This is the final mockup of parts scavenged from around Reno, NV and Oakland, CA.

The body/frame and "wings" were found at California Airframe Salvage.  The body/frame is a sea plane float combo gas tank from what must have been a  pretty big plane. I cut out about 50 Lbs. of mounting hardware, internal supports, bulkheads, etc. and it is still incredibly rigid. The roll bar is a BMW motorcycle Cyl. protector, The exhaust are DG expansion chambers, the engine is a Yamaha RD350 2-stroke six speed  with a chain driven differential. It has foot controlled rear wheel steering and no suspension (air filled tires worked fine).

Here I am checking it for size. The super hi tech wooden motor mount is  embarrassingly viable here. but please give me a break I only had a four week kitchen pass to build the thing. Decisions were made Corners were cut, everyone survived. My shop and I look terrible here but I only have these two pictures of the construction.  (I found three more construction pictures and added them to the screen cap file linked below, Thanks Rick)

I don't seem to have any pictures of it in action. There is video of us driving it around at the bottom of the page. I'll link to some screen caps.

Screen caps added here.

Here are pictures of it after coming back from the desert. The pipes are removed. 

 Note the cut off red pallet rack cross bar ends by my feet and by the wheels.  Thanks for throwing that key item away big box store. I was stumped for an axle carrier until I saw it in your dumpster. Wood use again in shimming them. I finally found a use for the stainless door kick plates donated by Big Mikey the locksmith the skin probably could have taken the load without reinforcement though.

Off season storage.

  A sad fact is that two Yamaha RD 350's actually died in the making of  Dangermouse. They were both pretty far gone but what I did to them for the amount of parts I actually used was pure vandalism. This one was pretty well camouflaged but to no avail.

I still have the steering head to go with the motor if that helps ease the pain.

Chain driven differential and axle bearings can be seen here.

The gearing is way too tall, I never got past third gear.

Really what it needs is a much smaller engine set up to run at a fast walking pace. I'm thinking steam for the next iteration. 

I set up the tach but not a speedo, regardless  I barely got above idle most of the time. However when no one was around I may have wicked it on just for testing you understand. I always backed off way before it wanted me to. A floppy hat and flip flops just aren't very confidence inspiring driving gear. 

The self centering steering worked perfectly at all speeds. So Ha to my engineer buddies who said it would shake like a wet dog. Amazingly the existing steering head for the rudder is the same size as BMW /5 tapered roller bearings.  A nice donation from my warehouse mates spare BMW parts collection add a proper size and length steering tube welded to the rear caster and it works great.

(Edit: A reader sent me this, I have successfully re-invented WW 1 technology.)

 
See video from the last ride of the RD powered Dangermouse.
 

 Click here for a video of Dangermouse starting to smoke on a trip to Thunderdome.

Sorry no audio for either video, click the radio link on my home page for David Byrne's monthly show.

 Thanks for looking.

Ghetto Engineers Unite!

Pages I've found linking to Dangermouse.

cre.ations.net  

Makezine 

 Click here to see pictures of Buckminster Fullers Dymaxion