Anyone built a horseless carriage?

No, I don’t mean “automobile”, but rather the very early type of car that was very close to a “horsed” carriage, but with a 1- or 2-cylinder gasoline engine driving the rear wheels through a chain or belt. You know the type: Think Curved Dash Olds or 1903 Ford Model A.

This Sears Motor Buggy ad shows the very late type:



Not exactly HAMB stuff, but I figure if you like 1920s to 1960s cars, there’s a good chance you might like early stuff too. Something about puttering along in a homebuilt runabout just sounds like fun.

-Dave

 

Oh, just Ed Roth... But who is he?

 

Was at a cruise in a few weeks ago and a guy showed up with a 1906 Cadillac.

 

I think that in the 50's/60's there were plans for cars that resembled that floating around. One of those Popular Mechanics type of things. http://www.smallcarplans.com/1901oldsplans.htm Wish my brain functioned as well on current crap as it does on 50 year old stuff.

 

I thought they made kits of them
http://www.horselesscarriagereplicas.com/plans.html

 

Does this count?

 

WTF?!?!?!

I dont know what to think about that thing?

 

Not really what I had in mind, guys. I was just thinking a from-scratch, buggy-based, primitive automobile.

I think the Amish still build piano-body buggies, and I’m sure if you plugged into the right tractor-and-engine group, that a turn-of-the-century gas engine could be had fairly readily. The real fabrication would be in the controls and the drivetrain.

-Dave

 

the Barris "movie cars" book has a rig similar to that, with a Pontiac "horse" and a stagecoach, for the Paul Revere and the Raiders band

 

Ours is a little lower powered.

 

Automobile Quarterly had an article about 40 years ago that featured a put together car that was named the "Pungs-Finch Limited". The title of the article was "Iron Butterfly" (after the 60's hard rock song by Iron Maiden?). It had an exposed shaft and gear driven overhead camshaft 600 CI 4 cylinder engine. It really made an impression on me. If I ever got enough money, I would have loved to have made something like it, but alas, it was never to be. (BTW, I have done a web search, and I found a "Pungs-Finch", but it's not the one I was thinking about.) The one I found was a touring, and the one I remember was a very fragile looking white twoseater. When it was started and left to idle, the fenders flopped around like crazy, hence the name of the article.

 

(after the 60's hard rock song by Iron Maiden?)

Iron Maiden?!?! How about the 60's rock group, "Iron Butterfly"? I don't think "Eddie" had much to do with them.

 

Thinking about it, I think you're probably right. By the late '60's, 70's I was in my late 20's and wasn't interested in that kind of stuff. Folk Rock anyone?

 

My friend Owen Bosma built one . He usees a Jigger engine to power it. It is all wood but looks like it was built about 1903. Owen who hasnt shaved since puberty looks the same too. Might find a picture on the web under Quinte Flywheels.
Don

 

I have one of the curved dash Olds runabouts. Fun---

 

Apparently there is a horsless carriage lic plate, is this true?!

 

There was in California for many years - I remember seeing them as a kid as far back as the '50s. You guys stateside know if this licensing option is still available?

Back then, I remember seeing replicas of curved-dash Oldsmobiles. In '57 we went out to look at a subdivision in Apple Valley and my family was shown around the site in one such vehicle. I thought it was pretty cool at the time.

 

Bigcheese327 specified that he wanted to see horseless carriages. There is obviously a horse on that "carriage," lol.

Thats, uh, definitely 'something else' you got there. I kind of like it.

 

Pics please Paul .

 

Iron Maiden wasn't formed until 1975 ..

 

great job on that. is there a build thread anywhere?

 

Horseless carriages are still being used as daily drivers all over the world. In certain parts of Europe - especially Greece - you still see carts being pulled by rotary tillers or "walking tractors". Often they are being used to transport family and produce to market.



Lots of possibilties for hopping up this rig - a Harley engine would pep it up nicely.....

 

that stagecoach thingy is far out. I like it.I have fascination with these early autos. Since I'm from the Munsters generation, I do dream of something of a cross between a horse buggy and a show rod. When I was at Disney, I really appreciated the covered but sideless(?) trams they use to shuttle people around their property in heat and rain. So my idea is for a 6 passenger canopy express or depot hack with a chromed 454 I have. Just too busy now to pursue.I realize this isn't what the op was after, but my idea doesn't fit so good anywhere else.Doesn't bother me, i'd drive the heck out of it.

 

I've always wanted a Locomobile Steamer from around 1900.

 

Lets put some life in an old tread! Im playing with putting this engine in a horesecart thingy myself

 

Funny you should bring up this old thread, just bought this short wheelbase chassis yesterday. Fully sprung, wish someone could tell me more about it. Bob

 

Looks Like a fun project!

 

Seems like some guy named Henry built one a while back. HRP

 

that looks like a 2 seat "doctors buggy" chassis, pulled by one horse. you're just missing the body and wheels, and a horse.

 

Or he could skip the horse and ad a motor?