Help - need rear light cluster before Monday!

[Andrew C]

Hello,

I have spent the last few years building a 3 wheeler special based on an MOT failed, rust ridden R4 GTL. The trike is due for its single vehicle approval test at 08:00 on Monday morning (22nd May). Hopefully, I've managed to attach two pictures.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend reversed into it last night, and smashed the drivers side rear light.

Does anyone know of any rear light assemblies suitable for a 1986, C-plate R4 GTL available in the northwest ? (I live in Burnley, Lancs)

Any help would be much appreciated

My phone no. is 01282 441498

thanks,

Andrew C

 

[malcolm]

I could get one to north Leeds for Sunday evening if that's any help. Do you just need the plastic lense or the metal bit behind as well?

The car looks very cool. I'd heard it was possible to take one of the rear suspension arms, turn it round and bolt it on the inside of the chassis member to make a 3 wheeler. Is that what you've done with yours? I'd love to see pics of the chassis.

 

[Andrew C]

thanks

Hello Clementine,

Thanks for the offer, will you be in Leeds anyway or would it be a special trip? I'm trying to track one down via breakers yards etc. but have had no luck as yet. Would it be alright if I contacted you later today to take you up on your kind offer if I can't find anything else?

The trike has a semi-spaceframe chassis, and a fabricated rear suspension arm using an Avo adjustable coil over shockabsorber. I carefully cut the stub axle out of the renault trailing arm and pressed it into a tube which is welded into the new trailing arm. It seemed a lot simpler than trying to locate a transverse torsion bar across the rear of the chassis, plus because the rear weight is greatly reduced I really needed a to be able to play with ride height / spring rate etc.

However, my Dad has a 2 CV based trike he built about 6 years ago that does use a reversed rear suspension arm to put the rear wheel on the centreline of the chassis.

I started designing the car in about 1999, but work, redundancy and housemoves have kept getting in the way of completion.

I do have some pictures of the chassis, suspension etc. I can email if your interested

best regards,

Andrew

 

[malcolm]

Hi Andrew,

My mother is visiting from Leeds today, and she should be driving back to Leeds for tomorrow evening. I'll send her up with a light lens anyway - it can do for a spare for her car if you don't need it.

My number is 01234 881152. Leave a message if I don't answer - party tonight.

I'd love to see a pic of the chassis/suspension. Post it on the forum if you can.

 

[malcolm]

I saw the photo in the gallery - you've got a number plate! Congratulations on passing the SVA!

 

[Andrew C]

Not just yet

Unfortunately not yet. I had to cancel the test last Monday due to work, but I'm booking a new date as soon as possible. Just in case anyone official uses the forum, I'd like to make it clear that the trike had definitely not just been for an illeagal test drive round the block and back!!

 

[Andrew C]

If at first you don't succeed

Hello Clementine,

Just thought I'd update on my progress to legality.

My first MSVA test yesterday resulted in a fail. The biggest point was poor handbrake performance, although the rear footbrake performance was fine. The braking system is a standard R4 drum at the back so, I'm putting this down to the fact that I haven't shortened the handbrake cable, simply 'looped' it to take up the slack. My theory is there must be too much 'lost motion' between the lever and the the drum. Other fail points were fairly minor, mostly being related to covering up odd bits of metal for pedestrian protection.

The bloke who tested the car said he's only ever passed two cars first time since SVA came in, so I shouldn't be too depressed I suppose.

I should complete the work over the next few weeks, and I'll let you know how I get on when I retest

best regards,

Andrew C

 

[malcolm]

Too many or too sharp bends in handbrake cables really reduce efficiency. I've worked on new car projects where there's been a moment at the end where someone has to find a new route for the handbrake cable so the car would pass certification testing. That'll be it.

Good thing about failing the SVA is you'll have a list to work to now. Makes life much easier than second guessing the regs.

 

[Andrew C]

Passed MSVA

Hello Clementine,

Just to let everyone who offered help in June this year know that my R4 based trike has passed MSVA on its first retest today, and is now atxed and road legal (just in time for winter).

The handbrake performance needed to be 18% of a gross weight of 600kg e.g. about 120kg to get a pass, and actually locked up on the test machine at 165kg, so no problem passing this time.

I'll attempt to post some photo's of the non-torsion bar rear suspension in the next few days, in case anyone else out there fancies having a go if their R4 is to far gone structurally to save

best regards,

Andrew C