Hey, Zen,
How 'bout something like this since I can't afford to buy a Speeder?  Think about the little engine I've got in the basement that you saw.  I have other stuff for it, too, that will work just fine.  This is an original 1903 Locomobile I saw at a show in Huntsville years ago.

Have you got any plans or is this a "design it as you go depending on the parts you can find" project?  What do you need to get started?  Henry Ford built a car in his garage and didn't have access to the kind of stuff we do.

Plans are in my head right now. Right now I need 2  vw spindles 65 back only (no links or pins).  I'm gathering things and making plans as I go.

I might be able to locate some spindles.  I've got a set of S-10 rear leaf springs you can have if you need 'em.

I think the S-10 springs would be a little to stout. Northern Tool has a Huge  selection of leaf springs with different load ratings for small to large trailers with hangers/brackets etc.  A small transmission with rev.gear is going to be the big problem . I have 2 trans. now, a riding mower that has a 90 degree shafts and a trans. that came out of a Cushman Truckster but it is nothing but a GM 3 speed that weighs more than the  engine. I do have a 12v Delco starter/gen. combo that will work.  I'm at the stage where  more R&D is needed. Maybe I need to look at some old gas powered golf cars and garden tractors  for some ideas. What do you think ?  Most people are using vertical shaft B&S engines. What kind of fun would that be riding around sounding like a new 21 inch Toro.

My boss has a 16 hp lawn tractor he's wanting to sell.  He's worked on the carb, and now he says it runs great, but unless you go really slow, the engine dies when you start cutting.  He told me Friday that he wanted $200 for it, but if someone offered $150 he would take it.  It has a hydrostatic transmission . . .

Does a hydrostatic operate at low Engine RPM's.(800-1000)I have heard that they have to have its own cooling fan. I have no clue how one of those  things work. Does it have its own pump or what?  Its something to think about. hmmm.

Here's a good animation.  It's a Linde forklift system and I'm sure there are a lot of variations, but it give you a basic understanding of how the system works.

 

Zen, Well what do you know !!  The tranny I thought was a GM car 3 speed turned out to be a Cushman Truckster box. I checked some Cushman sites and got numbers.  I took the inspection cover off and it is in perfect condition. Now for a rear diff. I have a plan to use a HIGHLY modified VW swing axle tranny.Just the diff.with spider gears, axles/tubes,side covers. I don't care about the gear train. Tony is looking around but I haven't heard anything. Do you know anywhere or anybody that has a clapped out swing axle tranny ?   I check/watched the thing you sent on the hydrostatic box. Interesting but they are problematic from what I read and 90% were for vertical shaft engines on mowers. They seem to need a constant RPM to work right.

I gave away all the bad transaxles I had a few years ago when I cleaned up my garage.  I do have one . . . it's on a home made rail buggy I have down at my cabin.  It also has a link pin front beam on it.  I've got plans to put it on the road (or at least in the woods) someday, but it ain't happened in the three or four years I've had it.  I'm ready to let it go.  William was going to look at it.  If he doesn't want it and you can use anything off of it, let me know . . .

WOW !  Beam,  tie rods ,tranny, steering column/ sector comes to mind.  PM me $$

Quote from: Ret.Bugtech on May 27, 2013, 02:52:09 PM

Quote from: Zen on May 27, 2013, 01:31:46 PM

I gave away all the bad transaxles I had a few years ago when I cleaned up my garage.  I do have one . . . it's on a home made rail buggy I have down at my cabin.  It also has a link pin front beam on it.  I've got plans to put it on the road (or at least in the woods) someday, but it ain't happened in the three or four years I've had it.  I'm ready to let it go.  William was going to look at it.  If he doesn't want it and you can use anything off of it, let me know . . .

WOW !  Beam,  tie rods ,tranny, steering column/ sector comes to mind.  PM me $$

I'm trying to break my hording habbit.  Consider it yours.  I can probably bring it to one evening this week.

Works for me. Just let me know when so I can move some stuff

David, I think I'm about to get over my latest round of broncitis (sp?) so maybe I'll get this old rail pulled out of the woods and get it to you sometime later this week.

I ran across this on thread on the SmokStak forums and thought you would get a kick out of it if you haven't already seen it.  This guy took a pair of 63 Chevy truck fenders, some wheels off of a piece of horse draw equipment, a wringer assembly off of an old Maytag washer, and a bunch of other "junk" and built a tractor:  http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106292

Sounds good. I'm also getting over having a case of "Drag Ass" due to pollen and such  .   Project of the day is "breathing in, breathing out" .  Pretty neat SmokStak tractor.