Tiny Shite!

[steve austin]

Another mad moment purchase from t'internet. Tis a Virgo Microcar with a 505cc, 2 cylinder diesel with what feels like about 20hp! I bought it because I have always toyed with the idea of sticking a bike engine in a tiny car and this runs with a belt and variator so I thought hmmmm. Bought as a non runner, starter motor intermittent but with a turn of the flywheel, hey presto! One forward speed, one reverse, selector needs looking at. Me and my dad got in it with a combined weight of around 40 stone and managed 30mph up the road, pretty impressive and I didnt even feel squashed in!

[face]

Sweet - snagged any clunge with it yet?

[Station]

I like the new Microcar vans, I've been a fan of tiny cars for ages, I love them.

[RedSparrow]

LOLZ!

What are your bike engine plans?

[pervypaul]

Bet it would shift with a Busa engine in there

[brickwall]

Sweeeeet!

[Pillock]

Is that the 2cyl Diesel that's fairly closely related to a dumper truck engine?

[bub2006]

Don't no if this has the mod done to gearbox but the gearboxs should hold I think 1 litre of oil but blows it away down to750ml which equals wrecked box and expensive repairs. Look at gearbox filler cap and drill hole in it. Heraldite a washer jet pipe connector to it and run a lenght of washer jet pipe up back of block and over top and back down to the front of car. Then when oil rises it also falls back down and it gearbox so keeps all its oil and no damage.

[bub2006]

2 cylinder kubuto engine. I think governed to 3200 rpm on throttle pump. Can be adjusted if I recall. Comex gearbox is the main problem. 16bhp if I remember

[Cavcraft]

LOLZ!

What are your bike engine plans?

 

It'd better be a C90 lump.

[steve austin]

All good questions. I looked at this link for the newer TD version and thats 13 horses, mine must be less! http://www.helpfindmea.co.uk/cars/specs ... 21362.aspx

Am going to look at putting a twin cylinder 500cc lump in it, around 50 horses, enough to propel it up the road. This may of course never happen but hell it would be fun!

Oh and the engine is a Lombardini. think its used for boats as I even got the buyers brochure with it, the car is manufactured by a boat company, lockset is Fiat too.

[steve austin]

2 cylinder kubuto engine. I think governed to 3200 rpm on throttle pump. Can be adjusted if I recall. Comex gearbox is the main problem. 16bhp if I remember

If you know how to I am happy to have a play as if the lump pops it doesnt really matter.

[michael t]

haha brilliant little buy

[wuvvum]

I think they're 11 bhp. That's what my diesel Ligier was and it had the same engine (Lombardini / FOCS). The petrol versions are 20 bhp.

 

Gearbox issues are more common with the petrol cars as they're not really up to the power output of the petrol engine (!). Diesels tend to have fewer issues. But then they are painfully slow.

[wuvvum]

2 cylinder kubuto engine. I think governed to 3200 rpm on throttle pump. Can be adjusted if I recall. Comex gearbox is the main problem. 16bhp if I remember

The Aixams have the Kubota engine. It's smaller than the Lombardini unit (479cc IIRC) but puts out more power and is more refined (although everything is relative...).

[bub2006]

I think but can't guarantee the. Screw what limits how far the throttle opens where the cable goes to the pump can be turned out so revs higher. I'm going from an aixam kubuto lumps tho so my apology if I am chatting crap!

[STUNO]

The findmeacar specs say that a stereo cassette player is an option, perfect for the expected buyers

[bub2006]

As mentioned the gearbox is the weak link. Do you plan on fitting bike engine to gearbox as I would be careful. On marine applications the box was tilted so when it ran low after blowing oil out the breather it wasn't as bad but in the car being upright the top bearings run dry causing catastrophic consequences! A chap I knew rigged a subframe and engine and gearvox in back and rwd. Left original lump at front as ballast! Think it was a metro engine or some other small fwd car lump to back wheels

[Station]

Oh and the engine is a Lombardini. think its used for boats as I even got the buyers brochure with it, the car is manufactured by a boat company, lockset is Fiat too.

 

Ah, I had that same engine in a boat I had a while ago.

 

[pandarus]

Like those, nice addition - how much is your road tax?

[bub2006]

Part of reason I drive a robin is road tax an not a quad. They tax same as 1549 and under. When emmisions tax bought in the quads kept old tax group as they don't kick out enough emissions to keep the government coffers full

[Danblez]

Like those, nice addition - how much is your road tax?

 

I think the government give you £75 quid if I remember rightly.

[wuvvum]

Part of reason I drive a robin is road tax an not a quad. They tax same as 1549 and under. When emmisions tax bought in the quads kept old tax group as they don't kick out enough emissions to keep the government coffers full

They don't kick out much in the way of CO2. I would imagine that the actual proper emissions levels of these things (especially the petrol versions) are horrific for the size of the engine, as they have no emission controls whatsoever, and the fuelling system is pretty crude.

[bub2006]

On a emissions test machine they are surprisingly low

[steve austin]

Still looking for suitable replacement bike engine. Had a punt on a CBR1000 but got outbid! Probably for the best ha ha ha.

[fordperv]

Why not search cat c scrapyards for your donor lots of bargains out there to be had

[steve austin]

Why not search cat c scrapyards for your donor lots of bargains out there to be had

Good idea but even eblah seems to be cheaper than a breakers yard at the moment.