RUMCars Forum
General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Bob Purton on January 31, 2015, 12:12:41 PM
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Just been looking at Donald La Bian's restoration blog again. For anyone not aware of this, its well worth a look. French microcars from the golden age, not fridges! Some very exotic. Is the Avolette not one of the most wonderful looking microcars ever?
http://donald.over-blog.com/
Can I recommend page 26 for rare shots of the scanty Avolette frame with body off.
VIEW THE BLOG AT YOUR OWN RISK. One member reported pop up problems.
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Good site, cheers Bob.
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I tried to watch this blog but unfortunately the following message came up on my screen
Access to the web page was blocked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. The web page is on the list of websites with potentially dangerous content.
Has any one else experienced this problem? Jean
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thanks Bob lovely images , agree about the Bruetsch Avolette :) seen before i know but these two share just that bit of " je ne sais quoi " ? but the Avolette wins I think ;)
as regards Jean , no I am not aware of this problem but my French is very poor :-[
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I had no trouble and no message.
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I tried but cannot reproduce any of the pictures here but that is the oddest steering arrangement . Cable I presume ?
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Yes, I cant figure that steering out either. A curved steering column so it must have a flexible inner core that perhaps has a worm on the end ? Does anyone know?
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here is a picture of the frame, A reasonable view of the steering too if you can enlarge it a little.
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Jean: the message probably came from the anti-virus software that you are using.
I noticed that, while the blog contents were themselves interesting, there were also various "adverts" on the page which would not be what they claimed to be. (One, I recall, talked about software now being ready, and gave a button to "restart your PC" - hardly what would come up on a webpage itself.)
Though I don't think I clicked anywhere on the blog, apart from to scroll the page, it was only a few minutes after viewing the blog that I received a notification saying "You have received a f**k request, at distance 2.5 miles" - plus a link I could click to get an app which, I suppose, would further that pursuit.
I suggest the link be removed.
[Full word changed to use asterisks, to protect the sensitive]
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No problems here, but I have a Mac and they are less prone to viruses.
As the column is curved in all axes I can only assume it has a flexible drive inside. You can get these for drills and other power tools. They tend to be made of one (small drives) or two layers of coiled square section steel with the core wound clockwise and the outer wound ant-clockwise (or vice-versa). The windings look a bit like the outer windings of a Bowden cable, but instead of one or two steel strips at a shallow angle along the length, the multiple strips give a much higher "thread" angel.
It would work for but would not be cheap and probably less good than having mechanical linkages or gears. The curves are relatively large so the friction build up will not be too bad, and on such a light vehicle, backlash /flex in the flexible drive shaft would probably not be too bad bad I would imagine a certain amount of "wander" anyway!
Either they had a good supplier of flexi drives, or (most likely) space and ergonomics ruled out mechanical or geared steering.
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In the light of Dave's post maybe I should add, view Donalds blog at your own risk.
Yes, it is a very weird steering set up but as they say, the French dont do things quite the same way as anyone else.
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i think this must have the French answer to Egon Bruetsch's steering column here seen in his Zwerg ( Dwarf ) that later became the Avolette
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and this was the set up on my Bruetsch Pfeil ( Dart/Arrow) though not sure if original
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I just cannot see how they could have got Universal joints into the avolette's slender curved column.
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I don't suggest that for a minute , surely it was changed as you described
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Thanks for that Richard. One would think that a bracket and a universal joint would be much cheaper than a custom bent tube with a teleflex style cable snuggly fitted inside wouldnt you.
Here is the Tourette steering, it has a Standard 10 steering box with some ungainly linkages. I had a chance to play around with both Jeans car and Wayne Lee's and although the set up looks a mess delivers fairly slop free movement.
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How strange, adverts coming up on someones blog. I had a look, even translated it into English via my computer, no adverts, no smut, just a straight forward interesting blog.
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Funny the only thing I found sexy was the steering column and wheel - tres chic ;) by the way Bob how did you download those pics I couldn't - I would like the 3 Avolettes as wallpaper for a bit
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I just dared myself to visit the blog again. Just five silly "trapverts" this time, all saying 'You have one message".
On my previous visit, the blog itself occupied maybe 40% of the space, the other stuff 60%.
I was careful not to click ANYTHING ... and will see what now happens ???
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Funny the only thing I found sexy was the steering column and wheel - tres chic ;) by the way Bob how did you download those pics I couldn't - I would like the 3 Avolettes as wallpaper for a bit
What you mean this one?
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Thanks for that Richard. One would think that a bracket and a universal joint would be much cheaper than a custom bent tube with a teleflex style cable snuggly fitted inside wouldnt you.
Here is the Tourette steering, it has a Standard 10 steering box with some ungainly linkages. I had a chance to play around with both Jeans car and Wayne Lee's and although the set up looks a mess delivers fairly slop free movement.
arn't you the lucky one - a Standard 10 steering box rocking - like rocking horse poo , not like the Bond 875 with a Standard 8 box - a left hand drive one !!! now they are like steam of rocking horse poo :D
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thanks for the help Bob , unfortunately by the time the picture reaches my background it is pretty badly out of focus . I shall still use it for a while :)
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October 1955 Paris Show - Egon Bruetsch's Zwerg
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thanks for the help Bob , unfortunately by the time the picture reaches my background it is pretty badly out of focus .
Try here (not brill, but a bit better):
http://a136.idata.over-blog.com/500x280/0/15/83/56/avolette/Avolette.jpg
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afraid not , I am beyond help :) if I use that Dave I get a clearer pic yes but its a small square not the full screen :'( no probs
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Try this one Richard
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Try this one Richard
Wow. Our resident info-sleuth strikes again! :)
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Oooo yes, I'm going to do some wallpapering as well!
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http://pixgood.com/1960s-wallpaper.html
On Trend?
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On I phone it looks great Malcolm thanks so much ! Will get the table and paste out later . Next job for you will be to take any picture of a Gordon and make that look great ;D thanks again it's my new desktop and I also cropped the odd Frenchman off - sorry Monsieur ;)
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Hello Everybody,
And thanks for your comments on my blog. And thanks to Bob Purton for mentionning my work on the blog.
For some month i couldn't write articles because i had less time to spend in the workshop and more in the nursery.....as i am a father now ! That explains why there was a lot of advertisement on the blog : with no activity during 45 days, overblog put more and more advertisement. But now, things are "better" : i can sleep during nights and the little girl is more independant.....So, i am back in the workshop and i have new things to tell !
Over blog has a new interface, and i made all necessary to discard advertisement. I think everything is ok now, and i am sorry if people had trouble on my blog with their computer.
I still come to see what is happening on this forum, which i really like to read. Thanks to all the rumcars members to share their microcars enthusiasm here.
Donald
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Thanks for providing us with an opportunity to see so much interesting material.
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Hay Donald. Good to hear from you and congratulations on becoming a father!
I look forward to reading more interesting stuff on your blog. As you know, yours and my taste in microcars is the same!
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I too love the Avolette and the blog - what I don't like is the bald tyres on your red Avolette - is that high tyre pressure that has done that ? You see I do pay attention as this picture is my background on the laptop :)
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He He the....The red avolette doesn't belong to me, i find it's bad too Richard ! The friend who owns it really drive a lot with it :-)
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But that lovely car and no tread at all left in the centre of the front tyres wow . Perhaps if he now reduces the air pressure a lot he will only be driving on the edge of the tyres ;D
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Good to hear its driven a lot though.
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I posted a recent photograph of the Bruetsch Zwerg , I had always thought it had an odd incorrect headlamp - very un-Bruetsch but in fact it seems correct and original (bottom right)