But what inspired the artist to draw it with the rear wheels 6" above the ground? I think the high-end French cyclecars gradually grew beyond the strict definition. My sources don't give a weight for that Salmson, but the comparable Amilcar C-type weighed around 550kg, or 1200lbs. That's about the same as an MG M-type Midget, which is usually not considered a cyclecar. By comparison, though, the later MG TA weighed about half as much again, even though we think of it as very light indeed.
Ahh that makes sense. Thought 350kg didn't look right. Must be them helium filled tyres. The pictures I've been posting of the Sandfords are all from various threads on that French site. It looks a good thread - wish I could understand it. Internet translators don't cope so well with some of the technical jargon. There may be more info on that image locked away in there. Incidentally, one of the first image searches on Sandfords knocks up this model: The Morgans with roofs look kind of odd, I assumed because it was difficult to get a human-sized human into the space once they were sitting down. So I'm intrigued to see how people sit inside a Sandford and whether they actually have any headroom. It makes the Sandford look like a much larger car than the Morgan, even the F-4s. Anybody know any dimensions?
I'd like to talk technical. I didn't review this thread for technical information ... forgive me, my connection is slow. I don't care for the tricycles; I prefer the ones that look like cars. So, what would be a good differential that's fairly narrow and lightweight?
Harley Servicar, perhaps? That is, if you're looking for something chain drive. My research indicates a lot of early cyclecars just had one driven wheel in back, eliminating the need for a differential. For shaft drive, I'd be looking at 1970s Japanese mini-trucks. I too prefer four wheels to the Morgan-type three wheeler. -Dave
Definitely worthy of consideration, although I read recently that several states are loosening up their restrictions on cyclecar type builds. Still, looks wise, put me in the four-wheeled camp. -Dave
I like four wheelers, reckon they are easier to build as well (much more choice for rear axles/final drives). Probably prefer them as well to be honest. But a trike will give me cheap registration, cheap road tax and I reckon I can achieve a significant aerodynamic advantage. As for a small light axle, kind of depends what you're building weight/size wise. If it's light, and you were in europe, I'd recommend an Austin 7 rear end. Infact, if you want to go a bit more modern, you could try and find a Morris minor rear, I think they were exported stateside. I believe they weigh in at about 90lbs or so.
Morris is a good bet; just don't use the gearbox if it's of the early, smooth case type. The case is made of a sort of photo-sensitive plaster of Paris that cracks if you look at it. Try rear-drive Ford Escort; in the UK there's Reliant; also many small Japanese rear-drive cars of the '70s. The rear-drive Mazda 323 was sold in the USA as a Mazda GLC. We've got a small Nissan pick-up truck here that has just gone out of production, based on the Datsun 1200 of the late '60s. The later 120Y was basically the same thing. Back to the history. We haven't had D'Yrsan on this thread, have we? D'Yrsan were big on long, aerodynamic tails. I came across this cool BSA coupé in the course of the search:
I have never heard of a D'Yrsan - it's gorgeous. Nice low seating position in the top pic too. Interesting front suspension, can't quite figure it out.
Morgan Motor Co's newish handbuilt pedal car in the classic style of the 1920's cycle car, but here's their new real car, no kidding a new updated street legal version of the classic http://www.morgan3wheeler.co.uk/home.html If you are visiting Malvern, England book a factory tour, it is well worth seeing, a sublime mix of traditional and modern, these cars are hand built to your spec,. I realise that I could be off topic here big style,but it is very relevant to this thread.
100E might work at around 45" rear track width 105E is only slightly wider at around 47" track width Tough to find in the states...although there is a 100E rear on US eBay as we speak...I was eyeballing it for my Model-Y.
Nice! It is really pedal powered? Did they really build it or is it just a design study? Do you have any more details about it? Sorry for OT
It exists........there was one sat in the showroom a couple of days ago. http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/carpages/pedalcar/pedalcar.html .
yeah - the Morgans are scary fast!! That video is on a Hillclimb revival in Switzerland. The Morgans are always the fastest there...
I have a Morgan-style three wheeler project underway that will use a Honda Goldwing four-cylinder boxer engine, trans,and driveline, with an Anglia beam-axle front suspension. I can't imagine a simpler, affordable, and more-reliable plot. And 82-94 hp is ample for a vehicle that will weigh well under 1000 pounds. I'm using MGA knock-off wire wheels on the front and the Honda alloy wheel on the rear. The body will be a barrel-back, and I will use an MGA wire wheel on the rear as a spare. The nose is inspired by a Kurtis midget, for which I have a couple of unpolished never-used grilles. We're doing the chassis in 4130, and the bodywork will be aluminum. (I have the great good fortune to have Kent Fuller as a pal who rents me part of his shop for my flathead Ford porting work . . . and any projects that strike our collective fancy.) Good-running and well-maintained GLs sell for $1000-$3000, currently registered and licensed. If the license is kept current during the build of a three-wheeler there should be no hassles once the new vehicle is on the street. In the end, there's perhaps $500-$2000 worth of Goldwing bits and pieces to broom off on eBay. I have a donated derelict Goldwing that I'm using for mockup and construction; in the end, this old dear will go to scrap because all the useable ancillaries were pruned off before it was given to me. The project has been benched for about a month as I finish a booklet I'm writing on flathead Ford porting, but all the big pieces are on hand and the build will commence straightaway. Mike
Anyone thought of using a Triumph Rocket 3 engine in one of these, since we were discussing longitudinal motors?
This is a rig I built for gentelman about fifteen years ago. At the time Larry had been in a wheelchair for twenty years. He was paralyzed from the waist down and had limited use of his arms. He wanted to drive from the sidecar. I told him the only bike I new of was a Honda with the automatic transmission. He had me place the body on the left side so that he could do his banking at the drive up window. I used one side of a rack and pinion steering and a push pull rod/ steering rod. that was attached to a bracket at the base of the motorcycle front end. The twist grip throttle and brake are on the left of the driver compartment. Larry used a steering wheel to guide him along the roadway. . He hadn't been on the open road for over twenty years. The most difacult part of the entire project was the wheelchair lift. Larry had to take his wheelchair with him, and he wanted to transfer from the wheelchair into the sidecar so that he could drive form the inside of the body. To the right next to the bike there are three switches. When pushed one by one a jack lifts the rear of the sidecar, and then the wheelchair lift rotates around to the side of the body, and drops down. At this point Larry is inside the sidecar. He places the wheelchair onto the lift arm and reverses the process. The wheelchair is then stored on the back of the rig while it's being driven down the road. He drove the unit around 8,000 miles a year. He was one hell of a guy. We lost larry to medical complications some time back, but he got to drive his one of a kind unit for a few years. The only maintenance we had to do was replace the sidecar wheel spindle ones a year. Note in one of the pictures the sidecar wheel with way to much camber. Larry was well respected among the guys he rode with. I sure enjoyed building the project. Later, Johnny Sweet
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