A 49cc car

[pinkscoot]

Here is an interesting vehicle:

[90GTVert]

You can buy newer versions for silly money (they start at what converts to basically $15,000 US). They're 49cc 4T CVT engines or electric. I read of alleged gearheads dreaming of putting 10-15HP Briggs & Strattons in them and was deeply saddened. Would be so much cooler with 2T in there.

peelengineering.co.uk/peels/peel-p50

Someone put a jet in a Trident... but really it looks like they just stuck the body on a jet kart. Once again, if I were going that route... stick the body on a 2T shifter kart.

[knobby]

Seriously, could you imagine if folks would drive tiny lightweight cars with like 150 or 250cc 4t motors? How much fuel could be saved compared with the 6000 pound SUV's everybody seems to be choosing these days. Not to mention production resources.. Not that I hate cars, quite the opposite. But just imagine.

[2stroked]

No disrespect knobby, but I would mch rather hammer on a 150+c TWO STROKE than to put along in a 250+ four poke.
Old Messerschmidt cars used a Sachs(??I believe??) Two Ts cooter engine.

[aeroxbud]

You can buy a piaggio ape that is 49cc. They are dreadfully slow though a 172 would bolt right in 😀

[knobby]

Apr 2, 2017 15:41:36 GMT -5 2stroked said:

No disrespect knobby, but I would mch rather hammer on a 150+c TWO STROKE than to put along in a 250+ four poke.
Old Messerschmidt cars used a Sachs(??I believe??) Two Ts cooter engine.

I'm with you on loving vintage stuff and 2T's, but modern DI 4T motors are amazingly efficient. Disappointing part for me is, they had a 50mpg Honda HF in 1984 and most 2017 cars do worse.  Problem isn't the engines, the vehicles these days are just way too big and heavy!  Poor mileage and no joy in diving the behemoths.  We need to dial back the safety regulations to allow for smaller and lighter cars.  Cars a little closer to that tiny Peel 50..  

[2stroked]

Agreed. Size adn weigt are.a factor, but I believe the emissions standards have squelched performance a lot

I am planning on using my Honda Helix engine to build a small kart typ car with the Honda VIN.

I recently built a rather effective ark welder using three MOT style transformers. Will stike. a beautiful ark and welds very well evne compared to some modern off the shelf units.
I have sourced a frame, and a sprocket that will fit the Helix our t shaft. I am going to use a chain driven rear end from a old race kart. Even if they won't let me tag it I will still have a blast before selling it .

[tortoise2]

The 50cc 2-stroke Las Vegas rentals are pretty much despised by the locals.

[pinkflames420]

Holy crap, the exhaust was glowing red! This might be the next new step in making those electric cars more efficient I think people's main concerns with the small cars is being able to fit a family and then some ... where I live currently, it seems impossible to own a car and everyone either drives a truck or has a truck for moving stuff when needed, and building there own houses and properties.

[pinkflames420]

Apr 4, 2017 13:45:58 GMT -5 tortoise2 said:

The 50cc 2-stroke Las Vegas rentals are pretty much despised by the locals.

Those are awesome!! You just planned my first trip to LA this summer!!! the exhaust looks the exact same as on our scoots 
Makes me wanna turn one of those battery operated cars into a gas one for my daughter to play

[2stroked]

Kinda off totopic, however googlgoogle the name " John B Good enough" he's hethe Prof. responsible for teh Li-Ion batteries of today. AAt the young age of 94 he has invetned a new battery that charges to full capacity in MINUTESin instead of hours. Could change the market of electric cars forever. More power quicker charge and extreme size reduction.

[knobby]

I'd think legally you would be ok with a trike. Its that fourth wheel that gets you into all the regs. What shape body are you going with?

Have you seen the VW 1L? That is the shape people should want for highway commutes. Even without batteries the aero would allow for some outstanding highway efficiency. Most of our gasoline gets used pushing wind at 65mph+. The 1L would not be legal here.

And Keicars.. those are a great middle ground between tiny and big, and we can't even import those here because they don't meet safety regs. Those would be perfect for a lot of the folks who just do around town local trips. There are pickups, vans, sedans, sportscars, all powered by less than 1L.

[FrankenMech]

I should just put a cover on my reverse trike. Damn thing weighs 300# already though. Hills are a PITA.

I have thought about using those flex fiberglass tent poles and tent fabric. I would try to use thin Lexan for the windshield. Acrylic turns into razor blades when it shatters.

[spaz12]

Apr 4, 2017 13:45:58 GMT -5 tortoise2 said:

The 50cc 2-stroke Las Vegas rentals are pretty much despised by the locals.

I owned a scooter repair shop in town that serviced those scooters for two years. They're actually 4 stroke motors.

[2stroked]

I had thought about keeping it as a three wheeled type R-trike enclosed vehicle. I have a good 4 1/2 x 5 sheet of lexan that was left over from the web ndows in my now defunct truck. My brother in law got it from some race buddy. I plan on using it as Windows and I am kind of a servant with fiberglass. I figure the only steel will be frame rol cage and wheels. The fiber glass shell will be braced with aluminum. I have been playing around with the numbers trying to figure weight and distribution.
With a healthy CVT driven 250 I would expect anything under a dry weight of the 5-6 hunded to be feasible.
My main reason for wanting to do this is because I will NOT be able to do two wheels for a rather long time😩😩😩😤😣