Colin Furze’s Honda motorcycle-powered 1960s dodgem three-wheeler set the Guinness World Record for “the world’s fastest bumper car.” Needless to say, in order to reach triple digit speeds, the British genius/madman had to make certain modifications to the former amusement park ride.
Bumper cars are built like a Ford Panther: they use a simple body-on-frame design with, in this case, a plastic body bolted to a steel chassis. Furze’s 600 cc Honda four-cylinder fit right in, but the cooling had to be improved due to the fair warrior’s tiny air passages. The wiring harness was made waterproof by the careful addition of a garbage bag, and while the steering remained stock, an additional foot brake was needed in order for the go kart calipers to work. Talk about a packaging challenge.
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To make sure this contraption wouldn’t roll over at speed, skid plates were added along the underside of the car’s bumper, and after the first shakedowns, the gearing was changed for the ultimate goal of getting beyond the 100 mph mark.
Maybe don’t try this at home. But if you must, here’s how.
From:
Road & Track
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