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Old 11-06-2016, 08:25 PM   #108 (permalink)
Isaac Zackary
Full sized hybrid.
 
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 602

Suzy - '13 Toyota Avalon Hybrid XLE
90 day: 37.18 mpg (US)
Thanks: 369
Thanked 108 Times in 84 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by teknomage2012 View Post
Congratulations. You will love how little you have to work on this car. I have had mine for 4 years now and in that time I have had to do is put on two new tires and top of the bug juice. This is the most maintenance-free car I have ever owned in as a mechanic I really appreciate that.
This is one of the big reasons I bought it. I've spent close to $4,000 on the Astro Van in just parts, and it still want working right. I don't have time for it anymore. I'd love to do a small project like finally get my Bug running. I've got the engine in it, but with so much I've been doing to keep the van crawling along I haven't had time to start the Bug up and get the engine broken in. After I get it running then I'll hopefully have a decent car for those long trips until...

Well my idea is to, like the thread says, go to just the Leaf. So them Congress UI long distance driving. I wouldn't mind tinkering in something that could extend the range of my Leaf. A pusher trailer would be great! But I'd want it to be low emissions. A few ideas I've been throwing around: Get a wrecked 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage and use the front half to make a pusher trailer. Steam and stiriling could work. The Doble steamers proved that steam can compete with gasoline. The most amazing thing about those Dobles is that they produced emissions comparable with modern day Californian emissions requirements. So I figure if I made a boiler fashioned off of theirs I could get what I'm after. There's a 7kW triple expansion engine that I could get. It's a bit expensive and sadly is made for low pressure. Then I saw the is a company or two that make 20kW turbine engines that are very efficient. But of course very expensive. I've also heard that super lean propane engines get great emissions without all the fancy technology.
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