CarBEN EV5 Full Sized Prototype Construction - 5 Seat Electric Car From Scratch

[stankoprowski]

Niel,

I see Smart cars in the wrecking yards here in Guadalajara. I'm surprised their not in U.S. wrecking yards.

Stan

[Xist]

Originally Posted by stankoprowski

Niel,

I see Smart cars in the wrecking yards here in Guadalajara. I'm surprised their not in U.S. wrecking yards.

Stan

Found this on car-part.com. If it is not useful go ahead and tell me to do push-ups.

2009
Windshield
Smart Fortwo A I04048 $199.98 Nationwide Auto Recycling USA-MA(Lancaster) Request_Quote 1-866-534-0477 Request_Insurance_Quote

2008
Windshield
Smart Fortwo A I08035 $199.01 Nationwide Auto Recycling USA-MA(Lancaster) Request_Quote 1-866-534-0477 Request_Insurance_Quote

[Galane]

Cool weather and higher humidity doesn't help at all with fiberglass, epoxy and other resin work. The temperature part is easy to figure out, cooler slows down the chemical reactions. Dunno how humidity has any influence given that it's a chemical reaction that doesn't depend on evaporation - and the resin casting I do is in sealed pressure tanks. But when the humidity is up I have to leave things in the tanks longer.

With stuff that does dry or cure via evaporation of volatiles, high humidity slows it down because the "space" in the air where the volatile components would go is taken up by water vapor. Same reason why swamp coolers aren't very effective coolers. Where your sweat would go into the air is already filled with water vapor. You feel cool at first but your dumb autonomic systems insist on attempting to cool your body as fast as possible, by sweating, instead of letting the cooled air do it by conduction and convection. "Ahhh! Cool!" (2 min later) "WTH am I sweating in here when it's cool?". Air cooled with a refrigerated system is *dry*, the moisture having condensed out on the evaporator. You still sweat but it evaporates more easily into the dry air instead of running down your back and into your undershorts.

Originally Posted by stankoprowski

Niel,

I see Smart cars in the wrecking yards here in Guadalajara. I'm surprised their not in U.S. wrecking yards.

Stan

There aren't that many in the US yet. They're too expensive for the size. If it's MPG you care about, a decent old Geo can be bought for a lot less and will get quite a bit better mileage.

Then there's this crushed-smart-car-wreck « Smart Car Wreck Yes, that pic *is* a Smart car, unlike many squished vehicle pics that aren't. I'd like to know what ran over it.

And this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGtWc4m8Z2E

Doesn't matter if the doors still open when so much of the energy gets transferred to the occupants. If it had about two more feet of car on both ends... The test that should be done is park a Smart behind a big truck and smash it from behind with another big truck at 35 MPH. That happens quite a lot at stop lights where drivers fail to stop and crunch a car into another car or truck. (Yes, I've seen that pic of the Ford Escape the driver was lucky to.)

Lots of people just don't feel such a small car can be safe and would rather spend the same $ on a larger car that can be used for more than hauling around two people and a very small amount of stuff.

Where a little bit like the Smart makes sense is in cities where all the roads are slow and the highest speed impact you'll get as the filling in a Smart car sandwich is 25 MPH or less - and if you have a lot of need for never having more than two people and a hatful of cargo in a car.

New York City, yes. Chicago or Los Angeles, no. If I won one in some contest, with taxes included, I might use it for a town runabout simply because it'd get better MPG in town than my Taurus* but I'd never take it out on 65 MPH highway 95 to go the 20 miles to Ontario, OR, or even on the 55 MPH Highway 201.

*Which averages 26 MPG on the mixed speed route to Boise, ID that includes a long stretch of 75 MPH freeway. Nearly as good as the EPA ratings for most of the Fiat 500 models and better than the "hot" Abarth version's 25 MPG. Oh, and my Taurus gets that mileage with just me on board or with four people and a trunk full of stuff.

[NeilBlanchard]

Thanks Xist - I've contacted them to ask about the windshield and about if they also have the wiper arms and motor and the vent bezel, as well. Lancaster is a mere 12 miles away - I hope they get back to me soon.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Thanks Xist - I've contacted them to ask about the windshield and about if they also have the wiper arms and motor and the vent bezel, as well. Lancaster is a mere 12 miles away - I hope they get back to me soon.

Yes! I was useful!

I should study now or something!

Galane, when I think about something like the Elio, I often envision making a foam board boat tail as well as front wheel fairings that taper back to the body, fiberglassing over everything, sanding well, and painting. Hopefully it would look good and improve aerodynamics as well, but I just would want extra protection in a collision, even though the fairings would be useless for that. If I were t-boned, I imagine their bumper would go right over it.

As for a smartcar, a two-foot foam boat tail could do the job, and you could make a two-foot foam aerodynamic nose extension, although I do not think that it would do any aerodynamic good, that extra length would be put to better use in the back.

I can imagine myself doing all of that and getting hit on the side...

[NeilBlanchard]

Well, the used car parts company in Lancaster MA was a miss - they never answered my email, and when I called them, it was infinite hold in the sales queue. So, I drove the 16 miles to their location this morning, and they recently moved from that building to right next door, and there were about four flat bed trucks parked in the otherwise empty parking lot - and a chain was across the entrance, and there was a No Trespassing sign. I could not even get to the door to check their hours...

I think they are primarily an auto auction company?

On the drive home, I called the only other used auto parts company nearby, and they do not have any Smart windshields, or any other parts I need.

So, it looks like I have to get them from the Smart dealer (Mercedes) in Boston. I'm waiting for a check from a client, and I will order it.

[Xist]

That is terrible! I am sorry that did not work out for you!

[NeilBlanchard]

It was worth a try - and I "discovered" another solar PV array in Lancaster MA. So, all was not lost.

[aerohead]

I see a virtually zero-carbon car on the horizon.
It's nice to see such things within my lifespan.

[2007 ion2]

the only problem I see with that idea is, once everyone (or even a lot of people) adopt plug in hybrids or plug in EVs, the grid is going to be so overwhelmed, we are going to need more power plants, and this will increase emissions made by power plants and increase cost and upkeep on the infrastructure. and don't respond with a BS response like: well, people can just charge their cars at night, when the grid is unladen. this won't ever happen. most people will get home and plug in, because nobody wants to have to remember to go out to their car at ten at night to plug it in.