Building a car from scratch- how would YOU do it?

[rykoala]

Regarding using a standard but narrowed differential in the back: I thought of something similar but the Trike idea is such a good idea, and legally trikes are easy to register, and putting two wheels in the back would blow away the whole trike idea, plus increase rolling resistance.

I think the trike near the bottom of the first post in this thread is what a lot of us are talking about, just a little longer for a second rider:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...80.html?t=1280

[stormbird]

Hi all

This is the idea , but I like my shape better [ looks wise ] but this is aerodynamically better :-

http://home.clara.net/peterfrost/tryaneii.html

he clearly has to much power if he can reach 100 mph on 602 cc !

regards paul

[jamesqf]

[QUOTE=dcb;38238]That is like saying cars are not fuel efficient because hummers are not fuel efficient And 50mpg without trying is good![\QUOTE]

Depends on your standard of comparison. When you've been driving an Insight for the last 5 years, and averaging over 70 mpg (and that counts a lot of trips over 8500 ft mountain passes, some of them in snowstorms), 50 mpg does not seem good at all :-)

Less rubber on the road and smaller frontal area and a streamlined body (and a small engine) for our imaginary vehicle are a formula for mpg success.

Less rubber, yes, but that means 3 wheels instead of four. With just two, you have this annoying tendency to fall over when you hit snow or ice :-(

[dcb]

With 3+ wheels you have this annoying tendency to be distracted by the cellphone and cheeseburger when you should be driving, regardless of the weather

Oh, and you scrub off a lot more mph in the corners, unless you have a fancy speed sensitive tilting mechanism. Plus that whole frontal area thing. So there's that whole they arent as efficient as two wheels thing

[ConnClark]

For maximum efficiency wouldn't one wheel be the best?

Monowheel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by 88CRX

What I'd like as a feature in an ICE drive train, is the same mechanism in the back wheel of a bike, which allow the back wheel to spin freely, when you stop pedaling.

Then you don't have always go to neutral.

Older SAABs had a freewheeling feature, because they came with two-stroke engines (I forget precisely why, but you can't engine brake with a two-stroke). They even carried it over into some of the early four-stroke 96's.

As for those decrying the frontal area of a VW front beam: those cars are really, really small compared to anything modern. Of course, I can't find the track width of a VW Type 1, but I did find that Class 5-1600 Baja VWs are limited to a front track of 55.5". This is with modified desert-racing suspension. Stock is going to be several inches narrower-- I wouldn't be surprised to find that it's only 50" or so.

Desert Rides :: Racing Classes

For example, the front track of my xB is 57.3". That's substantially wider, despite being considered a subcompact vehicle.

The other distinct advantages of tadpole trikes lie in extremely stable handling, and potentially smaller frontal area than a car, because one could be made extremely low overall (think along the lines of a Porsche 550 Speedster with most of the rear end missing). Admittedly, it's a compromise between a car and a bike, but I feel a trike offers the best of both, despite the obvious aerodynamic limitations.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by ConnClark

For maximum efficiency wouldn't one wheel be the best?

Monowheel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's a list of um.

[AXMonster]

Originally Posted by Doofus McFancypants

I have also dreamed about building one - three things are stoping me.
Time - Money - Space.

Steve

I've built one

Not quite the same as a Locost, as it has a 3.5 Litre (215Ci??) V8 LOL

[Doofus McFancypants]

AXMonster.
That is sweet !!!
Did you build the frame yourself - or did you have made?

I'd wondered if there is enough room in the "trunk" for an electric motor and a FWD Transmission - then the "enginecompartment" can be full of batteries.

Steve

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted by AXMonster

I've built one

Not quite the same as a Locost, as it has a 3.5 Litre (215Ci??) V8 LOL

So having built one car, would you build another? Just for mileage?
I am quite jealous of your diesel Focus, if I got that mileage then I don't think I'd bother building anything for fuel economy...

Now building a car like yours for fun, that could get me going in the garage(after I built a garage). Did you use a parts car for most of the suspension and drivetrain?
Ian