British Seagull - "the best outboard motor for the world"

Here we have a 1967 British Seagull Century (100) Plus Long Shaft model.

It's 102cc, approx. 4.5-5.5 hp, direct drive. Serial number WPL1520C7.

It is all original, running a Villiers carburettor, Wipac ignition and so on.

Here is a link to a fantastic site about British Seagulls. You'll find anything you need and more there!

http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk

The serial number (WPL1520C7) dates it to March 1967.

Quite a bold statement, don't you think?

Still running its original spark plug wire!

The only real repair work I had to do on the engine was reattaching (aluminum soldering, more on that later) the broken off clamp that secures the drive shaft tube to the bottom part of the engine.

When I got the engine, it was "fixed" by using some thick wire, some nails, and some brute force. Nothing like those "grandpa" fixes!

O also had to make a new bolt since the old one had rusted beyond repair. Not 100% like the original one but it gets the job done. Sorry about the bad picture.

DIY: How to make a buzzcoil

While restoring my 1925 Wickström marine engine last winter, I came across some problems with the Bosch FF1-magneto that came with the engine. Since I don't have the knowledge to restore magnetos yet, I decided to put it on the shelf waiting for better days.

I decided to build a powerful, reliable, yet simple, buzzcoil. After browsing the internet for schematics without results, I stumbled upon this great plan that I wanted to share. All you need to build it is:

- a 12 volt automotive ignition coil

- a 12 volt 30-40 ampere 5-pin relay. Note: it's got to have an 87 and an 87a- marked pin.

- any automotive ignition capacitor

- some electric wire

- solder, soldering iron or wire connectors

- a hose clamp

Here is the building plan. 

Connect a jump wire from pin 87a to pin 86. 

Connect a wire from pin 86 to the positive terminal on the ignition coil.

Connect one end of the capacitor to the positive terminal on the ignition coil, and the other end to pin number 30.

Connect a wire from pin 30 to the ignition switch, and a wire from the second terminal on the switch to the positive terminal on the battery.

Connect a wire from the negative terminal on the battery to a main power switch, then from the other terminal of the switch to pin number 85.

Connect a wire from pin 85 to the negative terminal on the coil. 

Connect a wire from the negative terminal on the coil to ground.

Next step is to test the buzz coil. Connect a spark plug wire from the coil to the spark plug, and connect the ground from the coil to the ground on the spark plug. Turn on the main power switch and hit the igntion switch.

My buzzcoil produces an almost 2 cm long spark.

Next step is to build some kind of case for the ignition system. I used an old wooden box that used to contain a wine bottle, but one can use any kind of box really.

Beware: this buzzcoil produces some seriously high voltage!

1931 Dodge DH6

I had the pleasure to spend quite some time together with this car, a 1931 Dodge DH6. Straight six, 211.5 CID (3465cc), 68bhp. Wonderfully torquey engine! 

Spring is almost here

This is my 2000 Mazda Miata. Pics taken in the fall of 2014, just before it was put into winter hibernation.