What car would you CREATE?

[freebeard]

The intent there was to fit in a four-wheel racing class, ala Speed Demon. In this case I was thinking of the mysterious Alex Tremulis drawing I can't find out more about. It's my current desktop pic:



See also the Isetta-like stance of Randy Grubb's Rocket 3 (it's rear wheel drive):

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by AlexanderB

3 wheels means I can drive it on my car license / don't need a motorcycle license

Too bad in my country a motorcycle license is still required to ride a 3-wheeler, unlike neighboring Uruguay where some are fitted with a car-like cockpit and can be driven with a car license instead of a motorcycle license. Otherwise I would probably have already got a small tricycle.

[hayden55]

Budget Bracket: $15001-->$30,000

Purpose of car {Daily driver around town, Daily Driver longer distance, utilitarian, light towing, all weather}

Proposed basis for car {It would be nice if somehow subaru took over. Imagine a mid sized four door hatch (with a nice large hatch opening to be useful with awd around 3100 pounds, Towing up to 2000, Top speed around 90 even.}

Engine of choice { 1.0L 3 Cylinder Diesel Hybrid, start stop, cyl deact}

Transmission of choice { CVT or Manual }

Drivetrain of choice {AWD}

Modifications required to above { I'd definitely install an emission legal tune from the factory but then have a non smog legal tuned listed aftermarket as directly compatible }

Expected mileage {60 mpg combined }

Expected cost to build {27000 }

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by hayden55

Engine of choice { 1.0L 3 Cylinder Diesel Hybrid, start stop, cyl deact}

Not sure if it would be so easy to get a 3-cyl 1.0L Diesel there, but maybe trying to turn some random turbocharged 3-cyl 1.0L turbocharged gasser fitted with direct injection to a multifuel setup similar to those Evinrude military outboards would not be impossible at all.

[Bicycle Bob]

Starting from my velomobile, which cruises on 1/10 HP, I'm slowly working on a motorized inter-city version. Sketches show a 1 + 1 seating plan, bobsled style, on a tadpole trike. A Honda Cub engine and transmission go up front for easy head cooling and cabin heating, with benefits for the aero stability. A long chain goes to the rear wheel, but it could be hybridized for 2 or 3wd with the electrics up front. (As batteries get better, I might switch to an extreme pedelec instead, as the battery ballast can be very handy on a relatively tall, narrow format. Other sketches in the series have needed a manually controlled chassis tilting device to achieve maximum cornering speed without brakes on, and this one does when fully loaded.)

Usually, I'd use mine for a monthly 2-hr run to the city for hardware and organic grub. The back seat would fill with cargo. If a passenger appeared at the airport and needed the space, the load would move to fold-down running boards and tied-in bags. With everything inside, I'd expect 400 MPG at 60 MPH without too much fussing over the details.

The chassis will be another demonstration of full integration of frame and suspension, with one blending into the other at wide leaf spring "hinges." This time it will be done in stitch 'n' glue plywood, a favourite with home boatbuilders, with some extra fiberglass on the spring sections. I hope that the plans will be easily adaptable to other sizes and shapes, with the help of a calculator I'm trying to write on a spreadsheet now.

For a body material, I'm thinking of using layers of Corrugated Polypropylene signage material. It gets very tough as thickness builds up, and accurate spiling of the strips would only slow down the silicon drying. A thin top skin of foam and 'glass should make it look pretty. The guy prodding me for the first set of plans will do his in cedar strip.

The budget will depend on luck in scrounging, and how much time I'm able to spend making custom bits. I tend to be fussy about custom parts in the vicinity of the hubs. Tires will be 17 X 2.5" or so, in hopes of getting a supply of Michelin Solar Car tires someday.

[vadimr4]

I would love to have a 2 seater (in tandem configuration) based on a slick velomobile like the Quest. But make it have full suspension, tilting in turns, and have either a small motorcycle engine and/or electric motor. Capable of running at least 55mph.
Closest thing I've seen is either the tri-hybrid stealth
The Tri-Hybrid Stealth
or the Raht Racer
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...way-speed-bike

[fearlessjoe]

similar to freebeard post

i would buy a write off... i would take the smallest most efficient diesel i could get... and fit it in a recumbent single seat motorbike or trike...

i had a thread about this in the bike section.... i was interested in removing 2 pistons from a 1.6 diesel a bit like a homebru version of what vw did with the xl1

[Frankencar]

Originally Posted by elhigh

If it could reliably deliver 50 mpg from a small diesel drivetrain, a 5-gallon fuel tank would be 250 miles of range. That's almost as much as I can consistently get out of my Forester, which is ostensibly a "real" car with "real" range..

Numbers should far exceed 50mpg in a 500KG mini-diesel if the aero is anything but horrendous. My 92 VW Corrado SLC (.32 Cd, 1.81 m² Frontal area) has an 18.5 Gallon tank that when vented is useful for about 19.5 gallons. It regularly returns about 51 MPG (US) with a 1998 Jetta 1.9 TDI swapped in... I drive it like I hate the world too - it very often sees triple digits. I can't really complain about the 1,000 mile range and sub $6,000 price either.

FRANKENBUILT 1992 Corrado SLC TDI Conversion: http://www.fuelly.com/car/volkswagen/corrado/1992/frankencar/377699

[Bicycle Bob]

Originally Posted by elhigh

I've fantasized about building an ultralightweight city car.

The structure I have in mind is something like the original Velorex, a skin stretched over a frame. But to make it stronger, I would impregnate the skin after installation to make it rigid and bond it to the frame, so it would contribute meaningfully to the vehicle's overall rigidity and crashworthiness.

My ultimate goal would be to build the lightest car possible. I think you could have a fully enclosed chassis that didn't weigh much more than a hundred kilos. Add on the glass, passenger accommodations, suspension subframes, engine cradle and everything else, and it should be possible to have a small, roadworthy car that will comfortably seat two abreast that doesn't weigh more than 500 kilos.

I think. I'm not an engineer. But this car wouldn't be intended for long trips, so it needn't have tremendous cargo capacity or even a very large fuel tank. If it could reliably deliver 50 mpg from a small diesel drivetrain, a 5-gallon fuel tank would be 250 miles of range. That's almost as much as I can consistently get out of my Forester, which is ostensibly a "real" car with "real" range (and a heck of a lot more than it would get if I only drove it in the city). If you're going to take a long trip, scoot out to the rental place with your little city runabout, pick up a real car and scoot back.

In my head, the concept is part Isetta, part Edison2 VLC, part Mercedes Boxfish concept and part wicker basket.

It is good to see another serious lightweight enthusiast here. For an easy but thorough grasp of the engineering involved, I heartily recommend J.E. Gordon's "Structures." His chapter on how to approach light weight design is without peer. Most of the specialized automotive information you also need is beautifully presented for the amateur in Fred Puhn's "How to make your car handle."

[sidecar]

This seemed pretty open so:

The Flying Car

Almost all attempts Ive seen at this are rubbish. Actually all of them but Im prepared in the event someone comes up with a reasonable plan. After looking at lifting body aircraft in my University years, and in particular a soviet era ground effect machine VVA-14. Im convinced I have a workable formula. Its a 3 wheeler in the Morgan tradition, so as a motorcycle/sidecar in most regimes it avoids troublesome crash safety regulations (not that it wouldnt have any).

The mechanicals are as yet unsorted, but of course it needs a prop and a wheel drive driven from the same power source, just at different times. This isnt as complicated as it might seem, and could well plug in with this fora's bent on high fuel performance. But dont have any high speed expectations as its maximum weight is a demanding statistic!

#BabySteps