My trike project took on a life of its own and eventually grew out of the Fiero cradle, so I have to post updates here now. Since the mid-engined layout was a direct result of my involvement in Fieros, I feel that it has history here, so...

The more I worked on the design the more I began to like this project, so I struck a deal with a chassis shop to build a round tube frame, to my specifications, from scratch. We are developing a dedicated fixture, with the intention of making chassis kits available for sale. I started out just the solid model just for a "rough sketch" but eventually had to make it more precise to develop the plans for the frame.

Here's the last update on my site with a better sample of the model. I have done a lot more work on it since this but am not ready to show the latest version yet.

Here's a small version of the art. I don't think the large view image will "clear" the 100K limit and I'm too lazy to resize it right now. If you're interested in seeing it it's just a couple clicks away...

Here's the original "Fiero-based" thread if you're wondering what I am talking about in the first paragraph.

------------------
toddshotrods.com - wanna ride?
crazy projects, features, articles, art & more

[This message has been edited by toddshotrods (edited 11-26-2005).]

I couldn't agree more. It's time for a clean slate approach, just using the Fiero drivetrain. I couldn't help but notice on your artists rendition that you are still using what looks like a standard motorcycle frame up front even though there is no engine in it. Why?

Technically, I am just using Fiero drivetrain theory - transverse, front-drive, powertrain mounted midship. The first powertrain is actually from a Cavalier, and I plan to replace that with an Ecotec later.

I kept the standard motorcyle frame appearance purposely. Most trikes built (especially the rear-engine VW kind) look nothing like a motorcyle. I want it to look like a three-wheeled chopper, and the main component of a chopper is the frame. Even though it looks a little like I used an old motorcyle frame in the rendering, it won't as much in person because there is not enough room in there for anything bigger than a lawnmower engine. The barrel is an auxillary fuel tank and will only hold about three gallons of additonal fuel - it's that small.

In the newer versions the frame is longer and sleeker, and the space in front is compressed a bit more. It really looks like a hardtail chopper frame now.