Microcar MOT experiences

[marcus]

Steed drove a Bentley, Mrs Peel drove a 'schmitt briefly, then a Lotus Elan. Emma Peel = M appeal = Man Appeal, that's what she had, and that's why she got the name.

Great ride. I wonder if the registration number is visible in the original program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHwHvkOYl2M

Cheers for the link, nice to see that clip again. There you are Nick, conclusive proof that a KR is faster than a Bentley!

[Big Al]

No and no. The numberplate at the bike has to be a bike sized one. Cars have plates either end.

Well mine had an amber brake light, a car sized rear plate and motorcycle front one . Passed every time.

Well MOT man knows a~~~s all about ... Oh that's where we came in.

[Bob Purton]

Can I suggest you tell that to your examiner just as he starts testing your microcar.  A little flattery is bound to work!   

[Big Al]

Emma Peel makes them doesn't she?

Hmm, naughty MOT stories. Not sure I can reveal to many of those as you do not know who is reading.

In the passed I have had MOT tests that were putting a Schmitt on the ramp with the special tool required and a then being given a mug of tea while I helped MOT two other cars before removing the Schmitt from the bay and continuing to help till my ticket was prepared. The Computer system finished that, which I rather enjoyed. Now MOTs are timed and not allowed to be doubled up. We have developed a method to speed things up if you are a regular and limited help is OK, like doing light switches for the tester.  

The big advantage with a regular good MOT station is what can be made an advisable item. It saves a return trip but honour obliges that you make reasonably rapid repair/replacement of the items listed. Saves a lot of messing about. Likewise technical infringements of debate can be passed over, like lighting issues. Not many Microcars get heavy use or go out in bad weather or the night now.

On bigger cars I have rarely had a technical problem but that does not mean it cannot happen. The Borgward rear lights were a problem, as were Goggo saloon brake lights, being orange. I got round this as I have a set of very rare red rear lights. The obvious dodge is to get an additional bulb in and turn the orange part into an indicator and have a brake light in the red segment. There is not a huge amount of room though. Maurice was doing this with his Goggo. This not only side steps an MOT man but it is a safer lighting option as Goggos are not really best served by the single indicator amidships. Back to Schmitts and I have seen about every way to wire the rear lights from original. Many go straight through the MOT non the less.

[Big Al]

Can I suggest you tell that to your examiner just as he starts testing your microcar.  A little flattery is bound to work!   

I tried flattery on my new battery. I had to return it to the supplier for another as it refused to work afterwards. Shouting at them is far more use!

[Big Al]

We used the car for several years then I bought out my brother's share and part-exchanged it for a Trojan needing complete restoration

I remember that Velorex. Many an interesting modification. Went well enough. I think it ended up with Gerry Starling. Some of the mods were definitely improvements over original. The angle grinder based reverse needed a little more development though! DUF got done as well. A good result all round.

[Bob Purton]

Angle grinder based reverse? That sounds priceless!!  Dewalt or Maketa?

I know some of the JZR pilots used a starter motor on a lever making contact with the rear tyre, I guess thats where the angle grinder came in? If its not adjusted correctly does it cut the chassis in half?

[marcus]

Because I could repair or replace the dynastart I had no reverse, and in London that really is not good! Bro and I rigged up a starter motor on a pivoting frame with a cable to pull to swing it to the rear tyre and click the on switch. The motor's shaft was fed through an old Bosch Angle grinder's mitre gear box and thence to a roller which was covered with heavy radiator hose to turn the rear wheel. It did work on level or shallow gradients, but the rubber only lasted for a few uses, but was fairly easy to replace. Off road we manoeuvered by pushing to and fro to keep the reverser available for when it was needed on the road.

Of much better use was the starter motor already described, because hand-cranking a Velorex is not easy, and made worse by the fact that the carb was VERY fussy about tickling and mix adjustments. These need to be done from beside the car while someone else turns the motor over. When driving solo starting, and particularly re-starting after use was a nightmare. The Jawa engine needed exactly the right amount of tickling with the carb button, and the line between too little and too much was effectively impossible to judge. Once flooded it was a 40 minute job to air it all out and get it running again, not fun on Parliament Square!

Even with an electric starter motor now fitting it was still almost impossible to drive solo. I rigged up an old bicycle cable leading to the mix/choke control, and another leading to a lever attached to the tubular frame. Pulling the cable pulled the lever down onto the tickler knob. The technique was to set the choke, then get the engine spinning, then tickle away. Tickling while spinning was the key, and from then on starting and re-starting were totally reliable. Admittedly it all looked more primitive than anything of Heath Robinson's, but who gives a damn how it looks when it means that your car can be used at will!

[Bob Purton]

It sounds like there was something fundamentaly wrong there Marcus. Had the motor been rebuilt in recent years? Did you ever try a different carb?

[marcus]

We re-built the motor and cleaned out the carb. Getting advice, information, spares/replacements was not quick, cheap or easy! Once started the engine ran very well, even if most of the petrol's energy was converted into noise, heat and smoke like other old 2 stroke motors! It was just cold starting was impossible and hot starting was even worse! Once I had the carb controllers useable from the driver's seat it started and ran perfectly without any problems for the 3-4 years before I p-exed it with DUF from Sir Alan.
It was great fun, but I really fancied an H-T for the extra  for people and/or goods (including timpani and drum kits!) interior space, weather protection, Club + advice and spares, proper reverse, hydraulic brakes, enclosed chain drive, far better turning circle, 4 stroke engine.

Also, a Heinkel-Trojan engine is so much quieter than a Jawa lump, believe it or not!

[mharrell]

...and thence to a roller which was covered with heavy radiator hose to turn the rear wheel. It did work on level or shallow gradients, but the rubber only lasted for a few uses....

Ah, there's your problem.  Use a grindstone instead of a roller covered in radiator hose.  From experience I recommend something along these lines:

[marcus]

Yup, that would have been better, but I always pushed the car when it was convenient, and saved the rubber for when I had to get out of the way quickly. With with a bit of foresight (like before parking facing the wrong way on a hill) it never let me down.

[Big Al]

Yup, that would have been better, but I always pushed the car when it was convenient, and saved the rubber for when I had to get out of the way quickly. With with a bit of foresight (like before parking facing the wrong way on a hill) it never let me down.

Use of that suggested option would mean you were a 'Grindstone Cowboy'. We know a song about that!

[marcus]

Yup, that would have been better, but I always pushed the car when it was convenient, and saved the rubber for when I had to get out of the way quickly. With with a bit of foresight (like before parking facing the wrong way on a hill) it never let me down.

Use of that suggested option would mean you were a 'Grindstone Cowboy'. We know a song about that!

Good one!