Frisky hardtop four wheeler

[Big Al]

Have been out sniffing cars again. Better than Vics Synex I found. Any road I ended up looking at a bodyshell of a Frisky which is clearly a hardtop/saloon whatever you want to call it. It had the cut outs correctly formed for the four wheeler chassis. Should I be excited? Sadly other than a screen and a few nic-nacs the car is just a shell. There are so many Frisky shells out there, not least because of a load getting into circulation from the failed extended production of the car where bodies were found lent against the back of a building, that I wonder why no one has made up a run of new chassis. Then again I expect the four wheeler chassis was different at the rear and a little more tricky to collect a full set of parts for. The car had no papers either so no clue as to power source.

[steven mandell]

Sounds perfect for someone with a thoroughly wrecked or lightly burned 4 wheeler.  But I don't think they wreck too badly when they roll, and the 4 wheeler should be less inclined to do so as well as being considerably more rare.  Also hard to thoroughly wreck  a low speed vehicle.  I haven't heard that they have a propensity to burn although fiberglass body + a leaky fuel shut off valve could make this result less of a rarity.  Obviously no one would need a body because theirs has rotted.  All in that is probably why it is available.  No one other than a restuarant or store front looking for an interesting display is likely to have an immediate use for it.  At least that would allow people to enjoy its presence while making its availability more generally known.
 I would like to have a Family Three myself.
Do you know where I could find a whole one for not too much money?

[Big Al]

Frisky supply seems to have dried up, which is good for Friskys as it means they are loved but tricky if you want one. I suspect a pile of bits might be available. I would have one as a collectors item but I am less sure I would drive it far unless it was a four wheeler twin. Of course that is the pinnicle of Friskydom for most folks.

[john Meadows]

Hi If you would like to email me some pictures of the shell I can tell you more about it. With a Frisky restoration I would say if its not 80% there you are in for a difficult ride as parts are not easy to get particularly for the Sport which has wipac rather than lucas fittings. The shell you describe could be a Coupe or a Family three, but I can tell you more when I see the photos.

Always glad to help with Frisky restoration

John Meadows  THe Frisky Register
John.meadows1898@btinternet .com

[Big Al]

I will attempt to send you pics. The project is to much for me I think. I have been reviewing my collection in the light of new purchases. To many cars and projects so I need to clear out some as I have to much to do realistically.

[john Meadows]

Hi thanks for the pictures. The shell is off a Frisky Coupe four wheel with the dubonnet front suspension rather than the McPherson struts of the 1959 Family three. The later mark 2 Family Three also used the dubonnet suspension but is easy to differentiate by the “lid” on its rear slope above the engine/petrol tank and a small extended rear section to accommodate the repositioned rear wheel

Frisky spares are becoming difficult to obtain in particular the Villiers 9E  The 3T seems to be available from Australia (but at a price!) where Villiers had a plant, it was used in the Lightburn Zeta car (not Sport)

Inside the shell is shown a “replacement” front body section, probably supplied by me a few years ago from a number I rescued from the Petbow swamp before they were bulldozed into oblivion along with all the remaining mark 2 bodies.

A few made it to Frisky Spares and Services Queenborough but they in their turn were destroyed

With only half a dozen FriskySports left in the UK the Family Three is a more realistic potential project and well worth the effort, as any one seeing Ray Dilks F3 at the NEC last year will agree.

[Big Al]

That is roughly what I thought, Frisky Sport/Coupe. As such it is an interesting restoration but from practically nowhere. I think the engine is probably the easy bit for me. I have had 9E Frisky and I was not wildly impressed by the performance. The 3T was probably the best unit Villiers made however. Pity that they crossed Peter Agg to get their opening in Australia as he went on a mission to damage them having lost money in what he believed was a dubious arrangement with the local Government. He imported loads of Clinton engines undercutting Villiers major market in supplying small donkey engines for lawn mowers and such. So successfull was Agg in this that it pushed Villiers into a tailspin to total bankruptcy giving Agg not only an engine market but a clear market for Lambretta Scooters and Trojan 200 by removing the favoured engines for the British based opposition. So effectively it was Peter Agg that ended production of most of the British scooters and microcars left. The only reason Trojan cars stopped being made was Heinkel ceasing engine production. I like Peter Agg, a man after my own heart, nasty bastards, no mates club as Cooperman would put it!
Anyway the shell is there and I think a challenging project to restore into a top of the range Frisky with the difficulty of Dubbonet suspension. I am less sure I am the man to do it.

[marcus]

I am less sure I am the man to do it.

Judging by your avatar photo I would have to agree...it'll be a "Dog's Dinner". Arf arf!
(I'll get me coat)

[Big Al]

Could not find a bear and this dog looks suitably miffed to suit until something better turns up. I found these doobreys out trying to mount pics on site. If you can put a silly pic up simply why can you not do an interesting one so? The wonders of computers, making the world a sillier place.