MY FEEDLY

The Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike: An Off-Road Alternative To ATVs

This is the Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike from the team at QuietKat, a company based in Eagle, Colorado that has grown to become the number one manufacturer of off-road ebikes designed for fishing, hunting, and exploring.

The bike has front and rear suspension, front and rear disc brakes, fat all terrain tires, an SRAM 9-speed drivetrain, an electric motor producing up to 1,500 watts, and a lithium-ion battery capable of powering the bike over 58 miles of varied terrain.

Fast Facts – The Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike

The Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike was developed by QuietKat in collaboration with Jeep to be what they claim is the most capable electric bike in the world.
Power is provided by either the pedals, the electric motor, or both working together. Electric-only range is 58 miles and the bike has an SRAM 9-speed drivetrain.
A four-bar linkage Fire-Link suspension system is fitted along with telescopic forks giving the bike front and rear suspension. It also has front and rear disc brakes.
QuietKat eBikes were developed to replace ATVs/quads and motorcycles for hunters, anglers, and explorers. They’re almost silent and they can be easily carried on a trailer hitch on most cars and SUVs.

QuietKat eBikes

QuietKat was founded by twin brothers Jake and Justin Roach in Eagle, Colorado in 2012 to build and sell what they believe are the best all-terrain electric bikes in the world.

The battery pack is stored in the frame’s down tube, it can be easily removed and plugged in at home for charging.

From the outset, QuietKat has built ebikes that are designed for off-road use. The long term plan being to replace internal combustion quad and trail bikes wherever possible – allowing hunters, anglers, and explorers to move almost silently through the wilderness.

The company is now leading the all-terrain bike industry, their bikes are sold via a over 300 retail partners including Cabelas, Scheels, Camping World, and BassPro.

The Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike

The Jeep Fat Tire E-Bike is one of QuietKat’s more popular models, doubtless helped along by Jeep’s brandname awareness. The model was designed to offer the best possible off-road ability, living up to that decades old Jeep reputation.

The bike has a rugged frame with a load capacity of 300 lbs and an integrated rear pannier rack for hauling gear. It’s offered in three sizes, allowing each rider to get a bike best suited to their physical height.

Due to the considerably lower weight of these bikes when compared with ATVs and motorcycles, it’s relatively easy to load them up for trips into the wilderness.

A four-bar linkage Fire-Link suspension system is fitted in the rear, with a pair of telescopic forks up front. The bike is also fitted with CST 26″ x 4.8″ fat tires to help soak up rough terrain and the frame is designed so that you can switch to a 29″ standard mountain bike tire set if you prefer.

Both 750 and 1000 watt versions of the bike are available, and the 1000 watt version is capable of up to 1500 watts of peak performance and 160 nm (118 ft lbs) of torque.

The lithium-ion battery pack is fitted into the main down tube of the frame, the battery is quickly removable which makes recharging easier – as you can take it inside with you to plug it in.

The MSRP is $7,499 USD, though that’s not cheap it’s inline with the current pricing for a high-end downhill mountain bike – and of course they don’t come with motors and battery packs.

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/jeep-fat-tire-e-bike/
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Project Car: A Rare Kellison J6 Panther V8

This is a Kellison J6 Panther, it’s an American sports car developed by Jim Kellison back in the late-1950s that’s been lauded for its advanced body design and its race winning history.

Thanks to their lightweight fiberglass bodies, good aerodynamics, and powerful V8 engines the Kellison J-series cars were among the fastest vehicles you could build in your garage back in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Fast Facts – The Kellison J6 Panther

Jim Kellison was born in Seattle before moving to California where he joined the burgeoning hot rod scene. He joined the USAF in his late teens and after discharge he started his own body and fender shop at the age of 22.
Kellison would spend the rest of his life as an entrepreneur in the automotive world, first repairing cars before branching out into car design himself, and selling fiberglass body kits as well as complete cars.
The most famous cars built by Jim were the Kellison J series vehicles, they ran from J1 through to J6 – their styling was remarkably advanced for the era and well ahead of their time.
The J series cars would remain in production from the late 1950s well into the 1960s. Kellison would diversify his product line to include Formula V cars, boats, dune buggies, hot tubs, and more.

Jim Kellison – The Unlikely Car Designer

Born James Frank Kellison in Seattle, Jim Kellison would move to California as a young man and become part of the rapidly growing hot rod scene as a teenager. It would be in the world of hot rods that he cut his teeth learning about automotive engineering, bodywork, and engine tuning.

This is Jim Kellison with one of his creations. Many Kellison J series cars went racing and achieved excellent results in the early 1960s.

In his late teens Jim joined the United States Air Force, he long be enamored with aircraft and aircraft design, having been a keen builder of model planes when he was younger. This fascination with aircraft would later have a significant influence on his automobile designs.

After leaving the USAF Jim opened his own body and fender repair shop, at the age of just 22. He would spend the next few years working in the field, both in his own shops and working for other people, building a broad base of experience in the process.

It was around this time in the early 1950s that fiberglass was becoming a popular material for constructing car bodies. It was lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and easy to form into complex shapes with the use of moulds – vastly easier to turn into car bodies than aluminum or steel.

The Kellison Car Company

Jim began work on his first J car design in 1957, he created a steel tube and wire frame, then used plaster of Paris to create a smooth surface to create the fiberglass mould. Within two years Kellison cars began appearing in American automotive magazines including MotorTrend.

Most Kellison bodies were sold via advertisements like this in the back of car magazines in the late 1950s and 1960s.

The C1 Corvette was being built at the time with a fiberglass body, and so Jim built the Kellison J4 body to fit neatly onto the Corvette chassis in place of the original body. It looked fantastic but there were some complaints about handling.

As a result of these complaints, Jim hired Chuck Manning – a talented Indy car chassis builder – to developed a new chassis specifically for his body designs, and solve the handling issues once and for all.

The initial design had a steel box tube frame with tube axles front and back. This didn’t provide the desired handling, and so a new version was designed – a steel X-frame fitted with easy-to-source Corvette suspension front and rear.

This new chassis combined with the good aerodynamics of the Kellison body was a match made in heaven, and there were numerous reports of Kellisons taking dominant class victories in motorsport competition in the early 1960s.

The Kellison J6 project car listed here seems to have most of the major parts, with the body, chassis, suspension, brakes, and drivetrain all accounted for.

It wouldn’t be long before Jim branched out and used his fiberglass production capacity to build a variety of other vehicles including Meyers Manx dune buggy clones, Formula V cars, and even speed boats and jacuzzis.

The Kellison J6 Project Car Shown Here

The car you see here is an original Kellison J6, it currently requires a full restoration. The car comes fitted to a 1958 Studebaker Hawk chassis, it’s powered by a 350 cubic inch V8, and power is sent to the Ford 9″ rear end via a Muncie 4-speed manual transmission.

Underneath you’ll find coilover suspension, front disc brakes with rear drums, 15″ Centerline wheels, Currie Enterprises rear axles, and a 3.55:1 Positraction differential. Under the hood the V8 is topped with a Holley four-barrel carburetor, it also has roller rockers and polished valve covers.

It’s clear that this Kellison will need a lot of work to get it back on the road but most of the major parts are already accounted for. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bring A Trailer

The post Project Car: A Rare Kellison J6 Panther V8 appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/kellison-j6-car/
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For Sale: A Super Retro 1988 Mercedes-Benz T1 Auto Trail Camper

This is a rare, original 1988 Mercedes-Benz T1 Auto Trail Apache Camper, and by the standards of the heavily Instagrammed “Vanlife” world, it’s the four-wheeled equivalent of an antique mansion.

As a full-sized van, the Mercedes-Benz T1 made an ideal platform for camper development. The size constraints of the VW Type 2 or early Ford Transits gave way to ample room and more space for luxuries than many camper enthusiasts were used to.

Fast Facts – The Mercedes-Benz T1 Auto Trail Camper

Auto Trail is an English company based in Lincolnshire that has been building campers, caravans, and motorhomes since 1982. They’re still in business today, and they’re now the UK’s largest retailer of motorhomes.
The Mercedes-Benz T1 is a full-sized van that was first released in 1977 with eye-catching styling by Stefan Heiliger. Both petrol and diesel engine options were built, with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) from 2.55 tonnes to 4.6 tonnes.
A wide range of versions of the T1 were offered including minibus, double cab, cargo van, a flat cargo bed, or a bare rear chassis for custom bodywork.
The 1988 Auto Trail camper you see here is in original condition throughout, it’s like a 1980s timewarp in some respects, and it’s due to cross the auction block with H&H Classics with a price guide of £10,000 – £12,000, or $11,800 – $14,200 USD.

The Mercedes-Benz T1

The Mercedes-Benz T1 grew to become the best-selling van built by the German automaker up until that point in history. Originally known as the TN for “Transporter Neu” (Transporter New in English), the van had surprisingly handsome styling by German designer Stefan Heiliger.

The larger size of the Mercedes-Benz T1 made it ideal for conversion into motorhomes, offering more space than many had previously experienced.

Many early vans, including those made by Mercedes and fellow German automaker Volkswagen, had been relatively small by modern standards. The T1 design, which was a follow on from the earlier 309 model series, was notably larger and more capable.

Mercedes offered a range of engines including both petrol and diesel with power ranging from the 65 bhp 207 D with the OM616 diesel engine up to the more powerful 105 bhp 310 model with the M102 petrol engine.

A variety of body types were offered including minivans, cargo vans, double cabs, pickup truck-style cargo beds, and an empty chassis rear for custom bodywork which could include ambulances, police vans, and camper vans.

Ultimately the Mercedes-Benz T1 would remain in production from 1997 until 1995 when it was replaced with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This wasn’t quite the end for the T1 however, as a rebadged version called the Togo Atlas remained in production in the Philippines for a number of years.

The (very) retro interior of this Auto Trail camper will appeal to many, it remains as a timewarp example from the late 1980s.

The T1 Auto Trail Apache Camper Shown Here

The van you see here is a great example of the campers that made British company Auto Trail as popular as it is today.

It’s based on the Mercedes-Benz T1 310 platform, which was the most powerful variant offering 105 bhp at 5,100 rpm and 134 lb ft of torque from its 2.3 liter petrol engine, mated to the highway-friendly 5-speed transmission.

Up front in the cab you’ll find some decidedly retro upholstery which is matched with similar carpet. The Mercedes dashboard remains unchanged, and it even comes with an original AM/FM cassette deck.

Above the cab there is space for two to sleep comfortably, further back there’s a toilet with a hot water shower and sink. The kitchenette includes two sinks with a tap, a fridge, a microwave, an oven, and twin gas burners.

In the rear of the camper there is a U-shaped sofa settee that can also be converted into additional bedding for kids or guests.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual camper or register to bid you can visit the listing on H&H Classics here. It’s due to roll across the auction block on the 27th of July with an estimate of £10,000 – £12,000, or $11,800 – $14,200 USD.

Images courtesy of H&H Classics

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from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/mercedes-benz-t1-camper/
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Full Documentary: Seven Survivors – The 1963 East African Safari Rally

This film, titled Seven Survivors, tells the story of the 1963 East African Safari Rally, one of the toughest and most arduous motor races in the world at the time – in this year only 8% of the competitors managed to finish.

1963 would be one of the most important races in the history of the East African Safari Rally, it was the first year that the event was a qualifying round for the RAC World Rally Championship.

It was also the first year that Japanese factory teams Nissan and Hino took part, and due to the heavy rains, it had the lowest finishing rate in the races history – just 7 cars from the original 84 would see the checkered flag.

Due to heavy rains and almost impassable terrain, the 1963 East African Safari Rally has been called the hardest ever running of the event. Just 8% of entrants made it to the end.

The East African Safari Rally was first held in 1953, originally as the East African Coronation Safari in honor of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The race was founded by a pair of Kenyan businessmen and keen amateur racers Neil and Donald Vincent who had grown bored with circuit racing.

In the early years of the event it would be largely dominated by local African drivers who were experts at navigating the local terrain and dealing with local weather conditions. The East African Safari Rally is still being held today, the 69th running of the event concluded last month in late June.

84 teams from around the world came to compete in 1963 including multiple teams from Britain, Europe, and Japan. But as was often the case, it would be the local African teams that romped to victory.

This 20 minute film was created by Ford of Britain to celebrate the Ford Cortinas and Ford Anglias taking part in the even. It’s named “Seven Survivors” after the 7 drivers who finished the event.

Read more about the history of the East African Safari Rally here.