The year, 1964, I was 15 and here I am pleased as punch with myself with my first racing vehicle....and of course it was a two stroke..... A Villiers 197cc 6E engine that was made circa 1952-1955
It would have produced about 10bhp on an exceptional day.....
Check out the hi-tech exhaust system, held on with a hose clamp and finishing up rather too close to the fuel tank, which spewed petrol froth out copiously.... did I mention fire?......yes it did on a couple of occasions, but as we raced on dirt in those days a few handfuls of the track surface soon had all that nonsense under control.
I made the chassis myself, taught myself to arc weld making it and it weighed rather too much, so you can see where I compensated for that by drilling holes in the engine mount.....
I think Mom bought me a pair of white overalls.....the latest hi-tech ones, and she sewed a green ribbon down the arm to finish the effect..... So in my pair of Gentleman's brown leather gloves I am ready to attempt to finish a race.
The position of the open exhaust probably has something to do with my rather poor high frequency hearing these days.....
The motor was developed over the next couple of years and at the end of the development cycle probably produced 3 or 4 bhp less.....
Graham
