spring project
 

Ok, so I'm new to not only this site, but to ecomodding as well. Happened upon this site and am increasingly interested. Here's my question to all of you that aren't new to this: If you had $3,500 for a 1st time project, what would you suggest I choose. I'm recently retired so time is not a factor. I'm reasonably handy with tools and welding. Our present vehicles are old and paid for, so that at end of project, I would sell present pickup to recoup $ invested in project. I live in wyoming where a foot of snow/ice on city street during winter is the norm until the street crews get to it. Need it to travel 20 miles at most, 8 miles the norm, and occasionaly make trip to land fill, so pickup or car & hitch/trailer is a prerequisite. I'm leaning toward gas or electric or hybrid but not diesel. seeting for two medium sized arthritic grandparents. Would do all labor myself and don't care if end result is odd looking. comfort in getting in and driving it is a 7 out of 10 requirement. might spend a little more in end for paint job if neccesary. suggestions???

First of all, welcome to the site. I wish I could help you with your project, but I'm from Poland and that's a slightly different world, so my best choices would be different from yours. Anyway, you're talking of snow and ice, so maybe something with 4x4 drivetrain? Subaru maybe? These are light (for a 4x4 car), strong and reliable cars.

Welcome. Time and money for a project, I'm envious. Bet you even have space to do it. Don't worry about the snow you are retired just stay home and wait until they clear the roads. :D
The project I have in the back or my mind is a electric 70's British sports car, if I ever find myself in your situation. A project needs to be something that tickles your fancy. Good luck. Looking forward to reading about it.

Since you will have two vehicles, do both of them necessarily have to be able to meet all your needs (duplicate capabilities, I mean)?

If you can dedicate one of the pair to towing/hauling/snow busting duties, it frees you up considerably to choose something vastly more efficient as the other vehicle which will suit the majority of your driving the rest of the time.

Welcome to the forum!

If I was in the OP's position, I'd start with a 2WD pickup similar to my truck, and do what I've done so far. Then I'd do a full Phil Knox T100 aero job to it, followed by alternator delete with a solar panel on the topper. LED lights.

I might experiment with a bullet nose (Airflow BulletTruck, 1970 Dodge Charger Daytona) and/or a boattail.

I would then expect at least 40 MPG summer average.

I carry a set of tire chains for winter, so don't need 4WD.

I would go the whole way- further than anyone here has gone before (with a pickup).

Since you can weld, here's my plan :)

Start with a small pickup with a manual trans. Convert it to electric. Remove the bed and build a custom rear end that tapers in a teardrop. Narrow the rear axle to fit within this teardrop. Seal up the bottom, the front, all the seams. Moon caps on the wheels and front wheel skirts. Wheel fairings/strakes. Skinny LRR tires.

If you started with a 2WD Nissan Hardbody you'd probably be able to get high 30's mpg. But with electric, you'd pay a lot less for the fuel!

You'd end up with something similar to this, with two rear wheels...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/3...366d3dd5_o.jpg

...but with correct angles to avoid longitudinal vortex formation. Read up on aerohead's posts in the Aerodynamics area of this forum, as well as the current CRX HF trike project, and buy Hucho's aerodynamics textbook and Leitman's How to build your own electric car book. Then buy a truck and start working! :)

(most of us dream of having an opportunity like this)

In snow country, the rear wheels should have the same spacing as the front wheels. With a narrow rear track, even a 4WD vehicle will need tire chains.

I would go with a plugin car/truck. Have an electric rear wheel drive system of 20-40 miles, even just 5 miles would have significant gains in fuel economy. But leave the 1-1.5 litre gas engine in and coast all your electric range with the engine off and in neutral. Or you can engage the FWD gas engine with the independent electric rear wheel drive, and haul ass with double the horsepower! This could be your towing mode whether a truck, or car+trailer hitch.

In my opinion, if an EV is gonna move a 3,000 pound vehicle, whats a couple hundred pounds to leave in the gas engine?

If you do anything EV with lead acid and use it in the cold, you have to make accomodations for heating the batteries.

I'm with Metro, have one snow-busting hauler, and one 3-season way more efficient vehicle. That's pretty much what I've done.

[welcome]

Well, you just joined, posts=1, and within 24 hours we're talking about "longitudinal vortex formation". Let's hope you lurked for a while. The rabbit hole goes a long way down.

The way I see it its this: If you draw up a plan and go out and implement it you lose control of what it costs you. If you "hold your mouth right" (as my grandparents would have said) Universe will drop something in your lap. You want it to be easy getting in in more than one way. It might be a pickup, it might be a Metro (they're popular around here); but somewhere around you someone is trading up, or tired of something or forced into poverty, and their ride becomes an opportunity that someone will get to first. You only have to make it be you.

My personal choice for snow would be what the snowplow operator drove to work in that one commercial. But don't slam it to the ground, they don't work as a toboggan.