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Author: Subject: Minature Locost
DaveFJ

posted on 2/7/04 at 09:26 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 09:32 AM Reply With Quote
http://www.toylanduk.com/Real%20Life%20Toys/about.htm

then a new body

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andyps

posted on 2/7/04 at 10:39 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 10:44 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 12:43 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 12:58 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 01:53 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 01:58 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 04:57 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 09:21 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 2/7/04 at 09:56 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 3/7/04 at 04:10 AM Reply With Quote
Starter motors have been used for many kiddies cars and for hundreds of racing barstools. Rescued attachment bar_stoolin.jpg
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

posted on 3/7/04 at 07:08 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 3/7/04 at 02:27 PM Reply With Quote
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
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

posted on 4/7/04 at 08:26 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 4/7/04 at 10:44 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 5/7/04 at 02:07 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 5/7/04 at 07:00 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 5/7/04 at 09:24 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 5/7/04 at 12:09 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 5/7/04 at 11:01 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 6/7/04 at 07:44 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 6/7/04 at 09:32 AM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 7/7/04 at 12:32 PM Reply With Quote
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

posted on 10/7/04 at 09:32 PM Reply With Quote
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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