Forshaga Shopper

[Big Al]

The Shopper came home yesterday. With the Deek 50cc engine of its co-collection vehicle soaking in Plus Gas having nipped up, I turned my attention to it, instead.

A check of the wiring shows evidence of Mr Bodge, but sense could be made. Ideally several bits of wiring need replacement, preferably in the correct colours. After finding my jump leads had failed again, cheap crap, it was a quick botch of my own to get on. The headlight worked after a fashion. Once a new flasher unit was found, the indicators showed signs of life. Needs each unit cleaned up. The rear ones are not mounted correctly, so I might be able to resolve that. The front units need servicing as they have been fitted incorrectly. The headlight has the bulb handily painted in over-spray. Fortunately the headlight itself is clean and in reasonable condition. The rear light needs a full service. The horn remains determinedly silent.

Checking the engine it was found to have sparks fitted in the right place on the Sachs twist and go 50cc Saxonette Auto. Yep, another one. Fuel was persuaded to flow, to the extent it now flows a bit to much! Another task, if the tap has not sealed itself overnight, since the system was dry. Likewise the engine turned over freely but was dry. Only flooding and drying out again seemed to clear the decks for action. The unit coughed and burst happily into life, settling pretty quickly into a good tick-over. As with others of this breed you cannot rev the engine much without it attempting to go into drive. Unless you pop the back wheel in the air, to spin aimlessly. A task for today, with some two stroke obtained, as only a dribble was left yesterday. If that is successful then its off round the Lanes for a test drive.   

This test drive will find any faults with the three disc brakes and bowden cable steering. Should things proceed well enough it will be off to do its first show on Saturday with Andrew Rainbow-Ockwell, who has been helping me by doing all the bendy/crawly bits I can not/must not do with a healing leg. Andrew being a Longcot discovery via dint of my having a garden full of dead IC in the spring. He is still at school but already proficient with a tool box and a great asset to have around. His father is deeply involved with Ffienes, the Rolls Royce, and other up market cars, restorer. In a small world a bud rents their old factory unit at the Mill, while they have moved operations to Filkins, in spitting distance of the old Burford Rally venue. Andrew has already rebuilt a Norman Nippy this year. It would be nice if he got into microcars, but as ever the entry price is a barrier. 

Once the Shopper has been spruced up it can be pictured as it is, with two week old scab metallic red paintwork, instead of its original, and much more acceptable, yellow. It is British registered to the correct year and all points to a researched and knowable history. This includes an IC version and the commercial Forshaga Paki - probably not destined for a huge market in a more racially enlightened Britain of the time! It is delightfully bonkers, making a Peel look positively normal. Having got it going it might just be that if a car gets filled with idiots we might get it to Weatherby on a trailer. I also wonder if it might not attempt the 40th Burford Rally run from Nether Westcote to the Cotswold Wildlife Park. A true test, and a celebration of getting silly little cars to work, which was what Burford was partly all about. It does seem as if a group is to gravitate over there to mark the passing of time.

[marcus]

Awaiting photos!

[Jean]

Your dedication to microcars is renowned but sadly we seem to have very few of your treasurers on the Register.  Now would be a good time to put this to rights especially when something as unusual as a 'Forshaga Shopper' is in your possession.  Please make contact with Alastair Lauchland, at the moment there are four Goggo's and a Velorex listed as being owned by you, but I fear this is well out of date.
This plea goes out to anyone of you with unusual (or usual ones for that matter) microcars to add them to the Register.  In the recent past we have been able to link owners of like cars together so that they can help each other.  This is all done in the strictest confidence, Alastair guards the data given fiercely, so you can know the information is safe in his hands.  He will accept as much or as little personal information as you wish to give him after all it is the car that is being Registered for life.  Of course a name, email address and county as the barest minimum would be nice.  Come on people keep Alastair busy during the dark evenings that are coming up !Jean

[Rob Dobie]

Here's loads of them!

https://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en-GB&rlz=1T4GPMD_enGB320GB320&q=Forshaga+Shopper&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ei=2Bf3U8uHHs3kaPv2gYgO&ved=0CBQQsAQ

[Barry]

I would very much like one of these.

[Big Al]

Most of the electrics component rebuilt, some to fit tomorrow. Horn now working after strip down. Only prob is a duff float arrangement.

[steven mandell]

My Minicomtesse's Saxonette engine's float came seriously pre bodged.
The tapered rod that squires through it was both damaged by ill advised filing, and bent both above and below the partially and inexplicably melted float.
I straightened it perfectly, and polished ths shaft with 1500 grit paper, but could do nothing to replace the metal that had been filed off the shaft.
Result: it too flows too much, in addition to needing to be depressed for a few seconds by the float tickler before each start.
That plus a bit of fuzz projecting into the carb's main jet explains how it was apparently paradoxically flooding out of the carb, whilst the engine was starving for gas.
Somebody please let us know where we can find replacement  floats.
Thanks

[steven mandell]

Other pics of float tip and fuzzed main jet.
Better engineeering needed for good float induced fuel shut off.

[Big Al]

Until I see what is in there I cannot comment authoritatively. Being jammy I might have some spare bits in all the crap bought with 'good' stuff at Mannheim. I never throw stuff away and it is amazing how often some minor, but hard to recreate, part has turned up in what some folk would gave binned. I would be surprised if it is that different from other small Sachs/Bing set ups. They come in two main flavours really. The plastic air filter, or the 'lunch box engine' with a caste metal casing. I think the latter is later and a different carb. Quite likely the float is the same as it is not hugely different to other Bing. As such it will be available. The key issue is if the fuel valve insert into the carb body has been mullered.   

[Big Al]

Well the float had sunk. Once cleaned up and the deposits removed it was able to float again. So that was easy. Some electricals to finish but it went off to the show with Andrew driving the back roads to get in after the major miles were done by trailer. ON collecting him I was just wondering how I would find him in the melle when he appeared in front of me poddling down the road happily.

On getting home some speed trials were done and the Dalmatians sent to chase the car. Fail, Dalmatians more interested in sniffing things! The Shopper, however, improves with use burning off the gum of old fuel inside. The second gearchange is improving as this is a 3 speed Saxonette, rather than a 2 speed. We think it is doing about 42 mph at full whack. Good fun.

[Big Al]

Having done several events I did some more to this car to bring it up to MOT standard. The rear light is now returned to whole again for the second time. Perhaps a waste of time as I found German eBay offering lights, rear and side, for about euros 20 a throw.

A whizz through the brakes, discs all round, has removed more friction with full movement on the cable system. Some driving with the friction pads on will clean off the deposits and should find clear running. Serviced the rear chain and that has also eased up, removing more friction. The Fuel tap, unfortunately, was terminally botched up and fitted incorrectly. No account had been made that the union draws the two threaded surfaces together with opposing threads. So all sorts of muck added to stop leaking. The tank is out for cleaning and ones this goes back in with a tap out of stock there should be a good reliable fuel delivery. All of which suggests speed trials will be faster than the 30 mph recorded so far.

A discovery made using the internet is that we can decode the engine type numbers. The engine in the Shopper is an Sachs 50 AML R S. So that means it is an Automatic, diaphragm induction, fan cooled engine with Reverse and a high compression head with the decompressor blanked off. Pretty much the most complex spec Saxonette engine. Closely related to the AMAL units (the extra A stands for increase acceleration capability) in the Mini Comtesse and such. Perhaps some of these have reverse too. Anyway it makes sense that a top of the range version was created to serve as the demonstrator in the UK. It makes this British Shopper a little more unusual, a collectors item, indeed.

So more fun to be had as we explore the possibilities of backward speed trails in an unstable vehicle layout for that direction. Mopeds might be quicker, but sophisticated puddlejumpers come in well. The Shopper looks like it can kick bottom in its class too.

[Big Al]

Could not find my stash of petrol taps. So looked at Lambretta ones as these are the same union. £7.00 at my door. I begin to wonder why Schmitt ones are some £28, when in stock, and when all you get extra is a gravity trap filter most folk ignore by putting an in line filter somewhere in the supply pipe. Indeed it should be possible to find, or make, a gravity trap filter to put on the tap for under £20, if it comes to it. It does rather suggest spares prices have drifted up to collect addition funds due to the values of the car itself, finished. Competition in parts supply is needed, therefore, to bring the prices to heel. Either the correct part is replicated at a higher cost, or we accept the wrong parts at a lower cost. The third alternative is to invest in a different sort of car which has got sensibly priced parts, of course. Go for it Messyman. 

[Bob Purton]

But then surely the danger is slowly the cars evolve into something else that has all the wrong fixtures and fittings just to save a few quid.

[Big Al]

What, you mean like they are doing now?

Perhaps I have not made myself clear. The £28 petrol tap I saw was similar, but not the same, as the later type of Messerschmitt fuel tap. So it is no more accurate, for judging originality (funny how we do not do that anymore), than is a £7 Lambretta tap, both with a convertible end that can accept the self adjusting fuel control rod.  I do not think either correct Schmitt Fuel taps are currently available. The wrong, but accepted substitute, tap is currently out of stock - likely to resolve in a few weeks, as Wyn is off to Germany.
Why the fuss on the back of the Shopper. Well I looked for the correct tap for it. I had also been asked for an original Schmitt tap for a genuine, and very rare, KR201 Roadster, which is completely original. The tap has completely failed. So at the moment this car is unusable and it looks like a meticulous rebuild of an old tap is going to be needed to keep it 100% accurate. How many people are going to bother doing that?
The Shopper, fortunately, turned out to use a Lambretta fuel tap anyway, deep joy. Oh, that is the old, original flow one, which is why its cheaper. No one wants it! You can get a more volume flow one (?) for more money. So the modified, none original Lambretta bit is more expensive........

[Big Al]

Tank back in, tap put on and check through on further electrics cleaned up over the week. Still several faults to cure.
Speed test. It is no faster in terminal velocity really, but performance is much sweeter and it reaches top speed quicker. Brakes better and even more bite, after several trips round the block with the pads dragging, to clean everything off both disc and pad.
Having got this done and proved that the engine was running sweetly, it was time to try Reverse. After some adjustment of the control cable, there it was. Mild engagement click and in it it goes, Reverse selected as sweet as you like. So that proves my theory that the lever under the carb filter is the Reverse selector.
I believe the Reverse is fitted where the pedals used to be, not used on this electric started unit. The pedal apertures are blanked off. Instead a small gear/chain transfer box has been put in to give Reverse, I think. Not dissimilar to the pedal start and good use of redundant space. However it does not appear to have a guarded selector, so in theory could be selected as the car is going forwards. This could account for some of the breakages seen in other cars on the forum. So check the engine spec of your unit to see if you have a reversing engine. It could explain a lot, and add to your driving pleasure.
As to the Shopper. It goes so well, and is easy to drive, having reverse, it starts to feel like something worth keeping. A visiting car nut got in and within minutes was belting around in it surprised at its stability and subtle ride. This after arriving in an Accadiane - Spelling, Dyane van. A very sound package despite its eccentric look. It just needed someone to understand its engineering, rather than being botched about. Not yet completed but time to start looking at the next car to fit into the spare time not used building.