this is what I've got so far - okay, still one wheel too many ...

but plans and my freshly inherited toolbox are ready and waiting

 

---------------------------------------------------here's the beginning---------------------------------------------------

 

here's another Phigment of Phil's Phantasy,

a seed that's been growing continuously

 

...

 

 

...

 

venturing through the vast virtual expanses of vintage motor travel imagery on the world wide web,

the interesting history of the 1930s handmade, homebuilt Shotwell three-wheeler got entangled in my net

(Philbert, the Puddle Jumper, created by Bob Shotwell, now part of the Jay Leno collection)

 

all of a sudden, an unknown craving buoyed to the surface of my senses

 

and I had THE IDEA!

...

 

see, for years I've been toying with the idea of cost effective,

minimal footprint commuter transportation with a touch of individuality

 

I figured I could easily butcher together a simple steel tube frame covered by a slick teardrop rod design,

paint the lot in rust effect paint and off I'd buzz between all these boring beamers of this posh poser town!

 

...

 

why on earth a three-wheeler, I hear you sigh

 

well, that's easy because this type of ride doesn't need any environment zone sticker

on the chopped windscreen - three-wheelers don't count as cars! - and with a small

bike engine and an aerodynamic teardrop shape body fuel efficiency might even be GOOD

 

...

 

anyway, here's the plan!

a couple of quick school sketches and there is a convincingly simple concept

 

triangulated steel frame connects Transit front axle to motorcycle main frame

 

and zooooooooooooooom here we go 3-D in scale 1:10 with plywood and styrofoam

 

any super-cycle mill oughta give enough punch to let this shape fly down the road

 

phat super size mags for that hip look or maybe skinny motocross rubber?

 

...

 

a year passed by but lots of research has provided further inspiration

I am not at all alone in this...

 

the crude styrofoam model was eventually trashed and replaced

by a slightly more complex one, now based on a Yamaha XS 400

 

the aluminium body is shaped around a would-be '32 Ford repro grille shell

 

riveted aluminium panels aiming for a sinister rat rod fighter plane look

 

aerodynamics, so I understand, are a lot more about airflow along the rear

so a slightly angular, hot rod front end shouldn't spoil too much

 

...

 

it's November 2015 and against all odds

I've kept planning and designing and here's the latest state of development (rollover)

based on a € 200 Yamaha XS 400 from a collegue

 

more Airfix inspiration from a dieselpunk site

 

and here's the style we're aimin' for

 

and here's the Jules Verne-style contraption that really

captures the spirit of DIY three-wheelin'

...

a set of 18 inch wire wheels is waiting for adapters to go on Transit axle

more very soon!

 

February 2016 - here are the custom-made alloy adapters

 

mating the Morris 8/10 wire spoke wheels to the Transit I-beam looks so cool

 

to calculate the required amount of steel I built a balso wood model

 

I built the model because I could never draw the tringualted space frame properly

 

2 B cont'd

 

see a slightly awkward movie version here

 

 

 

 

cool? well... shotwell!