Building a 100mpg consumer vehicle

[user removed]

I wonder how many other members have basically created a car from their imagination in less than 6 months. Maybe y'all should consider that when you come up with better ideas.

Just build your own, and post it here step by step for criticism. At some point your "idea" has to either materialise, or remain a thing of the imagination.

How long has Neils Carben design been evolving. I know my idea has been evolving for years and may reach the end of that evolution sometime in 2012 or 2013. Understanding that I see no need to try to pick apart anyone else's creativity. To me the act smacks of envy. Put your ideas into a real vehicle, then give me a chance to tear it apart publicly and I doubt a single person would appreciate that "favor".

Personally I would rather work on my own idea, which I doubt will ever be seriously investigated or even partially understood, but that's OK, I'll just wait until I am finished and it has been tested, then post if it is a success.

I hope it works fine for you Doug. Even if it does not, you have persevered and PRODUCED something, which is much more than most will ever attempt.

Once produced then any necessary refinement will be much less work than the original vehicle.

regards
Mech

[Big Dave]

I'm with Old Mechanic.

Simply carrying the project through to being able to drive is a worthy accomplishment.

[Ken Fry]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

I hope it works fine for you Doug. Even if it does not, you have persevered and PRODUCED something, which is much more than most will ever attempt.

Indeed.

Kudos, too, to the people who have contributed comments and suggestions.
If I recall, both Frank and Pete made comments on the Zing thread that could be considered "negative." For me, those are the most valuable comments, and in neither case did I feel "picked on" : just the fact that they took time to comment is worth a lot to me, and they both expressed valid concerns. I don't recall anyone who responded to my thread as being mean-spirited in any way, shape, or form. The tone in most threads here at ecomodder is supportive of all sorts of builds and mods (with the possible exception of some of the stuff that show up in the unicorn corral). This thread, however, seems acrimonious.

Kudos, especially, to Neil who has been very patient in explaining aerodynamics, in spite of responses to him from Doug that could be interpreted as rude or dismissive. Neil has built his own huge CNC milling machine which he will use in the construction of his car. He's no armchair quarterback. His may be a more thoughtful and reasoned (and obviously slower) approach than Doug's, but that doesn't make it less valid than the "throw it together and see if it flies" approach.

Plenty of room for all sorts of different approaches. Plenty of room for tact. Kudos to Doug for clarifying the mission of the thread. He'd initially solicited comments of any sort, but then later clarified that he wanted only comments of a non-engineering nature. I think he was thinking oF it as more of a show-and-tell about his project, rather than as a discussion.

Kudos to Doug for building this cool vehicle.

[pete c]

Excellent post, Ken.

This forum is a place to discuss, not just cheerleading.

[drmiller100]

Originally Posted by skyking

Idle control and some lights, eh? very short list. Can't wait to hear how it drives. Here's another thought to ponder, If I have not already missed it: an active rear wheel steering and/or lean. Complicated? oh yeah. Change the handling, cornering, etc. OH YEAH!
I know, certainly not going to happen in this prototype but while we are dreaming out loud, why not?

ever driven a fork lift? at speed? Rear steer does NOT work at speed.

[drmiller100]

Originally Posted by drmiller100

Neil,

the greenhouse is BEHIND the front fenders.

the very rear of the car is 10 inches wide and 20 inches tall.
the areas behind the fenders are 10 inches wide and 22 inches tall.

still like the .40 number?

I understand frontal area.

I talked today to a guy with a phd in aero crap. I asked him if two shapes in close proximity, with some overlap, will have a lower Cd then the same objects stacked on top of each other.

his response: Of course. That is pretty fundamental and anyone who has done actual rudimentary modelling understands this.

so, again, I ask. Do you still stick to the .40 number? The guy I was talking to said I should be comparable to a Prius at worst for Cd, and my area is obviously much smaller.

[drmiller100]

Hey Ken,

Since you are on my thread, How many cars do you ahve done? Still taking deposits?

[drmiller100]

Originally Posted by pete c

Excellent post, Ken.

This forum is a place to discuss, not just cheerleading.

And god forbid anyone post actual accomplishments.

[NachtRitter]

And God forbid anyone says anything even remotely negative... even if it agrees with the OP's own comments...

Originally Posted by drmiller100

I hate the rear scoops. I'm probably going to cut them off, smooth it over, and put a HUGE stripe on the side like the pic from Kach has.

Originally Posted by pete c

Looks good Doug.

I think you did a great job on the tappered body other than that silly scoop. I really do believe your best option is to lose it completely.

Originally Posted by drmiller100

Posts like this are why I quit sharing how to build the car.

So, if there were anyone else out there who ever wanted to do something like it, thank Pete for killing my help on this site.

I am eager to learn so I can do something along the same lines. Since this is an interesting project, I am interested in learning what I can from the OP. I'd also be interested to know, when they are offered, why ideas are rejected. I don't get that out of this thread. Of course, education may not be the intent of the OP, which would be unfortunate.

[skyking]

Originally Posted by drmiller100

ever driven a fork lift? at speed? Rear steer does NOT work at speed.

Not all the steering, something like the Prelude AWS or Infinit's AWS systems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAczejx2G7U

Something like that, or maybe just a computerized "lean".