Pushiepirate

Brief clip of her rolling under pedal power.

After a long stint, over a year, of not being motivated she is back, went for red oxide primer, may get a top coat may get a patina look, will leave her as is for now and see what grows on me? Decided the tray was too high so chopped the top rung off also lowered the door to the same height, end result much lower look. Have plans for some form of cover for the tray and cockpit area, more soon….. Hopefully?…………

Changed the look of my bike again, she's changed more than the weather.

This is a cool a mini V8 with a blower!

Added a carrier made up from a push bike carrier and an old army bag.

Bit more progress, made up some panels for the front and a rear end tray made fairly light to so not so much usable, more for looks, paint next. Ploddin along with this build, replaced the ply side panels for the body with coroplast plastic sheets, easy to work with and more importantly light weight. Suicide doors of course.

1vaknd that's what I was after, need to move where the tie rod connects outside the line of where the wheel pivots, great diagram, thanks for your help.

Bit more done, apart from tuning the drive train added a few more bits top get the Volksrod look happening. Lowered the bonnet, the head lights that turn with the front wheels, wheel covers with VW hub caps. Added a smaller nerf bar and used the same fold down windscreens from the buggy, see above. Finally would be most grateful for some assistance from those with a little steering geometry knowledge? I am trying to get Akermann’s sorted with the steering, as in getting the inside wheel to turn a tighter circle than the outside wheel at full lock. Have mountied the outer tie rod in a few positions and can’t for the life of me get this sorted, see below where the outer tie rod is mounted, thank you.

Have a daughter who's talented, she did a nice pic of my bike.

After a couple of big sessions we have a drive train and it works! As I have stated have been concerned about the weight with the buggy body. Story within itself scored a bonnet locally in great condition, so now we have a Volksrod! Also had concerns about the gearing and brakes, no worries with the gearing plenty low enough to get going and cruise, if anything will probably have to gear her up a couple of cogs. Brakes are better than expected as well, all four rear wheels have brakes which helps, operated from a lever mounted outside the seats, emergency braking Fred Flinstone style! Plan to run her without the front bar maybe rig up a small nurf bar, pretty happy with where she’s at, looks like a Volksrod?!

Whooohooo we have some progress, control as in steering in, also revisited the front end. Was going to have a rigid front end but thought what the heck, had the bits so went with suspension, see how she goes, if work out couple of bolts and she goes back to a solid set up! So you can steer her how about propulsion, mocked up the pedal position, the way things are looking they will sit lower. As I said up the top want to keep the VW theme rolling, so first VW bit a Ratty 60’s steering wheel. I live very isolated so you often fix and build things with what you have. Also as with most things I’m on a budget so best thing about this build so far what I’ve spent. Only items I’ve laid out cash on, some welding rods, the tyres, some spring washers and the steering wheel, all the rest scrounged from local tip, gotta be happy with that!

To fairing or not to fairing that is my question? Boss lady not so keen, I'm a bit undecided, what do you think?

Been a Veedub fan since my teens, collection stuff that lived in a box for ages, found a bird cage stand and re purposed it as a shrine to the VW. Couple of semi rare items, the red 50/50s one year only Australia and Italy, also some Snowflakes up the top. VW lounge light, used a big valve for the stand, actually casts a VW emblem on the roof above.

So after a couple of big days finally got the rear end sorted, originally had the drive wheels out beyond the body. Revised this they now sit nicely in the space where the VW engine would have sat. So in a sense have the motor where it should be! Next sort out the chain drive, plan is to have two idlers up to the pedals. The outer wheels take some of the load, hoping most of the weight comes onto the middle drive wheels, all four have suspension, outers leaf springs, inners coils. Scored the outers off a children’s pram, the inners off an old school suspension mountain bike. After the drive system is sorted front end and steering, long way to go but getting there! Any tips criticism gratefully accepted.................?

I remember seeing that, about an insect they thought was extinct, the Phasmid, believed to have been around since the dinosaurs!

Two thirds of the way across the Tasman on the way to Oz, Lord Howe Island.

The thing flew through rego inspection, been enjoying blatting around on the beast, fitted pillion pegs and a seat from a MadAss wreck I have, surprising how much stuff I have used off her on the Suzuki! Few arty pic's from this arvo.

Been a VW fan for yonks, had both a 1960 and 64 Split window Kombies a 64 Beetle and a 74 ex Australian Army 9 seater Kombi, wish I'd kept one of those Kombies! Time has flown, ten years ago nearly I saved this old J & S buggy from the clutches of a brutish Banyan tree that was going to gobble up the old thing. The pan was gone to rust heaven, managed to save a few parts from the motor, what’s left of front end and transaxle are still at the whims of nature in the bush. As found….. As she sat under a tarp for nearly ten years…….. Been thinking and talking about doing this for an age, finally got the time, no work, so getting into it, she is going to be a worm burner, down with the snakes, as in low! Will be two person pedal powered with a central VW steering wheel so both occupants can share the driving. Will have brakes but only on the rear wheels of which there will be four, two driving, two coasting. Been hoarding (collecting) bits for her for a while, some old school head lights found in a junk shop, front bar scored at the local dump. Made up the windscreen from an old windy frame, can fold down safari style. Probably obvious, she's a bit heavy so have made her so the buggy body can come off and she can go as just the frame. Really want to keep the VW flavour, steering wheel, badges, chasing up some ratty hub caps, more on this later…..

We are talking a few years back now but my guess/take on it is the market went more towards drones and things that are easier to fly. Warbirds aren't for beginners as they tend to fly faster and therefore land faster! In saying this these little guys are so light so if you crash they can be more survivable than their bigger brothers. They (Eflite) also introduced AS3X which for want of a better description is a sort of electronic gyro, which means they fly bigger than they are and can handle wind a bit better. Sort of a pity they are gone really as the things are amazing, I have flown RC for around twenty years now, I would never have believed when I started flying you could buy a 40cm span warbird with full house (aileron, elevator and rudder) controls for $150.00, the things even have an electronic gyro! They occasionally show up on evil bay more often than not more than they were brand new!

Sadly no video, internet not so crash hot as I live isolated, more on the Planecrazy RC plane story here on Wings over New Zealand Aviation Forum, link below. https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/25619/rc-repainted-micro-planes

Sadly folks I will be the bearer of bad tidings as the ultra micro 1 cell world have all been discontinued even the 2 cell jobs are pretty much gone, for a while there they released one every 6 or so months, lucky I was a bit of a hoarder. Now I wouldn't say these little jobs are for everyone, they are very small 40 to 50cm and they are light so windy conditions are a no no. Here's a few from my fleet, the multi wingers, Waco, Fokker DR1 and Avro Cadet, the first two are re-paints the Cadet is converted from a Stearman. Where the Cadet came from. Gotta love the Spitfire, Mk IX painted as an airworthy one in NZ, the Mk VIII as one that flies in Oz, long nose FW 190. Here's the Spit with her lid off pre paint job. Mustangs, well two at least the Yak 3 modelled on one that flies in NZ and the Fiat G59 are converted from Mustangs. The camo P51 painted up as a RAAF machine the red and white one up the back a famous Reno Racer "Strega" she has a kick up the bum as I converted her to 2 cell. Where the Yak came from. And here's the Reano Racer with the 2 cell set up shoe horned into her! Multi engine jobs. Bit on the multi soon............

Been a RC plane nutter for a few years, found this plastic case and convert it to a box to transport my 1 cell (3.7volt) RC warbirds, protected and lightweight. Another of my obsessions, Veedubs, found a way to display my mainly tail light but also other Veedub stuff. Have plans to get some LEDs and light it up. Speacking of lights, the boss lady even approved of this one, let this in the house, well out on the veranda at least! Used a big valve as the base, the middle tail light from a 1961 model Beetle, rare 50/50 only one year in Australia and Italy.

Just checked out this whole thread, pretty similar to my GZ250 just in a different direction, like that colour choice I was thinking of going green on mine as well.

Suzi 250 project ready for rego inspection, fitted some lower bars which I'm thinking about flipping and going lower. The new muffler was a little noisy so added a baffle and some steel wool to shut her up a little. Second hand fenders and paint, exhaust wrap, new seat some electrical tinkering, oil, filters and new plug, she's a goer!

Scored this modded GZ 250 cheap, not running, clutch cable broken, no rear lights and no fenders. Not a fan of the purple or those bars. Have a bit of a parts stash from wrecked bikes and I'm on a budget, want to carry a pillion so two seater, fenders I plan to use. Where I'm at now, got her running but rough, replaced the rusted out muffler and ordered a carbie kit.