[Andrew Comrie Picard]

Does anyone have parts for an Aifab Gemini? I need gearwheels and a cable with reduction drive. Or any parts, really. I've heard rumour that halda cables and reductions can me modified, but the drive speed seems a lot different to me (30:1). I have the type 75 export model, which I think was intended for miles. Anyone have experience?

By the way - for those of you who don't know, I have a serious odometer fetish. It's getting clinical. If you have a languishing odo please let me know. If you have a Kearfott rally computer RUN to the keyboard and tell me all about it. Also anything obscure (or even not so obscure). I plan to compile a webpage chronicling the history of the rally odometer. You think I'm kidding, don't you?

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.

 

[Andrew Comrie Picard]

Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm so keen that I have to respond to my own post!

Can anyone give me history and dates of the Langwell? now THAT'S a new historic rally quiz with a North American bent!

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.

 

[Doug Woods]

>Can anyone give me history and dates of the Langwell? now
>THAT'S a new historic rally quiz with a North American bent!

Andrew:

When you are at Defi this weekend, talk to John Bellefleur. If either of the two guys (Lang = forget his name, well = Lloyd Howell) are still around, John will be able to put you in touch with them.

Doug Woods

 

[Andrew Comrie Picard]

Well, now - you're being too modest. I seem to recall a mini-forum at Quebec with the trinity of famous Canadian codrivers - you, Burgess, and Bellefleur - and all of you had a lot to say about the Langwell. I have one sitting in front of me right now. Smart but stark. I was just fishing for more info. Unfortunately to get it out of Bellefleur will be too expensive as I will have to get both of us drunk.

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.

PS see YOU this weekend I hope. A>

 

[RichardM]

I just did a google search on "Langwell" and "odometer". What I found was a Morgan bulletin board posting form Joe DeLucca. He was one of those killed in the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Richard

 

[Doug Woods]

>
>Well, now - you're being too modest. I seem to recall a
>mini-forum at Quebec with the trinity of famous Canadian
>codrivers - you, Burgess, and Bellefleur - and all of you
>had a lot to say about the Langwell. I have one sitting in
>front of me right now. Smart but stark. I was just fishing
>for more info. Unfortunately to get it out of Bellefleur
>will be too expensive as I will have to get both of us
>drunk.

Andrew:

I don't recall any instructions/paperwork that came with the Langwell. You just sort of got one from Lloyd Howell and started using it. It was extremely simple. It measured distance forwards or backwards and could be zeroed and adjusted.

Bellefleur is still the best bet for information and/or contact with the guys who built it.

Doug Woods

P.S. I will split the cost with you on getting Bellefleur drunk

 

[Jonesi]

>
>Does anyone have parts for an Aifab Gemini? I need
>gearwheels and a cable with reduction drive. Or any parts,
>really. I've heard rumour that halda cables and reductions
>can me modified, but the drive speed seems a lot different
>to me (30:1). I have the type 75 export model, which I think
>was intended for miles. Anyone have experience?

Try: Vintage Rally Equipment - [email protected] - http://www.rallyequipment.com - (604)683-6517 - 1204-1500 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2N1, Canada - (Brantz dealer, some used equipment)
I think they had some parts a while back. Their web site seems to be down right now.

>By the way - for those of you who don't know, I have a
>serious odometer fetish. It's getting clinical. If you have
>a languishing odo please let me know. If you have a Kearfott
>rally computer RUN to the keyboard and tell me all about it.
>Also anything obscure (or even not so obscure). I plan to
>compile a webpage chronicling the history of the rally
>odometer. You think I'm kidding, don't you?
>
>ACP
>Flirting with the laws of physics.

Try asking on either the rally-l or historicrally lists. A couple of years ago when I posted the Kearfott manual, someone emailed me that he had two of them.

I been working on a history of rallye computers, we should compare research info.

Bill Jonesi

 

[rallyist]

Andrew

You got it then, what's it like? Worth the money? As you know all my bits went to Autochron. Try talking to Paul Watkin, I think you know him? [email protected] he bought out the stock of Hartwig instruments ( canadian Halda, Aifab, Heuer Distributor) and may still have some odds and sods, my gears came from him as well as some other Aifab bits.

Hedwig Rodyns at Belmog will also be able to help but at a good price, that goes for Martin Jubb as well. Jubb bought all the parts in the early '90's but left the tooling, Hedwig got the tooling recently so should be able to come up with all the bits.

good luck

martin

 

[Andrew Comrie Picard]

Wow! THe big guns are coming out on this one. Good to hear from you guys. I hadn't thought of asking Paul Watkins - will do so. Bill - I'd like to have a long talk with you about this some time - I've read your compilations in earnest but have only seen a handful of the devices myself. Those that I have I have lovingly gone through and in some cases restored. At the hotel at Defi just now and recce tomorrow so must cut this short, but let's be in touch.

Martin - the Aifab if FAB, baby! By far the most retro looking of all the odos, but also to my mind one of the best engineered. Really elegant. It is my current favourite instrument, although the Langwell has innovative and patriotic appeal!

ACP
Flirting with the laws of physics.

 

[rallyist]

Andrew

I faxed you a whole lot of info about the Aifab.

If you have a penchant for old rally instruments you should source out a Canto Seiki, it's a jap copy of a Halda, no kidding. I had one once but sold it to Kingcog.

Martin

 

[Jim Bowie]

Kerfott rally computer

I have a Kerfott Rally computer sitting on my desk . What do you need to know ?? The original manual for them can be found on line . This one is for sale

 

[jimmy]

I started rallying with a Kanto Seiki.

Couldn't afford a Halda (mechanical - there were no electronic ones yet) at the time. Bought it from JC Whitney.

Bad thing was that is was not adjustable.

Solved that by buying an external gearset from Competition Limited (Gene Henderson) (some of the suggested factors didn't work - the gears bound, so I had to rewrite the program to calculate my own..........)

ymmv

Andrew

I faxed you a whole lot of info about the Aifab.

If you have a penchant for old rally instruments you should source out a Canto Seiki, it's a jap copy of a Halda, no kidding. I had one once but sold it to Kingcog.

Martin

press on,