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Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nice work Ian. Very over engineered just as it should be. You have to love a Nyloc too. I wonder when those first turned up on a vehicle, I know they were used extensively in the mid to late 70's.
Upt.
27/01/2026 17:21:09 UTC
nab301 said :-
@ Jeff , as you've discovered once you get your head around fuel injection , component wise it's less challenging than a late model engine with a CV carburettor which in itself is an engineering marvel .
@ Ian , nice work there , is it the inserts you have to weld to the 1" tubing?
Nigel
27/01/2026 17:35:09 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Thanks for kind comments. Nigel - yes, the inserts will be welded to the tubing. Welding's not my strong(!) point. I have a stick welder that works fine for these heavier items but no good for delicate work, not that I go in for that.
I've had some sensible comments from a sidecar forum, one if which suggests I make the forward upper link to the vertical hoop as otherwise all depend on effectively a friction fit around the chassis tube. I think I can manage that, in fact have added a couple of pics showing that configuration.
I think nylocs came in shortly after WW2. There were also variants on the theme, some with a little split that allowed the top of the nut to distort, and I think others which had a slightly oval section.
Actually a quick ask to Claude tells me a version of nyloc was invented in Sweden in 1927 which is long before I'd thought.
28/01/2026 10:14:13 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Have done the welding now but to save my blushes and your sanity have chosen not to photograph them.
31/01/2026 09:57:59 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Get the grinder out Ian, we'll be none-the-wiser
31/01/2026 16:47:40 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Oh OK, cleaned up on the grinder and a couple of coats of toolstation's finest satin black and they don't look too bad.
01/02/2026 10:09:14 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
They'll be fine I'm sure. You don't want to be losing Electra in the sidecar Wallace and Grommit style so I reckon you'll be checking them for structural integrity. How far off is the finished combo?
02/02/2026 08:08:39 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It's getting there. Paint scheduled week commencing 2nd March and I should have finished all the mechanical bits by then. As I suspected, the nearside radiator wants to be in the same place as the struts so need a creative solution for that. I wonder whether a single, larger unit may do the job. Shame it's not air cooled.
I don't see Electra in the sidecar for some time. I plan to make a plywood box in place of the seat and put redundant paving blocks in it as some ballast to help keep the chair wheel on the deck otherwise left hand bends may be interesting.
02/02/2026 09:58:24 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Maybe mount the rad at the front of the chair, and mount a heater matrix inside the chair so the sidecar can be heated in the winter?
02/02/2026 13:26:00 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Winter? All safely tucked up in the garage then. But I am toying with putting a single rad between the chair and bike. Otherwise the RH one will almost fit with a couple of small brackets, and the LH one moved out sideways. I'll sit and look at it a bit more. I've also managed to pick up a mounting for the upper front stay which will fit on the "hoop" to make it all a bit more stable.
Meanwhile have drilled and holecut mounts for the indicators and stop/tail lights on the mudguard. I'm using round Mini-type lights which are not as elegant as the originals but then they didn't have indicators back in the day. Obviously I'm not trying for catalogue perfection here.
Other things to do: drill holes for turnbuckle type retainers for the tonneau cover, modify the nearside cosmetic cover to fit round the sidecar brackets, etc etc etc.
02/02/2026 14:10:01 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian , don't bother with paving blocks for ballast , fit a big commercial battery instead , then when the electrics inevitably fail ( although hopefully more reliable than the Norton!) you'll have no problem getting home , ( does your motorcycle recovery include sidecars...)
Nigel
02/02/2026 16:24:17 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I'm relying on Suzuki reliability..... and I'd have to pay for a big battery whereas the pavers are free being left over from a patio built by a bunch of cowboys. Plus I can add / remove in a modular sort of way as they weigh 2.5kg each. As I relearn my long-lost skills I can go progressively lighter. Till I end up in the ditch.
02/02/2026 16:44:09 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Having played about with the (twin) radiators I think I can see a way clear by spacing the left hand one out about 6" or so. It would look a bit odd as a solo but will merge in with the struts etc especially when the rads have the obligatory coat of satin black.
03/02/2026 14:15:48 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Just a pic of the painted struts and the subtly modified side panel to clear the mounting clamps:
04/02/2026 12:57:10 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Is there going to be enough room to get a big boot down between all those connectors? Am I correct in counting 5 connections?
04/02/2026 15:36:21 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, I have tried it and my size 12 fits in there OK with a bit of contortion. Of course I don't have to extricate it when I stop which is a bonus! There's also enough room above the brake pedal which I was slightly concerned about but seems OK.
Yes, 5 connections. The 2 lower ones front & back take most of the vertical load. The three upper ones keep the whole rig from toppling over. Some people only use 2 upper ones but I'm advised by an authority yjat 3 is better. It does seem pretty rigid even before I tighten the clevis bolts.
04/02/2026 16:26:29 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Just a quick pic of my spray booth. The Wine Society use very good strong cardboard boxes to distribute their nectar, providing very useful raw material.
Unfortunately too small to get the Steib body in it.
05/02/2026 10:28:58 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
"The Wine Society"? Good heavens just how posh is life in Redditch? Posh - and pickled too.
09/02/2026 08:09:19 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Not posh, just sensible. For a one-off £40 subscription you can get some great wine. My current favourite is a Bordeaux red (of course) which is available in bag-in-box as well as bottles for less than £8 a bottle. And free delivery.
I have to admit that at one time I worked out the best alcohol to £ ratio and ended up with draught sherry from the local offy. It tasted disgusting.
09/02/2026 10:38:13 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I'm glad I don't drink, it seems terribly complicated.
09/02/2026 15:47:55 UTC
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