Quad Pedal Car - 2025 late Xmas/early Birthday present ?

[stormbird]

Hi all

So an advert turned up for a pedal car for sale close[ish] to me and a fair price for all the parts on it

This is a Video walk around of it

rusty however lots of bearings where others have tubes for bushes and some body work.

Cornering in the wet

So it is the middle of winter I have to tow my trailer over the highest motorway ,

in the UK to try and fit a 7.5ft pedal car on top of a 5ft trailer , what can possibly go wrong ?

In the above pictures/videos it does look rather tall till you see it next to my Python

Now on the pedal car your head can barely see over the body work as the seat is extremely low !

Eye line picture

Despite the on first glance crudeness of the body shape , this picture suggest it is definitely more streamlined than the Python !

So it needs a little work before I can start my 3 times a week ride in it , however I will be a driver and NOT a rider as I sit in it not straddling it.
A not very comprehensive list:-
a) put road tyres on it
b) crop the back - Kamm back - to shorten it as it is currently 7.5ft long ! [ 230cm ] - if I do that I can pick the front up to manouver it without the body work dragging and snagging stuff.
c) improve the chain management - it currently drops a chain [ I assume return side ]
d) sort out gearing for my local hills


Thanks for looking Paul

 

[undertoad]

What is the little tag on the right steering knuckle?

 

[Popshot]

Different. At first glance it looks back to front. The openings through which you can see the knees look like side windows for viewing out.

 

[stormbird]

What is the little tag on the right steering knuckle?

Old timing system tag , they ran those in parallel with a new system where the cars carry 2 tags usually on a horizontal surface , this car has those as well :-

The white blocks either side of cockpit opening towards rear.

They are issued new each season when you get your number allocated , I will have a high number like this as car was not raced last year so has no placing.

Yellow square with a black cross indicates novice driver , I won't need that

Paul

 

[stormbird]

Different. At first glance it looks back to front. The openings through which you can see the knees look like side windows for viewing out.

Yes at first glance it is not obvious which way it will travel , unless you know a bit about streamlining

On some of the other cars I have driven you can simply lean out and see the front wheel so you can keep it on the gray stuff. Some of the tracks have vicious red/white concrete edge marks these have large drops in them to alert a go kart they are about to leave the track.
Not good for a pedal car on skinny 100psi tyres

Yes your told not to run on it however other people want your line and what do you do ? hit another car or risk a few yards on this , it ain't pleasant !

Car is odd to drive , it has a really strong force [ at even low speeds ] felt on the tank levers to when turning try and return to traveling in a straight line.
Something to get used to , do tadpole trikes do this ?

Paul

 

[undertoad]

Some of the tracks have vicious red/white concrete edge marks these have large drops in them to alert a go kart they are about to leave the track.

I was going to ask about those - Rumble strips on steroids. Those are scary looking
As to the steering, are you saying that you need extra force to bring it back to center? That doesn't sound good.

 

[moto-klasika]

Hello, Paul! ​

Congratulation for new racing machine!
But - velomobile you have now? Well, racing and cute velomobile at least...
Trailing edge of "flying objects" are even more important than the leading edge. (Pulling of air is harder than pushing it, if the longitudinal cross sections of both ends are the same or similar)
That one looks as light (very light) and short (very short), segment of thick (very thick) aeroplane wing?
Such body would be one of my favourites, light and aerodynamic - could be attached later on any form of chassis? For my speeds of 15-25 km/hour, aerodynamic body wouldn't be of great use, but whatever - I would like it. For racing, it is obviously very useful, especially with vertical "skirts" of some 2-3 cm around body...

Ciao,​

 

[Popshot]

A taddy should have resistance to steering but not so much you are pushing hard. It should want to self centre and that is the force you are overcoming. If it requires a lot of grunt then it's likely that the leverage is poor leaving you with little actual movement at the top of the lever or the other thing could be too much caster. More likely the former though.

 

[stormbird]

As to the steering, are you saying that you need extra force to bring it back to center? That doesn't sound good.

The opposite the car is trying it's best to go in a straight line.

This is possibly just my novice ' 2 wheel steering ' experience , my experience of a FWD Python is all I have in the memory banks to call on never owned or driven far a tadpole trike.

Paul

 

[undertoad]

The opposite the car is trying it's best to go in a straight line.

Thank you - I was worried, if it was the other way.
Now, all you need to do is bulk up your biceps

 

[DannyC]

Looks great, I am sure you will get used to it (or fix any issues) in no time flat.

 

[stormbird]

Looks great, I am sure you will get used to it (or fix any issues) in no time flat.

Fixing as we speak road tyres and inner tubes on order and this posted on the BHPC forum where there are a few aerodynamics experts [ non of whom have commented ]

Anyone have thoughts on a Kammback for a pedal car ? I have bought this and really need to shorten it ? I want to chop off the overhang behind the rear axle to be about where the disk rotor ends. I think Miles Quattro has a Kammback ? This is slab sided so I know not an ideal shape however I want to use it as it is for the time being without making it's aero performance any worse.

Paul

 

[undertoad]

I want to chop off the overhang

Can you make it so it's still rounded off, rather than just a squared off cut?

 

[stormbird]

Can you make it so it's still rounded off, rather than just a squared off cut?

Unsure I need to find out where all the stuff is it hides ?

I can't assess what needs doing till I have driven it and I am still awaiting inner tubes and tyres for that.

It is possible the BB to seat distance is to big for my leg length and as both are nonadjustable surgery may be required.

regards Paul

 

[stormbird]

Hi all

Can I just point when the car was offered for sale the advert said it had one problem , it could shed it's chain under certain conditions.
It was also apparent from the pictures it had developed some rust since it was built.

The builder a solo novice driver battled to 12th in his and the cars first race [ as far as I can discover ] that is a tremendous achievement , that race was 6 hours long !!!

So when you see me hacking it about moving stuff around etc etc it is NOT because the car was poorly designed or built it is because either it is not comfortable for me or I need it to be more than a race car. I need to be able to drive it locally , carry some stuff , tow a trailer etc etc

I am sure if the original builder had chosen to enter more races it would have undergone changes , we [ think ] we can always improve the bred

Let the fun begin Paul

 

[undertoad]

it had one problem , it could shed it's chain under certain conditions.

That one-sided strut, holding the center chain idler, is the problem, I betcha'.
I can imagine the frame twisting, and that puppy getting out of line = Thrown chain
BUT, as is often the case, I've likely missed something ........

 

[Popshot]

I'm wondering why it runs a jackshaft. I can't see any reason for it to do so. It just adds weight and complexity, plus as said, the sigle side mounting of those parts is flex prone. Is it 1 wheel drive or a solid rear axle?

 

[stormbird]

undertoad/popshot

it has changed from that picture there is no jack shaft per-say just a forward pair of sprockets and a rearward pair to route the chain under the seat.
both rear wheels are driven by an expensive and now unobtainiam 2 x freewheel drive unit best part of £400 when you could get them.

I may have discovered a big part of the problem , just need to run a picture past a couple of people before I commit it to here ?

Paul

 

[undertoad]

Still, only mounted one side.
And it looks like it's now part of the seat frame?
I don't know if that would make it better, or worse.

 

[Popshot]

There's no retainer bar on those guide pulleys. A simple bit of round bar across the back of the chain where it meshes with the pulleys would prevent the chain coming off.