Author Topic: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?  (Read 6782 times)

MinicarSource

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The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« on: March 11, 2017, 02:39:58 AM »
Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and fascinated by tiny cars. Which is why I started working on what I hope will be the ultimate visual guide to all microcars.

If you're interested in possibly finding images or videos of microcars you may not have even heard of, or if you're a microcar expert and want to correct some cars that I may have labeled incorrectly, here's the link:

https://www.pinterest.com/MicrocarSource/

This is still very much a work in progress so go easy on me. I hope this thread won't get closed for advertising as I'm not making any money from doing this.

Any feedback is welcome, thanks for humoring me!

Barry

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2017, 07:40:55 AM »
Good morning Minicarsource and welcome.
I too have thousands of photos and much literature on all microcars.
Perhaps we can share?

Barry

Big Al

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2017, 08:19:06 AM »
If I had time much the same idea had occurred to me. It might be that starting with pictures is the way to go. But for me the full experience is to collect a potted history of each entry. That would probably have to be a simple set of facts, then linked to a further set of pages, should the viewer wish to reference the detail. Its a task probably beyond one person, unless they have little else to do! Just organising the pictures is probably a task on its own.
It has been mooted around various hosts, but I think the reality is the folk motivated to do this have to find each other on the web. Hopefully a consensus might form and a resource appear.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
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Chris Thomas

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2017, 10:29:41 AM »
Good Morning Minicarsource

Good to have you aboard

A very good collection of images. I did not look at every image in your collection but spotted that you have some images of a Meyra 200-2 in the Tri-car Stationette section. 

Chris Thomas
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Bob Purton

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2017, 11:39:19 AM »
Well done! A fine start. My only criticism would be that a lot of them are not microcars, eg, Morris minor, Ford Anglia, Panhard. Hillman Imp etc.
Keep it up.

Chris Thomas

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2017, 04:10:21 PM »
Dear Bob

I think you will find that the collection are Minicars rather than Microcars under the USA definition rather than our rather tighter British Definition. Having said that it is good to see some different images of some familiar vehicles.

Chris Thomas
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Bob Purton

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2017, 10:53:36 PM »
The topic does say Visual Microcar guide. Not minicar guide.

Chris Thomas

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2017, 12:42:58 PM »
Dear Bob

Good to see you back on the forum.

Chris Thomas
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Big Al

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2017, 03:09:55 PM »
To include Minicars is only to increase the huge scope of the sum of the work to be done. But if we are biased toward the microcar end of the scale that is fine, for there might well be those biased toward the minicar end of things. If it is a shared interest it is the sum of those interests. If it is a private interest it will be the sum of that interest. Either way it is a valuable resource if it is shared.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
Citroen BX 17TZD & GTI 16v
Held - MG Magnette ZB & 4/44
For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

Barry

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2017, 06:58:44 PM »
Are you still with us Minicarsource?

MinicarSource

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2017, 01:24:02 PM »
Hey everyone, thanks for the responses! I'll try to respond to all your questions and concerns.

1. I didn't use a strict definition of microcars when I started making this, I basically added anything I could find on lists of microcars (like the one on the microcars.org site for example) so there are probably some that wouldn't fit an exact definition based on engine size, physical dimensions, etc. If there are any that are really far off, let me know and I will remove them.

2. I would love to have information about each vehicle, but it is difficult to find accurate details on the internet and in the few microcar books that I own. If someone has access to the info, I would be happy to add it to the guide.

3. If anyone has photos they would like me to add to the guide, I would be happy to do so, also.

Thanks for your time and consideration!

Barry

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2017, 02:59:03 PM »
Everyone has their own idea of what would be best but we all accept each others different view points.
I agree with Bob that you are working on visual guide and not a full set of workshop manuals (especially for the on-offs).

This will make you happy or sad :)  :(

 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xiu9h6x7qbtfdqh/AAAZW1TFPepeQu-RyeT4qnYaa?dl=0

This is just my own collection of photographs pinched from wherever they turn-up.  I have paid particular attention to recognising any photos found on the Meadows Frisky site and inserted the website address.

I have included a Word document for each car so that other links and info can be added. 

The idea was to allow others to update, add to and correct the database.  Chris Thomas has been of great help with many of the photos, recognising unusual vehicles and missplaces photos.
Very much work in progress.

Big Al

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #12 on: March 13, 2017, 05:47:28 PM »
Work in progress? I think its a lifetimes task, although chasing down rare and unknown examples late on will be a different challenge to creating order from what can be a rather misleading quantity of enthusiasm over accuracy. As has been noted.  If your not so keen on adding in much script, then put the work out to someone else, I would say. Their could be a problem with the shear size of this record, as it grows. I am not a computer bod, but if your going for it, I would suggest you check the format you wish to use is easy to move on to another system, if you run into space issues.

Microcar / Minicar. Just note them as differing sections. Its your site, so you can decide what goes where. There is no clean cut off so someone will squeak. I represent the older, more restricted definition based on the minimalist credentials of a microcar, So excess weight, engine size or luxary fittings are suspect. I also feel there are Cyclecars, principly up to the war, but after too. Classic Microcars, that runs into 1972, Then Microcars, up to 500cc and Lightcars, which might fit microcar like niches, but are just that bit more in size, power or sophistication. That is probably a minority view these days. But no date limits and a top out at 700cc including electric machines will be a humongous load of cars.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
Citroen BX 17TZD & GTI 16v
Held - MG Magnette ZB & 4/44
For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

richard

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #13 on: March 15, 2017, 07:26:26 PM »
Assume it's me, and others who haven't bothered ?, had to sign in to pin interest , log in, verify password etc. Etc. Now got three emails from pin interest and still haven't seen what's on offer ! Help please before I lose the will 😏
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Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)

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Re: The Most Complete Microcar Visual Guide?
« Reply #14 on: March 16, 2017, 12:29:47 AM »
It's probably you Richard! Here's a pic of some of what you're missing, but you should be able to see at least a couple of the photos without registering and all of them once you have registered. Assuming you have registered, try clicking the link at the top of this page again. Without wishing to diminish the value of the board and it's contents, I think pinterest is a really nasty site and I'd avoid it like the plague, anything that expects you to register to see content that it doesn't own and which is otherwise freely available on the web is off to a bad start, and then when it makes it deliberately difficult to identify the source of the content by redirecting you back to itself, it just becomes a pain. There are ways to access its contents without registering assuming you can be bothered to look for them, but I'd just use a different photo-sharing website.
Malcolm
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