The Shopper came home yesterday. With the Deek 50cc engine of its co-collection vehicle soaking in Plus Gas having nipped up, I turned my attention to it, instead.
A check of the wiring shows evidence of Mr Bodge, but sense could be made. Ideally several bits of wiring need replacement, preferably in the correct colours. After finding my jump leads had failed again, cheap crap, it was a quick botch of my own to get on. The headlight worked after a fashion. Once a new flasher unit was found, the indicators showed signs of life. Needs each unit cleaned up. The rear ones are not mounted correctly, so I might be able to resolve that. The front units need servicing as they have been fitted incorrectly. The headlight has the bulb handily painted in over-spray. Fortunately the headlight itself is clean and in reasonable condition. The rear light needs a full service. The horn remains determinedly silent.
Checking the engine it was found to have sparks fitted in the right place on the Sachs twist and go 50cc Saxonette Auto. Yep, another one. Fuel was persuaded to flow, to the extent it now flows a bit to much! Another task, if the tap has not sealed itself overnight, since the system was dry. Likewise the engine turned over freely but was dry. Only flooding and drying out again seemed to clear the decks for action. The unit coughed and burst happily into life, settling pretty quickly into a good tick-over. As with others of this breed you cannot rev the engine much without it attempting to go into drive. Unless you pop the back wheel in the air, to spin aimlessly. A task for today, with some two stroke obtained, as only a dribble was left yesterday. If that is successful then its off round the Lanes for a test drive.
This test drive will find any faults with the three disc brakes and bowden cable steering. Should things proceed well enough it will be off to do its first show on Saturday with Andrew Rainbow-Ockwell, who has been helping me by doing all the bendy/crawly bits I can not/must not do with a healing leg. Andrew being a Longcot discovery via dint of my having a garden full of dead IC in the spring. He is still at school but already proficient with a tool box and a great asset to have around. His father is deeply involved with Ffienes, the Rolls Royce, and other up market cars, restorer. In a small world a bud rents their old factory unit at the Mill, while they have moved operations to Filkins, in spitting distance of the old Burford Rally venue. Andrew has already rebuilt a Norman Nippy this year. It would be nice if he got into microcars, but as ever the entry price is a barrier.
Once the Shopper has been spruced up it can be pictured as it is, with two week old scab metallic red paintwork, instead of its original, and much more acceptable, yellow. It is British registered to the correct year and all points to a researched and knowable history. This includes an IC version and the commercial Forshaga Paki - probably not destined for a huge market in a more racially enlightened Britain of the time! It is delightfully bonkers, making a Peel look positively normal. Having got it going it might just be that if a car gets filled with idiots we might get it to Weatherby on a trailer. I also wonder if it might not attempt the 40th Burford Rally run from Nether Westcote to the Cotswold Wildlife Park. A true test, and a celebration of getting silly little cars to work, which was what Burford was partly all about. It does seem as if a group is to gravitate over there to mark the passing of time.