It feels like I've just been listening to two old guys passing wind on a park bench. Move over so I can sit down, too.
I picked up Steve's engine yesterday morning in Hutchinson, Minnesota and it's a sweetheart. The seller, Dave, is a collector and rebuilds old motors, scooters, etc. He was in the middle of a Whizzer engine makeover, transforming it into an 11 horsepower animal and immediately launched into minuscule tolerances, bearings, and such I had no idea of what he was talking about. I tried to look wise and knowing as I pretended to listen. I'm not really into Whizzer land at the time, since I don't have one or expect to. But a Villiars is looming large and brightly on the horizon, looking mighty fine to my eye. This one has the complete kick start, everything, and runs! He said the carb needs cleaning and going over, but it is a simple carb and it did run. He also included a carb in the box he said some of the guys are using on them and which bolts right up... the carb from a China Girl, would you believe. This is the one with it's own fuel shut off. Looks like we have many carburetor options open to us. Anyway, I'm looking forward to being done with unpacking my stuff, organizing and settling in. I'm anxious to get out the Worksman Indian and set the Villiars engine out next to it to see how things shape up with the frame. I won't know much until I remove the PK-80 from the bike and attempt to set the Villiars in it's place, but I'll be very surprised it it will fit in there without frame modification. Fantastic it it will. I'll take pictures as I go along and should probably start my own thread on the 1909 Indian tri-car convertible. That's what I'll call the thread and I can stop high jacking yours, Harry.
When I was looking over ebay offerings in Britain I saw that some Villiars were on water pumps, garden tillers and that sort of thing, so that would be another place to look. Having to do a pick up only on a motor attached to a clunk of mower or tiller is a hassle, but the advantage is that it greatly shrinks the number of people interested in fooling with it and who live close enough to go get it... which usually translates to inexpensive. You also meet interesting people on such treasure hunt adventures and who knows what other interesting stuff they might have out in the shed... like say Grandpa's old motorcycle... "don't know what it is, but I think it says 'Indian' on the gas tank. Kind of rusty and the front wheel is wrecked. Knowing him he got drunk and ran it into a tree. Probably not worth much if you want to take a look..." The stuff an old guy's dreams are made of. I'm at that stage of my life where "a beautiful old girl" is referring to something vintage with a piston and two wheels, and not the bent downward headlight arrangement on Betty Lu at the senior center. At least with a bike you can make her look like new again. Ha!
SB
