The Motorized Creeper

[Ryan]

It's dangerous to leave a man to his own devices - especially if he is surrounded by tools and has a mind dead set on speed and fear. Dowie found himself in such a positi...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.

 

[momswgn]

Cool, but I would not put any part of my body next to the fuel tank.

 

[HOTFR8]

Creeper racing What next ?

 

[Boyd Who]

For the "mechanic on the go"! Love it!!

 

[Ryan]

Cool, but I would not put any part of my body next to the fuel tank.

Chicken.

 

[mechamunch]

Looks nice and safe. Niiiiiiiiice and safe.

 

[Ryan]

Looks nice and safe. Niiiiiiiiice and safe.

I don't think you've live until you've crashed this thing... into something big and hairy... and, of course, filmed it.

 

[jonescafe72]

I love it! Hmmm....giving me some ideas......

 

[Torque1st]

Looks like a mini go-cart.

 

[tcianci]

If you hit the wrong thing at speed, the fuel tank ain't your only problem! We built a motorized drafting stool as a shop project in HS. It had a car battery and a modified starter motor. It was amazingly fast and totally uncontrollable!

 

[therealjakeg]

Video? Please

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I don't know what is dumber, this contraption or the fact that I love it and want one.

 

[rsanter]

why do that?
it would be much more comfortable to ride around in a motorized recliner

or you can motorize a bar stool and drive it down to the local bar. all the stools there taken up. no problem, I brought my own

bob

 

[Ryan]

why do that?
it would be much more comfortable to ride around in a motorized recliner

or you can motorize a bar stool and drive it down to the local bar. all the stools there taken up. no problem, I brought my own

bob

Because you would look like a total tool riding around on those things... While on this thing, you just look CRAZY! Crazy like a fox!

 

[A_Pmech]

That guy needs some leathers, soon...

 

[rustyfords]

Too cool. I want one.

However, this dude needs some more protection. One unexpected divot in the road surface or a caster bearing seizes and his face is grinding directly on asphalt, and he's eating through a tube and talking to Oprah about how he recovered from a jaw transplant.

I was raised in and around fast cars, dirt bikes and later, military hardware, and I've pushed the envelope way too far at times. However, from early on I was taught to wear effective safety gear and that safety gear has saved me from serious injury (the not funny....oh **** type of injury) on a few occasions.

This dude, especially going face forward, just makes me cringe.

That having been said....dude...I want one (building parts list in his head).

 

[mechamunch]

Video? Please

Agreed. Put it on YouTube or it NEVER HAPPENED.

 

[tyrell2004]

Great, now I can change the oil in my girlfriend's car while she is driving to the store!!

 

[Shmeefer]

We built an electric barstool to race at World of Speed at Bonneville. We broke the exisiting record of 49.972mph with an average speed over 2 runs of 53.557mph. Similar drivetrain as the drafting stool mentioned earlier but in a CNC frame with custom everything. Rules, video and...

 

[jaker]

Dowie is nuts!

I've followed along this build from conception to it's current stage....

it rules!

 

[dowies]

Thanks for the great advice and responses. This is actually the final version 3. The development can be viewed at these links. Yes, it's dangerous!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYFIWsREqP0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2LEknVrJ8w

www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=11372

 

[rwhite692]

There is a video:

Dowie it looks like you put some thought into it...could probably improve it immensely by lowering it and using something different for a wheel and tire setup, though (wider, go-kart style wheels and tires)??

 

[mustangmccance]

Cool, but I would not put any part of my body next to the fuel tank.

you mean as opposed to like a motorcycle?

of course if you want really nuts I personally love the v-8 powered barstool the hossfly. saw it on Gearz tv http://www.hossflyinc.com/home.html

 

[dowies]

There is a video:

Dowie it looks like you put some thought into it...could probably improve it immensely by lowering it and using something different for a wheel and tire setup, though (wider, go-kart style wheels and tires)??

This design is actually very stable at high speeds. I designed a two bar steering linkage with spherical ball joints and adjustable toe in. Currently it's aligned with .188" toe in. The design also has a mini friction damper for the steering lever that I made from an old die spring and some fiber washers. So no speed wobbles. I modifed the 8.50" pneumatic tire casters by pressing in high speed radial bearings. I also machined new wheel bearing spacers for a perfect .010" preload on the radial bearings. This thing is designed and engineered for speed. The best thing about it is that it only cost me $200 to build.

 

[DCLXVI]

Sweet.
But the face forward prone position looks a little too dangerous to me.
Road rash of the face...OUCH.

Have fun!!

 

[Chuck U&R]

Not to change the subject but tell us about the flathead hot rod and the
Harley knucklehead -

 

[dowies]

Not to change the subject but tell us about the flathead hot rod and the
Harley knucklehead -

The 31 Ford roadster has a 39 flathead motor. I restored this car from 2005 to 2008. Kept the car exactly how I found it. Full mechanical restoration, left the original paint.

The 1946 Knucklehead is the same story. I've been building this bike with my buddy Carlos over the last two years. Full mechanical restoration, but keeping it a period correct bobber. We're hoping to finish it this next spring.

We were waiting for parts for the 46 build, and my mind drifted towards the motorized mechanic creeper. I took a two week detour and speed if the fruit of my labor.

Pictures of the 31 and 46 build can be viewed here:
www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=993

 

[porschedude996TT]

Need options:

Brakes
Chain Guard
Head Rest

 

[dowies]

Need options:

Brakes
Chain Guard
Head Rest

A chain guard adds weight which decreases speed.
A brake system adds weight which decreases speed.
A brake system is redundant because I have shoes that can stop this light rig.
A head rest adds weight which decreases speed.
A head rest is redundant because I have to lean and turn my head in the corners.

 

[rwhite692]

Dowies, with all due respect for your need for speed: Use your obvious skills and fab up a brake system for that thing.

I don't care how good you are at stopping it with your feet.....Somebody is gonna back out of a driveway in front of you or something, and then we will all be sitting here saying,

"Hey, remember that guy with the motorized creeper?? I wonder what happened to him, he never posts here anymore..."

 

[dodgedartgt]

Cool,
Gasoline & rubber luge!
Mike

 

[Cambuster]

Hell, I'm diggin' the helmet! I want one! Is it vintage or is it your handy work?

 

[urban]

Hello together

do you know this???

 

[cambyz28]

Holy **** I though I was a lurker does that say you have been a member for over 2 years and this is your first post

 

[airbassador]

Not to be a buzzkill...
but don't let anyone with long hair ride that contraption if they value their scalp!

 

[urban]

Hello cambyz 28

i´m from germany and my english writhing is not so good, so i was reading a lot but writing nothing.

 

[rwhite692]

Hi Urban don't worry, your English is just fine, you will be able to get your point across.

 

[Firetacoma]

2 words: CHAIN GUARD!

 

[rickairmedic]

Dowies made the bigtime .


http://thereifixedit.com/



Rick

 

[rwhite692]

"Hey, remember that guy with the motorized creeper?? I wonder what happened to him, he never posts here anymore..."