A two-stroke home-brewed cycle-car

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Details have reached us from Fenn-Wiggan of his very intriguing special, which is of especial interest now that really small-engined cars have come into their own. The chassis consists of twelve cross-members of 6″ x ¾” ash, bolted with 6½” x ¼” bolts to side members composed of 7′ x 5″ x ¼” lengths of ash. These side members were cut from a 14′ length of ash in the hall of the constructor’s house, because it was otherwise impossible to convey the raw materials to the spare bedroom in which assembly took place! The front axle assembly embodies an Austin Seven axle cut in half and twin cantilever transverse springs on each side. M.G. steering was adapted to this layout. The engine is a 596 c.c. two-stroke, two cylinder Scott, which weighs only 50 lbs. complete with magneto. This is mounted on 3″ x 3″ angle iron bearers bolted to the ash “floor,” the magneto being remounted on a steel platform half on the engine and half on the frame. The honeycomb of an Austin Seven radiator is the cooling element, and a water pump from a Talbot looks after circulation, the pump living opposite the magneto, driven by a slotted stirrup rivetted to the magneto sprocket. The gearbox is from a 500 c.c. A.J.S. motorcycle and the clutch has special inserts to cope with greater loading. Drive is by chains to a solid rear axle machined from a Morgan prop. shaft, carrying large flanges at each end to accommodate Riley wheels, and with another flange 12″ from the near side to take a brake drum and the final drive sprocket. A single Austin seat was bolted on and the steering wheel had to be detachable to enable the driver to get into the snug cockpit, a neat racing body being fitted. On completion, the car was with considerable difficulty got out of the bedroom on to the stairs, lifted over the banisters and so into the hall and off to the cricket field for test. After a conflagration a rear fuel tank and pressure feed were installed. A stronger clutch spring and more inserts were found necessary, and a stronger magneto drive was fitted. Eventually the little car ran quite well, lapping the field at 40 m.p.h.

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