DaveFJ
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 09:26 AM |
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Minature Locost
I have been asked whether i could make a minature locost as a peddle car for a friends kid....
anyone got any ideas for this? I thought maybe a windscreen wiper motor and make it powered?
Do you think i could just reduce the chassis dimensions to the appropriate size?
Any idea how i would do the nose ?
Or alternatively has anyone done this already and have plans ?
Cheers
Dave
"In Support of Help the Heroes" - Always
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timf
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 09:32 AM |
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http://www.toylanduk.com/Real%20Life%20Toys/about.htm
then a new body
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andyps
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 10:39 AM |
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There was a small locost at Newark - was also there last year but I don't know who it belongs to.
I think a starter motor would probably be better than a windscreen wiper motor - a bit more powerful. Probably best to have a look at what the
motorised wheelchairs have.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 10:44 AM |
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I doubt whether a starter motor would last very long (neither would the battery!) - they're only meant to run for brief periods.
If you know where you can get hold of a Sinclair C5 motor, grab it! They are the No.1 favourite for builders of passenger-hauling model trains.
David
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nick205
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 12:43 PM |
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Proto,
We made a battery powered jeep a few years ago and used a wheel chair motor to power it. If you can pick up an electric wheel chair in one piece it
will have all the bits you need.
We also built a petrol engined go-kart which used a Honda petrol lawn mower engine. This was fitted with a centrigugal clutch and worked a treat.
For my money I'd go for petrol power as it will be faster and doesn't need recharging every five minutes.
Get building and post some pics!
Nick
PS - perhaps all those who are already on the road should start on mini locost projects and then we could have a mini-locost race series! If
you've ever ridden a mini-moto you'll see the potential for hours of amusement.
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millenniumtree
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 12:58 PM |
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Maybe I'll just make one of these in prep for the real thing. 
I probably couldn't take it out on the road, but It'd be fun to run around parking lots in. 
Lawnmower engine eh?
*runs out and buys a lawnmower, even though I have no lawn*
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marktigere1
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 01:53 PM |
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Being a Honda lawnmower, does the engine rotate the right way?
If a bolt is stuck force it.
If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway!!!
(My Dad 1991)
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Peteff
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 01:58 PM |
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You can buy the motors for electric scooters on ebay sometimes, the ones kids use.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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andyps
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 04:57 PM |
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I did wonder about the life of a starter motor in continuous usage. Didn't the Sinclair C5 use a variation on a washing machine motor?
Petrol engines must be available cheaply - I bought a new generator last week for £50+VAT
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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robinbastd
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 09:21 PM |
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IIRC everyones favourite locost manufacturer SPD were selling a miniature 7 project on ebay fairly recently.....so there are some out there.
Only a dead fish swims with the tide.
http://smuttygifts.com/
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JoelP
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| posted on 2/7/04 at 09:56 PM |
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how about a few wiper motors? i think a starter is probably too powerful for a kids toy anyway, though it depends on their age i guess...
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Rorty
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| posted on 3/7/04 at 04:10 AM |
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Starter motors have been used for many kiddies cars and for hundreds of racing barstools.
 
Rescued attachment bar_stoolin.jpg
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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type 907
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| posted on 3/7/04 at 07:08 AM |
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I know you'v been moaning about lack
of space in your garage Dave........
but building in miniature is.....
NOT THE ANSWER
Paul G
Too much is just enough
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leto
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| posted on 3/7/04 at 02:27 PM |
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Don't know if this might help.
I made some sketchy drawings for a friend how wanted to build something educational together with his son. They are using an old lawnmower as a donor
and some leftover 15x15 pipe for the chassis.
 
Mini-7
A grownup won't be able to drive this, sorry 
Happy building!
“I'm gonna ride around in style
I'm gonna drive everybody wild
'Cause I'll have the only one there is a round”. (J. Cash)
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kipper
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| posted on 4/7/04 at 08:26 AM |
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mini locost
Hi dave
have a look at BWE SPORTS CARS AD in either of the two kit car mags.
they do a LOCUST replica car called a grasshopper. this is prbably what was seen driving round the shows.
I think it comes as a set of plans which include chassis drawings and full size paper drawings which you then stick to MDF and cut the body sides. all
flat pieces ,no compound curves.
from the photo in the mags you would think it is a full size car untill you spot the wheels
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Peteff
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| posted on 4/7/04 at 10:44 AM |
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Any idea how i would do the nose
It's got me thinking about it now  . You could make it from MDF or ply and rout the edges with a rounding over bit. I use one for table tops
and it gives a nice 1/2" curve and works really well on MDF.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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locost_bryan
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 02:07 AM |
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Barry Leitch builds 7 replicas in Invercargill, NZ. He also does a 1/3 size kids version, using a wheelchair motor or Honda 4-stroke.
b.leitch@es.co.nz
Bryan Miller
Auckland NZ
Bruce McLaren - "Where's my F1 car?"
John Cooper - "In that rack of tubes, son"
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MattWatson
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 07:00 AM |
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http://www.stevproj.com/Carz/CycleKart.html
This is something I came accross on another site, www.metalmeet.com where several people are taking it to the extreme and building full metal versions
of them using sheet aluminum.
Matt Watson
--------------------------------
VW 1.6L SOHC Turbo Mid engined car
http://members.shaw.ca/wavindustries/
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woodster
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 09:24 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by robinbastd
IIRC everyones favourite locost manufacturer SPD were selling a miniature 7 project on ebay fairly recently.....so there are some out there. [
...... would you have to find someone selling a crashed miniature 7
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Alan B
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 12:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by woodster
quote:
Originally posted by robinbastd
IIRC everyones favourite locost manufacturer SPD were selling a miniature 7 project on ebay fairly recently.....so there are some out there. [
...... would you have to find someone selling a crashed miniature 7
LOL.....
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DavidM
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| posted on 5/7/04 at 11:01 PM |
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The July Kitcar magazine has an article on powering miniture cars. Used to be Wiper motors, now wheelchair motors are preferred, apparently.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 6/7/04 at 07:44 AM |
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You'll also need to use a 'deep-cycle' battery - a car battery is designed to run nearly or fully charged for all of its life. If
you repeatedly discharge it until it can't turn a motor (as you will) then it will die quite rapidly with warped plates, or the coating on the
plates will fail.
Favourites are electric wheelchair batteries, or caravaner's batteries at a push.
David
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woodster
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| posted on 6/7/04 at 09:32 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by robinbastd
IIRC everyones favourite locost manufacturer SPD were selling a miniature 7 project on ebay fairly recently.....so there are some out there. [
.......... and if its powered by an electic motor the prop can't drop off
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woodster
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| posted on 7/7/04 at 12:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by woodster
quote:
Originally posted by robinbastd
IIRC everyones favourite locost manufacturer SPD were selling a miniature 7 project on ebay fairly recently.....so there are some out there. [
.......... and if its powered by an electic motor the prop can't drop off
oops ALLEDGEDLY
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andyps
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| posted on 10/7/04 at 09:32 PM |
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Minature westfield
There is one on ebay at the moment link
here
No connection
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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