Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jun 24, 2020 22:02:08 GMT
And on the subject of Bond Bugs, here is a post I made in the Youtube Finds thread: This video appeared in the 'recommended' clips as I loaded up YouTube earlier. Whoever thought of putting a Hayabusa engine into a Bond Bug and then adding turbo etc must be absolutely barking. For those unaware, a Hayabusa is a 1300cc Suzuki bike with 173hp as stock and with top speed limited to 186mph. I'd like a fiver for every time the presenter says "Oh my God!" Sam. Shame it can't take a corner quickly . Looks nice though.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 25, 2020 5:42:30 GMT
Bond also made the 875, which was another small, glassfibre bodied 3 wheeler with a rear mounted Hillman Imp engine. That was also quite fast but not good at cornering
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 26, 2020 20:47:56 GMT
And on the subject of Bond Bugs, here is a post I made in the Youtube Finds thread: This video appeared in the 'recommended' clips as I loaded up YouTube earlier. Whoever thought of putting a Hayabusa engine into a Bond Bug and then adding turbo etc must be absolutely barking. For those unaware, a Hayabusa is a 1300cc Suzuki bike with 173hp as stock and with top speed limited to 186mph. I'd like a fiver for every time the presenter says "Oh my God!" Sam. I built a Dutton Phaeton kit car in '83 with 1.3 Ford Kent engine, changed it to 1.6 later. When I sold it someone put a rover 3.5 V8 in it. The thing was only like a stressed bin liner anyway so gawd knows what it was like then!
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 26, 2020 20:58:08 GMT
That was it. Mine was red, Q50 KEW.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 28, 2020 12:40:47 GMT
I've been looking up a few of the other microcars of the 50s and there were some really weird contraptions among them. A few were the Gordon, which was made by a subsidiary of Vernon's pools and the Ridley, which I think was made by the Hunslet engine company of Leeds. Some were three wheeled and some four. A few were attempts at sports cars like the Fairthorpe which could be home built and supplied as kits.
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Jun 28, 2020 14:52:52 GMT
Oh yes, the 50's British microcars had some odd things, many haven't been heard of by people. The Rodley (not Ridley) you mention Cartman, was an ugly thing but a very basic cheap new car for a motorist at the time. It had a JAP 750cc engine and only 65 cars were ever made. They planned to sell 50 a week. Apparently one survives which I didn't know, although an old photo in a scrapyard taken approx early 80's showed another but was to far gone for restoration.
There was also the Rytecraft Scootacar, the Opperman Unicar (one is in the Microcar museum), the Gill Getabout and the Anzani Astra (years before Vauxhall used the name) which was a sort of narrow "microvan".
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 28, 2020 15:41:14 GMT
There were others too, one was called the Frisky, another really daft looking one called the Allard Clipper and the Russon which was an attempt at a miniature Jaguar XK120
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Post by Sam Tyler on Jun 28, 2020 21:07:16 GMT
Another small car was the Enfield which was an attempt at an electric car developed on the Isle Of Wight See it here on >>> Wikipedia <<
I spotted one parked up at Appley on the Isle Of Wight some years ago, plugged in and on charge. Parked next to it was another Enfield although this was marginally bigger and driven by a 4981cc engine. After checking it is now on SORN but I can't find any details of this car anywhere, was it a one-off perhaps? Sam.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 28, 2020 21:09:39 GMT
After checking it is now on SORN but I can't find any details of this car anywhere, was it a one-off perhaps? Sam. I should bloody well hope so!
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