Aixam 500 Diesel "Cyclecar"

[TheFrequentFryer]

Has anyone played with one?

Anyone stuck a bigger engine like one of those chinese generator lumps and a dinky turbo on one?

Might be a fun thing.

[pirate]

massive potential for lunacy, rear engine light shell. they don't come up often or cheap think thats teh problem.

[TheFrequentFryer]

There is a 2001 on the shiny bay for £650.
I don't have the cash right now, but seeing it made me think.

Might silly in an evil twin smart car kind of way.

[purplevanman]

one of my m8s here runs one, his second :0
loads of mpg but pretty slow, petrol version a bit faster. Gearbox bearings go then it chews the box itself so catch them quick. The drive mech is expensive when that goes, similiar set up to the DAF.
Body panels very thin but has a fairly solid frame. does suffer from a bit of rust though.

Bike engine FWD? could be fun at less than 500kg

[TheFrequentFryer]

I was thinking using a 750cc Chinese V-twin diesel genny lump, and a petrol smart car turbo.

The original is 9.5bhp.
The 750cc V twin genny engines are 22horses and used by the motorcycle diesel guys.
How much extra oomph I wonder could they take with a very small turbo?

[composimmonite]

I had one ('99 / V reg).
Fun for a little while but soon got bored. Parts are horrendous price and they are every fragile.
One thing to watch is that the legal definition for a quadricycle is max power of 15kw which is just over 20 bhp.
Fit a more powerful engine and it turns into "proper" car that isn't certified for use in UK so automatic IVA test due.
I've now got a Smart and far better all round. Check out You Tube for Smarts with bigger engines :-)

Paul H

[TheFrequentFryer]

Oh I know all about the bigger engined smarts. Wonder if the genny lump on it's own at just over 20hp would be enough to make them useable.

[composimmonite]

The Aixam gearboxes are very weak. Very little chance of getting a good used one and £650 new. Then they fail it breaks the casing so unrepairable. Mine had to be replaced at 15000 miles and failed again 5000 miles later. This is not uncommon.
That is first stumbling block - what diff and gearboxto use ?
Maybe cut down something off a small FWD car ?
The Chinese V twins will be slow reving units for generators, pumps and such. I think the standard petrol engine of an Aixam might be more powerful / faster. Maybe tune / turbocharge one of those ?

Paul H

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

we've a 53 plate petrol in at present must be luxo one as its got alloys cd player lecy windows etc. & there front eng'd

[TheFrequentFryer]

With all the toys, I think it is an SL evolution isn't it?

[austinpowers]

My wife has a aixam 500 evo diesel that does nearly 100mpg but struggles to do 45mph.
I keep wishing it would blowup so I can put something more interesting in it,but the bloody
thing keeps going.

[will]

Whats this all about then?, can't compute without pics

[will]

Ok, done my own research

hmmm, the build looks shocking from that photo alone


Now this one shows some potential, look hard, Z car front end FTW

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

eeerrrrr? prob in for mot thurs, looks like top one above

[TheFrequentFryer]

I just fancied something daft to do something dafter with.
The other options in mind are Volvo turbo, or 6 cylinder Merc, or if I can find a spare street to park in, an old hearse. But all have been done to death, and much better than I could manage.

[qwerty]

I looked at these a while back. Mainly for novelty purpose but they seemed to be over priced imo

[vitesse6]

i have recovered a good few of those ..they are terrible , no idea how they are legal!!!!!! just seem so badly built of such bad materials...

[TheFrequentFryer]

Mar 3, 2010 17:28:29 GMT vitesse6 said:

I have recovered a good few of those ..they are terrible , no idea how they are legal!!!!!! just seem so badly built of such bad materials...

They are legal because they aren't cars. Like the Gwiz. Not cars at all by the legal definition, but 4 wheeled motorcycles with a roof.