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Thread: Henk and MAtra in here please.

  1. #1
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    Henk and MAtra in here please.

    The Dart was the (stillborn) brainchild of Sydney car salesman Bill Buckle, who conceived the bathtub-style fibreglass body to reclothe the underpinnings of a German ‘50s’ micro-car(why?, was it worse!) . The Dart laid claim to being Australia’s first sports car( how dare you! ) . Time has now transformed the Dart to a (oc) cult car and a collectors' item ( for those who like to collect human heads and the like) , particularly as very few of the 700 vehicles produced are still in existence(exterminate) .

    The featured example was auctioned at the annual Shannons Sydney Summer Auction in February 2004 (c'mon, how much?) . As with all Darts, the excellent yellow example being auctioned by Shannons is powered by a twin-cylinder, 269 CC engine developing 15HP at 5,000rpm, giving it adequate ( lucky then! ) performance to propel it.

    All of 11kw. My cordless drill is more powerful . C'mon Henk, Matra, give it to me. One redeeming feature.
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    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by crisis
    The Dart laid claim to being Australia’s first sports car
    Lost all redeeming features right there !!!
    And based on the Goggomobile - even worse.
    There was a big move in Europe in the late 40s and 50s for micro cars.
    Some amazing innovations and some awful cars
    One redeeming feature.
    Good for attracting 60s Sheila's ??



    Look how small it is in reality !!!

    OK, it went for $11K. So not bad return if you owned an original

    "Performance is never exciting, although seldom is it actually depressing".

    In the vendor’s words, "With an estimated top speed of 100km/h the Darts sell faster than they go" and this is a rare opportunity to purchase a good example of this cult machine. The Goggomobil is being offered with paperwork, some spares and with New South Wales registration plates ‘GOGO 01’ current until May 2004. As the man said, "A wee ripper" indeed !

  3. #3
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    Either its small or shes huge.
    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

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    That car, aside from its unfortunate lack of power, is totally awesome.

    I love small cars, and I really like the lines of this one.

    Want something to appreciate?

    1) Its size (although I suppose this isn't something crisis usually likes... he much prefers Aussie muscle with comprable size/weight to the Titanic, eh buddy? )
    2) Its looks
    3) Its originality
    4) Its character


    I'd love to retrofit something like this with the 1300cc bike engine powertrain from the Radical SR3 Supersport Wouldn't that be fun?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by crisis
    Either its small or shes huge.
    Now THAT's the funniest thing I've read all day - work's been slow
    Thanks crisis and as ever can we not share rep points for good posts ? Nope - sorry

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Nog
    That car, aside from its unfortunate lack of power, is totally awesome.
    My dictionary has awsome as meaning something else.
    1) Its size (although I suppose this isn't something crisis usually likes... he much prefers Aussie muscle with comprable size/weight to the Titanic, eh buddy? )
    Bingo!
    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Nog
    2) Its looks
    ???
    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Nog
    3) Its originality
    cant argue.
    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Nog
    4) Its character
    I suppose character doesnt neccesarily need to be good.
    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Nog
    I'd love to retrofit something like this with the 1300cc bike engine powertrain from the Radical SR3 Supersport Wouldn't that be fun?
    I saw something on the news the other day with someone driving a powered toilet bowl so anythings possible.

    I think your really just winding me up. I didnt really fall for it.
    Last edited by Egg Nog; 02-26-2004 at 12:00 AM.
    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

  7. #7
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    This was billbuckles second attempt at a car his first car was the Buckle of the 50s which while waspopular and had numerous sporting accolades the car dieddue to poor sales.
    It was a light 2+2 fibre glass sports car that made use of the ford 6 cylender engine from the Zephyre (sorry about the spelling) i havea picture of this car but ive loaned the book to a friend i persoanlyl think that car was tops.
    And jesus has too much time if hes asking for that.

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    Crisis, apologies for not having replied earlier, I think the whole thing started while I was skiing down the French Alps and had no access to internet at all. Anyway I think the Australians did a laudable job, as you compare the official Goggomobil Coupe version of the car of which I have added a picture. Of course all is relative, but you might want to put in a modern 350-400 cc Japanese motorcycle engine in such a car and it will be heaps of fun.

    For your private pleasure I have added a picture of that eternal classic that you are apparently so eager to see. (The model will come later)
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    put in a modern 350-400 cc Japanese motorcycle engine in such a car and it will be heaps of fun.
    Put in a 1000cc one and it would be faster than you'd care with the brakes and chassis it's built on

    PS for those not into motorbikes, this V5 engine puts out in excess of 230bhp and fits inside a standard supermarket plastic bag !!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine
    PS for those not into motorbikes, this V5 engine puts out in excess of 230bhp and fits inside a standard supermarket plastic bag !!
    What's that from?!#? That's crazy!

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    Ok nowthat im overmy cold (which scored me a week off work) and manged to find my book "AUSSIE CARS" i can finally bring you info on the buckle car i was telling you about before.
    1956 Buckle
    The unusual-looking Buckle GT tourer was a fibreglass two-plus-two coupe designed,built and marketed byBill Buckle of Sydney.
    Produced from 1965 to early 1960, it employed a ford Zephyr six-cylender engine and other mass-produced mechanical components.
    The coupe bodysat on a box chassis frame with a transverse leaf spring front suspension and conventional Ford rear axle. It weighed only 865 kg and had a top speed of 160 km/h. The design incorperated fold-down rear seats, an adjustable stearing column and electronicly operated door locks-- unusual features for the era.
    Initial sales of the buckle coupes, priced at the then high figure of 1700 pounds ($3400), were promising and Buckleentered his cars in motorsport events to further boost intrest.
    Buckle himself raced one of his coupes for three years, improving it continually and acheiving impressive results in hillclimbs and circut raceing. Unfornuatly, sucsess on the race track didnt equal financial sucsess.
    Production of the Buckle ceased in 1960,by which time a large ammount of money had been lost. BillBuckle later turned the tables, how ever with the Australian/German Goggomobil and became one of the few australian ever to operate a profitable car makeing business. A total of 25 Buckle cars was made, including the 1955 protype which was even more unusal in styleing then the production model.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Egg Nog
    What's that from?!#? That's crazy!
    That's the Honda 998cc V5 engine from their MotoGP motorbike.
    It ran last season in a lower state of tune for reliability.
    As others are approaching it's performance, Honda have added another 20bhp and the rumour in the mags is that there's another 20 if they want/need ti.
    Honda is the only bike capable of pushing out the power and not destroying rear tyres.
    The biggest problem in bikes is the tiny contact patch. Tyres for bikes are a LOT more complex than cars ( including F1 ). Other teams have bikes that can ride fast for the start and then are sliding everywhere because the power has destroyed the tyre ( it's not just the rubber, they weaken the walls with the power ! )
    Honda designed an engine to give the right power pulses to protect a tyre.
    They are THE best engine designers in the world, they just focus all their efforts on bikes. The F1 program get the engineers not good denough for rthe bike develoepment ( joke )
    They do NOT release the V5 for anything other than MotoGP.
    Lots of lightweight sportscars builders would love to get their hands on this
    BTW, the rumour is they've another engine on the bench to replace this if anyone gets near the power limit for it

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Falcon500
    Ok nowthat im overmy cold (which scored me a week off work) and manged to find my book "AUSSIE CARS" i can finally bring you info on the buckle car i was telling you about before.
    1956 Buckle
    The unusual-looking Buckle GT tourer was a fibreglass two-plus-two coupe designed,built and marketed byBill Buckle of Sydney.
    Produced from 1965 to early 1960, it employed a ford Zephyr six-cylender engine and other mass-produced mechanical components.
    The coupe bodysat on a box chassis frame with a transverse leaf spring front suspension and conventional Ford rear axle. It weighed only 865 kg and had a top speed of 160 km/h. The design incorperated fold-down rear seats, an adjustable stearing column and electronicly operated door locks-- unusual features for the era.
    Initial sales of the buckle coupes, priced at the then high figure of 1700 pounds ($3400), were promising and Buckleentered his cars in motorsport events to further boost intrest.
    Buckle himself raced one of his coupes for three years, improving it continually and acheiving impressive results in hillclimbs and circut raceing. Unfornuatly, sucsess on the race track didnt equal financial sucsess.
    Production of the Buckle ceased in 1960,by which time a large ammount of money had been lost. BillBuckle later turned the tables, how ever with the Australian/German Goggomobil and became one of the few australian ever to operate a profitable car makeing business. A total of 25 Buckle cars was made, including the 1955 protype which was even more unusal in styleing then the production model.
    OK I bagged the Goggomobile , but you have to admire someone who puts his money on the line and sets out to manufacture a car. Despite my opinion of his creations , I would like to pay homage to someone with more guts, drive and character than I.
    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

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    Quote Originally Posted by crisis
    I would like to pay homage to someone with more guts, drive and character than I.
    Like good old Andre Citroen? (He actuallly came from Holland, and there his name literally translates into "Lemon". )

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by crisis
    OK I bagged the Goggomobile , but you have to admire someone who puts his money on the line and sets out to manufacture a car. Despite my opinion of his creations , I would like to pay homage to someone with more guts, drive and character than I.
    Well crisis if you really want to do something for the auto motive community the purvis eureak factory is for sale 50 odd k last i heard and with serval finished and mid way cars too and also castle main rod shop is for sale but for a more princly $750,000....would love tyo own castlemain rod shop...just a giant well stocked shed

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