Comedy Car Classic
Bo the Clowns Comedy Cars. Click for (video)
Stop Press Bo’s Comedy Car is changing!) "Eco Car is Born"
In this modern world one has to be up to date, when unleaded Petrol came in, Fhut 1 changed to unleaded
( we tried to change again when Gas power was made more available but sadly not available enough).
This year, I visited the Makers' Faire in Newcastle upon Tyne and met Malcolm Berry of www.weirdmotors.com who was converting a fiberglass Mini to electric. This was it: I could feel the change coming on, a chain drive differential on EBay was the start followed by emails to Jedi racing , who had built electric racing cars in the 70’s. The motor came from an electric Motor bike Malcolm was dismantling and the controller from a Grass cutting machine destroyed when a tree fell on it! They say every act of creation starts with destruction.
Whilst at it I was still not happy about an earlier trick using Hydraulics to shoot my drivers seat into the air, so I opted for pneumatics instead, so out came the heavy Pump and in went the lightweight air Pump and 24 litre air receiver.
You would think that would be enough, I had lost over 5cwt, in weight from the car. Mini engines and Gearboxes are very heavy, but now the car was totally silent! All that Macho revving was out, (Jeremy Clarkson would hate it). Lotus and Nissan have a problem with their electric cars they keep scaring Pedestrians by creeping up on them!
So what should my new eco clown car sound like- well ,why stop with one sound, why not eight or even more? Sound sampling was the answer. Jim Frieze, one half of www.Sonodrome.co.uk came up with the solution: an Arduino based sampler with Sd cards to hold the sounds. Works a treat.
Sounds so far include:
Motorbike revving, Baby Crying, Loo flushing, Dog Barking, and Door bell, I did get a little carried away.
It's been great fun building it. I hope you have as much fun watching it with either Bo the Clown or Professor Screwtop in the driving seat!
More History
It was through working with Pierre Picton and his Model T Ford That Bo first came to his love of Comedy Cars. Bo built his present car twenty years ago from a discarded Mini. Wheels came from a Bullnose Morris and the shape from a 1924 Star. Fhut 1 was born, it has twenty five inbuilt tricks including Bangs, fire, smoke,wheel off, and many more. Inspiration came from the keystone kops style of slapstick (incidentally Pierre's car came from this illustrious stable). Bo has traveled all over the continent with his car, France Germany Sweden Holland Spain, and more recently Ireland.
Technical Requirements Clown Car arena Shows
I like to park my van and trailer alongside the arena. This enables me to unload the Clown Car in a “Safe Area” The car does not have to pass through any crowds to the arena. The absolute minimum for the arena is for it to be roped off (I can supply rope and stakes but need to know ahead of time)
Ideally Metal crash barriers, on no account use straw bales. Arena Size solo show 60feet by 60feet Minimum, can do a static show in less. I have two Radio Mikes and prefer to link into the existing PA I can supply my own at smaller venues again I need to know in advance. For any variation on the above contact me or for Parade work also. The van and trailer are 36feet long Reg of Van Y377 KDK. Rolling Risk assessment for the above available.To book Bo Email
Mobile 07768 834856
