Driving the 328cc Two Stroke Berkeley SE328
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Today I put a new battery in the Berkeley SE328 and get it running again for a drive to enjoy the nice spring day.
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This Week With Cars - Episode 00136
#Berkeley #MicroCar #TinyCar
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The best thing about small under powered cars is being able to drive it like a maniac, giving it 100% and having the Police smile and wave as you go past doing 35 mph.
my 1.0L geo metro is a giggle machine. i can "cane the nipples off it" just driving around town. my proudest moments were 1. almost putting a caddy seville sts in someone's front yard when he tried to pass me in some s curves and 2. when i took a vette off the line at a stoplight twice (ok, the first time i ambushed him, the second time i did start moving first and he passed me within 20 feet.
i love that little pos. i've owned it over15 year and have less invested in it than that vette owner spent on his wheels and tires.
@@jessebianchi2631 "cane the nipples off it" where on earth did you get this phrasing? It sounds old and I'm old but I've never heard it.
@@writerconsidered i have no idea where i gathered that bit of wool but it has a Dickensian "feel" to it..
Yeah, I have a blast in slow car with body roll. I get to drive at the limit, and only look "a little quick" compared to traffic.
I love the way the speedo on this thing goes up to 120 MPH.
The Berkeley reminds me of the Honda S600/800 roadster from the mid-60's.
Maybe it was this car that I confused the Lotus Elan with.
I was born in 1952, and by the 60's began to buy books and magazines about cars. These cars were of course, from England, but other than in books, I have never seen a Berkeley, so we'll done for showing it! And I think you're right, they must have GOT the idea for the Cobra from this! The two pictured together makes up the set@
One thing you need to be aware of with older carbureted two stroke engines, is that in the carburetor, air-fuel ratio is a function of fuel viscosity, and with modern high ratio 2- cycle oil, the viscosity is lower and might cause a 'richer' fuel ratio, if the carb has a "hi" needle, it needs to be re-adjusted for the brand and mix ratio of the oil you are using.
I watched this video because I was interested in the Berkeley. Then you climb aboard a SUNBEAM TIGER!!!!! to back it out. I am instantly jealous. I learned to drive in my mum's Hillman Minx Series IIIB, distant cousin of the Tiger. Rootes cars were very well made. The Hillman Minx and Humber Super Snipe and, I think, the Sunbeam Alpine (I'd be surprised if the Tiger wasn't imported already built) were assembled here from CKD kits. Rootes had a factory at Port Melbourne (Australia). You hardly ever see Rootes cars on the road any more, but they were dependable, solid vehicles. Subscribed.
I had a three wheeler version, because of licensing you could drive one on a motorcycle licence, it had a thick glass body but only a bit of steel reinforcing but NO alloy in it. 20; 1 mix before the synthetics were thought of. People also put mini engines in them and all manner of mixes were done.
I used to own a three wheel Berkeley T60 many decades ago. They are really fun cars.
What an absolute gem of a car and despite my lifelong interest in cars that's one I didn't know about.
They also made the with the big Royal Enfield twin engine - I guess these would be quite exciting with 50 odd horse power.
He could get the head and intake manifolds gas flowed and ported. Had that done a few years ago to my Ford Capri. Guy doing the work said he had done a 2 cylinder 2 stroke that had 22bhp. When he finished it had 38bhp that's a gain of roughly 80% more power.
Someone i knew many years ago fitted a 1960's Mini engine & gearbox in his Berkeley SE328, it was very quick!
fun little thing thanks steve for showing me something different
I love that little car. I used to drive and grew up driving VW beetles. Both cars were are very fun to drive. Good luck with your car. THANX!!!
What a little ripper!
Very cool micro car! Really neat to see 3 or 4 cars in a row start and move out of the garage!
I should have known Steve had a Berkeley in his collection! I love it how Steve uses British terminology like, bonnet, boot, and petro while showing his cars.
I was thinking about correcting him. You're not British, man! Or is it "old chap"? Just joking though. Love this channel. :-)
Still can’t manage solder though.....
Yes but he does correctly say “Barklee” !
Now if he'd just correct his pronunciation of "shire" to "sheer"! Nice car!
Biggles WADE not wahhd! The ultimate Berkeley is the T60 with a tuned Mini-Metro 1300 grafted in. OK you also need a motorsports chassis, but the end result has to be even more fun than a Frogeye Sprite. I've had both. Still have the T60, it's nearly finished....oh yeah, the T60 has one rear wheel, an 8 by 13" rim. Fronts are 4.5".
Had to laugh when I saw your video, I had a 3 wheeler version back in lat 60s it had a 250 villiers engine, to start it you had to open the bonnet and kick start it
@Terry Bloomfield Thanks for confirming that there was a three wheel version - I remember seeing one quite often when I was at college in Bristol in the mid-60s. I recall hearing that it was so low that it would drive under the exit barrier of some car parks.
I had the three wheel version!! it had no body and it had been fitted with the 328cc engine exactly the same as the car in the vid, electric dynastart and reverse gear..i had it as a go kart ..it was mental and nearly killed me loads of times! :D :D
Back in the 90's a lad in the next unit where I worked now good friends had a 3 wheeler Berkley took me out for a spin what a hoot thought the thing was going to tip over , North East UK.
Cool little car - thanks for the video!
I'm recalling how the crew on Star Trek: TNG referred to Ensign Barkley as "Broccoli". Paint the car in British Racing Green and there it is!
Thanks for this. I will need to dig out my old car magazines from the 50's to find the articles written about the Berkeley. I thought they were interesting, at the time, anyway. Its nice to see one running.
And here i thought driving a Sprite around in modern traffic felt crazy. Can't imagine how much smaller you'd feel in one of these
I agree with 4n4. I love watching your videos. I am trying to watch all of them. Thank you for your content and personality you put into your videos. Also, this car is so so cool.
Grassroots Motorsports built one of these several years ago with a 750cc Suzuki GSX-R engine in it.
The best thing about this car is it can smell like Castrol R!
What a beauty.
What a fun little car! Reminds me of the old "Droopy" cartoon, "Mutts About Racing"; his car looked quite similar--in color and size!
Great vid, thanks, my Uncle had one, imagine it with a modern 500cc motorcycle engine !
These 1950's microcars are like more civilized descendants of the rough and ready "cycle cars" of the 1920's and 30's.
It's like it wants to be a Ferrari so bad. Beautiful lines reminiscent of Pininfarina.
Very cool
Awesome car! Love the 2stroke engine they always sound great
Sounds like your average Honda Civic driver at 1:00 in the morning.
This would be amazing to put like an r1 in
my neighbor has a Berkeley, They came in 4 wheel or 3 wheel models. I have a Midget and the Berkeley seems so much smaller.
Back when I was young, a friend whose dad had a car repair shop took one of these in. My friend didn't know it was a two-stroke and sneaked it out for a drive- ruined the engine by not adding oil. He was in deep shxx with dad....
Like a tiny Cobra. I've always wanted a Berkeley, but can't justify the price people are getting for them.
i’m not sure if i commented this before, please do a video with the 300zx if you have the opportunity! i saw it on your car shelf tour video a few days ago and would love to see you do more Z cars!
this man as a 9 cars
I'm probably twice your age Steve and I'm from much nearer Biggleswade than you, but I never 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅 of these cars, never mind seeing one in the flesh. Seems like a fun machine but you're never going to sneak up on anyone without them hearing you.😁
Professional video as always
Great video, funny hearing an American say bonnet and petrol. Not sure if you only do that with English cars 😊
Cute car. Small is good . Be interested to know how the drive works. Good to hear you say petrol for the fuel. Greetings from Australia wher we keep spare petrol in the boot.
finally a real car
A Miata battery should fit in that car
Neat car! Whatever happened to the British car manufacturing companies? I bet an MG, Triumph, Austin Healeys, and Alpines properly priced, would sell today. Just look how well the Miata did/does.
is that a Sunbeam motorcycle in the background?
Yes a S7 De Luxe here is a video with it: th-cam.com/video/7JqkDwfzdBE/w-d-xo.html
Sick ride man. I'd love to drive a trike version (it exists) of this car.
Smoke that engine sir .
MORE!!!
That's a vespa with extra wheels.
You might like to check out " Lane motor museum " went there about 5 years ago they have Berleys and Bonds
I'd like to see Doug DeMuro riding this. Lol.
Hope to get to see a video on the TR8 seen in the back ground Does it have the Rover V8 in it still ??
K swap K SWAP KAAYYY SWAAP
No wait a 2 rotor
What, no burn out?
Maybe if I get some more snow on the ground!
Still hoping for a video on your GT6.....
I had never seen a car like that.
Can you adopt me? I am willing to live in the garage. Hahaha
Needs a Yamaha RD400 engine for top pleasure
How fast can it cruise at?
Check out two stroke turbo channel. He has one of these
Yer car is tiny!
"Barkeley"?
That is how you pronounce it.
@@ThisWeekWithCars Says who?
OMG MAN, do you have a spare hard top for a 1964 mark 1 sprite?
Yes
This is becoming my favorite TH-cam channel.
It is great to see the range of vehicles you collect. It also is great to see you are actually involved in maintaining them.
More cars and $$$$ than J. Leno..
Hi Steve. As always great video. I always enjoy hanging out at your shop.
When you started it up, all I could think of listening to the engine was: If you ever drive down the road and encounter a downed tree blocking it, you can just take the chainsaw out of the engine bay and take care of that tree! 😜
hmmmmm... the car could BE the chainsaw and nobody would be the wiser, chainsaw blade on the front and pto the thing to the chain
Saw the SE328 in the title and thought "Good lord HOW many seasons has this been going on?"
I wish you was here in England !
Your knowledge enthusiasm and hands on skills is remarkable. You own and have in-depth knowledge of so many British cars that even some English people would not know about. I salute you sir. You are an astounding guy. Best wishes Dave.
I wish I had that problem of moving my fleet around when I decided what I wanted to drive that day
Just gotta move this 370z and Lotus out of the way, phewf, exhausting, what a cool car the little 2 stroke beast!
Age the ripe old age of 16 in 1971, this was my second car here in the UK. My first was a Heinkel Trojan bubble car, also a 3-wheeler as my licence entitlement at 16 included motorcycles 250cc and under. If you sat & passed your motorcycle test, your entitlement then included unlimited size of motorcycles plus 3-wheeler cars (unsupervised). It did mean that on my 17th birthday, I had to revert to a provisional car licence and a supervisor in order to drive my Ford Anglia to the test centre in the afternoon where I passed my car test & could drive any type of 4-wheel car just like I'd been doing for the previous year with 3-wheelers.🤣
I loved my 2-stroke Berkeley although one evening, the left front wheel fell off at 50mph due to the split (cotter) pin having somehow dislodged from the hub nut which consequently unscrewed (I was lucky to retrieve it). It was a ¼ mile embarrassing walk to retrieve the wheel which had happily bounced on its merry way whilst the car came to a grinding 45º halt though. Happy days.
If you ever need to move a few cars out of the way to get to the car of the week, just call me. I ( like most of your subs) would drop everything to help you. I could also relocate them in alphabetical order for easy retrieval. How many do you have; how many batteries do you buy each month to maintain this fleet?
Once you strip out battery production for the manufacturers I think Steve buys around 3% of the remainder :)
This is a great channel. More of the 280z pleaze.
Great video.Nice to see all those British cars saved from the scrapyard.The Berkeley is quite nippy and interesting but not an AC Cobra or Sunbeam Tiger.
Try turning over with bell housing disconnect clutch turn over with huge ratchet wrench and pipe from under. Neath. Pull drive line out of way and wratchet at fly wheel. I cant think of anything else. I hope I havent given you bad advice. Bye for now.
If you say petrol one more time I’m going to have to ask you to renounce your citizenship.
Little known fact about the 328cc Excelsior two stroke engine is that it is fitted with a SIBA Start combination electric starter and alternator directly on the crankshaft. A design principle I believe BMW are adopting over half a century later. Berkeley also made a two wheels in the front one at the year three wheeler with the same engine ( which I had), a 492cc Excelsior engined four wheeler which had a third cylinder in the centre of the twin 328cc design and a Royal Enfield Constellation motorcycle 700cc twin cylinder four stroke engined four wheeler that I believe was good for over 100 mph. Berkely of Biggleswade, Hertfordshire, England was mainly a caravan manufacturer.
Cute and kinda reminds me of the Crosleys we had back in the 50s . Was an age of innovation driven out of necessity !
A Cobra looks closer to the Berkeley, than it does an Ace Bristol. lol
WOW You've been "burnin' the late night oil" kickin' out All these vids since the Holidays have passed. I For One, Really Appreciate the Effort & Enjoy watching them Immensely.
Thank You Very Much Steve.
Impressed by the breadth of your interest in British cars, wouldnt have expected an American to appreciate any Berkeley, thank you
I thought the starter motor had jammed on!
Your stuff is good. Had liked a while ago when you found the sprites. But rang the bell today.
Also just FYI, it's BigglesWADE, not WAD. 🙂
I owned a Berkeley when I was 17 years old - nearly 60 years ago. It was awful - the most unreliable vehicle I've ever owned. I hated it. My father made me buy it as my first car and it was a heap of rubbish from day one. I couldn't keep up with the body falling apart. I never ever managed to 'do it up' and respray it because as fast as I could repair cracks in the gel coat more developed. It also had the most unreliable brakes ever. I was driving into London one day with my girlfriend beside me and her French pen friend sitting across the back where you showed the spare wheel and the only way I avoided going into the back of the vehicle in front was by driving up the kerb and onto the pavement. Luckily nobody was walking there at the time. It broke down so may times that I almost lost all my friends who had to keep coming out to rescue me. I eventually managed to dispose of it to someone who thought he could sort it out. But he couldn't. The last time I saw it the body was propped up against a building in a scrap yard. By then thank God by working in my uni term breaks and holidays I'd saved enough to buy a Mini, the car I'd always wanted from the beginning. Now that was a great little car, but that's another story. BTW, the engine and gearbox were from a Royal Enfield motorbike. That's why the gear stick only goes forwards and backwards - because it was still a motorbike toe gear changer.
WOOOWWW....i bet that car could use some modern motorcycle 4 stroke engine upgrade today... bondo epoxy resins today are also more reliable at patching up cracks..
I think id trade my 78 firebird for that thing.....🤔
"Biggles- wayde" is how it sounds... :-)
Thanks
@@ThisWeekWithCars Yeh, I used to live there, in Rose Lane, never knew they built cars there
@@ThisWeekWithCars
Meh...
Wish I'd read this before saying the same thing....
2:14 I was too quick to be almost offended by AC (ace and Cobra) ripping off the design from Berkeley. It turns out that the AC ace is from 1953, and the Berkeley is from 1956, so if anything it could only be the other way around.
How many god dam cars have you got ??????????????????
45:1 seems like a very lean mix for an old engine like that. My Bultacos and old chainsaws of that time frame ran on 25:1 just fine and was the factory spec. You have too many cars. Can I have the bug eyed sprite?
Later the put in a 500cc triple cylinder motor. They were designed by Lawence Bond who also designed the three wheel Bond minicar. My father drove one for several years but the Austin Mini put paid to all such creations.
Strange to hear an American talking about petrol. I thought you all called it gas.
I thought that sounded odd, now I know why
so is it diesel or gasoline. the reason I ask this is every one calls all fuel patrol in stead of saying what the actual fuel is.
USA calls it gasoline, the uk calls it petrol
2:56 Like the clever-ity.
5:00 Often wondered if the term Tickler wasn't meant to be Trickler.
No matter... just a human affinity toward bringing a machine to life by tickling it.
~ 2nd owner fully restored 1968 Triumph Trophy Sports.
I saw the Berkeley new, at the dealers in Miami. I was in high school, about 1958.
Five years later, my friend had one with a Triumph 650 cc twin. His other car was an Austin Healy with a fuel injected 283 Chevy engine that replaced the original 4 cylinder. ( actually, it may have been a 327 )...
I wonder if it runs a bit hot and lean at 45:1 fuel/oil mixture? I anly really know my 125cc motocross bikes over the years and I run 32:1.
You still don't know that '-shire' is supposed to be '-sher'? Bedford-sher? Lanca-sher? York-sher? PLEASE get it right. At least you say Berkeley right. Like the song 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square'.
Around 1970 my Dad found one behind a service station that had been abandoned by a guy described as a "university Student" after the engine blew up.
I wanted that car! but no way would Dad lend me the $150 to get it... He said it was a plastic death trap and would be too fast for me to drive. 😁
I used to have a 3-wheeled T60 version, which had the uprated 520cc 3-cylinder two-stroke engine. It was driveable (in the UK) on a motorcycle licence. Odd you use a flashlight to check your petrol when you have a fuel gauge...
I haven't even watched all I need was the 2 stroke part and I'm in!
I wish this was possible today. Imagine a 300-400kg car with a 600cc sports bike engine. I imagine you could make serious performance fairly cheaply