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Would You Believe A Two-Wheeled Car?
Detroit will probably never be interested, but Pete Schlatter of Francisville, Ind., hasn't let that bother him. He invented the world's first two-wheeled car strictly for his own enjoyment.
His chain-driven "roadster" mystifies mechanics and car buffs, who say such a car is impossible, even as they watch it chu
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Would You Believe A Two-Wheeled Car? FARM HOME Cars 3-1-11 Detroit will probably never be interested, but Pete Schlatter of Francisville, Ind., hasn't let that bother him. He invented the world's first two-wheeled car strictly for his own enjoyment.
His chain-driven "roadster" mystifies mechanics and car buffs, who say such a car is impossible, even as they watch it chug along 3t its top speed of 4-5 mph at shows and parades. Schlatter doesn't spend much time explaining the mystery to bystanders, but he did talk to FARM SHOW.
"What appear to be two soft radial tires are really just shells for two small support wheels," he says. "The hidden wheels are 13 in. apart in each tire and are chain-driven by a small Onan motor under the hood."
Engine weight in front is balanced by the driver in the rear, but most of the weight is concentrated over the wheels for balance. "It takes 100 lbs. to upset it," says Schlatter. "The car performs well as long as it's on a smooth, hard, level surface."
A Canadian buddy of Schlatter's, Art Eddy, Woodstock, Ontario, built the world's second two-wheeled car to promote his company's line of drainage equipment at shows.
Eddy's car also has hidden wheels within radial tires. His car, however, is hydraulically-driven, and steered by varying the amount of fluid sent to each wheel. It's powered by a 121/2 hp John Deere garden tractor motor. The car is 41/2 ft. across and weighs 800 Ibs.
Eddy says it took a week to build with the help of his son and son-inlaw and cost about $2,000. "We have lots of fun with it," he says. "Everyone knows a two-wheeled car is impossible but when they see our car, they begin to wonder and forget their good sense."
For more information, send a selfaddressed stamped envelope to: FARM SHOW Followup, Alfred "Pete" Schlatter, Box 548, Francisvile, Ind. 47946 (ph 219 567-9158).
FARM SHOW Followup, Art Eddy, Eddy Oxford Enterprises Ltd., RR#3, Woodstock, Ontario N4S 7V7 (ph 519 537-8775).
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