Manky Monkey Motors

Happy new year to all,

This is my first post on MMM, been reading, learning and planing for a while,

This project's been on going for a few years now mainly due too lack of work space,

My goal is to build my dad a trike from his old and battered camper
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/vw3.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/vw1.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/vw2.jpg)

With the front end coming from this xj600
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/Image025.jpg)

the wrecking started
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/Image058.jpg)

the cutting started
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/25102008386.jpg)

We got all the roof cut off before xmas, more soon(weather permitting ::))

I bet the VW crowd are crying over that. Are you doing the usual Beetle trike layout?

Nice soft top bus!
Welcome to the wonderful world of Mank.  ;D
So what's the plan trike-wise then Mr Thrud? Have you checked the Phycho Triko write-up in the Motors, 3 wheels section of the main site?

http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/Trikespageimages/psycho/trike.html

Belongs to Lunatic's Dad. Loony's a paint sprayer/bodywork guy, based in Basingstoke, Hants. He's worked on quite a few buses & has some useful knowledge & contacts. Some of the parts you're chopping up might be worth putting to one side or selling on Ebay to recoup some of your costs. The remainder of the bike's gotta be worth selling too. Sorry, I'm sure you've already thought of that.  ;)
So what you got in mind for the ol' girl then?

Hi plasticpig,

It was past the point of saving, my dad didn't exactly take care of it  :-[ very rusty and every panel dented,
planing on rider sitting solo with a row of three behind him

Hi monkey,
yeah seen the phyco trike, i'm planing less body work, and 4 seater,
bit like this...
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/purpletrike.jpg)
but the fuel tank (9 gallon beer barrel) will go between the engine and rear seats, so should be wide enought for 3,
Nothing shiny to start with i'll worry about looks after MSVA

welcome to the monkey house :)

Aha. Then it might be worth having a chat with ByzMax. He's in Windsor & has built & MSVA'd several V Dub trikes. He'll have lots of frame building, tuning & MSVAing info & is a very helpful & knowledgable chap.
That photo looks like Trike Day at the Ace Cafe.  :)

Monkey house? I thought it was the greedy gerbil group. 

Mine will look something like this.

Hi valleysboy.
Oops, yeah, i kinda borrowed(stole) it ;D it the closest to the plan floating round my head ;D
dads got loads of photos from brighton and hastings runs, but none on the pc, and none quite right

You mean we're not the Happy Hamsters?

That's the best way to sort out just what you want Thrud -check out as many trikes as you can until you've built up a catalogue of ideas, a bit from that one, a bit from that etc. Thinking & planning costs nothing but can save you a lot of expense & false starts later on. Maybe I should've done that.  :P

hi thrud welcome to the site mate. at least you got piccies.WE like piccies. ;D gaz

welcome m8.....yes we like lots of pics ::) ::)

Hi gazzagood and hornet6,

Right got a bit done today,
Started stripping the bike down, i got it off ebay 'bout 3years ago, for about £100(from wales i think)
the guy must have enjoyed playing with wires ::) :(
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010898.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010899.jpg)
starting to look better already  ;D
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010903.jpg)
box of bits
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010904.jpg)
front end
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010905.jpg)
then dad came to have a look
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010906.jpg)
and this is where i'm thinking about cutting
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010908.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010907.jpg)
and then to sort out this mess ::) ???
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike/03012010909.jpg)

All that roof cutting just to get the engine out, should have bought a reliant  ;D ;D

.......and you could of given the bus to me then!!!!!!!!! :D

Welcome buddy!!

Clive

Cheers tbone, still ain't got to the engine yet ::)

your welcome to the leftovers clive  ;D

and on that note, if anyone see's a part or bit they need/want, gimme a shout before it gets weighed in

hi thrud, welcome to the house of madness :)

ive built vw's but wouldnt have another one

Hi trikerpete


why's that mate? i've not got any 3 wheeled experience, so any info/feedback is appreciated

 after i first built the trike and rode it for a year or so my own personal thoughts were that they (beetle trikes) tend to be too light on the frontend. to try and compensate for that i stripped it down and rebuilt the chassis a foot longer and placed the fueltank at the front (where a bike engine would be situated) from its original place under the bench seat. I also downgraded the front brake by removing one of the discs/calipers, even then the front wheel had tendencies to lock up. (the back brakes were capable of locking up the back wheels as well). apart from that beetles are good engines but should i ever use another one it will be forward mounted to keep the weight at the front.
all that said, i wish you luck with your build
:)         

Hi Thrud

As Trikerpete said Beetles can be light on the front but they don't have to be. The benefits far outweigh the downsides anyhow.

Sadly you have cut up the camper as many people would have bought it no matter how rotten it was as it can be restored and all panels and parts are in plentiful supply and cheap. Also by the reg number it has extra kudos being a tax exempt camper.

Anyhow now i've told you that don't worry cos I cut up a Tax exempt beetle that had no rust on it at all!  ;D

Good luck with the build

Janie, ("Boopoopadoopgal" on the forum),'s Dad, Jacko owns an old Desperate Dan's "Preying Mantis" trike. Been trying to pin him down for a write-up on it for a couple of years now! Chris Ireland, (Desperate Dan), developed the design over several years & later ones had a long thin fuel tank slung under the front of the frame to try & even out the weight of the rear mounted engine.

thanks for all the info/feedback/opinions guys, no progress this weekend cause of the snow  ::)

Done a bit of cutting while the sun was out today, slowly getting closer to the engine :)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/100_0679.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/100_0680.jpg)
I was cutting so dad was behind the camara, sorry 'bout the quality

I'm sure he's a very high quality Dad.  ;D
There'll be V Dub owners weeping over those photos!

Hey guys, due to 'family issues' this project is basically being scrapped  :'(
so if any one wants to take on the whole thing or just wants parts please let me know,
The xj600 engine is probably the most wanted bit, the guy sold the bike to me with 'points' problems, but i was never gonna use the engine so wasn't bothered,
So if any one wants anything its going for beer money,
cheers thrud

That's a real shame mate. Hope the family side of things works itself out. Better to cut your losses now though, than start spending serious cash on a build, then give up later I guess.
I'd suggest posting an ad in the For Sale section as it'll get seen by potential buyers more there.  ;)

Things never go quite to plan,
regardless of family prob's, dad still wanted to get his hands on 3 wheels,
so started hunting through ebay, and found this
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/trike1.jpg)
it does have some teething prob's, but dont they all ;D
here's a few shots of dad on it
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/100b0880.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/100_0856.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/100b0870.jpg)
since getting it home, it's turned black
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/13072010048.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p316/thrud2011/13072010049.jpg)

That's a seriously hairy Dad!
Welcome back Thrud.

That is a nice little trike, is that a type4 engine in there?

t3?

And whata difference the black paint makes!  An amazing transformation!

(I always said chequerplate would look better painted black!)

Hi guys
The engine has this number under barrel no. 2
AS41 (or A541)
211 101 102 E

any info on this would be great  ;D

but its a bit of a frankenstein engine,
its got a single carb off a bus or beetle  ???

and at the moment i'm trying to track down a backfiring issue on pots 3/4

the 9 figure number with the E on the end is a part number

211 means type 2. the reast i have no idea, its on the SAMBA somewhere

   and the AS series denotes post '73 1600 (actually 1580 something ) nominally 50 bhp, allegedly 

I think the 41 behind the AS denotes it was made from a different ali alloy to the earlier 21's.

right you are mate

'engine' number off dad's old camper is  AD373379

the engine number on the trike is hidden away behind the fan belt casing  ::)

  I think the "AD" is pre '73 1600,

Yeah dad's old van was '72 and 1.6

Looks like a Variant engine to me...but then again ive been up since Friday and the eyes are starting to ache a bit lol....Voodoo....

Backfire on 3 and 4??

Check manifold for air leaks