1985 "Oh God What have I done" sorry, Sinclair C5

Real question then is, MR2 or Coupe, which will finish rotting first?

4 Likes

Hey the C5 is trying it’s best to get in on that as well Leo.

In seriousness that’s all surface, all gonna be sanded back and painted at some point. Today’s progress however:

Electrics all nearly back at 100%. Did the previously mentioned control box repairs and remounted the motor, just need to get the drive belt fitted there. Tyres still haven’t arrived, and I need to make up a new chain for it.

7 Likes

Decided to complete the resurrection today as I didn’t want to overshadow the big man yesterday (and it completely chucked it down all day). Got the motor mounted properly by improvising a fix to the little mounting “fence,” got the belt on and tensioned, and made up a new chain for it.

There is a proper Sinclair bracket for this, but a well placed cable tie works just as well.

For the first time in 20+ years it turned a wheel under it’s own power, goes well too. Only had a very short test drive on my own so no pictures yet, there’s a crap video but I’m not posting it. :stuck_out_tongue: @pyrlix will back me up if necessary or I’m sure I’ll get a better one once I’ve got it cleaned up a bit.

Test driving helped me to find that the brakes are utterly terrifying, even more so than as standard. The rear drum instantly locks up the rear right wheel and the front blocks seem to have gone rock hard and do precisely 0.

Tyres still haven’t arrived and they’re a pretty desperate need, hopefully will be very soon. Cleaned about half of it after my quick test drive today and sanded some of the scuffing out of it, so should hopefully get a proper test drive later in the week. Oh, and cleaned up some of that rust around the rear end.

2 Likes

I still think it needs one of these:

3 Likes

I actually want one of these butt teslas now.

To me it just looks like the world’s most dangerous electric moped with training wheels, I love it!

I meant to reply to that on Facebook, I’ll get on with making a wheelie bar. :wink: Not entirely sure how I’d manage to power it, haha.

Also Butt Tesla, I like that, I wonder if I can get a badge made up for the back in the Tesla font.

You’d have to pay for that font, it’s (Emblem is the name I think) a $25 font.

Nah man, enough logo exists to quickly mess around. :stuck_out_tongue:

8 Likes

3D Print that, glue it on the rear of the Sinclair and sell it as a special edition :wink:

4 Likes

Some shitty calculations says it’d be good for about 190kph and <3 sec to 100kph (given enough traction, which it won’t have…) :stuck_out_tongue:

You’re not wrong. I’d be most concerned if you got it up to any speed how you’d stop it I think. Current blocks on the front plastic rim are a bit useless, they just get hot and make howling noises, and the rear drum locks the right rear wheel with any sort of effort applied, so it’s a bit scary at 15mph never mind anything more. :joy:

Make a brake chute (sp?) from an old blanket or something. Or wear clogs with thick soles.:grin:

How much does it weigh by the way?

~30kg without the battery.

Isn’t that pretty light I’m pretty sure my electric bicycle with the battery on weighs the same

Add even a light person to that and suddenly you realise the standard 250W motor isn’t doing a lot. :joy:

It’s been a couple of weeks now, other things have come up, but much progress has been made with what was left. Sadly this did start off by finding out the rear part of the chassis had been bent at some point, so nothing quite lined up. So, progress since last post includes:

  • New tyres and inner tubes finally arrived and fitted, loads better!
  • Forgot to mention previously that I’d made the new chain for it as well, the old one was very very knackered.
  • Brakes freed off and adjusted, it’s now still not great at stopping but it’s as good as one of these gets.
  • Got a proper new battery for it instead of using the old, slightly dead massive heavy one of my Dad’s Auris.
  • Spent loads of time cleaning and sanding scuffs.
  • Added some temporary centre caps and the other missing wheel covers.

I’m gonna hold off on the pictures for now - it’s looking loads better and is fully working, but I’ve got to tidy the wiring up and it’s still got the scuffed torn stickers on it. New ones are on order, so some proper pictures will appear soon. :thumbsup:

8 Likes

Right then, slightly delayed but as promised, new stripes and wheel stickers fitted, and I made up a nice wiring loom with quick release battery connectors, an ignition key switch, and a relay with a diode in for reverse polarity protection. A final clean up, and here it is:

Also managed to get a key made for the original sinclair boot lock so no fitment issues and the boot doesn’t fall open anymore when you ride it.

Also, most people by now will probably have seen the picture of me 4 years ago that does the rounds in these parts of what has been termed “action hair” on my mates Sinclair C5 that we restored back then for an event at Wetherby.

Well, 4 years have passed. I am a little older, I am a little wiser. No actually I’m not, because in that same car park at that same event at Wetherby, albeit looking a bit healthier and with slightly shorter hair…

This is very low res because Facebook compressed it stupidly when my mate sent it to me from his phone, but I feel that some sort of prophecy has come true today, haha. Also got a picture of the fastest and slowest things at the show.

17 Likes

Pleeeease upgrade the motor… Then you could have a Driftclair!

4 Likes

See if I upgrade the motor immediately, it becomes illegal to use on the road without registration, tax etc. And trust me you can get some reasonable slides out of it as it is on the right surface. :wink: