"Hit And Miss" Horse Buggy

Hit And Miss Horse Buggy AG WORLD By installing an old Deere hit and miss engine on back of an old 2-seater horse-drawn buggy George Feltz was able to convert it into a self-propelled rig The engine located just behind the seat drives one of the buggy’s rear wheels The rig is complete with a foot-operated brake and clutch and a hand-operated steering tiller that’s connected to the buggy’s front axle It has a red and gold canopy on top a couple of flags a patriotic bow air horn and candle lantern lights on each side A large sign on one side says “The Good Old Days” “It makes a colorful sight ” says Feltz of Stevens Point Wis “I bought the buggy last year from a neighbor and put the hit and miss engine on it knowing that I’d probably never buy a horse It’ll go 6 mph down the road I occasionally take it to antique tractor shows and drive it in parades The engine makes a unique sound so it really looks and sounds different People smile and start clapping when they see us coming ” The horse buggy came with 2 seats and 42-in high wood wheels on back Feltz removed the back seat and bolted the 1 1/2 hp engine backward onto the floor in its place A 3-in dia rubber drive wheel is bolted onto the engine’s flywheel and keeps tension on the buggy wheel to drive it A foot-operated clutch is used to raise or lower the drive wheel about 4 in The clutch is connected to a hinged metal rod with a “knee” in the middle that’s attached to the front end of the engine The hinge system makes use of a small metal wheel that serves as a pivot point for the clutch allowing the hinge to move forward or backward as the engine is raised or lowered “Pressing down on the foot pedal causes the engine to lift up which disengages the drive wheel and letting go of the foot pedal causes the engine to drop back down and engage the drive wheel ” says Feltz An old Ford Model A car starter wired to a car battery is used to start the engine “Normally you start a hit and miss engine by hand cranking it but since the engine was recently overhauled it wasn’t broken in yet and the sleeve and pistons were still tight I had a bad back so I made the electric starter ” says Feltz who notes the photos were taken by his grandson Jarred Contact: FARM SHOW Followup George Feltz 6280 5th St Stevens Point Wis 54482 ph 715 341-0162

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