Bubble car question

[wuvvum]

A mate of mine spotted these at the weekend and took pictures. WTF are they? Can't read the badges and they're not a model I recognise.

 

 

[seth]

Scootercar?

[seth]

Sorry, that should have read DYMO.

[Justin Case]

They are Scootacars (mk 1 I think) made by the Hunslet Engineering Company of Leeds, better known for the narrow gauge locos that used to bustle around the slate quarries of North Wales :

 

 

* excuse for gratuitous picture of Hunslet locos

[wuvvum]

Yep, Google Images confirms they are Scootacars. I don't remember ever seeing one of those before - when I hear Scootacar I think of these:

 

[dollywobbler]

Yup. Insane those Scootacars. Once got taken for a drive along the A14 in one. Scary stuff. Especially when the driver commanded me to lean into the bends!

[nigel bickle]

Owned one -till about 5 yrs back. I left the church with my first wife in it -managed to get it through the Lych gates and up the path. Rebuilt it totally -amusing issues like tyres emanting from wheelbarrows (£8 each) and needing to trace the speed rating! Indicator bulbs- above the door were 12volt single filament yet dual pole -very hard to find.

 

Dynastart meant you switched off -pushed the ignition in and the engine vstarted backwards, giving 4 reverse gears. 3 point turns were out -you just get out and lift it around.

Good for 60mph if you have the balls -i did -once. Mine had covered 57000 miles when I found it.

 

Sold ''oop nawrth'' when my replacement found the pics -and declared it mota non grata!

[mattblack]

Yep, Google Images confirms they are Scootacars. I don't remember ever seeing one of those before - when I hear Scootacar I think of these:

 

 

That's a MK2, the ones at the top are Mk1s.

[KruJoe]

Nice story NB!

This reminded me I had a recent Yorkshire Post cutting I saved to scan in for you lot sometime. The article calls them "Scootcar", but after googling, that's something else:

 

 

...and that probably explains where the Yorkshire Post got the surprising information in the last line of the caption!

More MSN-style lazy, clueless journalism?

 

Anyway, have a look:

 

 

I also kept it to show my pa. He spent many happy years in Hunslet about that time, just the other side of Jack Lane. This evening, I popped 'round to ask him what he could tell me. He remembers the works and the chaps who worked there, including one called John Wilkinson (?), who was well known on the scrambling scene for building and successfully racing his own bikes.

He also remembers the Scootacars, and said they probably ran a 198cc Villiers engines with an external flywheel. Also that they were never very popular!

[Tayne]

.

[wuvvum]

I thought they were made by Secma?

[KruJoe]

Wheel-dealer Edmonds

 

Right, all these modern Blobby things are made by Secma in France. The one I first posted is a "Fun Tech 50 Scootcar" as they are sold stateside. Here, Noel's "Unique Motor Company" sells them as "Qpod".

[Guest]

The first picture is my car!!!!

 

My father runs the Scootacar Register and would love to hear from anyone who has owned a Scootacar in the past or worked at the factory.

 

his email address is [email protected]

[dollywobbler]

Ace. Welcome to the forum! Would be nice to have some microcar types around here. (the one I've driven belongs to Grant up in Scotland).

[nigel bickle]

Mine was a red one -9885 PF. Good nick when sold .

 

DVLA says its not been on the road since 93 -which is a bit weird as it was taxed when I sold it. Always remember that we had to Tapley meter the brakes as the wheels fell through the brake rollers- and 2 of us had to lift it back out!

[dollywobbler]

Mine was a red one -9885 PF. Good nick when sold .

 

DVLA says its not been on the road since 93 -which is a bit weird as it was taxed when I sold it. Always remember that we had to Tapley meter the brakes as the wheels fell through the brake rollers- and 2 of us had to lift it back out!

 

That reminds me. Apparently no car becomes more 'exciting' to drive than a Scootacar with unevenly adjusted front brakes...

[nigel bickle]

When I was rebuilding mine, I was suprised/concerned that the original car manual told you not to brake & steer at trhe same time. I found out that you cant- it ties itself in knots. brakes were always good on mine. perhaps a little too good..