Hi all,
I have possibly a very good starting point for a unique eco-car.(At least that was one of my plans for it)
It is essentially a complete kitcar that has previously been on the road but is ideal for converting for excellent economy.
It's very small (2 seater side by side) and not much wider than the 2 seats!
Under 12' long.
Very low.
Rear engined.
Hard top.
Only things in the front are lights set fairly back, battery low down, spare wheel mount to lay flat, and obv the master cylinder and a few electrical gubbins.
Currently has a teeny 2 cylinder aircooled 652cc car engine fitted in the back with 4 speed box.
12" wheels.
Light enough you can pick the front up.
Chassis is steel box.
Current styling is fairly designed with a ruler, but is fibreglass with a front clip as such should be easy to redo to add better aerodynamics to a tiny frontal area and light weight.
My thoughts were possibly to fit a small(though bigger than current) petrol water cooled motor(poss something like from a 2003 on Alto 1.1) which will benefit from £30pa Tax, and more power(nearly 3x what's in now), more torque and in theory a decent chunk more MPG with the alto rated at 70UK MPG on a run. Plus it should give it a better heater and make it a little quieter though sportier/more fun.
Another considered alternative would be a small diesel. Maybe from 106/AX/Saxo (The 1.4 would be nice fro lightweight but the 1.5 is a bit more powerful and a little less prone to headgasket munching) Advantages being huge MPGs, lots more torque and reasonably low down and again still around 2-3x the bhp. Plus these are basic diesels so no DPFs or fancy electronics to worry about. Downside being tax goes back upto £130/£145 a year.
Third option is small modern diesel of similar size from say Hyundai/Kia or possibly even Fiesta or Peugeot 206/Renault Clio. Upside is again £30 tax and more power/torque and potential for huge mpgs. Downside is much more complex than the 106 gen diesels and more to go wrong + more weight due to extra electronics as well as the cooling systems needed for the others. Also higher cost to find a good doner and they don't all have great reliability with more expensive things like injectors.
Other options include sticking with current engine/replacing with alternative aircooled option such as 2cv. Or the obvious modern option of Smart car running gear saving the whole FWD into mid/rear layout though I've pretty much discounted them on cost and reliability concerns. Then there are the options of older petrol engine and even something like a bigger older diesel eg VAG 1.9 which would be completely unstressed pushing this little thing along.
Final Options are Electric conversion or hybrid. (At its tiny size a set of pedals would probably even be an option
)
If anyone has any thoughts or even better if there is anyone in the UK that is willing to take this project up I'd be happy to help with it as much as I can as right now I am really struggling for space/time and funding (wow it's the whole Dr Who dilema there isn't it)
Regards,
EcoMCA
Today
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