Thread: Trike, take 2

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Time for another project. I've been wanting to build a trike for a while and my last attempt fizzled without getting too far. So we'll see if this attempt goes any better. Im planning on loosely basing it on the Trimuter plans from RQ Riley and a similar trike called the Tryon Viper. This was my daily work driver for a few years and then my son used it while he finished medical school. The front of the car will be the back of the trike and I plan to repurpose as much of the car as possible to keep it low buck.

That's a cool idea. I haven't seen a trike built out of a modern car.

Interesting idea. I'll be watching.

Several years ago I saw a trike built out of, I think, a small front-wheel-drive Oldsmobile (Cutlass Sierra, maybe?). It was on Main Street during Bikeweek in Daytona beach, Florida the first time I saw it. I saw it again a year or two later cruising down U.S.-1 in Daytona. Whoever built it was very clever; they grafted the front fenders and rear quarters together at the wheel wells so it had the stock Olds taillights and headlights. The motorcycle frame was grafted somehow through the grille and under the bumper of the Olds nose. The gas tank was mounted in the motorcycle frame where the engine used to be. it was really nicely done, but I haven't seen it again for 4 or 5 years. Wish I had a picture...

That sounds pretty cool; I've seen a few of them. One was built from a Fiero and one from a Cavalier.

A guy I used to work with built one from a Honda Car. He got it all to work but his frame building skills and the ability to blend it all together left something to be desired. It's not a safe trike, I rode in it once and the whole thing would flex up and down at every bump and it was a bear to corner, it would just push straight. As for what it looked like, If you ever seen the show Everybody Loves Raymond where Marie makes a vase and nobody can figure out what it looks like until the end? Well, it's kinda like that, only we called his trike the flying vage I have more confidence in your work

Thanks Seth. I've never built a chassis before but hopefully it comes out with better results. I certainly don't want to end up killing myself or anyone else.

New sunroof installed....

Wow.. major league sunroof! LOL..

It just hit me, you finished your Plymouth, I finished my 53, within a 2 months we both have new projects going on even though the last ones took 10 or more years to finish. It's a sickness

I got the rest of the car cut up today and separated the save pile from the pitch pile. I also trimmed off a lot of the unibody sheet metal to expose the front suspension. I'm going to keep the factory engine cradle and build a frame around that. Next is start planning the length of the frame and how the seat spacing is going to work out.

Looking nice Pat! Were you able to run over to Gateway and catch any of Drag week?

Hey, Ryan. No, I've been buried in a kitchen remodel for a few months so not much car stuff happing other than the local shows. Thankfully we just finished so I'm back to working with metal instead of wood. A little more trimming today....

I saved the "tub" and just cut it in half to give me the width of one seat and the shifter hump. I plan on putting a gas tank under the front of the hump. Still need to work on dimensions but this is basically what I'm shooting for. Once I have dimensions finalized I'll start on the frame.

After looking at a multitude of trike designs over the last week I think the best route to take is something more cycle oriented. So I'm going to back up and go more in that direction. I think the build will go quicker and cheaper and there is a wealth of online info to refer to. Plus I've got a decent supply of 1 1/4' chrome moly tubing I can use and not have to buy. so, back to this point.