Thread: hybrid plateau
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Old 05-29-2010, 08:46 PM   #4 (permalink)
ShadeTreeMech
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Arkansas
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The Van - '97 Mercury Villager gs
90 day: 19.8 mpg (US)

Lyle the Kindly Viking - '99 Volvo V70
90 day: 25.82 mpg (US)
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I've often wondered why a cooling system needs a radiator. Why not just a long aluminum pipe running fore and aft that uses the air running under the car to cool the antifreeze passively? My bone stock Maxima barely gets to 190 degrees on a 90 degree day (while driving conservatively mind you) and I suspect allowing it to get to 210 wouldn't hurt anything.

Why does a cooling system have to be non aerodynamic? Often questioning common logic gets me in trouble, so dish it out, no need to be nice

I've often envisioned a shallow aluminium tank under the car full of antifreeze ready to cool to replace the mileage sucking radiator as we know it. Some insulation between the body and pan would keep heat out of the car quite nicely I imagine, but I don't know everything
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RIP Maxima 1997-2012


Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf View Post
I think you missed the point I was trying to make, which is that it's not rational to do either speed or fuel economy mods for economic reasons. You do it as a form of recreation, for the fun and for the challenge.
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