Customs I finished my Mysterion clone and have a book contract!

it's original amateur hour so don't know how to tour. Once I get the trailer thing altogether I will start looking for places that it might fit.

You guys made me paranoid about the trailer getting stolen so I studied up on trailer hitch locks. YouTube search showed every lock out there can be defeated by a 3rd grader with a hammer, crowbar and about 30 spare seconds. I think I came up with my own design that will take at least 90 seconds to defeat so will try it out, and a wheel lock that I think is pretty fool proof for the typical hit and run thug anyway. And will scratch the paint job, just leave the trailer raw with a couple of bare Bondo patches.

 

Check out Titan Grip wheel locks

 

Those are strong alright but all a thief has to do is take off that wheel and install a spare and he is off and running (stealing). I guess you could put a secondary chain from that lock to the frame. There are versions that put a cover over the lug bolts when locking on but I'm sure they can be quickly defeated by a pro too. Like most of the rest of the systems, those will keep an honest thief honest.

 

OK, I am having trouble believing that hauling a car in a trailer is tougher than driving in on our highways and byways that are in need of initiation of a few 'shovel ready jobs'. I believe that show cars that fall apart in a trailer are just too poorly built for ANY move. I tried to build my version of the Mysterion with a robust 2x4 rectangular tubing hot rod type frame hidden behind those great chrome façade rails. If trailering were that much more tough on cars, how does your local Yugo franchise get away with trucking new cars all over the country and not have them arriving as parts bins?
These monsters even survived this action (sort of) with 40 year old frames designed for 1/100th the horsepower and 1/4 the weight.


Here is the frame under my car.

 

Trailers are by design light, yet sprung heavily, often to 2-3 times their weight (2500# trailer rated for 7500# GVWR).
They also usually have limited travel compared to a car or truck.
Add in the extremely short wheelbase, less than 40" (for example, 2 15" wheels with 28" tires, separated by 6" would be 14+14+6 =34").
Each bump is felt twice quickly (I'd guess while still in transition from the first, the second 'hits'), through stiff springs that are limited in travel.

I would not suggest being this crazy, but if you stood in a truck bed (also 'over sprung') and had someone drive over some parking lot speed bumps, then stood in the trailer over the same surface, you could feel this yourself. Don't try this at home!!!

 

The effective wheelbase of a trailer is the distance between the hitch and the wheel(s). That is more apparent when you consider a single axle trailer. Also, Mysterion fell apart being hauled in a semi with several other cars (heavy and long wheelbase). being sprung, the shock loading in a trailer is less than half that of a solid direct suspension and the cushioning effect is doubled with two suspensions supporting the frame so the loading is cyclical but not amplified by shock loading. Again, a lot of stuff is hauled around in trailers (race cars, new cars, Ginsu knives, etc., etc., etc.) without disintegrating. I am still not convinced!!

I like your demo suggestion. I know a few people I would love to run over in a parking lot.

 

It was milestones like this that kept me going back out in the shop every evening and Sunday!

 

Amelia Island?

 

Would LOVE to go but I live in The People's Republik of Kalifornia and no way could I take the time for a cross country tour. I did buy a used cargo trailer a couple months ago and am fixing it up to resemble Roth's Mysterion trailer of the day but I have a day job and that is just too far. Will eventually take it to west-coast shows now that I have a way to drag it around.

Ed's trailer


My trailer (artist's concept on the graphics)

 

That's going to look KOOL!!
But still think you should the other side as "Chapel of Memories"

 

You are an inspiration!

 

There are trailer alarms that will alert you remotely. We use them on government trailers all the time. Not expensive either.

 

Better yet, "I HATE PULLING TRAILERS!"

 

I looked on the internet and virtually all of the commercial tongue and hitch locks, not to mention door locks, can be defeated in seconds with a hammer and/or crowbar. I will look into the electronic protection. I also designed my own custom locks that I believe will significantly deter would-be thieves. Of course if they are determined, nothing will stop them but I think I will give them a fun challenge. Every one of my locks has a hidden secondary device that will take them a bit of time to find and everything is made of steel, not pot metal like the majority of the commercial ones.

 

I didn't include this picture in the book. it shows the skeleton that I ended up with inside the body, mostly made of 3/4" square and 3/4" x 1-1/2" rectangular tubing. Every stick was placed to do some task like mounting the interior panels, support the floorboards, etc., but the resulting grid also makes the body extremely rigid. All came together great.

 

Here is my finished lettering job. Started just before sun-up hoping to get done before 105F temps hit. Unfortunately didn't quite make it so up-close isn't the best job ever done. looks great from 20' and/or driving by at 60mph. And I did widen the leg on the 'M' after seeing this picture.

 

Looks good from this far away

 

Are you going to run some hubcaps like Roth's trailer on yours as well? Nice work by the way!

 

Hadn't thought about that but probably should. This is my first foray into trailerdom and their tech is TOTALLY different from the auto world. Those notch wheels seem to be the industry standard. They also have trailer tires which are different from car tires. Likely would have to make home-made hubcap adaptors but, hey, the wife already calls me 'Bracket Man' so what's another couple brackets?!

But then they will likely get ripped off.

 

Here are some period looking ones on ebaY

 

This is the finkiest! Thanks so much for recreating so accurately a piece of my kidhood when I was ordering stuff from AutoWorld, sawing up plastic bodies, flocking interiors and sniffing Testors. Seeing these pictures instantly transported me back to this magazine cover:

 

Thanx Rick you made my day. You are EXACTLY the audience I envisioned. Was determined to do it as a bucket list project but was hoping to help us 60s Finks to relive the memories. AWESOME autograph!!!!!!!!

 

That is just awesome. Makes me smile over and over and over.

 

ME TOO!!!!!!!

 

That is a ton of work! And ton of steel! How does it drive? Wild looking ride.

 

Yep, it was a 2++ yr project. But the time doesn't bother me at all. Have been spending 12 hr Sundays in my shop for 50 or so years making stuff; cars, wood carvings, furniture, toys for kids/grandkids, etc., etc., etc. That is my shrink, hacking on wood and beating on metal. I just work on a project 'til it is done then go do another one.

Haven't started it yet! Tried several times but had the various problems you always have starting new engines. Got a pop last time I tried but then figured out it was out of gas. Will hit it again soon. If past history is any indictor this will be a very rapid startup of a new car for me. I have a '53 Chevy pickup that has been totally done for at least 8 years and I haven't started it yet! I HATE starting new engines.

As far as driving is concerned, I can already tell you it will be HELL! I can barely sit in it, the bubble will roast me instantly, no front brakes. Will be a show/parking lot cruiser for 2 minute stints.

 

And you don't think it gets hot in Bakersfield? Admittedly this spare tire that came on my 1995 vintage used trailer is of unknown vintage but looks brand new and exploded just sitting in the sun outside my shop. Had recommended air pressure.

 

I was hoping to hear driving stories and maybe a video of that thing running but it'll have to wait it looks like. Oh by the way, Orson called and wants his ship back

 

I have every intention of driving this thing. That is a major reason I built it in the first place, to see a video of it driving down the street. Hopefully before the first of the year?

 

If I lived near by I would be there to assist with the startup. I happen to love that moment, closest thing to giving birth a man can experience. There is anticipation, labor, pain, sweat and then joy...sometimes meds help.