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I had a job for this week but the prat didn't show so that gave me the opportunity to make a start...
BSA made the first production cars with FWD apparently. It's a 3 speed + reverse box with a single drum brake on the drive shaft. I expect I'll have to haul it back up in the air next week, but at least I have an idea of where I'm going. I hope to hand the engine over to a specialist in September for full restoration
Does anyone know someone who can make me some spiders for the Hardy-Spicer fwd flexible joints? I have a works drawing to hand...
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Location: Malvern, Victoria, Australia
Good story about the BSA Three Wheeler in the June issue of The Automobile.
A letter to the editor in the August issue is not very complementary about his BSA three wheeler .
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I sent in a rebuttal to that letter...he seemed to be damning the entire range on a bad experience with one example. I await the next issue with bated breath!
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My father told me that the BSA three-wheeler had a habit of seizing up and being front wheel drive to turn end over end. He had a Morgan and being rear wheel drive avoided this phenomena!
Roger
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10-08-2019, 09:57 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2019, 09:59 AM by Duncan Grimmond.)
I've also heard that one but I've never met anyone who actually experienced or witnessed it...
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Location: Sherwood Forest
Car type: 1938 Talbot Ten Airline
10-08-2019, 12:43 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2019, 12:44 PM by Mike Costigan.)
Since all the weight is behind the front axle line, I would think that's a near impossibility. I know of one BSA trike that was turned on its side under cornering... and at least five Morgans that have suffered the same catastrophy; perhaps we should denigrate Morgans as being more unstable than BSAs!
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10-08-2019, 03:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2019, 03:41 PM by Duncan Grimmond.)
Morgan were obviously worried by BSA to the extent that they secretly bought a 4 cylinder version, dismantled it and followed up with the F series.
On a three wheeler rally in Scotland a few years ago FWD trikes outclassed the Morgan RWD Types in every condition...
In theory a front wheel lift should act as an automatic traction control as you lose drive through the diff...
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Location: North Yorkshire
The BSA chassis looks to be very sturdy and well engineered compared to a Morgan, which is just an assembly of round tubing and plumbing fittings!
I still think it would make a good special turned back to front with an Austin 7 front axle! There again I'm used to having four wheels on my wagon!
Have you spoken to Geoff Calver, Duncan, he's the BSA 3-wheeler man in our area? If not prepare for a long chat!
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I have spoken to Geoff and I am trying to make time to go up and see him as he has some spares still.
It's not far but finding a slot to drive up to Durham is difficult.
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10-08-2019, 05:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-08-2019, 05:29 PM by stuartu.)
My memory of BSA trikes is that they are prone to roll. However, distrusting what might be (as Michael suggests) a complete canard, I visited the BSA Front Wheel Drive Club's website where I found this interesting quote:
"I was, at one time, the only 'trike owning' member of the BSA Front Wheel Drive Club committee who had not turned over...as this account progresses you will realise just how close I came to losing this distinction! So I was desperate to lower the centre of gravity as much as possible."
I'm not saying Morgan trikes don't roll, of course.
Good luck, Duncan!
Regards,
Stuart
