Slow progress but progress (DIY two seater tadpole trike, 9hp Honda diesel)

[aerohead]

She looks like an oil derrick,which when complete,will strike oil in the sky:and 'flow' with every mile you drive.
I.G.Farben branded their synthetic gasoline 'LEUNA'.
I think we could brand our synthetic, atmospheric gasoline/Diesel,'LOONY'.
Only a lunatic could think of creating fuel out of thin air.But I think you're about there.

[freebeard]

I'm curious about the windshield. Is that the finish material or a template? How do you plan to affix it? Will that method allow you to cover the four lower openings (for portholes and headlight covers) with a single piece?

[Seatofpants]

Wow! That is looking great! Betcha can't wait to try it out. Looks a lot better than mine. Mines no good now.

[freebeard]

Remind us. Here or in the bubbletop thread.

[Seatofpants]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Remind us. Here or in the bubbletop thread.

Sorry for the confusion. Both. The cut windshield is for my trike project. OM's trike and windshield trump mine. Its good to see how well his is coming along.

[user removed]

The windshield is lexan, the finished product, not a compound curve. I might glue it in or use screws, haven't decided yet. Might use both, but I'm leaning towards screws. Not sure how an automotive adhesive would hold the plastic, but it would be a real bear to cut it out if it got hit with something that forced me to replace it. Same type of material they use in race cars, I think but slightly thicker.

Thanks everyone for the kind words, it's at the point where I am just about ready to get a title. The area below the windshield will be where the headlights and signal-parking lights will be located.

Still aways to go to a finished product.

regards
Mech

[California98Civic]

That's my favorite shot, because it seems to be the most effective at communicating what seems like precise craftsmanship. The lines are clean and symmetrical and solid looking. Wonderful.

[Xist]

Why not build a frame for the windshield, which you can attach with bolts, instead of drilling into the Lexan itself? It seems that Plexiglas with screws tends to develop stress fractures.

Also, what kind of ignition did you put in that? Do you use EoC in your current cars? If you do, if you designed it with a kill switch, you could have something better and more attractive than anything else on here!

[user removed]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

That's my favorite shot, because it seems to be the most effective at communicating what seems like precise craftsmanship. The lines are clean and symmetrical and solid looking. Wonderful.

This view is a little to the left of the drivers eyeline view from the seat. I plan to put a single wide angle rear view mirror in the center top between the connecting tubes of the two semicircular roll tubes. The height is almost exactly the same as the wifes outside mirrors on her Sorento, but mine will be above every other part of the body structure. I aslo plan to use that same location as the exhaust for cabin airflow, since the angle from the windshield to that point will create a low pressure area.

I haven't completely decided in my mind what I am going to do with the rear end behind the two side panels. I need to mount a license plate, tail-stop lamp and both rear turn signals. I have the rear of the donor motorcycle frame which gives me factory mounting of those components and I also need to provide for exahusting of the engine compartment airflow.

While progress is slow, I find that gives me more time to sort things out in my mind before commiting to the actual construction. Just today my younger brother (3rd of 4 total) gave me a bag of military grade brackets for wiring. Now I can work on the "spine" above the engine that will support the wiring harness, radiator and fuel tank above the engine.

This project will probably take me another 6 months to a year to finish, but when it is done it will look factory made and be capable of all weather operation. It will have heat and defrost capabilities but no AC.

Eventually it will also have a reverse, but for the time being I can easily push it backwards.

regards
Mech

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Xist

Why not build a frame for the windshield, which you can attach with bolts, instead of drilling into the Lexan itself? It seems that Plexiglas with screws tends to develop stress fractures.

Also, what kind of ignition did you put in that? Do you use EoC in your current cars? If you do, if you designed it with a kill switch, you could have something better and more attractive than anything else on here!

Excellent point about not drilling holes through the lexan. Just use a strip of aluminum sheet (scraps already) to make a moulding that locks the windshield in place and some silicone sealant to make it weatherproof. The remmaining part of the 4X8 sheet of lexan gives me a perfect pattern and even enough material for one replacement windshield in the future.

The ignition system, engine, radiator, wiring harnesses are all from the donor 2011 CBR 250R motorcycle, which comes with a kill switch from the factory. It also means every Honda motorcycle dealership in the country will have spare parts available for a long time to come, probably the rest of my life. All the fuel injection, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter and ECU, sensors will be the same as they were on the bike.

regards
Mech