My First Microcar Build

[steven mandell]

Turning the wheel on my Nobel reveals that it is at least likely that your outside wheel's attachment to the chassis will be rising when cornering.  That is a good thing. 
Which way is your wheel cambering, in or out at the top?
Must be some trade off here or this type of suspension would have achieved a greater following by now.

[Bob Purton]

Well I don't claim to be any kind of expert on steering geometry either and when these things have been discussed on this forum before, the tech stuff has gone right over my head!
The way I understand it is that the kingpin angle changes the camber for cornering but what I don't much like about swing arms is the actual track measurement changes as the car goes over the bumps. That cant be good can it? Still with the Nobel this is probably the least of my worries when there is a wheel bolted on either end of a single leaf spring!

[Big Al]

Trident shell would make a funky small hovercraft. It might getaway with out a lift unit with all the hot air talked, but in reality it would probably need a lifter/driver. Perfect for the rally field, puddlejumping and a trip round the bay. Indeed more useful than a wheeled one I suspect. With buoyancy it would be a single Fishermans skiff.

I like the notion of Ollivanders Nottingham branch offering domes that are selected to suit the driver in the same way Wizards get their wands. I wonder if there is one with attached thought bubbles.

[steven mandell]

And I thought that Al would chime in to set us all straight about the ideal suspension and steering geometries, and how to best go about attaining them with a non parallel, unequall length double wishbones with anti dive and anti squat effects, and proper Akerman angles.
I hope this doesn't mean that I have to read another book.

[Grommet]

Al

I was looking at my ZB Magnettes just the other day and wondering which varitone combination would suit the Peel best  I do also have a hovercraft engine.. perhaps I can give it a go!

Grommet

[Big Al]

Mmm ZB's. Jelly moulded joy jalopies.

[steven mandell]

 Oh Dear, he has gone figurative again, just when I was hoping for a treatise.

[Grommet]

Hi

Ive just obtained my VIN plate for my trident replica. Here is a pic of it against the tool box moulding which shows the gel coat colour Im using..

Grommet

[Michael]

Where does that tool box department sit?

[Grommet]

Behind the seat..

See file attached

Grommet

[Jean]

I am surprised to see a replica Peel being allowed to display a vin plate showing it to be made by Peel Engineering, Isle of Man.
Surely this cannot be true?  Jean
 

[Grommet]

Jean

An interesting thought..and one that could apply to any replica or even to a reconstructed vehicle.

The plate has a different character ‘T’ as a prefix for the VIN number .. this is etched into the metal so tamper proof. (original cars used D, E etc) and  it will be recorded as a replica in the Peel register.  I hope that will give you some comfort.

I personally don’t see any difference with this to for example fitting a replica Trident badge on the bonnet and a Peel Engineering badge on the dash or indeed showing ‘Peel Trident‘ on number plates fitted to the vehicle all of which I’ve seen on replicas.

The registration document will not record the car as manufactured by Peel but the marque of the donor vehicle which in my case is a Truimph.

Grommet

[Big Al]

I like the suspension idea and its in good microcar tradition too. Both my cars, Inter and Isetta use a similar system where just the hub moves, no swing arms which change the camber constantly.

So you are thinking that no camber change is better than too much, or wrong direction of camber change?
Wouldn't it be best to engineer in the correct direction and amount of camber change for better cornering?

I suppose the reason that I had only noticed this type of suspension on single front wheel cars is due to their being no good way to effect proper camber alteration with this configuration.   Although I do notice that if one cheats by leaning into corners on my single front wheel Arola, it does feel less likely to tip over.  Very important on this car, as I can generate a rocking couple by placing the tip of my index finger at the top of its tall body work, straight above the rear axle.  After about a half a dozen finger tip pushes, in synch with the resonant frequency of the springs- I can actually get a rear wheel to hop off the ground.

Check out the much maligned Bond 875 front assembly. If only that came with Citroen 'look round the corner' headlights!

[Big Al]

Oh Dear, he has gone figurative again, just when I was hoping for a treatise.

I am no authority on handling. A vexed and complicated subject. Suffice it to say that I understand the principle issues, but I get very confused with the names of differing layours and such. Basically the faster you want to go, the more important the handling, though it seems counter-productive to not provide a good basic design from the off.
That said much is in the set up and method of driving. Hence you have Michael Mallock taking a Historic Clubmans formula car along to Historic Formula 3 and blowing off a field of far more complex designs.

[Big Al]

I am surprised to see a replica Peel being allowed to display a vin plate showing it to be made by Peel Engineering, Isle of Man.
Surely this cannot be true?  Jean

I think that the Isle of Man itself might be faked by now. An island in the midst of the Trent, probably. Either that or its tied up with Piel Island and its votive king. This place got in early in the fake business with Lambert Simnel. Funnily enough that all rather went nasty on the banks of the said Trent, near Newark.