(unofficial) Ideas Thread. Pitch those concepts here!

[ecofreak]

I've got many ideas to consider, so I'm gonna pitch them out. Although I probably won't make a decision and undertake any of the projects I pitch out here anytime soon, I just want to put them out and have some questions answered.
Feel free to post your own ideas here, too.

Idea 1: VW golf pickup ("caddy" commercial model) with standard aeromods (grille covers, some mirror deletions, anything I could possibly get done), a bedcover/tonneau kammback, and a possible killswitch and performance diesel pump/oil filter for biofuels.
Pros: Carry stuff, biodiesel.
Cons: little room for people, and I'm not sure how reliable a killswitch on a diesel would be. Also, these cars tend to be rustbuckets and can often cost way too much to fix their diesel.

Idea 2: Any subcompact car, hatchback, or even a station wagon with aeromods, including a kammback addition if possible.
Pros: If diesel, biofuels, if gasoline, a killswitch, and could haul people. Also more open ended when it comes to choices, but that aspect might be a a double edged sword.
Cons: Unless it's a wagon or hatch, the kammback would look pretty silly and any sort of large transport would be ridiculous.


Both concepts would include an MPGuino and an alternator deletion. But for the most part the mods would be discreet and practical items that split hairs when deleted would be not included. I want windshield wipers.

Here's the main questions I have for the mods:
Access to materials is good at the moment, but should I begin stockpiling now? I imagine 2 or 3 years ahead would be about the time I would get a car, and the car in question wouldn't be used daily.

Q:I imagine that the timing required in a functioning diesel engine would demolish any possibilities of a reliable killswitch, also. Would it be possible to have a diesel killswitch?
A: [thanks to C3H8, ecomodder's resident hydrocarbon] Diesels, using a solenoid starter, can be wired with a killswitch. Barely any fuel would be consumed if the engine is idle, so the results would be less than worth the mod.
Thanks for considering the questions.

Again, this thread is just for concepts and Q&A. Feel free to ask, answer, and tack any ideas you've got on your back burner here.

[C3H8]

i have a bunch of experience with the vw turbo diesel and non turbo diesel motors. for the indirect injection diesels, they all use a bosch injection pump that has 1 12v solenoid which is energized by the ignition key to to turn the fuel on. if you installed a kill switch inline with this wire, you would be able to instantly turn the fuel on or off.

the only problem is that diesels don't benefit from kill switches very much. at idle they barely consume any fuel at all. you might save a gallon over the time of a year. its just not worth it. they might run at 40:1 air-fuel ratio when idling.

i actually have a complete vw turbo diesel motor sitting in my garage. i bought it a few years ago and had planned on doing a motor swap with my stratus should the stock stratus engine or transmission ever go south.
i have done a few swaps with vw stuff over the years so it isn't new to me.


as for my own ideas. i want to try my hand at making a dirt cheap efie. i also want to try expirementing with different fuel injectors. some injectors spray out gasoline in a cone pattern. some spray it out in 2, or even 4 streams. id like to play around with that.

[ecofreak]

What if you pull a low-HP VW diesel from a Thing or Beetle, and stick it in a more lightweight, aerodynamic car like a Geo Metro or Ford Festiva/fiesta?

Popped into my head. Craig Vetter's philosophy of low HP, low Cd is getting to me.

Of course, this would be incredibly time consuming. Does anyone know of any good Beetle kit cars?

EDIT: Arragonis, great idea. A Morris minor already gets great MPG off the bat, 50-60 to boot if driving without any actual technique, and the lumbering thing could easily get a lowered chassis, fiberglass bodykit, etc.

I've also heard of medium sized 4 stroke motorcycle engines (250cc-600cc) transplanted into subcompacts, like Minis and Fiat 126s.

I'd like to dream, but I'd also like some more practical plans. Could some cars actually make do with some sort of sail?

[Arragonis]

I love the blue sky thinking idea

Idea 1 - Complete Car

I would love to create an ecomodder car along the lines of the french Panhard Le Mans racers - basically a tiny engine with low MPG but loads of torque (yeah - TDI Lupo 3L stylee) and good aero.



My 'boring meetings' planning has come to this.

1. Get a 2CV Chassis - it has advanced suspension and front disk brakes and comes with a floor as standard. 2CVs also use skinny wheels and tyres (think front end of a Smart ForTwo for a similar size). Plus someone makes new ones as replacements for rusty older ones.

2. Rebuild the front end to take a transverse Lupo 3L engine, gearbox and the coolling system in place of the in-line flat twin.

3. Build a body using the ultimate teardrop shape as an inspiration but make sure it is practical - room for 2 seats and some accessible luggage.

4. Drive and refine.


Idea 2 - Car Project

The Citroen AX is based on the Echo 2000 PSA project car of the early 1980s - apparently. The AX is really a lighter bodied and more aero version of the Citroen 104 and Citroen LNA / Talbot Samba car but it does have plastic panels and better aero. In standard form the 1.5D makes 60 mpg average (imp) so with some aero (skirts, air dam, grill block etc etc) it should be good for much more.

I'm addicted to watching every AX close by on ebay just now.

[ConnClark]

A breeder reactor powered car. You get many many many more miles per gallon out of a mixture of U-238 and plutonium than you will out of a gallon of gasoline or diesel.

[ecofreak]

Originally Posted by ConnClark

A breeder reactor powered car. You get many many many more miles per gallon out of a mixture of U-238 and plutonium than you will out of a gallon of gasoline or diesel.

The radiation burns would make it look like you drive without a windshield, and the lead involved in shielding would certainly not entertain fuel economy. Maybe a giant pacemaker battery in replace of a deep-cycle battery?

[AeroModder]

A hydrogen powered car that takes distilled water and separates it with an on-board hydrolosys machine, and collects the water emitted by the motor, indefinitely reusing the H2O.

Or, taking a Del Sol or Miata and making them into fastbacks.

[Frank Lee]

I want an extendable arm with a hand on the far end from ACME (like Wile E. Coyote always gets) so I can glom on to semis for indefinite glides.

[Patrick]

Perforate the entire skin of a car and apply vacuum for boundary layer control. Exhaust the air into the turbulent wake. Repurpose a turbocharger to provide the vacuum while recovering waste exhaust gas energy.

[Patrick]

Get a cheap Metro beater or some such and run a few tests to determine fuel economy. Then "golfball" the entire surface with a dimpling device and rerun the test to see if it works. I know Mythbusters said it works, but I have my doubts. But if it does work, hey, free mpg. All you have to do is get past the PR problem.