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A Rival for Reliant .
- Thread starter Matt Spencer
- Start date
Not really. Trabi has four wheels and Reliant has a 4-stroke engine. Having a 2-stroke car in the US can be a problem. I had a 1958 DKW many years ago when we lived in Des Moines (Washington, not Iowa). It was a royal pain asking the gas station attendant to "hold on while I pour the oil in and only 5 gallons of gas". The tank capacity was only 9 gallons and the mix was 1 pint to 5 gallons. I bought the car in 1969 for $50 and sold it 18 months later for $75!
When I was a kid, someone turned up with a little Messerschmitt bubble car.
This thing was famous locally for having won a bet with a big new american V8 for who could go the fastest backwards.
A pub was involved, literally.
The bubble car achieved reverse by stopping the motor and starting it backwards (had to be a 2 stroke to do that, naturally).
It then had 4 speeds in reverse.
No contest......
There is no way you could have got me into that thing. !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR200
Apparently they were quite a capable little thing, but the little was the concern.
I'd rather take my chances on a bike, thank you....
This thing was famous locally for having won a bet with a big new american V8 for who could go the fastest backwards.
A pub was involved, literally.
The bubble car achieved reverse by stopping the motor and starting it backwards (had to be a 2 stroke to do that, naturally).
It then had 4 speeds in reverse.
No contest......
There is no way you could have got me into that thing. !
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR200
Apparently they were quite a capable little thing, but the little was the concern.
I'd rather take my chances on a bike, thank you....
Very good, I would have liked to have seen that go:!:
However there is a home built Roller that would have beaten both of them but I must stress Rolls Royce DID NOT build this car from memory it did 70mph in reverse :!: it had 4 gears for that.
John Dodds 27 litre Rolls Royce Merlin Engine Car " Street Legal "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u43pWEwI6xY
However there is a home built Roller that would have beaten both of them but I must stress Rolls Royce DID NOT build this car from memory it did 70mph in reverse :!: it had 4 gears for that.
John Dodds 27 litre Rolls Royce Merlin Engine Car " Street Legal "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u43pWEwI6xY
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no chance off a collision , then .
Whats IN a NAME . :?
Reliant .
Lamborghini .
Uglier , in my books .
Reliants gotta zepher engine in it , though Raymond Mays could help .
Theres always the 289 standby , thou a 302 Id Do . Nowadays . Fairly Light .
if you dont have a Traco Oldsmobile , Rover or Layland p-38, a TVR 5000'd do.
under the hood .
Less Ugly Lambo . Perhaps trabant could do something a bit flasher .
:lol: Monza 400 GT .
http://www.carscoops.com/2015/11/traban ... tment.html
Would a Trabant Engine go in a Featherbed ?
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The Reliants I remember were three-wheelers - a front wheel for directional control and two in back for a conventional car-type gearbox & differential. The engine was a four cylinder four-stroke, about 850 ccs. They were popular becuase you could drive them even if you only hd a motorcycle licence.
frankdamp said:
That could more correctly be rephrased as Morgan have started making 3 wheelers again - after a very long absence.
Its surprisingly difficult to find pics or specs on it, seems to be rather low key. ?
There is some suggestion it is supercharged ?
http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/wp-conten ... ressor.jpg
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Oops , hit the hauw hauw button to get the full pic . :wink:
Fast Eddie
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Matt Spencer said:Oops , hit the hauw hauw button to get the full pic . :wink:
There are quite a few of these on the roads in the UK. There are two somewhere near me but I have not yet tracked the owners down.
They do look and sound rather fun!
Also, a friend of mine has an original late '30s example with a water cooled JAP v twin, that has proven to be rather high maintenance (severe understatement here), is really rather slow, and totally lacking in anything remotely approaching 'creature comforts'! Being retired, and a competent engineer, he loves the challenge and satisfaction in it. But I rather struggle to see the fun in it!
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