New Pacific North Wet member

[Voo Doo Blue]

New member here, been collecting parts for about 12 years now, finally have enough parts & incentive to start the build this summer. I hope.

Wondering if anyone else is in the PacNorWet? I'm in Cherryville, in the foothills of Mt Hood, Oregon. Looking for others interested in building, chatting, hanging out and riding once the thing is done.

I have a 50 mile each way commute to work, so I figured for the 3-5 months a year I can, it would be a blast to ride my home built trike in to work.

My biggest hangup with building so far has been: settling down on one design!

I like V8, VW, Subaru and Pinto powered trikes. I also like front, mid and rear engine setups. On top of that, I like open trikes (think California Cruiser and Asphalt Angel by Ed Big Daddy Roth) and enclosed trikes (think Mailbox by Roth).

About the only decisions I have made for sure are: NOT bike apowered, NOT reverse trike, and must have King & Queen seating, because momma wants to ride on the weekends.

The hardest part for me is: I know what I like when I see it and I know what I don't want for myself when I see it, but I'm not sure how to make it right until after I've built it. *shaking head*

Yeah, basket case #1 coming to the PNW soon, watch for pictures. Lmfao

Blue

[rhino 2]

New member here, been collecting parts for about 12 years now, finally have enough parts & incentive to start the build this summer. I hope.

Wondering if anyone else is in the PacNorWet? I'm in Cherryville, in the foothills of Mt Hood, Oregon. Looking for others interested in building, chatting, hanging out and riding once the thing is done.

I have a 50 mile each way commute to work, so I figured for the 3-5 months a year I can, it would be a blast to ride my home built trike in to work.

My biggest hangup with building so far has been: settling down on one design!

I like V8, VW, Subaru and Pinto powered trikes. I also like front, mid and rear engine setups. On top of that, I like open trikes (think California Cruiser and Asphalt Angel by Ed Big Daddy Roth) and enclosed trikes (think Mailbox by Roth).

About the only decisions I have made for sure are: NOT bike apowered, NOT reverse trike, and must have King & Queen seating, because momma wants to ride on the weekends.

The hardest part for me is: I know what I like when I see it and I know what I don't want for myself when I see it, but I'm not sure how to make it right until after I've built it. *shaking head*

Yeah, basket case #1 coming to the PNW soon, watch for pictures. Lmfao

Blue

Welcome To Trike-Talk............

[trike lady]

Hello & to Trike Talk.

[hogmemberisold]

Welcome to Trike Talk.... !!!!!!!

[ol' school]

Welcome to Trike Talk!

[Zammy]

Hello "Blue" and welcome to the forums.

[Marc H]

Welcome to Trike Talk Blue!!!

[hardwickbv]

Welcome from Indiana!!!

Bob

[Gorilla]

Welcome Blue when you get started share the build with us We love picture's. Enjoy the build.

[Voo Doo Blue]

Welcome Blue when you get started share the build with us We love picture's. Enjoy the build.

Thanks for all the welcomes!

I'll post pics as I go, I need to finish a couple things before I start, but this is the first time I've actually felt like building instead of collecting parts, so hopefully I can start posting in a couple months.

I'll be asking for advice all along this build, as you all have more background with bikes and trikes than I do.

I'm an on- and off-road car, truck and semi builder, but I'm willing to do and learn from my mistakes. Or ask for your input from experience.

For parts, I have a Honda 750 front end and tank, multiple VW swing arm tranny's, a Mercedes IRS, multiple V8 trannys, multiple VW air-cooled engines, a NA Pinto 2.3 with a factory turbo setup to add, a 350 and a 454 Chevy, and finally, a pair of 15x14 original Crager SS's. There's also a shop full of electrical parts, lighting, metal, fabrication tools, upholstery tools, body work and paint equipment, etc. There's even a massive amount of woodworking gear, but I'm not sure how much that helps on this project? Possibly for bucking and patterning if there's fiberglass work to be done, but that's yet to be seen.

Wish me luck and hope I can make decisions. And stick with them.

[Voo Doo Blue]

I just looked at the locations of the replies to my original post and realized: I've got some route planning to do for my first 'round the US on the new trike trip!

[Uncle Fester]

Welcome from Greenfield, Indiana!!

[Voo Doo Blue]

I'm leaning towards a mid engine setup with a VW transaxle for my first attempt. 🤔 All the rear engine VW setups I've read about or seen have lead or other weight added to the front 2/3's of the trike, basically anything in front of the torsion bar is 1/4" wall tubing and filled with melted-in lead or made of solid bar stock... I see why, but I'm not a fan of adding unnecessary weight. I'd rather flip the transaxle to a mid configuration to use the weight I already have to my advantage. That's how I do my sand rails, and it seems like a smart way to do my trike too... Any comments from those with more experience than me? Am I missing something? I mean, mid engine VW setups go back to the 60's, there must be a reason I've never seen a trike with one.

While I'm asking, I've also never seen a VW based trike that didn't use the original VW torsion bar suspension setup. Why is that? It cannot be 100% 'because its easy' or 'because thats the way its always been done'. There are far better suspension designs available now, with the tech available via coil over and nitro shocks. Dr Porsche made a great Peoples Car with what he had available and it was mass reproducible, as well as inexpensive to make and repair, but it was never the best it could possibly be, even when it was 10 minutes old. He was the first to say that, I'm not a heretic.

Please, I'm still in the pencil-on-paper stage here, mistakes cost no more than eraser shavings at this point, let me know if I'm off base or if I'm actually on to something here.

I'm kinda picturing a flat 4 or flat 6 Subaru engine under the front seat area, facing forward, like in a stock Subaru car configuration, the transaxle under the rear seat area, coil over shocks with heim-hung trailing arms suspending the N50-15 rear tires on 15x14 Crager SS wheels. Traditional springer style chopper forks on the front with lots of chrome, and a radiator flush down in the back where you're used to seeing a VW engine hanging off the back like an after thought. Basically, a modern take on a tradional 60's/70's fiberglass VW trike.

Comments? Concerns? Active thoughts/ criticisms welcomed. Flames, not so much, but I understand the passion behind them, so Bic lighter flames accepted and welcomed, bon fires not so much. Teachers and tire kickers are appreciated but haters need to wait until I go by, then they can spue to their buddies all they want behind my back, as I ride off into the distance with my hair flying behind me and a grin on my face.

Cory

[Voo Doo Blue]

Quick question:

I've heard 58 degrees for the head stock and I've heard 42 degrees.

What's the magic number?!?

Also, does it really matter, or do you go with what looks good first & make it control later?