puddingwrestler Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 For some reason I've been thinking lately about what would have happened if three-wheeler cars took of in the US. They were fairly big in Europe and the UK due to various tax and licensing loop holes, but the US never went for them. This is an attempt to see what would happen if you applied US styling and car building ideas to a three wheeler... It's going to be a curb side since I have no interest in working out the mechanics and engineering of such a machine, I'm just working on the look of it. Donor kit is a Monogram 39 Chevy since it's got a nice pointy nose which works well for a single front wheel. This is the interior. THe Monogram kit came with buckets, custom wheels, a big V8 etc. etc. All very cool if you want a rod, but not much use when you're trying to build a fictional economy model... I've used the bench from an AMT 41 Plymouth since it was the only thing I have which fits. And this is a rough paper mockup of the nose. I'll be using this as a template to cut the plasticard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FASTBACK340 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 So, your going to morph a Davis with a Reliant? Cool idea! Love it when a new idea surfaces.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 WOW, If I were a custom guy, I could see at least 2 good ideas from that mock up right there! Don't build customs, but i DO enjoy looking at them! This one looks pretty different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Interesting. I'm keeping my eyes on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This could be very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunkPile Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Keep up the good work. I really like your ideas. Paper 'aint just for writing anymore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This Looks Like Fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patami Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Since the 3 wheelers overe here in Europe where mostly powered by motorcycle engines i guess an American counter part would have an HD in it. Just a tought that come to mind. By the way you r of to a good start there Edited March 28, 2012 by patami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarana-X Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) In before http://youtu.be/QQh56geU0X8 Edited March 28, 2012 by Zarana-X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badluck 13 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) In before :lol: ~AND~ :lol: ,still trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard,love the part where he "rolls' into the club meet.................... But on the build,sure looks to be a sweet one with better results than the video. Edited March 28, 2012 by Badluck 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagoneer81 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 :lol: ~AND~ :lol: ,still trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard,love the part where he "rolls' into the club meet.................... And the looks on everone's faces said that it happens all the time... None of them acted a bit suprised when he came in on his side... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Three-wheeler seem hard to pull off, for whatever reason. Maybe because we're so used to four-wheeled vehicles here in the U.S., we have plenty of room, and there's no tax based on engine displacement. Here's one of the only three wheelers I really liked, the late Ed Roth's Globe Hopper '34 Ford: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddingwrestler Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Yeah, three wheelers are not very stable beasts... And there is no reason to make one in the us... But I cannot be bothered figuring out a reasonable back story to explain why gm would be making a three wheeler cause it'd involve rewriting so much history. Maybe some day... Possibly after this is done and I start the ford counterpart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagoneer81 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Yeah, three wheelers are not very stable beasts... And there is no reason to make one in the us... But I cannot be bothered figuring out a reasonable back story to explain why gm would be making a three wheeler cause it'd involve rewriting so much history. Maybe some day... Possibly after this is done and I start the ford counterpart. Easy backstory, It's a prototype, a test bed to try out new designs and ideas. The project was abandoned after it was discovered that its unstable nature couldn't be overcome. Your great uncle found it in an old abandoned shed in Detroit back in the late 1940's. Somehow it got missed during the WWII scrap drives... It has slumbered in his barn since then. You discovered it a few years ago and after exhaustive archive diving, you found out what it was and restored it... Just a shoot-from-the-hip idea... Enjoy! Looking at your concept, if you don't put front fenders on it, and place the front tire as far forward as possible, it may be more stable than the Reliant... I know that's not saying much but, that Reliants' square overhanging front end couldn't have helped the lateral weight distribution any... Edited March 29, 2012 by Wagoneer81 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmvw guy Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 This looks like a fun project. I think the three wheel HD trikes have really caught on lately here in the states, does that count? Guys my age can't hold up the two wheelers any more. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 i'd like to see a H-D pulling around a '39 Chevy, even if it's only 2/3's of one. then again... i see lots of H-D's hauling around some real huskies..... must be more power in them than i thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorvairJim Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 That video was a RIOT! Reliant Robins are among the world's least stable cars... And they say Corvairs are "Unsafe at any speed"? The solution to the stability problem, of course, is to put TWO wheels in front and ONE in back, as the British Morgan 3-whelers did so well back in the 19-teens through the 30's. They're going back into production today - Jay Leno has one of the first of the new onew, as seen below: I might try my hand at the American solution to the 3-wheeler question myself some time... With a front-drive, boattail Model T speedster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sports850 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 That video was a RIOT! Reliant Robins are among the world's least stable cars... And they say Corvairs are "Unsafe at any speed"? The solution to the stability problem, of course, is to put TWO wheels in front and ONE in back, as the British Morgan 3-whelers did so well back in the 19-teens through the 30's. They're going back into production today - Jay Leno has one of the first of the new onew, as seen below: I might try my hand at the American solution to the 3-wheeler question myself some time... With a front-drive, boattail Model T speedster! Or RWD , with a massive drag slick at the back filling almost the full width of the boot area .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddingwrestler Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Easy backstory, It's a prototype, a test bed to try out new designs and ideas. The project was abandoned after it was discovered that its unstable nature couldn't be overcome. Your great uncle found it in an old abandoned shed in Detroit back in the late 1940's. Somehow it got missed during the WWII scrap drives... It has slumbered in his barn since then. You discovered it a few years ago and after exhaustive archive diving, you found out what it was and restored it... Just a shoot-from-the-hip idea... Enjoy! Looking at your concept, if you don't put front fenders on it, and place the front tire as far forward as possible, it may be more stable than the Reliant... I know that's not saying much but, that Reliants' square overhanging front end couldn't have helped the lateral weight distribution any... Thing is, i really want this to be a production model. Sething which actually got into the main stream - i intend to make a few of thse you see from diffent companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) That video was a RIOT! Reliant Robins are among the world's least stable cars... And they say Corvairs are "Unsafe at any speed"? The solution to the stability problem, of course, is to put TWO wheels in front and ONE in back, as the British Morgan 3-whelers did so well back in the 19-teens through the 30's. They're going back into production today - Jay Leno has one of the first of the new onew, as seen below: I might try my hand at the American solution to the 3-wheeler question myself some time... With a front-drive, boattail Model T speedster! Or RWD , with a massive drag slick at the back filling almost the full width of the boot area .... Maybe instead of a traditional trike, narrow up a banjo rear end as far as possible and tuck the rear tires as close to each other as possible. If you want to stay as a traditional trike, make it a BMW style shafty! Edited March 29, 2012 by Joe Handley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddingwrestler Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) Got the plasticard glued to the hood, and putty is now drying even as we speak. (Unless you read this tomorrow, in which case it's now dry!) I'll be using the stock 39 Chevy grille, but attached INSIDE a newly cut La Salle-esque shaped opening. The paint colour has been decided, I managed to find some spare Chevy wheels to use in place of the 49 Ford units I was going to use (they were already glued to tyres, so I had to detach them and they were breaking... curses!). I've just sprayed the dash and wheels with Tamiya TS-15 blue. Edited March 29, 2012 by puddingwrestler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddingwrestler Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 There has been very little porgress on the GM three wheeler... On Saturday I collected a bunch of CNC workshop terrain kits my wargames club had won by porving itself the mightiest Warhammer/Warmachine club in victoria or something. I've been working on those a bit instead of the three wheeler. Today I picked up some auto touch up spray in a nice pastel green shade which seemed right for a cheap and cheerful machine of the era. I've re-sprayed the dash and wheels with it (previously I used tamiya blue spray, but it was not quite right...) I've made templates for the front 'fender-shaped' trim, but it's gotten no further. I've basically finished the first batch of CNC workshop stuff, but I got an email yesterday wanting a qoute on some ccustom built wargames terrain, so things might be delayed if that goes ahead... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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