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A DIY Pedal car built from a plastic drum, plans and kits from American Speedster. 

Bunkie is 3.5 years old, time for his first car. So it's off to Wall-mart and with the help on Mr. Visa, 265 dollars plus tax we are ready for the  big day.  Ho-Ho-Ho- the wrapping paper is drifting slowly earthward  and Bunkie is already on his second lap of the dining room table. You the man ! A short time later when the Christmas goose in nothing but a memory and a bleached carcass, the family decide to walk off some of the holiday excesses.  Mom, Dad, Ralf the dog and Bunkie with his new battery powered ride-on, set out to circle the block. How long can this take at 2.5 blistering MPH?   All starts out well with the little vehicle whizzing merrily  along to the hallow tones of the blow molded faux tires, well as it turns out the motor was whizzing but the family was moseying. Even Ralf was ready to pack it in, the whizzing became a continues winning and all hope of dad watching the ball game disappeared like the elusive sugar plums. ho-ho-ho So what did Bunkie learn?  That Mr. visa is a friend,  Santa Clause is code for Made in China, that Dad does not care if several metric tons of nitric-oxides are being dumped into the atmosphere to charge one million Barbie jeeps, the balance of trade is a myth and exercise is a four letter word. Is it my imagination or are those bright colors beginning to fade? 

So what is a concerned Dad to do?

 

 

   NOW ! you can build your own custom  Dirt Track racer  using our plans and your imagination. And less cash!

                                                                                                                             Welcome to American Speedster pedal cars. We design pedal car that bring back the excitement of early dirt track racing, when men of courage took great risks to break standing speed records! Imagine those early days. My ears are ringing with the sound of straight pipes roaring. I can see the clouds of dust from the dirt track and smell the oil burning from primitive internal combustion engines, when real men had axle grease running in there veins.........sorry! I got carried away. Well, the excitement of those early days moved young men to dreamed of owning their own race car, and so the SOAP BOX RACER was born

 

You see A hundred years ago soap was shipped to the general store in a crate that made the perfect starting point for their coaster. All you needed were the wheels from your sisters baby buggy and Brogans Hill.  

 Fast forward 100 years,

                                                                                                    Well! The soap box shipping crate exited long ago, but the thrill of building your first race car still lives on. Enter, the 55-Gallon plastic barrel, which is nearly indestructible and 30 % more aerodynamic. No more will our children have to settle for ride-on's! We have the ride-in's". The Speeder. The new DIY, pedal car, built from a light weight plastic drum, has a side-winding chain drive and coaster brakes. We have made it FASTER and easier to build.

 The Speeder is a true economy car. Two 16" child bikes, will supply the wheels, chain and brakes. A stacking chair makes a great seat or build your own. The other parts are very economical to make.

 Build your car to look like an early Jalopy or stripped down Dirt track Racer or an Antique Roadster. Custom paint your car with flames or graphics for a LOW RIDING STREET ROD. No one else on the planet will have a roadster like yours! You can't say that about the big box store jobs.
 

Barbie, best put that jeep up on blocks. Trust me you don't want to be in a drag race with the speeder. Remember that dust we mentioned earlier.

Unlimited speed, how fast can you pedal?

 

TOOLS! You will need, an electric drill , a couple of hole saws and a saber saw, a heat gun to bend the PVC ,a propane torch to solder the hard copper crank, and common NASCAR hand tools. Most of the materials can be found at a home improvement store, with the exception of the steering tie-rods . (American speedster) 

The plans detail how to build. all the parts laid out in evening projects  

Page 1 The Plan                                  7:  The rear frame

2:  The materials and tools                   8: The body shop

3:  the front axle                                    9:  The cockpit pattern

4:  The steering spindles                        10: The assembly line

5:The steering wheel                              11: Seat and windshield

6: The Crank                                          12: The parts order form

 

 

    Pictured at the right is the new drive system, which makes the Speeder

easier to build and much faster than the earlier reciprocating drive.

With this system it is possible to use the bike wheels and not hard to find cart wheels that use a solid  axle.

Video of new drive

 

 The plans are $20.00 which includes (PDF) shipping11/25/2011

 

   Go ahead and help save the planet and build a forever memory. 

 But wait if you order now we will include 

a 5 year limited warrantee back by the manufacture!  (you) 

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