From the very start of this project I had a vision that the seat on this trike would be a tractor seat - I dont know why, I just did. Ive been keeping an eye on them on ebay, nice big cast iron implement seats - they appear to fetch quite good prices (30, 40, 50 quid) but for some reason they never were quite right. And then it struck me what i really needed was not a cast iron job, but a pressed tin one. A quick search on google turned up a vintage tractor spares trader ( www.vintagetractorspares.com ) not 5 miles from where i work - it was kismet - I had to go there and buy my seat, and so today I did.
The nice thing about building my own trike, is that there are no rules or plans, so when it came to deciding on what tractor seat i should choose, how else should i choose but trying them all out for fit. The helpful lady got out 7 different pressed steel seat pans for me to try. I can't remember what tractors they were all for, but I do know that i rejected the Fordson seat as being too flat and wide in preference for the Fergy T20 seat which was deep and round - just like my own arse. It was £39 and it looks great and very.... well "agricultural" and purposful.
I cobbled up a sitting position tonight out of a reliant wheel, a 5ltr can of emulsion and 2 blocks of 4x4 offcuts - remember the formula - this gave the perfect ride height and position - it meant i can shove the seat forward a bit more (especially if im going to crank the gearstick out of the way). Looks good and feels good :-) And I know now what i'd like the next project to be :-D
And talking of spending money - Ive also bought 4 new rubber engine mounts. the original ones were so soft that 3 of them sheared rather than unscrewed when i was removing the engine. I was shocked at the price. £22 for the 4 (and thats a bargain - reliant dealers want nearly 8 quid each!) Im a bit worried that £20 here and £20 there on "not-noticeable" bits is soon going to eat up my budget.
In a small way to counteract this drain on finances, I am selling bits of the donor, and in a couple of days time a chap is coming to collect his bargain of a chassis for £5 (a fair and square auction win on ebay) and in fact I'll be glad to get it out of my way. However it suddenly occured to me a couple of nights ago while tossing and turning in bed (this project is consuming me) that the engine mounts on the chassis would make a great template reference for the mounts required on the trike frame, so i have made up a jig that references the mounting points. I enjoyed myself sawing, filing, bending and drilling the bits of metal that I then bolted to the chassis and welded the spacers between (so that i ended up with a T-frame with all the mounting points in the right place) However, what i didnt enjoy was working outside in the p*ssing rain - the chassis is out there - I hate this country for this miserable weather - I was just fortunate that I'd kept the roof panel of the Reliant (I dont know why) which made an adequate shelter from the worst of it. I bet they dont have poky garages and peeing rain and tight budgets in california - no wonder they can build fabulous looking machines.
And the other thing that has made me think tonight..... welding. I knocked this template together with my little arc welder. My welding was rubbish. Oh it will hold together OK and there were a couple of good runs, but it was rubbish - I comfort myself a bit with the fact that i was doing it in the dark, in the rain and upside down, but excuses aside, it was poor..... and it made me wonder if i really should entertain the idea of welding this frame myself (note though I wasnt contempating doing it by arc - was going to talk to TVOR about using his MIG) - or should i leave it to the perfect TIG welding of BIG SUR the custom bike builder?
2 comments:
Tim, YOU should make the frame whether it be sheet steel momocoque (mmm tricky but could look so cool and different) or more traditional seamless tube. Either way, I would be inclined to make the frame and tack it together, then if you are still lacking the confidence to lay down some beautiful welds yourself thewn get an expert like TREVOR or Joe Fry to spend a day welidng the whole thing together. Hughie the Harp
My heart says you are right Hughie, and my head says "think a while longer"
New board member Ken was saying tonight that ERW tube these days is so good, that he thinks it would be perfectly adequate for what im trying to build (taking into account desired durabilty and longevity of the finished vehicle)
I like the idea of all getting together at the forge with a frame and a barrel of beer :-)
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