Project Slow-Moving Metro

[JQmile]

Hi guys! Bet it's not the Metro you expected!

I've been on and off the site for a while, but I finally decided that I need something that will permanently get me good fuel economy for the long run! I was looking at just buying a new-ish hybrid, but decided that it would be more fun to try to build my own. The car is a friend's Nash Metropolitan that's been sitting for a few years, and is A) Pre-smog (California)...B) Light (1800lb curb weight) and C) A free test bed, so aerodynamics be darned, we're going to try it!

Right now I have an older Briggs and Stratton Etek Motor and Alltrax controller that should be good for about 20hp and 30lb-ft (peak) and is about 5-6hp continuous. To this we're going to add a small 15-20hp gas or diesel engine, to try and get the Metro up to 50-60mph for long distances. Or, I might do two Eteks, and use a Generator to charge the batteries. Not sure of the exact mods yet, but it will mostly be an around town type vehicle for starters, as I'm hoping it'll go 25-30mph on electric power alone.

I figure that 35-40hp total ought to get it up to speed pretty quick, if we can keep the weight low enough. I had a Chevette that weighed 2500lb with driver and had 51hp, and for the most part (other than hills) it was ok. On flat ground it could get up to about 78mph, so I'm thinking that with the Nash, it will take considerably less for a 50-60mph top speed.

Anyways, that's the basics, I wouldn't expect this thread to move very quick or be updated that often (hence the name...it's a pun, get it?) But hopefully I finally am able to do something with this motor after years of it sitting.

Any advice is welcome!

[Hypermiler1995]

Diesel = cheaper to run, gas = cheaper to buy

The needed HP sounds close, as the metro lsi has 45hp and weighs 1624?lbs .

[MetroMPG]

Hooked me with the thread title... Staying for the unique project!

Is there supposed to be an image in post 1?

[JQmile]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Hooked me with the thread title... Staying for the unique project!

Is there supposed to be an image in post 1?

Yeah, showing up on my computer (?)

[MetroMPG]

Yup, I see it now on the laptop, but not on the phone earlier. Dunno what was up.

[Frank Lee]

I'd like to put a 1.0 Metro drivetrain into an old Metro, fwd and all.

[JQmile]

Ok first question...given a weight of say, 1800 pounds, a frontal area of 20 sq ft, and a drag coefficient of .50, how much hp will it take to go down the road at say, 50mph? I used RBR Racing's aero calculator and came up with 12.6hp, but not sure how accurate it is.

https://www.rbracing-rsr.com/aerohpcalc.html

[Ecky]

That sounds about right, roughly. I'm thinking it might be just a little low, but close enough.

[Sven7]

It's got front and rear wheel skirts already! With a (close to) full grille block it shouldn't have half bad Cd. I have long wanted to try to make a vintage-looking fiberglass kammback though, and this might be a good candidate if you end up wanting a little better cruising economy.

[elhigh]

I subbed this so hard. The old Nash Metro is one of my all time favorite cars, and one of the original economy cars. It is a thing of old school beauty.

Being so old school, there are lots of little aero mods to be made that will pull your power requirements down. Maybe not into the range of a single Etek (nice score finding an original B&S one, BTW), but any improvement is an improvement. I chance to know that the underside is about as smooth as the craters of the moon, for instance.

It's also nice that you have such an obviously old tiny car. Nobody will expect it to be fast. It is its own apologist.