Brigg Blog's posting earlier this week about green issues and climate change created plenty of interest. Since then we've noted that Hull's Lord Mayor is to get an electric civic car, councillors having accepted Nissan's offer to provide a £28,000 Leaf saloon free of charge to replace one of the petrol-driven vehicles used to take the city's first citizen and his deputy to functions.
For the benefit of those who do not know, the Brigg Town Mayor usually drives his/her own car to official events outside our boundaries, for which mileage can be claimed back at an approved rate.
However, it would seem to us that North Lincolnshire Council, which has a Mayor and Deputy Mayor attending functions throughout the district, ought to be pointing out to Nissan that North Lincs is not far from Hull and would certainly be glad of such a generous offer.
Something for nothing, in this day and age, is definitely worth chasing!
A search of the North Lincolnshire Council website reveals an online form that organisations can fill in to request the attendance of the Mayor/Deputy at functions. "Please state what, if any, parking spaces exists at the event for the civic car," it says. The Nissan Leaf is a very compact-looking vehicle - certainly not what many people in Brigg would regard as a typical mayoral car. Good luck to this venture north of the water - it will be interesting to see how it maps out.
I once made a go-cart out of pram wheels, a plank and a car's starter motor for my ankle-grippers
ReplyDeleteIt was direct drive with the Bendix part of the starter in constant contact with one of the rear wheels.
Battery powered, the 'drive' switch was a sprung lever controlled by the foot. When not powered, the Bendix acted as the brake.
It went like the clappers! The rope streering was a bit hit and miss, but did its job....most of the time.
I could do another one, Scribs - make it look posh, paint it black with a bit of gold livery..even chain driven..with a length of red velvet instead of the hemp rope..but if its going to carry Ben + 1, I may have to reinforce the plank!
Do I hear a tinkle of a requisition order from the Brigg TC? Buy locally...
Make a lot and we could have home-built, electric go-cart races about the Market Place. Fangio - the 'Wrawby Racer' - here I come!
Don't put the cart before the horse, Ken!
ReplyDeleteNah, Nige!
ReplyDeleteI'm not that daft, Scribs!! The start line is AFTER the White Horse pub, near bus stop.
I've already got me screws from Brians DIY...a bit of marine ply from me garage......Anyone know where I can get one of those old prams from?
If I can't get a car's starter motor, do you think Ben N will accept a land-yacht, Nige?
With a good N.Westerly, he should make Hull with a few gybs, an efficient close-haul and a beam reach.
But I'm not certain whether to keep the mayoress in-board, or hanging over the side on a trapazium.
Any thoughts?
I've been in me workshop since tea-time, Nige.
ReplyDeleteI've altered a few design features; it's going to be dual-fuel - a sail and battery - sounds like a criminal offence!
It'll be streamlined with pointy bits with go-faster stripes.
Ancilliary equipment - radio, windscreen wipers, lights and sat-nav will be powered by manual pedelling connected to a 12v dynamo.
In-car heating will be by means of a greenhouse heater.
I've borrowed a trick from Formula 1 and the seats will tailored made for the crew - I just need you, Scribs to get the posterior measurements of BN and BM during the next Brigg TC meeting, so I can make the mould.
I'm sure JW will be really impressed!
There's still one, or two problems to overcome, like finding pram wheels with all-weather treads.
I've got to the point of cutting out the plank, although I'm still in two minds of whether me old fibre-glass, two-seater canoe will make a better chassis - the latter will give more space for batteries from hgv's and offer a longer crumple-zone should BN decide to crash.
Car security is another issue, but a graple-anchor on a bit of Brian's DIY chain, wrapped around a lamp-post and the removal of the steering-rope should do the trick.
ps Can you supply the measurements in mm - none of the imperial rubbish. Have yer got a tape?
Thanks in advance, Scoop
Do you think I'll get a Brigg TC Civic Design award from JW?.
........failing that:
ReplyDeleteNissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.,
(NMUK),
Washingon Road,
Sunderland,
SR5 3NS
Tel: 0191-415-0000
........could be worth a try......