1980 Other Makes Microcar OrangeCrate Mini Fire Truck

CVT

off road only

This auction item is my 1980s Honda 50cc scooter engine powered Mini Fire Truck. I have a number of Microcars in work and have run out of time and energy for this one. The truck was originally used by a Fire Captain or by a Fire Department in the Pacific NW as a promotional vehicle for use in parades. I bought this from my fellow Microcar collector and pal Terry who is the handsome dashing lad in the photos. The manufacturer is believed to be Orangecrate and it dates to the 1980's. The truck is very similar to a Zoe Zipper and other similar Japanese Microcars powered by small 50cc scooter engines. It is a CVT Auto trans so no shifting is needed and it does have a reverse gear. I have not had the car at max speed but other 50cc Microcars with same motor can do 35MPH. The engine is a 50cc Honda Scooter 2 stroke motor. Fuel mixing is not needed as the truck has a separate tank for oil and gas and there is a mixing jet in the intake manifold. The truck has a small operational emergency vehicle light bar attached to the sliding sun roof. There is an emergency vehicle flasher module that flashes the headlights alternately just like a regular emergency vehicle. Wiring for the tail lights is not hooked up but could be very easily. There is a master switch panel with siren, horn, air horn, beep horn and emergency lights - There are extra switches for more functions you may add including the hardware to make it squirt water via a windshield washer pump. It will amuse parade attendees and especially kids. I've had it at a few car shows and it gathers a crowd. This is a single seater like a Zoe Zipper but there is room to ride someone on your lap. Before the carb started acting up I was driving it some and took it up my very steep driveway so the 50cc 2 stroke has lots of power. The battery is in good condition. I have a Battery Tender charge whip that is on the car and the Battery Tender unit itself is also included. The windshield and left side window are glass and the rear window and right side window are plastic. New windshield and rear window rubber and new glued in left side window. The vehicle could be used for parades, a plant parts runner, car shows or advertising. It will gather a crowd in any gas station with adults, kids and firemen drooling and crawling all over it. This is a work in progress and it has minor things it needs to have addressed: The chain needs to have a chain tensioner added. The carb needs to be removed and cleaned - the engine runs and then dies. Rear lighting is not completed - it is there just not wired up. Brakes work fine but need to have the rear brake lines rerouted. This has brand new tires. A new left hand and rear window have been fitted so it is wet weather capable if needed. There is some surface rust in the frame area - not structural but surface only. There is no doorlock key but there is an ignition key. The engine cranks fine and will fire but the carb issues let it die pretty quickly. Gel coat is in good shape - faded from years but not chalky - still some gloss. The right side window with the utility opening area has 2 cracks and several scratches. The scratches can possibly be polished out and the cracks are cosmetic - they don't impact the window or the swing open section. This vehicle will be sold with a bill of sale only. No title is available and I have not been able to locate a chassis number. With an early 1980s year of manufacture it is over 25 years old and this should facilitate registration if you plan to use it on public roads. Mileage on odometer is under 200 miles. The accuracy of this mileage and the operational state of the odomoeter is not known. Here is a video of the emergency flashers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKST7HYe8Bg If you are curious about the power of the little Honda motor here is a video of my Zoe Zipper pulling my 210 pounds up a steep driveway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REY0L9GxM3M The little fire truck is located in Riverside, CA. I can arrange trailered transport to any location up to 400 miles for gasoline cost. Interested parties are welcome to view the car on an appointment basis. I will be glad to provide any additonal pics upon request. On May-14-12 at 03:53:49 PDT, seller added the following information: The dimension of the Mini Fire Truck are: 63" tall to top of light bar 75" long 48" wide I am going to estimate the weight at 500-600 pounds. On May-14-12 at 13:40:58 PDT, seller added the following information: I am receiving multiple requests for information on the shipment options for this car. Here are a few ideas. The car is very small at 48" wide and about 75" long. It will fit in the back of any pickup truck with a bigger bed. We lifted the car a couple of times with 3-4 guys so I believe the weight is about 400-600 pounds. Shipping a small car will cost about $1000-$1500 depending on how far East or North you are from me in Southern Cal. The premier shipping companies are Horseless Carriage http://www.horselesscarriage.com and Intercity http://intercitylines.com/. These are top flight companies who will provide careful handling and service. The other shipping option is to use a freight bidding service. This means that you will tell the bid company what you have and how big it is and where it needs to go. They will contact a number of truckers in their list and if there is someone who has empty trailer space they will bid on handling your item. These bids can be very reasonable or way too high - it just depends on the trucker and what he thinks that empty space in the back of his truck is worth. These carriers may not have the proper floor tie downs for the car as these are normally freight carriers and it could move around or be moved or unloaded a bunch of times while in transit. However, they could save up to 1/2 of the money of a premier auto carrier. The title - I have a few questions about the title on the vehicle. This vehicle will be sold with a bill of sale only. This is not an issue unless you plan to license and insure the vehicle. Most states have a way to title a car that's title is missing. Usually it involves posting a bond that is available online from a bond company. The last one of these I got for a car was $100. With that bond I went to the DMV and they accepted the paperwork and titled the car in CA. Insurance - Progressive insurance was the carried I used on my Zoe Zipper and they could be used on this too. Parts availability - The engine and CVT transmission on this car are a Honda 50 2 stroke scooter (model is NH50 and sold as a Lead scooter) from the 1980s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_KScqwH35U There are many parts suppliers for these scooters including: http://www.monsterscooterparts.com/hondaaero50.html Here is a carb rebuild kit on eBay: Item number: 130690989975 The forward, neutral and reverse transmission/differential brand is not known but is operational. The sprockets and chain may need replacement or the chain tensioner may solve the chain skipping issue under load it has now.