My 4 year old sons first car - the swing bin racer.
Discussion
RichB said:
The Inventor of the Marmite Laser said:
Just ordered some headlights. These looked useful:
http://www.dx.com/p/l-221-universal-3w-180lm-6000k...
And at £4 each it doesn't matter too much when the lad bashes them first time he crashes teh car. Which he will http://www.dx.com/p/l-221-universal-3w-180lm-6000k...
Thinking about looking on DX.com or banggood.com for a radio controlled switch I can use to kill the motor if little 'un is getting too close to the pots of triffids
Edited by The Inventor of the Marmite Laser on Sunday 29th May 22:40
Bit more progress over the weekend...
Connected the boot properly - and couldn't resist spraying it!
Then started on the bonnet. Cut the bin out and put some hinges on it.
Screwed on the bonnet and made sure it opens/closes properly. Needed a bit of trimming on my dash and on the bin itself, but it looks OK...
..and trying it out for size. Still lots to do, but taking shape.
Connected the boot properly - and couldn't resist spraying it!
Then started on the bonnet. Cut the bin out and put some hinges on it.
Screwed on the bonnet and made sure it opens/closes properly. Needed a bit of trimming on my dash and on the bin itself, but it looks OK...
..and trying it out for size. Still lots to do, but taking shape.
I'm pondering building something like this. How long can they run for on a normal drill battery? I'm not sure whether to go down that route or buy a motor and build my own battery pack from individual cells or even fit an internal combustion engine from a chainsaw or similar.
ETA: It looks like you can buy a complete mobility to use as a donor for about £50.
ETA: It looks like you can buy a complete mobility to use as a donor for about £50.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 31st May 21:04
Bloody hell. I'm crap at stuff like this. 
DannyC92 said:
Just made an account for this post, just got the plans today, my son is 5 atm, just wondering if anyone has managed to make a bigger version of this. I seen a reply in the earlier comments from someone who was trying to do that.
What, like out of a wheelie bin?DannyC92 said:
Just made an account for this post, just got the plans today, my son is 5 atm, just wondering if anyone has managed to make a bigger version of this. I seen a reply in the earlier comments from someone who was trying to do that.
Why not just stretch the cab section a bit and maybe watch for knee clearance under the dash? My one seems to fit ny 4-5 year old grandson and he's of a size with some 6 year olds
MrBig said:
What sort of wheel sizes are people using? Need to order plans but I'm impatient and already shopping on eBay for parts!! Found some 250mm wheels which look pretty good, complete with bearings and pneumatic tyres too!
250mm is about 10 inches in old money. For the front wheels on the Marmitemobile 3 wheeler, I used 10 inch (I think) wheels off an otherwise knackered kiddies bike I got for 2 quid from a charity shop. Big advantage was it had solid (puncture proof) tyres. The wheel with the chain drive needed a bit of modding and, of course, the rear wheel is what came with the wheelchair "outboard" motor. That was, I think 8 inch, but I have an urge to up that to another 10 inch bike wheel if I can find another scrappie.It lives!
The OP very kindly offered his lad's car to a PH dad earlier in the year and I dutifully collected it a couple of months ago. The weather's better now and my lad just about old enough to drive it, so it got a fresh coat of paint at the weekend and a quick shakedown. The steering wheel broke, but that should be fixed soon enough (you can just about make out the bodge in the picture below). All it needs now is an orange stripe down the middle, and perhaps around the end of the nose itself BRM style.
These are wonderful things and my lad loves it - if you have the skill to build one I absolutely recommend that you do it. Many, many thanks to the OP for his generosity.
(and yes, I need to sort the lawn out - been too busy messing about with cars!)
The OP very kindly offered his lad's car to a PH dad earlier in the year and I dutifully collected it a couple of months ago. The weather's better now and my lad just about old enough to drive it, so it got a fresh coat of paint at the weekend and a quick shakedown. The steering wheel broke, but that should be fixed soon enough (you can just about make out the bodge in the picture below). All it needs now is an orange stripe down the middle, and perhaps around the end of the nose itself BRM style.
These are wonderful things and my lad loves it - if you have the skill to build one I absolutely recommend that you do it. Many, many thanks to the OP for his generosity.
(and yes, I need to sort the lawn out - been too busy messing about with cars!)
Actus Reus said:
It lives!
The OP very kindly offered his lad's car to a PH dad earlier in the year and I dutifully collected it a couple of months ago. The weather's better now and my lad just about old enough to drive it, so it got a fresh coat of paint at the weekend and a quick shakedown. The steering wheel broke, but that should be fixed soon enough (you can just about make out the bodge in the picture below). All it needs now is an orange stripe down the middle, and perhaps around the end of the nose itself BRM style.
These are wonderful things and my lad loves it - if you have the skill to build one I absolutely recommend that you do it. Many, many thanks to the OP for his generosity.
(and yes, I need to sort the lawn out - been too busy messing about with cars!)
Its good to see you are enjoying it! The OP very kindly offered his lad's car to a PH dad earlier in the year and I dutifully collected it a couple of months ago. The weather's better now and my lad just about old enough to drive it, so it got a fresh coat of paint at the weekend and a quick shakedown. The steering wheel broke, but that should be fixed soon enough (you can just about make out the bodge in the picture below). All it needs now is an orange stripe down the middle, and perhaps around the end of the nose itself BRM style.
These are wonderful things and my lad loves it - if you have the skill to build one I absolutely recommend that you do it. Many, many thanks to the OP for his generosity.
(and yes, I need to sort the lawn out - been too busy messing about with cars!)
NiceCupOfTea said:
Folks, do these have enough grunt to pull themselves around over a bumpy lawn, or are they strictly smooth surfaces? I'd really like to build one for my 4 year old daughter but she is tall for age so some modifications would need to be in order...
It will be fine on the lawn but they do struggle on wet surfaces. My boy only grew out of it at about age 9.LarJammer said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
Folks, do these have enough grunt to pull themselves around over a bumpy lawn, or are they strictly smooth surfaces? I'd really like to build one for my 4 year old daughter but she is tall for age so some modifications would need to be in order...
It will be fine on the lawn but they do struggle on wet surfaces. My boy only grew out of it at about age 9.
Here's my one.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/simes205/QX17K6
It's being used but no wings on it.
Martin I'm using a cheep drill that pulls 1500rpm, it's on the slow speed too as she was quite scared by its pace.
Interesting how some of you have rose jointed the steering. I bought rose joints but only did the track rod ends. But that bobbin is crap so I'm redoing the whole steering column.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/simes205/QX17K6
It's being used but no wings on it.
Martin I'm using a cheep drill that pulls 1500rpm, it's on the slow speed too as she was quite scared by its pace.
Interesting how some of you have rose jointed the steering. I bought rose joints but only did the track rod ends. But that bobbin is crap so I'm redoing the whole steering column.
Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 16th May 23:31
The wheel was found by luck. We bought my son a sit on car for Christmas. I looked online for other things made by this company and found you could upgrade parts. Saw the wheel, measured diameter and By luck it was what I needed!
I can't remember now where I got it though. £25 has working indicators, horn and other effects.
I can't remember now where I got it though. £25 has working indicators, horn and other effects.
That looks great fun and takes me back. I designed (OK cobbled together) and built my own electric go-kart when I was around 11 or 12.
It used a dynamo from some car or another and found that they work as motors. Didn't know that until I was messing about with one. A pulley and belt from an old washing machine and the usual pram wheels were added to complete the machine.
Some small mistakes were the 12V switch that was a domestic light switch and the battery had a very short life before recharge.
My next idea was using a starter motor but never got round to it.
Somewhere I have 8mm film of it (and me) taken by my dad.
It used a dynamo from some car or another and found that they work as motors. Didn't know that until I was messing about with one. A pulley and belt from an old washing machine and the usual pram wheels were added to complete the machine.
Some small mistakes were the 12V switch that was a domestic light switch and the battery had a very short life before recharge.
My next idea was using a starter motor but never got round to it.
Somewhere I have 8mm film of it (and me) taken by my dad.
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