The 'unknown' engine

Now there's a thought. The type D itself was developed from Norman's first engine which powered the Kenilworth Motor Scooter

Reply to
Nick H
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Dug out some pics of Norman D (incl one from Kim) and I reckon that was a pretty good spot Roland. Crankcase and cyl are clearly different but the timing chest with mag bracket and the flywheel with brake shoe shaped governor weights are dead ringers. Added to that, I re-read Philip Gallimore's Norman articles and found that Kenilworth scooter and so probably type D, wore a VICI carb! So, Norman parts used by someone else on a 'project' or a water cooled Norman engine that never made quantity production?

Reply to
Nick H

Oh, and that long lever in the throttle linkage is pretty distinctive too - I'm convinced!

Reply to
Nick H

I had an ID query today. It turns out the lucky chap has a Norman D powered "Bungalyte" set. Whilst refreshing myself on the early Normans I was struck by the very strong family resemblance to the unknown. The style is close enough to make me wonder if either this is a previously unknown water-cooled Norman or that both shared a common progenitor?? regards Roland

Reply to
Roland and Celia Craven

Yerst. It is a wired coincidence (!) , but last week I posted a photo to Nick of a Norman engine from a Bunglite and inquired the same thing.

Anyone wanting a copy of the pic, please e-mail me off list.

regards,

Kim

Reply to
Kim Siddorn

All very interesting! I have yet to locate a picture of a 'D', but the cam cover / magneto bracket is very similar, although not identical to the Kenilworth type engine. You could well have something there!

Having now stripped, cleaned and begun the rebuild, it strikes me that either the engine was never painted or the paint has been so meticulously removed as to leave no trace. The green paint on the cylinder was added by the last owner, but it was unpainted before. Even the flywheel, which is an unmachined iron casting has never been painted (or at least no traces remain), which struck me as unusual as obviously only polished cast iron has any chance of staying rust free. I therefore wondered if this was because it was either a prototype or pre-production model. Of course it may have been supplied to a third party for painting and it never got done, who knows?

The other link, although very tenuous is that the previous owners family bought it for their garage business from another garage. One of the markets for the Norman D was as an air compressor, either sold or free-issued by Dunlop Tyres to garages.

Thanks, I will continue the research. Does anyone have any links to a Norman 'D' picture?

Mark

Reply to
Mark Howard

Don't know where you are Mark, but there is a complete Bungalite in Stamford museum donated by Newage who probably inherited it when they aquired ALCO.

Reply to
Nick H

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