Goggomobil is it worth restoring?

[kstrutt1]

or shove a rotary aero engine in the back of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2V7B7-gdRA

[JPB]

I love how the guy built that gearbox and repurposed torque converter from scratch, in situ. Amazing stuff but once they got it going, would you not expect the thing to be a little quicker off the mark than that? Brilliant engineering and finished with a barbecue as all the best builds do. I'm pretty sure he was speeding through that village (at around the 9 minute mark) though.
But rotary? No, I see barrels that contain pistons so it's not a rotary though one of those would also be an idea in the middle of a small, light car and wouldn't have obstructed the view in the mirror to the same extent.

[zipgun]

Rotary's do have pistons Rotary is a mis Gnome r
although the gogg vid is a radial
http://www.animatedengines.com/gnome.html

[Mitsuru]

A rotary is one idea, but there is another that has been done with a 2cv. A few months
ago Practical Performance Car Magazine did a feature on a company that specializes in
fitting motorcycle engines with better gearboxes into the 2cv. Would this be a more
logical option to investigate for updating the engine and gearbox? It would certainly be
a sleeper and would be an interesting option

[JPB]

...Rotary is a mis Gnome r

If the day job ever lets you down, a career hosting Countdown surely awaits! That awful yet roflingly funny pun was worthy of the late Twice Nightly Whitely at his combed over, stripey blazered best.


And as we all know fine ; I was referring to Wankels, not the absolutely bonkers Gnome, though I'd love to fit one of those to my Allett grass cutter in place of its 55bhp Reliant engine. Only trouble is the fact that the barrels would be rotating in the space currently occupied by the saddle so some form of remote control would be needed too.

So Carol, is a baby rotary engine known as a Wankel biter?

Sod off Richard, your breath stinks of toilet again.

A rotary is one idea, but there is another that has been done with a 2cv. A few months
ago Practical Performance Car Magazine did a feature on a company that specializes in
fitting motorcycle engines with better gearboxes into the 2cv. Would this be a more
logical option to investigate for updating the engine and gearbox? It would certainly be
a sleeper and would be an interesting option

Why go to all that trouble? People have been fitting GS engines to Deuches for decades and they're pretty good with the extra pair of cylinders and twice the power. Some have also had DAF flat twins fitted in place of their original motors, pointless IMHO since the A-series is such a sweet, strong, free-spinning little engine and fitting bike exhausts to one of those works wonders.

[zipgun]

I din't wanna say the word Wankel 'case i got banned

[Phil P]

Oh no Zipgun I would never have used that pun but it was brilliant.

Many years ago there was a custom Hot Rod called 'Tweety Pie'. It was a 4 seat 4 wheel Isetta from what I remember. The engine was an Alison V12. I'm not sure whether it actually ran or if was a 'If it don't go chrome it' show car.

A gnome rotary would make a great 'Flymo' if you attached blades to the cylinder heads. Might need some stone/ankle guards.

My old PE teacher had a Nobel bubble car and one of the other teachers had a Goggomobil. A mate of mine bought a Frisky Sport made by Meadows in Wolverhampton. There factory backed onto the Guy Motors site in Fallings Park. Meadows made the 6 cylinder OHC engine used in the Invicta sports car. The first production sports car to do 100 MPH and a much nicer looking car than the Bentley of the same period. Did I just say that.

The last 'bubble car' was I suppose the Bond Minicar. When I was an apprentice I had to go and fetch a new throttle cable for one of the managers who had a Bond. We fitted it one lunch time. He looked at the new cable and said, "It doesn't need to be that ******* long does it?" He took a pair of pliers and cut it shorter. It was refitted and he started it up. There was a kick start under the bonnet. He put it in gear stuck it on full lock put his foot on the accelerator and virtually turned it round in it's own length. He then went to put it on full lock the other way. The engine hit full revs and the steering had virtually no lock at all. It screamed across the works yard narrowly avoiding people and a concrete post. It then dawned on him why the cable was so long. The engine drives the single front wheel and turned with it pulling the throttle cable. Off to Copes's for another cable.

[zipgun]

I find rotarys and radials facinating..
My Dad told me once at Brooklands museum ,(lots of luvvly "ingines " there) he could never see how a jet engine worked ..so i tried to explain, and he said he knew all that, but still couldn't see why it would work I must admit, as a kid, i couldn't see how a radial or rotary worked without all the rods getting tangled up !!! Ahh, the Master rod...
The Wooler is another facinating motor..mad as a bucket of frogs !! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j_NjhYGZMc

[JPB]

I've never met one of these. I agree with the commentator; it was a very easy erection.
(Don't shoot the messenger, that's what he said ).

[zipgun]

Perfect engine for a Goggomobil , just to stay on topic

Wooler