INTRODUCTION

The Trike had to be a home build, that way decisions could be made about engine choice, body style,  be more individual in looks.

It had to be a modern design, locally sourced, fast, have excellent road holding ability, space, and comfort, and above all be affordable and fun to drive, So Tripod it is.

To that end a set of Plans was purchased from Tripod Cars, altered slightly to accommodate an air cooled BMW motor.

Registered and Ready to Rock

1. 
   

Finally!!! The BMW powered T1150R has approval and a number plate. The complete build from start to rego only took 19 mths. Easy huh??? I have to say it's all been worth the effort! What a brilliant thing to drive. Plenty of power, corner speeds of a gokart and that undisturbed air stream over the bonnet just gets the blood pumping. There should be more of these things on the road. I still have plenty of quirky adjustments and changes to make but as you know that's one of the other reasons we build things like this. I also need to thank Andrew from Tripod Cars who has always been helpful from the very beginning. Unless you've built a road going vehicle from scratch, buy one from Andrew and get on the road!! Anyway more another day cos I need to get that morning air in my face...... Cheers. Noel

Lets Burn Some Rubber!!!

Fibre Glass Sides ready for a Trim and Fit

Proud Builder Noel with his Tripod

Old Man Tries Wave Form Seat for Comfort

Nose Cone

Body Taking Shape

Gear Shifter Sorted

This is version number four, and it's a ripper, luckily they only take a week or so to make......
The shifter is positioned so the your hand falls off the steering wheel straight onto the shifter.
The movement of the lever to shift gears is on 35mm with a light and positive feel.
Movement is transferred by an outboard motor cable with only one gentle curve to the gear box 

Gear Shifter No 4

Aluminium Fuel Tank

Nose Cone Buck

The bodywork has been very slow going with three of the four versions hitting the bin!! And that's just the nose cone.....
I can't start on the rest until that's sorted.
Anyway, I think I have it this time...
This is still only the unfinished buck that the fibreglass will be lifted off. Then that will get cut and shut to suit. Still a lot of work and it's not that much fun unfortunately.
The glass mudguard is just a light template I lifted out of the mould so it can be cut to shape to incorporate the mountings on the inside. The mould will make both left and right guards with the mounting valance which bolts to the calliper mount on the inside of each....that's the plan anyway.
 1/2" rhs with .55 zincalume attached via the tangs to avoid heat distortion if it was welded. The fill pieces are 1.2mm zinc TIG welded on the sides to hold the masking tape and Gyprock in place, it sands like chalk and is cheap
The Nose pivots from the front

Nose Taking Shape

Mobile at Last

The Trike is now mobile enough now to do laps in the yard, check out the additions in the engine bay, the magnificent birds nest up front, light weight pedals and BMW front brake callipers.

We're Mobile

Frame Painted

The Air Ducts were Removed and all welds Completed, next the Frame was Undercoated and 2 Pac Painted Black.
Re-assembling the Front End was Straight Forward but aligning the Motor Fixing Holes was another matter, the Frame had moved During Welding so a Little setting was required, 10mm Bolts in 10mm Holes is perhaps too fine a tolerance.

Fully Welded Frame and Engine Cooling Ducts

The frame has been fully welded, Go Eamon!
 
Initially Fibre Glass ducting was fabricated but quickly kicked to the curb in favour of folded aluminium.
Not only will they feed cooling air to the engine but serve as comfortable arm rests too.

The 25X50mm RHS through the length of the chassis has holes for the fuel and brake lines. The holes are at 250mm centres (300 max allowed) This opens into the engine bay from the tank area in front of the passengers feet. 

Gemini Brake Disk and BMW Caliper (Widened)

The cobbled up pipe notcher on the lathe to maintain consistency of the angles and the jig to mill the "O" rings for the calliper. The jig has a 7mm nipple machined to drop the widening plate onto so the "O" rings align with the calliper. (8 "O" rings in total ). The depth must also be correct to match the recessed "O" ring section in the calliper which is different on each side of the calliper. There needs to be 20% crush on the "O" ring so one side is .8mm and the other 1.2mm to match the BMW part. I used a 7/16" end mill.  Again all this can be purchased from TPC, but as I have no money and a shed full of machines and I'm surrounded by clever friends in the trade I can move forward.

Steering Rack and Shaft

The steering column is ED Falcon pre air bag and a Sierra coupling to the rack. (Tripod Cars. TPC)
Andrew at TPC uses a Toyota unit and can supply all the components required for the front end and steering to suit his chassis including the "A" arms.
I made mine due to budget restraints but if I had the money, they would have come from TPC. I used DN20 Sch40 SMLS pipe Grade 350 and 4140 round bar for the top threaded piece to the top ball joint. That also required a 17mm thread which you won't find on the shelf at the hardware. The bushes are out of an early Landcruiser but again...TPC and make your life easy.
I made the rack mounts using some of the escort parts and 6mm plate.
The bush and bearing at the bottom of the column have been replaced with better material and a 1" self aligning bearing and housing as the column tilts and extends.

Front Suspension

I machined aluminium spacers to simulate the Wishbone bushes during the build so I could weld beside them, in the photo's it's set up with min caster and about correct camber. The top ball joint taper still needs a final ream in the Gemini upright to suit the Landcruiser ball joint, that's why at times if you look closely the top "A" arm angle looks exaggerated.
The suspension is non parallel unequal length and when at ride hight has a low roll centre. 

Let's Make Sparks.