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"Horseless Carriage Made From Scratch
Many people have made "horseless carriages" from plans. But I made my own from scratch. It's a replica of a 1905 horseless carriage and is made entirely of plywood over a frame made from 1 by 2-in. rectangular tubing. The vehicle has tiller steering and a squeeze bulb horn on front, and a small wooden box on back. The vehicle's 8 hp Briggs & Stratton engine and 5-speed transmission are out of a 1968 Deere riding mower.
  The buggy rides on four 26-in. high wheels and 5/8-in. dia. axles. The body is supported by four snowmobile springs, which greatly improve the ride. The springs are placed upside down so they're on the axles and go against the body. As a result, the complete chassis is sprung, not just the body. On other horseless carriage replicas the engine runs on a hard frame and tends to bounce more than mine.
  The buggy is small enough to fit inside a shortbed pickup with the tailgate closed, which makes it easy to take to farm shows. (Pat Prom, 12661 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie, Minn. 55347 ph 952 944-9266)


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2005 - Volume #29, Issue #5