. I turned it around after I took them. The one from the factory had it on backwards as well.
Steve.
I haven't mentioned this in a while but if anyone looking at the tri car has an urge to build one let me know. You'll have to join the forum to contact me via personal message {PM}. I have all the patterns that I made for the seat parts and the gas tank. I would be happy to send you a set and the measurements and offer advise.
If I was doing it again I would use go karts spindles with springs in them on the front axle and 20mm through bike hubs. The hubs I used came from England and were made by a machinist. They come without disc brake mounts or one or two disc brake mounts.
I'll contact him and see if he is still making them and the price. I bought two sets about 6 years ago so the prices and availability may have changed.
That said I wouldn't make another close copy of a known brand. As iconic as the Indian Tri car is and as noticeable at it is with the camel back tank I would make one out of my imagination. As a matter of fact I'm making another one at the same time I'm finishing the Indian.
It will be electric with a seat on the front like most tri cars though there were a lot made with delivery boxes in place of the seats.
Sportsman Flyer has Indian style gas tanks if you want a later Indian look alike. It would take about a month at the most to build a tri car with a seat using their parts.
If I were doing it again I would have used Sportsman Flyer parts with a Predator 212cc engine from Harbour freight. It would have been cheaper and far faster. I have over $800 in the motor and clutch with the modifications. The motor is from a Jacobson snow thrower. It is 103cc two stroke. The clutch is a 3Dmotorsport.net and it is made to bolt to a Harbour Freight 212cc engine. I had it modified so it could be pedal started and fit on the Jacobson motor.
I used it simply because it looked a lot like the original motor or at least as close as I could get to one.
My friend Silverbear is building one with some of the parts that I made for mine. I made two of the front ends and he added his own frame and motor. I'll add a link below this so you can see it. I made a chair and springs for it and I'll take them down to him this summer so he can finish the bike.
Think about building a tri car. It's pretty much a given that no one will pull up beside you and say "I see you have a tri car too."
Steve.
If I was doing it again I would use go karts spindles with springs in them on the front axle and 20mm through bike hubs. The hubs I used came from England and were made by a machinist. They come without disc brake mounts or one or two disc brake mounts.
I'll contact him and see if he is still making them and the price. I bought two sets about 6 years ago so the prices and availability may have changed.
That said I wouldn't make another close copy of a known brand. As iconic as the Indian Tri car is and as noticeable at it is with the camel back tank I would make one out of my imagination. As a matter of fact I'm making another one at the same time I'm finishing the Indian.
It will be electric with a seat on the front like most tri cars though there were a lot made with delivery boxes in place of the seats.
Sportsman Flyer has Indian style gas tanks if you want a later Indian look alike. It would take about a month at the most to build a tri car with a seat using their parts.
If I were doing it again I would have used Sportsman Flyer parts with a Predator 212cc engine from Harbour freight. It would have been cheaper and far faster. I have over $800 in the motor and clutch with the modifications. The motor is from a Jacobson snow thrower. It is 103cc two stroke. The clutch is a 3Dmotorsport.net and it is made to bolt to a Harbour Freight 212cc engine. I had it modified so it could be pedal started and fit on the Jacobson motor.
I used it simply because it looked a lot like the original motor or at least as close as I could get to one.
My friend Silverbear is building one with some of the parts that I made for mine. I made two of the front ends and he added his own frame and motor. I'll add a link below this so you can see it. I made a chair and springs for it and I'll take them down to him this summer so he can finish the bike.
Think about building a tri car. It's pretty much a given that no one will pull up beside you and say "I see you have a tri car too."
Steve.
Here is the link to Silverbears Hiawatha build in the board trackers section.
Steve.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/indian-hiawatha.32998/
Steve.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/indian-hiawatha.32998/
Could the saga be over soon? I hope so. I started this the beginning of 2011.
Steve.[/QUOTE]
Steve, you're not alone in creating something that takes a while. I started my Morgan 3-Wheeler replica project back in Jan 2009. Finished it in Sept 2015 - then sold it a month later, purely 'cause it was time to start another project. Fact is, some of us get more pleasure building stuff than owning it. I prefer to look at it this way. It's not about the length of time a build takes. It's all about the creativity, problem solving, enjoyment and satisfaction encountered along the way.
Chain tensioner and dual brake lever conversion turned out great. Chalk up another couple of steps towards the finish line....
Steve.[/QUOTE]
Steve, you're not alone in creating something that takes a while. I started my Morgan 3-Wheeler replica project back in Jan 2009. Finished it in Sept 2015 - then sold it a month later, purely 'cause it was time to start another project. Fact is, some of us get more pleasure building stuff than owning it. I prefer to look at it this way. It's not about the length of time a build takes. It's all about the creativity, problem solving, enjoyment and satisfaction encountered along the way.
Chain tensioner and dual brake lever conversion turned out great. Chalk up another couple of steps towards the finish line....
Pete, your absolutely right. I find myself wondering who the new owner will be when I finish the tri car. Maybe it will be tucked in someones man cave and ridden on sunny days.
The 1952 Monark Super DeLuxe and the sidecar may well find a new owner as well. I need to go over it and change the hub motor to a mid motor. It was a joy to build but I haven't used it since 2012. The ugly fact is I'm 75 in September and it's time to do a little pre estate planning.
As the sign out in front of the church said, You can't take it with you but you can send it ahead.
The electric tri car I'll keep. It's a turn the key and ride set up and legal here in Canada.
Steve.
The 1952 Monark Super DeLuxe and the sidecar may well find a new owner as well. I need to go over it and change the hub motor to a mid motor. It was a joy to build but I haven't used it since 2012. The ugly fact is I'm 75 in September and it's time to do a little pre estate planning.
As the sign out in front of the church said, You can't take it with you but you can send it ahead.
The electric tri car I'll keep. It's a turn the key and ride set up and legal here in Canada.
Steve.