Looking at all the posts on California Side Cars, I am wondering what model I REALLY have. When I bought it on ebay, it was described as a Friendship II. I must admit at the time I knew nothing about side cars. Now I see all these variations and am confused. The only indication on the hack is a stamp on the windshield that says "California Side Car". My hack does NOT have a brake nor does it have a lean function. As mentioned in an earlier post on wiring color codes, there is no color code at all, all the wires are yellow and I can tell that somebody has been messing with the wiring as some of it is a mess. Any body have any ideas what I have?
Boatzo - 1/26/2012 8:19 AM Looking at all the posts on California Side Cars, I am wondering what model I REALLY have. When I bought it on ebay, it was described as a Friendship II. I must admit at the time I knew nothing about side cars. Now I see all these variations and am confused. The only indication on the hack is a stamp on the windshield that says "California Side Car". My hack does NOT have a brake nor does it have a lean function. As mentioned in an earlier post on wiring color codes, there is no color code at all, all the wires are yellow and I can tell that somebody has been messing with the wiring as some of it is a mess. Any body have any ideas what I have?
It appears to be a Friendship 2. The brake and lean function were both accessory add-ons when it was purchased. Both can be added later, but it can be difficult to find the necessary parts as the company stopped sidecars altogether.
The original Friendship did not have the front opening like yours does and it only had 2 taillights. BTW, guard them with your life. Although they look like a common trailer lens, no one has been able to come up with an exact replacement for them.
Your sidecar is an early freindship 2, latter ones California sidecars apears to have used a Champion Escort as a starting point to make changes which is why latter Freindship 2 sidecars open different. Your sidecar may also be early enough that it has a torrsion bar suspension rather then a shock / spring if this is the case then you can not up date to electric trim with out lots of changes to the sidecar and frame. Brakes can be added.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
Thanks Mike, Lonnie & Jay. It does not have a shock at least as I know a shock. Doesn't look like a torshion bar either. It has an arm on a coiled flat spring? I am not sure if I described it right. In any case it rides OK, but I think a better shock would help. Doesn't seem to need brakes, stops pretty good when I use both front and back brakes.
Good Day all,
Would anyone be able to provide instructions and photos of how the brake line from a Friendship III attaches to a Goldwing 1500SE?
Thanks
The way California use to tie in the brake was to the front master with a double banjo bolt however this does not work all that well as the capacity of the master is not quite up to it, We use to rebuild these by first boring them out on our milling machine to 5/8 inch and rebuilding them with a kit from a pre linked brake GL1100. If you really want to tie to the front brake now I would go with a brake master from a GL1800 as it is already 5/8 inch and other then being the wrong color and the banjo coming off at a different angle works fine. The way we now tie onto the GL1500 is to the rear brake but as it is difficult to get to the master we use a double banjo bolt on the rear brake calipar.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
jay@dmcsidecars
866-638-1793
Yesterday I decided to put a new bulb in the front marker light on my CSC Friendship 3 car since its not working. I removed the assembly and found there is no marker light -- there appears to be a space for a bulb but no hole to put in one. I also found some cracks on the backside of the assembly so I repaired with JB Weld.
Last night I had thoughts of replacing or at least find a soruce for a new assembly, so I camehere to find the car model ( 86 to 91 Volvo 480 ES) for the front lens then went to look for it and guess what? --- There ain't no listings for that car for anything - checked with my local parts house and they too do not have a listing. I found pictures of the car buts thats all. Was this a europe only car? Will we have to contact Sweet-Land for the piece?
Can anyone shed any "light" on this?
I think side marker lights are a required item so I decided to put a bulb in the provided space. Bought a trailer marker light and removed the bulb and socket. Drilled a hole into the space on the assembly -- a little smaller than needed then enlarged it with a small knive untill the socket snapped in. sealed it and replaced the lens on the car. The back of the socket fits up against the fiberglass and that too holds it in.
The Volvo 480ES was not sold in the USA, we use to use these same lights in a sidecar we use to make, we would order them in bulk 6 months before needing them from a Hella dealer that went out of buisness. We have not tried to get any from our current Hella dealer http://www.rallylights.com/ they may be able to help. You could also go to Ebay. However you will need to go to Ebay for a county other then the USA, I often will try Ebay from England as it is in english and they usualy do not mind shipping to the USA. BTW. we have bike specific mounts and steering modifications for both your Sporty and your Guzzi as well as sidecars.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
Thanks Jay
Always a wealth of information
Hi jaydmc,
It was written:"The rotor is an obscure at least in the USA Citoren car that was never imported into the USA."
Could you define the exact type of Citroen? I'm writing from EU and I need a rotor to my CSC Friendship I.
Thanks a lot!
The rotor is off of a Citoren GSA mid 1980's rear aplication. Brembo and EBC have no more. Apec still should have about 15 that we have not purchased. We have enough in stock to keep us going and supply the USA market for the next 2 months. We are having EBC make us another 100 which will keep us going for a few more months at which time we will have more that we are having cast for us however these will be only 5mm thick. They will still work on the California sidecars and the Champion sidecars but will allow for more pad options as right now you need pads with a thin backing plate. These same pads are also made with a thicker backing plate that will only work with the 5mm thick rotors.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
Hi Jay G!
Thank you for your answer!
Citroen GS brake disc is avaliable in Europe. 🙂
I lost the keys to the trunk lock on my Friendship 3 car. At the East Texas Sidecar Muster I saw the Hannigan trunk locks looked like mine --- I never asked to look at one since I thought I would find my keys. I did not find the keys, so I took the lock to local locksmiths to make a key -- didn't work.
Talked to Hannigan parts man and he sent what I described --- The body of the lock was a perfect fit but the latch was wrong -- the latch hook was too short and lays horizontally while my hook was longer and lays vertially. I drilled out the pin holding the hook on the new lock -- mine already a small screw instead of a pin and just put my old hook in place of the new one and it hung vertially. Installed lock on my trunk lid and all works fine --- haven't lost the keys yet and expect to find the old ones soon.
The Hannigan part number is AE9-00266CH Cost was $34.95 plus shipping $20.90
A couple of tire related questions:
# 1 - what are you guys using for tires for your 13" rims? The tire size seems a bit odd sized/uncommon - 145SR13 Radial Tire.
# 2 - the tire sidewall appears very close clearance wise to the fender lip. Would running a typical, say 60 to 70 series car tire result in tire rubbing on the lip?
# 3 - anyone run a 14" rim and low profile rubber?
There's almost no options in 13" tires that are narrow enough to fit the stock rim. If you find a 60 or 70 series that fits, LMK.
A 145/80R13 is the same size as the 145SR13 but still can be a pain to find. A 155/80R13 is .3" wider and .6" taller overall, is fairly easy to find, and works fine. I've been running one on my FS I for over a year and even had a 300+ lbs guy in the chair without an clearance issue.
I'd love to go to a 14" or even 15" wheel with a low profile tire to give it an updated look but the issues seems to be the hub. The bolt pattern is 4 on 4" (not 4 on 100mm) and finding one that looks nice is almost impossible and I've looked a lot. The problem is the 4 on 4" pattern is almost exclusively used for trailers, at least in the States, so wheel offerings are utilitarian rather than stylish.
And the way the original hub is made, I don't see how it could be redrilled. DMC offers hubs with a couple different patterns, but Jay wasn't sure how the backspacing would be compared to the stock hub, IIRC. So this could cause interference issues and brake problems (if you have brakes) ect.
So for now I'm running the stock rim, hoping a modern looking 15" mag with a 4 on 4" and the correct backspacing will drop out of the the sky someday.
Anyone running a current looking wheel/tire combo? Please share.
