Author Topic: Ferves Ranger  (Read 7878 times)

Bob Purton

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Ferves Ranger
« on: June 04, 2009, 11:09:05 PM »
I had to go to Buckinghamshire today to collect a wimshurst machine I had bought on ebay , the gent who sold it to me gave me a tour of his garage which contained a lot of instruments plus a good collection of early Dursley Pedersen bicycles, I was familiar with these amazing bikes but was shocked to learn that the frames which consist of lots of very narrow fine walled tubing were all held together with soft solder!! No welding! You would think that they would fall apart at the first pot hole.Anyway, I digress,after telling him I was into Microcars  the chap told me that he was looking for a car called a Ferves Ranger which I had never heard of, they are a Fiat 500 based four wheel drive vehicle. Does anyone know anymore about these cars? More to the point, are there any for sale?   

Jim Janecek

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2009, 01:37:06 AM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsyQwwc0Mfc



http://microcar.org/microcarnews/2008/01.html

not many appear for sale and when they do they are not cheap.
They came in "cargo" and "passenger" styles both in 2WD and 4WD versions.

marcus

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2009, 09:10:01 AM »
I had a TV prop job a while back to make a Wimhurst machine. Luckily the budget was low, and as I started getting in to a panic about it all, they decided to hire one instead, and that was one hell of a relief! Great things.
As for the Pederson cycles a fellow I know has one (with wooden mudguards), weird and wonderful machines, very comfortable too, apparently, he rides it long distances. He also plays ukulele and has a Trojan
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face

Bob Purton

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2009, 09:10:49 AM »
Thanks Jim. I recognise it now. Isnt there some connection with Farrari? This would explain the high prices.

Bob Purton

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2009, 09:18:28 AM »
Morning Marcus. Oh you have one do you? Does yours have the hammock seat? About props, I made two huge replica wimshursts for a prop comany a couple of years ago, they were hired out for a Frankemstein film shot in Romania. Every time they go out they come back with broken plates, goody , because I get the job of repairing them. Last week I had to make a replica waywiser for the new series of Cranford. Seams like our work crosses over some what, hands off the scientific instrument jobs or I will let your tyres down! :D :D :D
« Last Edit: June 05, 2009, 09:22:07 AM by Bob Purton »

marcus

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2009, 10:24:52 AM »
Not me, a friend, and yes he has the hammock seat. Fantastic machines.

I don't really get too involved in scientific gear, the odd genrator/motor, but nothing too clever or precision. Often I get 1 or 2 days only so it's cheap and cheerful stuff. The most difficult ones were 4 days to make a demonstration model of Newcomen's  atmospheric engine, and a recreation of the first patented freezer, pumping ether (sniff sniff!) . TV people have odd ideas. The producer decided to film the freezer in the greenhouse at Kew Gardens on a very hot day in mid-Summer, and was vexed that after a minute's pumping no ice had formed! Numpty. Even the best modern freezer would struggle in a glass house, and this was a creation of a design which was never made because Perkins realised that it would be too much work to hand pump it! His mark 2 WAS made, powered by a steam engine. Fortunately for me the presenter ( Adam Hart-Davis) does have a BSc and was able to defend the machine's failure to produce ice within one minute in a green house!

For the Newcomen they wanted a Perspex cylinder so steam would be visible, and the jet of cooling water. Fine, great...steam is 100 degrees, Perspex is rated to 95. What do they want me to do in a few days, invent low temp steam? It did work though...just!
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face

Bob Purton

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2009, 03:02:37 PM »
Oh Dear, I feel for you there! There is nothing worst than dealing with idiots and deadlines! If you could come up with low temperature steam it would be quite usefull! From all this I'm beginning to see you Marcus as some kind of mad proff!

Jim Janecek

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2009, 04:17:15 PM »
Isnt there some connection with Farrari? This would explain the high prices.

No connection except that I was told that since Ferrari is actually a rather common name in Italy, there were a number of small shops that had Ferrari in their name and the Ferves was build sort of special by one of these shops initially as a military vehicle but then there was no demand for it and it was then offered as a civilian vehicle to use on the farm.
There have been a few offered in the past on eBay advertised as having some fancy connection with Ferrari but they were really stretching it.
Then a few websites would copy the text from the eBay ads and put them in their descriptions for FERVES RANGER and after the stupid eBay listing is long gone, the false info lives on.

They did not make very many of them, they were not very common and now-a-days they are very popular amongst people that collect high-end cars or people that race cars.  A few use them as unique Paddock vehicles to shuttle crew and materials around (instead of using an Electric Golf Cart) and of course once people see them everyone has to have one.

Supply low, Demand High = high price.

marcus

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Re: Ferves Ranger
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2009, 06:40:50 PM »
Mad Prof? No, I'm definately not a Professor....

Thanks Jim, I always wondered about the Ferrari connection with these. Mind you what would micros be without all the myths surrounding them, like old aeroplane parts, no reverse gear, people dying when stuck in their garages. I have had a number of people tell me to my face that my Trojan does not have a reverse, and then telling me it must have been a special mod. I think the Ranger is a good looking machine, I will have to persuade my business partner that he needs one (for me) to drive around his field in Texas
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face