Pedal car shite - Getting ready to restore my childhood 'garden find' Sharna pedal car

[Datsuncog]

Following the wishbone near-collapse earlier today, I'm waiting on a garage assessment/ autopsy to find out if the Forester's reached the end of the line... and if so, a pedal car's probably going to be the only affordable replacement.

Does the seat move back a bit?

[DavidB]

I had a pedal go-kart which was all metal construction with big plastic wheels. It was yellow and black and had a 4 painted on the bonnet, it weighed a tonne, which meant I could only struggle to pedal it for about 10 seconds, which was good as the hard plastic wheels on pavement sounded like a train derailing down an embankment at 120 mph.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I think I can guess the answer, but would there be any interest in a roffle for this? 

£1 per ticket and that would include delivery to your front/middle/back door assuming you're YouKay mainland. 

[loserone]

One please

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 9/25/2021 at 8:49 AM, loserone said:

One please

No worries. Just 58 more to sell and we're on! 🤣

[mintwth]

Perfect vehicle for the fuelastrophe. Very fuel efficient, hardly uses any petrol

[martc]

I've hit the mother lode of Russian pedal cars!! - see here https://englishrussia.com/2007/07/30/pedal-automobiles-the-dream-of-every-soviet-child/ for egalitarian pedal car fun.

I won't flood us out with pics, you'll have to look at the link, but here's a few teasers...

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 9/24/2021 at 7:37 PM, Dick Longbridge said:

Things continue to make slow but steady progress this end. The main thing is I'VE MANAGED TO SOURCE A SPARES CAR!!!!! They're unicorn poop, but I found one. More to come on that.

In the meantime, I have decided to part with this ultra rare 1977 Sharna Triang Go-kart. 

I've never, ever seen another for sale. I bought it ages ago for parts for my police pedal car, but it's way too nice for that. 

It's complete and works well. The seat is adjustable to two different positions. It's designed for shiters to add to their collection of rare British pedal cars. Apparently 3-6 year olds can drive it too. 

It's a lovely old thing and I'd let it go on here for £40. Let me know if of interest. I am happy to box it up for a courier or can chat postage if required. 

 

Quick update time. I've sold the go-kart and it's gone to a fella who owned one during his childhood, as is always the way. It sold for £35 in the end; it owed me slightly more but I decided to take a hit due to lack of general interest in it. I'm still surprised as it was so rare, but it's one of those things I guess. 

I mentioned further up that I've finally managed to source spares car. More to come on that...

[bunglebus]

That pedal car looks remarkably similar to mine

V reg Leads me to belive this would have been my Christmas 1980 present.

Sadly I'm a bit too big for such things now

[bunglebus]

This one popped up at the boot sale in April

 

[bunglebus]

In another thread (and possibly on another forum), this catalogue scan popped up

Along with a picture of definitely not me

Another Argos catalogue scan

[PhilA]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

This one popped up at the boot sale in April

 

I had the yellow AA Relay version of that, though the light on the front wasn't that big and had a couple AA batteries and one of those bulbs with the bimetallic strip in to make it occasionally blink.

Mine had the trailer on the back, my parents said I was remarkably good at reversing it with the trailer attached...

Can't back up a trailer to save my life now

[Dick Cheeseburger]

@bunglebus Those photos are fantastic! Really made me chuckle that you attempted to take the VW for a drive too 😅.

Interesting r.e. year as I think mine was new on Christmas 1978. Other than the plate suffix , your old one looked pretty much identical to mine. The price of yours in 1980 was a proper barg! 

Here's definitely not me in 1978. 

How much was the later model at the car boot sale? I made good money on my A1 condition example, but I honestly don't think there would be a cleaner example out there.

@PhilA Shame to hear the trailer reversing skills have dropped off in the intervening years! My mate had a Raleigh version of the AA Relay car - it was a bit sturdier than the Sharna cars and fitted two of us side by side on the seat with no issue.

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

@bunglebus Those photos are fantastic! Really made me chuckle that you attempted to take the VW for a drive too 😅.

How much was the later model at the car boot sale? 

It was up for £50

The pic was a few years ago in the VW dealer I worked in, doesn't take too much persuasion to get me onto/into stuff like that

 

[sierraman]

12 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

@bunglebus Those photos are fantastic! Really made me chuckle that you attempted to take the VW for a drive too 😅.

Interesting r.e. year as I think mine was new on Christmas 1978. Other than the plate suffix , your old one looked pretty much identical to mine. The price of yours in 1980 was a proper barg! 

Here's definitely not me in 1978. 

How much was the later model at the car boot sale? I made good money on my A1 condition example, but I honestly don't think there would be a cleaner example out there.

@PhilA Shame to hear the trailer reversing skills have dropped off in the intervening years! My mate had a Raleigh version of the AA Relay car - it was a bit sturdier than the Sharna cars and fitted two of us side by side on the seat with no issue.

More to the point is that an Alton Cedar greenhouse in the background? 

[bogeyhead]

This is me in my pedal car circa 1959. My older cousin Stewart is looking on.

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Mate has one of those /\

[Metal Guru]

I had my only car related trip to hospital due to a pedal car crash. It would have been around 1963 , metal car , nothing resembling any real cool life model as far as I know, but full of sharp metal edges.

Well the winter of 1963 was really bad, so I was playing indoors, decided car on the sofa would be good fun. Soon rolled it off the edge, forehead making contact with one of the aforesaid metal edges. 
Off to A&E for a few stitches.

 

 

[Kringle]

Thanks to Argos' 1988 catalogue, I found my police car by superjouet. Clearly nowhere near as awesome as the older metal pedal cars but a trip down memory lane nonetheless.

[martc]

Some young Muscovite's lucky day.

[Rod/b]

I had a Sharna pedal car as a kid. It was a light blue “Panda” car. I cannot find a picture of one anywhere though! 
 

[Noel Tidybeard]

i had one like the smiley car but mine was older than those catalogues and was known as a chubby car!

[Rod/b]

On 2/22/2022 at 6:14 AM, Rod/b said:

I had a Sharna pedal car as a kid. It was a light blue “Panda” car. I cannot find a picture of one anywhere though! 
 

I phoned my mum and got her to dig through her old photos. Turns out it was a Raleigh not a Sharna after all…

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

29 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

I phoned my mum and got her to dig through her old photos. Turns out it was a Raleigh not a Sharna after all…

 

Cracking photo! I've not seen one of those before. The main style of Raleigh pedal car I've found in my trawling through ebay are similar to the pickup style car I posted at the top of page one. When does yours date from? 

That reminds me, I need to update my own pedal car developments...

[Rod/b]

6 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

When does yours date from? 

 

I’d say 1979/80 

[Bren]

I had a basic yellow sharna but it was before 1979.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

22 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

I’d say 1979/80 

A year or so later than mine in that case. Yours must have been the first of the new shape!

[richardmorris]

Just found this thread. This was my best present ever. 1975 Christmas.

 

[ETCHY]

52 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Just found this thread. This was my best present ever. 1975 Christmas.

 

Oh wow that's just like mine was.

Mine was Christmas 1974, brilliant present !

[Dick Cheeseburger]

54 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Just found this thread. This was my best present ever. 1975 Christmas.

 

Amazing! I'm really glad I started this thread - it's great to see photos of folks from here with their first pride and joy and your photos are no exception. Those Raleigh pedal cars were well put-together and had enough room for twos-up as well. This one has been on ebay for a while so I'd expect the seller would accept an offer - it must be one of the most original surviving examples I reckon. GIB! 

Raleigh police pedal car