Velocar cyclecar semi-replica.

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

I do wish folk wouldn't arc weld the nuts on spring centre bolts when they assemble a set of leaf springs. Grrrr.
Much work with Mr Hacksaw splitting the nuts and then having to get Mr Hammer and Mr Cold Chisel on the job. This afternoon I found myself remembering why I don't like working on leaf springs, but at least with converting them to work as 1/4 elliptic springs the whole job should be a lot easier.

They are a good set of springs though, plainly they'd been taken off somebody's old trailer and before that they'd been part of a venerable old English car. Lots of nice thin spring steel leaves in each spring set which means that it's going to be very easy to adjust the rear suspension. The spring leaves need to be attacked with a flapper wheel though as they have a lot of surface rust, but should clean up just fine.

Another set up photo. The steering wheel and shaft is from a Morris Minor and it looks like it will work just corker.

 

[wheelbender6]

Nice steering wheel.

 

[curtisfox]

Curt, the original engine was a dinky little flathead 4 cylinder engine of 750cc's capacity, but some folk did make specials using the E93A Ford 10 engine in this chassis which turned them into a right little firebreathing roller skate. The 100E flathead Ford engine is externally almost the same as a E93A engine except the sump is a different shape. Long ago in my twenties I built up a fully tuned 100E engine with the intention of putting it in a E93A chassis frame and I had to seriously alter the sump and the oil pickup pipe to the oil pump in order to get it into the chassis. I would imagine you would have to do the same to get a 100E engine into an Austin 7 frame.

I used to have some excellent books on building Austin 7 and Ford 10 specials, but I unfortunately don't have them anymore (sniff).

Thanks i didn't know that. It was just a thought,would be fun. Sounds like the 750 would be a good one to stuff in my garden tractor...........Curt

 

[Ludwig II]

I remember the old sit up and beg Ford Pops, either black or a pale leaf green. The absolute epitome of a Miss Marplemobile. They would move away from a standstill with an action that did not, in any way, resemble acceleration.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Ludwig, I used to own a black Ford Popular. A previous owner had solved the problem of the plywood floor splintering and coming apart by replacing it all with 1/4inch steel plate which he'd arc welded to the chassis. Nice car to drive though even if forward progress was on the gradual side. The mechanical rod operated brakes were excellent and I really liked them.

Yes Wheelbender I like that steering wheel too. When i sold my lovely old Morris Minor I deliberately kept that steering wheel and shaft back from the spare parts that went with the car with the intention of using it on a future cyclecar project.

I'm paying for all that hammer swinging today, but at least now that I have the leaf springs apart the rest of the suspension setup work is going to be easier. The next job is to cut the wooden chassis rails to size and assemble the chassis. I do feel a wee bit nervous about that, but it's an excited kind of nervousness. This project has really helped to get me energised again and even though I'm still having to deal with pain and fatigue I'm doing Ok.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Tonight I took apart the mock up and carefully cut the main chassis rails to size. No going back now we're on our way. A problem i had was getting clear knot free timber because all the good stuff gets exported and us Kiwis have to put up with the rubbish that's left over. However I was able to select two piece of timber at the timber yard, one just about perfect and the other with knots in places that I could cut around.
My favourite saw for woodwork is a fine toothed cabinetmakers saw because it makes such fine smooth cuts. I suppose my approach to woodwork would make some of you gentlemen smile, but I like silence when I'm working and I love working with hand tools. Powertools that loudly scream and howl and buzz have no place in my workshop.
This week I will have to go to the engineers down the road to get some flat bar stock to make the main chassis braces and I will need to get some heavy flat washers and some studding too.

With the Giant frame now down on the workshop floor with the Villiers engine still in the frame and the front wheel installed in the forks it looks like a great beginning for a motorised bicycle. I'm not going to let myself get distracted though I'm building a cyclecar and that's that.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

This afternoon I went the timber yard and hardware barn in town to get some essential ironmongery I need for the Colombe chassis. I don't often go there as I mostly deal with the hardware store on the main street in the township, but this time I needed things that they didn't stock.
Not always the most comfortable place to go to as there's usually lots of rugged looking chaps named 'Bruce' with bristly chins wearing khaki shorts and big work boots striding around speaking strange woodwork and hardware related dialects consisting of strange grunts with the occasional recognisable noun thrown in.

Just to trip me up this time they'd re-organised the hardware barn itself since the last time I'd been there putting in more shelves and as well as now carrying a wider range of stock. But despite that I found the corner of the building where all the ironmongery now was kept and I was able to select what I wanted. Some of what I wanted was available in stainless steel, but all I did was admire it a little because the prices were frightful. All an Intrepid cyclecar needs is good old zinc coated iron, so I turned my back on all the shiny stuff and looked over the shelves where all the dull grey bits and bobs were kept. Mostly I needed a length of 16mm studding, four serious sort of heavy duty 16mm washers and four big 16mm nuts to go on the studding. I also picked up two very solid right angle bracket things which I'm going to need when it comes to mounting the cyclecar's front cowl. to the chassis.
They did have some very spectacular strengthening plates in 'T' and 'L' shapes which would be fantastic for building the chassis for one of those huge aero engined Edwardian racing cars, but not so good for building a cyclecar chassis. There is a point at which a vintage wooden chassis can end up covered with so many steel strengthening plates that it might as well have been made from steel in the first place! My little wooden chassis is supposed to be strong, but light. A boat anchor it must not be.

To my slight horror that handful of bits cost $NZ56,00. The length of studding was the worst of it at $NZ17 something. All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not building a house! Things were certainly not this expensive when I was in my twenties, - steel was cheap back then.
I was checking out some steel prices recently because I want a couple of lengths of box section to build the Amilcar-Riley chassis and it was $NZ24.00 a metre! Back in my twenties I could have bought the whole lot for $NZ24.00 (sigh).
There's a scrap merchant in the next town who advertises that he sells scrap steel from his yard so I'm definitely going over there to check out what he has.

Anyway onward and upward and all that.........

 

[Theon]

I am glad I'm no longer 'building a house'.
But the Steel for my shed is looking frightful also.
Recycling is fun!

 

[Ludwig II]

I was curious about getting some 54mm copper tube to make a tank with, and the end fittings. I've sticking with the cheap steel Kart tank I bought.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Well the main chassis frame is together. It looks to be such an insignificant little thing all on its own, but once all the other bits go on its purpose and design will become more clear.

While drinking my morning cup of tea the thought came to me that I should not use the Giant frame after all, but something properly old and with a decent pedigree. I have a very nice Rudge frame I could use instead; - and before anybody faints I will hasten to add that the frame doesn't need to be altered in anyway to mount it onto the chassis frame I've just built.
I shall have a good creative stare later and make up my mind properly then.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Please excuse the mess in the background of the photos. While i was ill my garage workshop became a general dumping ground and the clean up is still on-going. At least now I actually have space to work!
Looks like it's time for me to clean up my workbench again too. When i started work on the Colombe it was nice and clean believe it or not.

The Giant frame has been replaced with a properly old Rudge gents bicycle frame as I feel that if I'm going to be building a vehicle based on a vintage cyclecar I should try and use old parts even if they aren't strictly correct. Possibly I will have a go at replicating the Colombe's front suspension some time in the future, but for the present conventional bike forks will do the job.

Those rusty springs are going to be cleaned up and converted into 1/4 elliptic springs by the way.

On the pedalling side of things I will be using a 3 speed hub in a countershaft position to provide necessary gearing. That's a Shimano hub in the picture, but I most probably will replace it with a more robust Sturmey Archer hub.

The next job on the workshop roster is to permanently mount the Rudge frame in place and to build the front cowl.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Remember the Schasche cyclecar?



Well I was doing a little creative staring and i decided that the best place to mount an engine is in the same way as it was done on the Scasche. Yes I know the Colombe didn't have its engine mounted like that, but the only way to mount the engine in the same way as the Colombe had it is for me to give up on any idea of trying to have working pedals as well.

(Yes I know it's a Villard, but they were mechanically identical to the Colombe)


I did figure out a way to do it, only laying out the chain drive became pretty darn complicated and I was starting to get worried about engine cooling too.
Soooooo I shall do it my way and hang the engine on the right hand side. that way the engine will keep nice and cool, it will be easy to to do engine maintenance and I will be able to keep an eye on the engine while out motoring to make sure it doesn't misbehave.

So I suppose this means it isn't really a Colombe replica anymore, so I shall name my cyclecar an 'INTREPID' instead. I like the sound of that, yes it shall be an 'INTREPID" from this day forth

 

[silverbear]

I could never remember how to spell Colombe anyway. This is easier... and it will be more yours this way, too.
SB

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Thanks SB, even in France they disagree over the spelling with some folk spelling it with an 'e' and others leaving it off.

I'm planning to build pedal cars under the 'INTREPID' name, so I might as well give my cyclecar the same name since it's being built in the same workshop.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Tonight while cooking dinner I realised it would be possible to make a passable copy of the Colombe/Villard type front suspension using old bicycle parts, a couple of spring leaves and one or two left over Morris Minor bits and bobs I've got under the workbench. I think I'll give it a go, nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.
If Tim Gunn can build a completely vintage looking cyclecar using old heavyweight British bicycle parts so can I. (Don't know who Tim Gunn is? - shame on you. Google 'Tim Gunn cyclecar' and find out)

I know I'm going to be a lot happier the closer I can get to making my INTREPID cyclecar look properly like it was built in the 1920's and it should be a lot of fun setting it all up and getting it to work properly. Pedal power is still going to be a part of the build because that way I don't have to worry about registration and official inspections with little Gnomish men poking around with my creation with great thick rulebooks in their hands.

I was wondering what to do with the pile of old bicycle frames I've got under the house and now they shall have a use and a purpose again. (cue dramatic music)

 

[fasteddy]

Oh, THAT Tim Gunn.

Steve.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Oh, THAT Tim Gunn.

Steve.

Yes Steve there's a number of boring fake ones around so it's important to make sure you've found the right one.


Last night was spent sorting out the contents of my scrap steel bin. Exercise machines would have to be one of the greatest sources of useful steel for the home builder on a budget and they are often found in the tip, or else on the side of the road during council inorganic rubbish collections.
Perhaps one of my greatest finds was the dismantled parts of a large switch cabinet which enabled me to build some useful steel topped benches when I was setting up my workshop. And as it happens a left over section of the cabinet frame is just what I need to reinforce my cyclecar's chassis for the 1/4 elliptic spring mountings.

After a great deal of digging about and measuring of things I was able to conclude that my hunch was right and it will be possible to build the front suspension and steering from sections of junk bike frames and the odd car and motorcycle part. I can't draw for toffee so any sketch of the details would only serve to confuse, but once I have the main parts cut I'll lay them out on the workshop floor and take a photo.

By the way this is the INTREPID cyclecar logo I'm working on. The plan is to make it in brass which should be a fun little project in itself.

 

[fasteddy]

Anne,

I enjoyed his cyclecar from the first time I saw it. I like the gas tank made from an artillery shell. Had I thought about it I would have asked my nephew about getting one when he was in Afghanistan. He is in the Signal Corp and was assigned to an artillery base.
Mr. Gunn is one clever chap and he has a good eye for detail.

Steve.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Yes Tim Gunn is a clever guy alright
Apparently he has another wooden chassis cyclecar under construction as well, but I think it's still in the early stages.

I would have thought that artillery shell casings wouldn't be too difficult to find on the second hand market. I've got one nice shell casing that I've thought about using for a petrol tank, the rest of what I have are smaller cannonshell casings which I purchased back when I was still doing a lot of model making.

 

[fasteddy]

I had hoped to get it for nothing if he had brought it home with him. They are selling for $100+ on eBay for a 105mm brass casing. Half that for steel.

Steve