Jump to content
Security Installer Community

Sinclair C5 Thread


arfur mo

Recommended Posts

ok open season declared on Arfur - will he ever learn?

i own 2 x Sinclair C5 3 wheelers, madder than a box of frogs but a riot to ride around in.

i don't risk taking it on main roads, but tend to buz along local side roads @ 15 mph if i'm lucky to be on a down hill slope (very quiet and rural where i live).

club meets up with other owners, range is oly 15 - 20 mile on a car battery but you can fit them into a Toyata Yaris or onto a rood rack for transporting and we ride though places like Cambridge and along seafronts simply because they have cycle path's and are pretty flat.

bet your thinking i've finally lost it, trust me once you get over feeling like a total tit, and you concentrate more on people's varied reactions, most smile in pity or laugh, point, exclaim, true some scowl others in total disbelief that so many survived and are still in top working order, end up with the broad C5 smile.

agreed its mad, barmy as a bag of bats in butter but its also 25 years old, totally very British - what else is more so, and still working today? it just hooks you in.

not a dear hobby, decent one cost around £450.00 - £800.00 immaculate with prices rising fast, or as i did buy one not so good condition and restore for fun. no tax, insurance of petrol needed, just need to be over 14 to legally ride one but i'd advise 3rd part injury., do't need a massive tool kit or a hoist, just a decorating platform and tyre pump

last year 9 of us met up and road along Brighton and Hove promenade bike lane, looked like a string of signets dodging along in file, we stopped every few miles and got beseeched by interested public, very keen to sit in them and have a photo taken, kids were amazing one heard to say "Dad, i don't want a ps3 for my birthday i want one of these cool 'new (lol!)' machines".

we all rode into Mc Donald's drive through, caused a bit of a stir and a jam, but other drivers were so fascinated they stayed cool and good nature, no doubt deciding best to humour those bunch of nutters,.

every on remmebers the disastrous public launch and the bad press, stupid to release an electric vehicle powered by a small battery on a freezing cold day, and on top of one of the biggest hills in London nowthats brainless, the C5 was way ahead of its time and green, body designed by Lotus, and if done today with modern motors and batteries would make good sales i'm sure

so feel free to snigger away and say what you like, but it won't be anything new to me, imo real good giggle and great fun to take the grandkids over the local park with.

regs

Arfur Mo

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I kind of get where you're coming from, and Im sure they are great fun but I couldn't own one.

Presumably you watched "Micromen" recently, it was great TV.

Originally said by Charles Babbage
On two occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess care in the community with them spending there payments on electric toys is cheaper than building a secure hospital......

git! bruce_h4h.gif

lol,

what i can do is get my revenge on the maniac disabled chariot drivers we have around here, penalty of living in a heavens waiting room area.

regs

Arfur Mo

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

how far do they go an a car batt arf?

And can you put modern batts in them?

with any battery, ambient temperature and terrain affect its range, there is no throttle, its a simple on/of push button so you operate the motor in short bursts, and you peddle to get going, mainly to save the wear on the gears and drive belt which also helps the battery, but it will move off on electric power only. once moving it accelerates quit well.

the original batteries are obviously all dead, you can get near copies for the ultra original fans, tbh way to small gets about 5 miles, the size was to keep weight down below the then regs (ooh! get me ;) )

forums owner makes a battery conversion with clip on connectors, which also protects against reversal - which will fry the controller, as will rolling it backwards to much.

lot of debate on the best car battery, some favour normal, heavy duty and others go for leisure versions and keep them trickle charged as you do on a caravan to maintain capacity. some have gone Li Ion but they are serious money.

the yellow C5 is converted for 24 volt and has a throttle control, it will get to about 26 MPH, but the original plastic gearbox is very fragile, needs to be use sparingly and with care at full throttle.

once going stopping can be an interesting experience, it has bike brake on the plastic front wheel, and a sort of drum brake on the rear off side wheel, drive is to the rear near side wheel, brake to hard on the front and the rim cam melt, brake to hard on the back and you lurch to the right, or if ground is wet perfrm a spectacular doughnut.

mind you there is a rocket powered one - and i'm very serious yes there is - it will go a bit faster, just stopping the bugger is a ver real problem so will it will go a lot further because of that ;)

only used on test priate tracks., think it did over 100 mph on a test run (and you thought i'm crazy), but obviousl heavily modified wheels brakes etc.

get one, stick you logo on it and make it look like you siren, and drive around the town center, better than any bell cover to grab attention

regs

Arfur Mo.

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

no picture?

Hi Paul, i had a quick look but can't find the ones taken last year,

white one is bog standard so plenty on that site, but have a look for the 'cobolt blue' and '007' just shows what you can do to customise, not had the courage to go cruising down Southend with the lad yet - can't get it to 'burn out'.

if interested or curious at all in electric vehicles, also google 'mini el' . these are still made i think in Denmark newones cost cost a bomb, look like a bigger more powerful version. 50 mph range 50 miles, 36 volt, these do have to be insurred and MOT'd but no road tax i.e. free disc..

Paul, your into advertising, you will know you need to get a high visual impact to draw attention, example scanty clad girls get the guys interest, but then having got a business card generally many of those prospect sales targets, expensive to procure will move away embarrassed, having fallen over their tongue, end of impact,

so imo, nothing but nothing can beat these things for sales impact, it will initiate interested, then draw out inquisitive conversation where you can sell yourself as a decent guy, gain initial trust the main platform for all sales (like everyone, hey won't buy if they don't trust you), and you can then capitalise on that 'ice breaking' bridge.

so perhaps i'm not as mad as many make out?

well not all the time folks - honest wink.gif.

regs

Arfur Mo

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hybred lexus is only £125 road tax with its 4+ ltr V8, cleint tells me!

so spend £40k & save £275 a yr, bargin :rolleyes:

imo one trouble with the Hybrids i've noticed is when on electric, you have massive vehicle bu you can't hear it, we can be careful but how do the blind and deaf get on?

i reckon they should have some sort of bleepers imo

Arfur

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we can be careful but how do the blind and deaf get on?

I clean black bumpers with peanut butter, it kid run out in the road, if the van don't kill 'em maybe a nut allergy will ?

Mr? Veritas God

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking cbr 600 engine ?

Why MUCK about Suzuki 1300 busa with engine managment set to full. ( Stock bike does 200MPH, 1st version,) they tamed the 2nd. Muwhahhahahahaaaaaa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

massive appologies for not replying here, but i've not been getting any email notifications?????

Brooklands (based in Surrey) has become the 'spiritual home' for C5's and other electric vehicles, the forum exibets about 4 times a year their, members will at their descretion let people have a ride in one.

but forget abot IC engines guys, thaats seriously old school, last month a Gas Turbine powered C5 shot up the 1 in 4 test hill, there is a video on c5alive.co.uk site (no, you don't have to join ;) ).

have to say only the shell is original, those original plasic wheels just would not last, if it had standard factory brakes i'd shivver to think, most likely would not stop until tower bridge.:ninja: .

mad as a box of frogs, and you feel a real nanna first ride out in one, then you hear kids badgering dads, dads badgering wives for one, the looks on faces are to be seen. some in surprise others in total shock, and don't forget the occassioal yank asking where to buy this new fangled car :rolleyes: , all you can do is the C5 smile - ear to ear.

price when released was £399.00 when it did not do so well mainly thanks to the stupidity of launching a battery vehicle in January, and on top of the biggest hill in North London - Alley Pally,

press ripped it to shreds. it was eventually sold off for £40.00 in Curry's, many still turn up unopened, worth upwards of £1200.00. many are sold from hilly parts like North Wales and Scotland - little used lol!

you can buy a scruffy basket case in need of restoration for £150 ish, a reasonable machine £400.00 up, depends how pristine, how complete and what extras like indicators and wing mirrors are fitted.

most owners now use car batteries, a C5 will do about 15 miles on relatively flat roads/paths on one charge. some fit an extra small battery in the other footwell just to get them home if the main battery fails.

other like my yellow machine have 2 x 70 amp batts, in series for 24 volt running, using a quad bike controller wth a throttle.

compared to Golf or fishing (both i hate) it's a fairly cheap hobby, don't ned a masive tool set or ramp blocking the garauge,

shell was designed by Lotus, being plastic won't rust, chassis is steel but easy enough to strip down, rust treat and paint etc.

its one of those hobbies where everyone laughs at it you, but nobody seems to sneer at you, must just be that small child in all of us i'd guess.

Arfur

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

didnt uncle clive do a battery bike? zeta or something?

yes, a lesser known product, but called the 'Zike',

if that had been released in the yuppy days i reckon could have made a a place in a nich market.

some members of the forum own them, i'm told bit like riding a mounting bike made of plastacine conduit, me being 16 stone+ so if i ever got on one, it would really be a leap of faith :whistle: .

not Sinclair but another 'beloved' 3 wheeler the Isseta Bubble Car, one of my clients has a small selction of cars, and owns one. she says apart the driving experience being really hairy, not just the handling but the seats are filled with horse hair.

bet that was fun seating for girls wearing a mini skirts tn their heyday :rolleyes:

Arfur

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.