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1
March 16, 2010 - 02:14 AM
Serge
Serge's email

  Hoo Dan This fantastic website. I also built and transformed. By discovering this site I also want to mount a three wheels. I ordered plans Tri-magnum and Vortex and make a mix of both. Thanks and greetings from Switzerland Serge
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January 26, 2010 - 09:16 PM
Frank
Frank's email

  very nice site, keep it up.
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January 09, 2010 - 02:52 PM
Jesse
Jesse's email

  Love your idea. Tip- if you haven\'t allready, for speed, to reduce wear and resistance on the chassis and tires, you may want the allow the front tires to angle when they turn, and the rear tires to angle lean. Also, look into carbon fiber. It will make you vehicle much lighter and safer during high speed accidents(not that you plan to have them) Carbon fiber has the quality of breaking apart on impact which directs the crash energy away from the vehicle eliminating most of the shock from impact. Indy 500 uses this technology and their drivers have since walked away alive with full carbon fiber cockpits. The drivers can completely disentigrate the vehicle and walk away uninjured. The frame and engine parts are still metal. Your vehicle rocks.
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October 08, 2009 - 08:31 AM
John
John's email

  Simply Brilliant Site !

I\'m currently re-building and modifying my Vortex and this site has been invaluable, Thank You .
You have mail of the Vortex\'s current state and hope to Mail you the finished product soon!!!!
Regards
John
Blackpool,
United Kingdom
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August 16, 2009 - 06:50 AM
vigrx
vigrx's email

  I know that there are men who are not yet satisfied of what they have and thanks to technology today because they can be satisfied now. www.male-sexual-styles.com
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March 08, 2009 - 07:47 AM
Steve Scott
Steve Scott's email

  One word Dan..... WOW.
I would articulate more, but it is that simple. Your work on this vehicle is an inspiration. As my resources build, a direction in that of yours is the goal. You are proof that fabrication talent goes a LONG way.
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January 16, 2009 - 10:39 PM
Patrick Tedley
Patrick Tedley's email

  Great site I have the plans for years now in retirement might have time to build.
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November 16, 2008 - 07:37 PM
Crow
Crow's email

  I bought the Vortex plans and and combining your design, and my ideas to make a 3 wheeler that I hope will drive well. I am using the front section, from the back of the front seats forward including the 1300cc engine and 5 speed trans of a Geo Prizm and the rear wheel and swingarm suspension from a Honda Gold Wing.I am using M-B 270 SLK projector headlights and your idea of the Hyundai taillights. I have only \
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September 14, 2008 - 01:30 PM
Nikke
Nikke's email

  I love your trike...I am starting one myself now.(well for the last 4years)got 2 engines.Honda GL1500cc and Honda 600cc newer model water cooled...Your site is very helpful. It will be a bit of a challenge to do a proper frame for 2 people and make it not too long...it will be fun..thanks for your site.
Nikke
www.mirofusion.com
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December 24, 2007 - 12:14 PM
Christopher L.
Christopher L.'s email

  I just got done reading your monthly log of building the Vortex. Man I am really excited about getting one started. This site was really informative. Take care.
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September 08, 2007 - 08:59 AM
skylight
skylight's email

  Very nice!! You keep my sights alive with inpiration on this vortex stuff.
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May 27, 2007 - 08:33 PM
Kyle
Kyle's email

  I have been searching (about 4 plus hrs over the last few days) and you and your work, AND your site is outstanding! I'm sure there are many that do not take the time to email you and say that this will help in MANY way with building my new RT. Very educational, even for someone who has good fabricating skills! THANKS!
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April 29, 2007 - 03:19 PM
Daniel Lenox
Daniel Lenox's email

  May 12th there is an informal get-together at Shep's place in North Caronlina.

Hopefully others interested in 3-wheeled construction will be there as 1/2 of the existing vehicles built using the Vortex plans will be there!!
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April 18, 2007 - 12:54 PM
Talon
Talon's email

  OK, I've read every page, admired every picture, chased every link, absorbed every diagram. Now, I need to clean out the garage and get to work. Thanks for the wonderful read.

Only one question that you had that I know the answer to, in Dec 2006 you asked about the Ford starter solenoid pins. Those things had the two large posts for the battery voltage, and then the two little posts, one was to energize the solenoid, and the other is a 12 volt tap that bypassed the dropping resistor for the coil. Normally, those old Fords ran the coil on about 9 volts, but during starting, they used a full 12 volts from that second post.
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March 30, 2007 - 07:15 AM
Daniel Lenox
Daniel Lenox's email

  I have been deluged by spam entries on this page, which is the reason that it was shut down.

I have decided to reopen it however not allowing entry of home pages.
I will try to stay on top of the spam entries and delete them on a daily basis so that the general public hopefully might be able to enter their thoughts here.
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February 09, 2006 - 09:15 PM
Daniel Lenox
Daniel Lenox's email

  Alex,
the butterfly doors only require about 11" when opened...
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February 08, 2006 - 10:15 PM
Alexander Lopez
Alexander Lopez's email

  Great job documenting your progress, Dan! I remember the gullwing doors of the DeLorean required just 1 foot of space with surrounding cars to fully open. How much does your Vortex' butterfly doors need? And how high are the once opened? Thank you, and keep going on, man!
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December 17, 2005 - 12:15 PM
Daniel Lenox
Daniel Lenox's email

  Doug,
1) My website is currently being hosted at GoDaddy.com, they have lots of bandwidth and quite reasonably prices!
2) I am using Macromedia DreamWeaver to create and maintain the site.
3) The first engine was from a Yamaha FJ600
4) Yes - Shep and I talk often via email
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December 11, 2005 - 01:02 PM
Doug Starwalt
Doug Starwalt's email

  The site and chronicle are growing like a beautiful child! A+ and very well thought out. I have a few questions:
1)Who is hosting your site?
2)What software are you using to make the site?
3)What happened to the "first" VFR?
4)Have you gone to see Shep yet?
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November 27, 2005 - 12:15 PM
Daniel Lenox
Daniel Lenox's email

  Thanks all of you for leaving such positive comments, it appears that I have acheived my goal of sharing information concerning this project.

After a long hiatus of a couple of months this weekend I returned to construction of the Vortex. I should be able to put in a fair amount of time during the winter months.

I have been working on the rear canopy and prepping for the upcoming foaming of the body. I deviated from the original plans and using 1/4" birch plywood for a portion of it. Will have additional pictures and info up shortley.
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November 25, 2005 - 06:45 PM
John Davis
John Davis's email

  Dan,
As I read through your "beginnings" on the homepage I thought I was reading about myself. I too eyed the kit cars of the '70s and the Tri-Magnum in the '80s. The "build it" itch just got to me again lately, and as with you, I now have the means and the skills to make it happen. So, I've started my research and planning and came across your website. Thank you so much for documenting it and sharing it so well with the rest of us who think like you do. I can appreciate how much of your time the 3-wheeler build takes, which makes me even more appreciative of the time you've taken to log it, photograph it and post it on the web. It would be a great pleasure of mine to meet and talk with you, I hope that our paths cross someday.

God bless you and your family!
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October 21, 2005 - 03:36 PM
All Smiles
All Smiles's email

  Hey Dan,
This is very impressive. I'm totally shocked to find your website in here. Kinda neat being able to find folks in websites while at the same time little scary....lol This vehicle your designing makes me want to climb in a go for a ride right down the side of a mountain....I hope the breaks are working might end up in someone's front living room or bed room. I hope you keep up on this website/would be a shame to just let it all go down the tubes especially when your almost finished. Will you take me for a ride when your finished? (smile)Guess who..lol
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September 13, 2005 - 05:48 AM
Garth Andersson
Garth Andersson's email

  Hi Dan

I must say a big thank you for the effort have put into your web site. Following your progress is a real inspiration. I have had the bug to build a 'cool car' for some years now and your web site and choice of car have certainly re-inspired me. Please keep up the good work.

Cheers
Garth
(south Africa)
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September 07, 2005 - 05:25 AM
Daniel Lenox
Daniel Lenox's email

  Thanks for the positive comments.

I have not weighed the vehicle and feel that using the 3/4" plywood probabily added closer to 100lbs to the total weight. One factor that can certainly make a difference is how much resin that you use in glassing the chassis, we probably used a little over 15 gallons and that alone put on about 100lbs!!!

The bare chassis was about all that 2 men could handle, part of it is the bulkiness of the chassis, but weight was also certainly a factor. If I had to guess the bare glassed chassis probably weighed about 400-500 lbs. The rear subframe is pretty light, perhaps 30 lbs, swing arm 10 lbs, front subframes 8 lbs each, front suspension 50 lbs each, the rear axle assy is pretty bulky at 45 lbs, then you have the tires and rims at 35 lbs each for a total of around 756 lbs.

I am very comfortable working with either wood or steel/aluminum but I was not tempted to modify the plans any additional amount to use a metal frame and foam core. I think that unless a radical redesign was done that it would have made any significant weight reduction, and then you have stress analysis to consider...
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September 06, 2005 - 05:13 PM
Kirk
Kirk's email

  Great build log !

I'm curious about how your weight is coming along. You were originally worried your choice of 3/4" plywood would add about 75 lbs to the chassis. What did the chassis finally weigh ? How much added by the suspension components and subframes ?

Plywood is easy to work with, but you seem pretty comfortable with welding the steel tubing. Were you at all tempted to eliminate some of the plywood moncoque from the tub and front trunk and just build a steel space-frame covered with more fiber-glassed foam core ? Do you think it would have saved any weight ?
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