Wood gas?

[Fingie]

Had a brainstorm here a couple days ago.


Me and my friend would like a water vehicle. The problem is that I am piss poor.

[ThermionicScott]

This one is pretty low-emission.

[freebeard]

Me and my friend would like a water vehicle. The problem is that I am piss poor.

We could start a club.

Use case: Maybe somewhere between an inner tube fisherman's float and a 23ft sail boat?

Build-your-own Teardrop Camper Kit and Plans



DIY stitch-and-glue. Two cargo canoes with decking and the teardrop suspended between them, with a wood gas outboard motor on the stern of one canoe.

A project with four major components, each of which is useful on it's own. Roadable FWIW.

[Fingie]

I have an idea. Towable boat!

It wouldn't be able to run wood gas though.

EDIT: it could, but gasoline must be kept as backup. Or run it on E85

[freebeard]

Once wood gas is out of the picture, the choice is easy:


Florida Figured Out How To Hoverboard While Sitting

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fingie

And if the expensive car tax reform happens here, i'll import a Piaggio APE and modify it too with a engine swap

I've been also considering to do a similar project. So, what engine would you be more likely to swap into a Piaggio Ape?

[Fingie]

a 4-stroke, with focus on torque.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fingie

a 4-stroke, with focus on torque.

Either some 3-cyl 1.0L out of some random subcompact or the parallel-twin out of a Honda NC (eventually the engine of a CB 500 if you can get it cheaper and more easily) seem to be the most suitable. Unless you'd have easy access to some source of BMW R-series or Ural motorcycles which flat-twin engine would probably become an easier fit under the loading bay's floor.

[Piotrsko]

how about 1/2 VW air cooled bug engine. use late model waterboxer cylinders, EFI, and if you must: aftermarket racing cat.

[freebeard]

Dunn-Right Incorporated

Home of the "Volks-Air" Air Compressor
"When it has to be Dunn-Right"

Instead of cutting down the engine, do a Dunn-Right air compressor conversion. Add a 60 gallon compressed air tank, twinned alternators and a battery bank.

Wherever you go, you are the local utility company.

Use hemp oil lubricants.

Edit: Why I like this idea: It ties the vehicle to specific functions, but if you had the air tank and batteries between the driver and rear axle, then you could have a 4ft tall tool chest behind the axle that could drop down onto it's own casters. They you'd have a shop truck that you could drive indoors on compressed air.

Instead of an APE or Cushman, I'd want a fiberglass Ed Roth tricycle body. Maybe a C-cab. Here's an (admittedly rear-) Ed Roth VW engine:


http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2012/04/ed-big-daddy-roth-tribute-trike-and.html