Reverse Trikes

[archovist]

Hi,

Thinking about building a reverse trike with my son when he gets into high school in a few years - engine in front, single drive wheel in back. I really liked the VW GX3 concept that came out in 2006 but was shelved for legal (and other reasons). In thinking about it, it seems like it would be pretty easy to use the front end suspension, engine, and tranny out of a post-1968 classic beetle, and perhaps some other things as well if they are in decent condition (steering, gagues, lights, etc). Not looking to build a racer, just something low to the ground that's fun at road speeds. Anybody on here have / seen anything like this that could give me some advice / pointers? I'm strictly in the planning / "R&D" stage.

Thanks

[Letterman7]

http://www.rqriley.com/tri-mag.html
http://www.rqriley.com/doran.html
http://www.rqriley.com/xr3.htm
http://reversetrike.com/home.html

[didget69]

...start off by looking into South Carolina's requirements for homebuilt vehicles in your R&D phase.

It's best to know their requirements first -
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door.

[archovist]

Thanks, I've seen the rgriley stuff, and it's not quite what I'm looking for. I'm not used to working with foam / fiberglass, and am planning on welding a tubular steel frame, and probably covering with aluminum skin.

I've already thought of the SC requirements - there's a fellow on here who has posted about it before, and it sounds like the usual rigamarole. Also, it appears that a regular driver's license will be sufficient.

What I'm really wondering about engine placement / weight distribution. The Blackjack Zero (http://www.blackjackzero.com/mainindex.htm) sticks an aircooled vw bug engine out the front and is fwd, which to me seems like if you're involved in even the merest of accidents is going to damage the big money part! My idea is to place it on or right behind the front suspension, thereby giving it a little more protection (I'd also include a bit of a steel frame around it for this purpose). Do you think that I'd need it as far back as possible to keep maximum weight on the rear tire, or do you suppose that the rest of the chassis / etc would be enough to get a good grip?

Also, I was wondering if there was a sort of "ultimate guide" to working on classic bugs? This would give me lots of info on deconstructing / reconstructing. Thanks!

[BL3Manx]

Probably over 90% of the cars on the road have the engine in front. If you are concerned about engine damage in a low speed collision, put a bumper in front. In a high speed collision the only concern is that the occupants are uninjured and putting the engine out there to take some of the damage is better than having the damage occur in the cockpit.

I can see a VW engine in front with a VW transaxle and the ring gear flipped, but it would be front wheel drive(which would actually be better than rear wheel drive for stability).

If you want a VW engine in front and rear wheel drive, you'd need to use some other transmission. There are the Honda Gold Wing or BMW shaft drive systems which conceivably you could extend the drive shaft but it would make more sense to use them with the Honda or BMW engines. The Morgan used a drive shaft to the rear transmission then a 90 degree angle drive to a sprocket and a chain to the rear wheel. That is more complex and more subject to wear/maintenance/failure really has no performance advantage over front wheel drive. The VW engine would work best with a VW trans in a front wheel drive configuration.

If you had your heart set on rear wheel drive for some reason, instead of a gear type transmission you could also use a hydrostatic transmission which would carry the motive force from the engine to the rear wheel through hydraulic pressure. Its a fairly complex and challenging system and there aren't any "kits", but its very efficient. The down side is, hydrostatic pumps only turn 3600 RPM max, so diesel engine power bands are more suitable than VW.

http://www.reversetrike.com/hydrostatic.html

http://www.hydraulicinnovations.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452

There are a couple books on building VW based cars, Baja Bugs and Buggies and How to Build a Dune Buggy. However you need a maintenance manual to actually work on the engine, transmission, etc.

[brokenarrow]

The front end of this machine is a VW. I don't know what year. It's one of my Dad's latest creations. Perhaps you can get some ideas from these pictures. Good Luck!

Reverse...

[Mal evolent]

Morgans look right. everything else is an abomination. This is an imitation

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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[BL3Manx]

If by abomination you mean a good thing

[didget69]