I think that I have seen a hundred cathedrals. Unlike cars, when you've seen one, you've seen them all. Variations in opulence and setting, different dead bodies. Cars have endless variety.

Tatra has built a wonderful variety of cars and trucks. I think they are still at it. (?)

My brother told me about the transportation museum in Speyer. I will try to get there.

 

You've seen one, you've seen them all. LOL That reminds me of when Reagan was CA's Governor. He made the comment inre to a grove of redwood trees that the Sierra Club was trying to save from land speculators.

 

Right! Reagan the environmentalist at work.

 

My friend has a VW Bug engine it.. And My brother is putting on in his Bradley GT..

 

yea, 136 cid I think.

 

Yes they did, saw one at an estate aution recently. As a locked up piece of rust it brought $600, no kiddin'

But as far as the smallest RWD Ford I think the Pinto; the English Ford Kent 1600cc engine ?

 

I was racking my brain about the NSU. I had in my mind a picture of a DKW and couldn't visualize the NSU so I looked it up: http://cp_www.tripod.com/rotary/pg05.htm

This is a great site if anyone cares about such things.

The DKW was the one that had the front engine/front wheel drive (two stroke) configuration that I had earlier mentioned as an NSU, which in fact were rear engined cars.

The DKW I was thinking of, the three cyl two stroke was longitudially mounted ahead of the front drive axel and the radiator was behind the engine.

 

What did the Messerschmidt "automobile" use for an engine? Remember them? They were built from surplus German aircraft drop tanks, and had a plastic canopy over the passenger compartment. They look like a cigar on wheels.

Other oddities: BMW Isetta, DAF.

 

The Messerschmidt had a motorcycle engine in the back. I think it was a centrifugal clutch with a chain the the back wheel. I had a ride in the back seat of one when I was a kid, and really enjoyed it. The bubble top tilted over to one side. Two single seats, driver and rear passenger.

 

The only DAF I had any experience with was a tiny Dutch car with an air cooled two cyl four stroke engine. It weighed less than 1500 pounds and I think the wheelbase was only 80 inches. It was front engine, but it was only 373cc. It would do about 70 mph with a tail wind but you could only count on going about 50-55.

I don't know anything about them but I think that DAF was better known for their trucks.

http://jalopnik.com/cars/daf/doubler...-ii-220711.php

 

In Westwood Village, on Glendon Ave south of Wilshire was the only dealer in SoCal that sold Borgwards, DAF cars, DKW's and prolly others. Last time I was in the area, the building was still there-empty.

This part of Glendon Ave is a very popular spot in La La Land...because behind the building is a cemetery..MM is buried there.

 

ya know, i just remembered a car we had on the farm as a kid. it was a vespa. rear wheel drive, with a 250 CC two stroke engine and a 4 speed transaxle.

 

Back in the 1950's thru the '70's, Vespa used to make a motor scooter that was sold in the US. The price then was around $200.00/$300.00. They have just be re-introduced, and are selling like hotcakes. The price has gone up considerably. Vespa's are made in Italy.

 

i knew that.

the car was a 58 or 59 if i remember correctly. where it came from i have no idea, but my brother and i used it for a field basher from 68 till 76 when the engine finally lost compression.


then it became a target for shooting at untill i loaded what was left of it in a load going to the scrap yard in the early 80's

 

Vespa cars have to be pretty rare, I've never heard of one. (Probably worth $??????)