Gas rant

[SinCity]

Here's a website of EV's that people are building.

John and Julie's 1990 Toyota XtraCab Pickup DLX

This one's a Mazda 323

Andy Herringshaw's 1988 Mazda 323 SE

[Karaha]

Double post.

[Karaha]

Originally Posted by KING6

What you need is a good ole fashion steam engine.

need to fabricate a miniature nuclear reactor to put in the daily driver. Only problem is plutonium isnt cheap

True, but you'd only have to refuel every 3 or 4 years or so. And I would actually take uranium for a nuclear powered engine, its cheaper and naturally occuring, which plutonium is not. Though waste disposal would become a problem right quick.

I would think alcohol would be the way to go, the only big problem being the massive costs to convert vehicles not already capable of running it. That and the fact that there are not many stations (at least here in tejas) that carry it. I've read somewhere that they use like cattle feed corn to produce ethanol, so food price increases shouldn't be too dramatic. I'll take anything that is cheaper than rapeoline right now. Hell, I'd run horse piss if I could get it to burn.

[nate_v8]

I believe the reason food prices are increasing is because of a decreased supply from so many farmers growing feed corn for ethanol. No change in demand with lowered supply creats a price increase.

[eljan81]

Man, if I worked at the liquor store where I work in highschool, I could've excelled at economics. It's different from state to state for alcohol limitations.
But, I would bet you can learn simply supply and demand from a liquor store, and what that store can buy and what they can't. Sorry if that is off topic.

I have a pretty interesting idea to the possibility of a 24/7 Solar powered car. But, I'm no scientist, nor do I have knowledge of creating Solar Power and or Solar Panels.

Two ideas here actually.

I've always thought that maybe if solar panels where made concave, that they could draw in more light, but I'm not sure if it can be converted to more energy.

What do we use inside a building everyday, that's a solar powered, but rarely sees sunlight. A solar calculator, correct.

So here is my current theory. Taking from the idea of breaks recharging electric car batteries. If the car has solar panels on the outside, why not have a lighting system with in the car area, and more panels with the lighting system? The brakes would be used to recharge the battery power used to run the lights. Adding this theory, if they can do the recharge while breaking, can't the wheels spinning be used for something, after all, isn't that how magnetism, creates electricity, by rotating?

Again, I'm no scientist, but, I hope you get my idea. I wish I could experiment with the idea.

Oh yeah, picture it like this. Escentially making a car around a tanning bed, in part. If they create like a solar cell that could sit in between said lights ala tanning bed, and the panels on the outside, I can only imagine limitless energy combined with the recharge while under stopping.

I can't remember if the gas prices started getting out of hand before, Katrina or not. Did Katrina happen in 2005? That hurricane didn't help the rising fuel costs then, but it's seemed like it's never gone down from the increase suffered from Katrina. Sorry, if that's sounds jumbled. I know these gas prices aren't linked to Katrina or the Levy breaking anymore. I think they're just making excuses.

[91turbo666]

the US military is experimenting with using nuclear power to propel planes that would stay airborne for months at a time, but obviously nuclear fuel will never be available to the public.

those writeups on electric car conversions are really interesting, i didnt think they were that common. i thought about that on my car perhaps one day, it has a straight 6 and auto transmission, so once you take them out it leaves a huge amount of room and takes a lot of weight off.

[Turk]

That wheels charging thing doesnt work unfortunately. In order to build power of a spinning wheel/turbine/flywheel you have to suck power out of it. So it would only really be effective down steep hills. But if it could be done cheaply, im sure it would add nicely to the brakes charging it as well. But then again going down steep hills is a great way to give the brakes a workout(and get power) so cancels it out.

Just by a Civic hybrid, 70mpg isnt it. [fizzle] load better then the Prius and at least it doesnt look like [shizzle].

Civic hybrid - designed for less fuel usage
Prius hybrid - desinged for decreased emmissions.

PS 80% of people who buy Prius' probably are the same amount of people that buy those energy savings lightbulbs and have their ducted aircon on 24/7/365 and take 45 minute shower. In other words all show.

[mhale71]

Originally Posted by Turk

PS 80% of people who buy Prius' probably are the same amount of people that buy those energy savings lightbulbs and have their ducted aircon on 24/7/365 and take 45 minute shower. In other words all show.

Theyre also idiots as well, i watched an interview with the webmaster of hypbrid-cars.com or some prius forum and they asked him for some specs and he couldnt give them anything, he just opened the bonnet and said "wow, i bet theres a feat of engineering in there"

HUH? what feet, its just a hard mounted brushless motor, its not even that impressive. Impressive would be a FULL electric twin brushlesss HV li-polymer setup, HIgh C rate and high battery capacity, if ur lucky you'll get it at less the weight of the equivelent petrol set up. (this IS possible and existent btw, just hella expensive)

[Turk]

Mikes RC car passion comes through??

I used to race 10:1 electrics when I was like 12. Gotta start the automotive passion small.

[mhale71]

Well actually im its helicopters and Fixed wing, but its basically the same hobby

[SupaDupa6]

i rarely drive the 6 anymore except to shows and the track. I've had my motorcycle since August and can't say I've really felt much of a dent in my wallet yet. I just bought a moped too. $5 a month for insurance and $3.50 to fill up and that's 80MPG FTMFW!

[KING6]

Originally Posted by Karaha

True, but you'd only have to refuel every 3 or 4 years or so. And I would actually take uranium for a nuclear powered engine, its cheaper and naturally occuring, which plutonium is not. Though waste disposal would become a problem right quick.

I would think alcohol would be the way to go, the only big problem being the massive costs to convert vehicles not already capable of running it. That and the fact that there are not many stations (at least here in tejas) that carry it. I've read somewhere that they use like cattle feed corn to produce ethanol, so food price increases shouldn't be too dramatic. I'll take anything that is cheaper than rapeoline right now. Hell, I'd run horse piss if I could get it to burn.

uranium, thats what i was thinking of!

didnt a guy develop and engine that ran on dead cats?... (or any dead road kill)

A German inventor says he's found a way to make cheap diesel fuel out of dead cats.

Dr Christian Koch, 55, from Kleinhartmannsdorf, said his method uses old tyres, weeds and animal cadavers.

They are heated up to 300 Celsius to filter out hydrocarbon which is then turned into diesel by a catalytic converter.

He said the resulting "high quality bio-diesel" costs just 15 pence per litre.

Koch said the cadaver of a fully grown cat can produce 2.5 litres of fuel - meaning around 20 cats are needed for a full tank.

He said: "I tank my car with my own diesel mixture and have driven it for 105,000 miles without any problems."

Nah, I'm going to build my own electric car/ truck. I'm thinking lightweight old Datsun truck or Honda CRX would be a good donor vehicle. Here's a couple links

Build your own electric car « terra, not terror

Build Your Own Electric Car out of a Gas-Guzzler

Not exactly feeling the electric only powerd cars.. Hell I hate electric golf carts. The problem is the batterys. Hell you might be able to drive 100 miles on one charge.. but then what? And then the cold weather plays a huge role in that..when it gets -10 my car barely wants to crank. Then how do you get heat? Also the mass of batterys in the back of the bed doesnt give you any options for hauling anything..

Someone needs to invent teleporter's... Then you could get the mindless A to B bad driving consumers out of automobiles...

[SinCity]

Originally Posted by KING6

Not exactly feeling the electric only powerd cars.. Hell I hate electric golf carts. The problem is the batterys. Hell you might be able to drive 100 miles on one charge.. but then what? And then the cold weather plays a huge role in that..when it gets -10 my car barely wants to crank. Then how do you get heat? Also the mass of batterys in the back of the bed doesnt give you any options for hauling anything..

Someone needs to invent teleporter's... Then you could get the mindless A to B bad driving consumers out of automobiles...

That evalbum website has quite a few successful conversions. I looked for two hours yesterday and didn't look at all of them. I looked at one of the companies that sell conversion kits, and they have the adapter plates for the 88-92 MX-6 with manual transmission. Now all I need is a cheap/ lightweight MX-6 DX 5 speed for a donor car. I like the DX because of no power options and its lighter weight manual transmission. I will most likely use the same drivetrain as the 323 I posted above, with an AC electric motor and yellow top Optima batteries. It really isn't that complicated. I used to build RC Cars years ago and the components are similar. I could even add some solar panels to the roof to charge the batteries while the car is at my work. Sun is very plentiful out here in the desert. At night I can plug in the car at home. My round trip drive to work is 54 miles, mostly highway, which is easily attainable with the right amount of batteries.

BTW, electric heaters are easy to build for an electric car.

This would be strictly a commuter car as I have no plans to sell any of my current MX-6's. I know that if I have to drive more than 70 or so miles I'm SOL. Maybe I will have MX6.com's first electric car.

[Karaha]

Originally Posted by 91turbo666

the US military is experimenting with using nuclear power to propel planes that would stay airborne for months at a time, but obviously nuclear fuel will never be available to the public.

those writeups on electric car conversions are really interesting, i didnt think they were that common. i thought about that on my car perhaps one day, it has a straight 6 and auto transmission, so once you take them out it leaves a huge amount of room and takes a lot of weight off.

I don't see why we can't have military monitored and controlled facilities for nuclear refueling purposes. It would take a [shizzle]load of security but I think it could be done.

[Pirate_d00d]

Originally Posted by 91turbo666

the US military is experimenting with using nuclear power to propel planes that would stay airborne for months at a time, but obviously nuclear fuel will never be available to the public.

those writeups on electric car conversions are really interesting, i didnt think they were that common. i thought about that on my car perhaps one day, it has a straight 6 and auto transmission, so once you take them out it leaves a huge amount of room and takes a lot of weight off.

I wonder if the actual aircraft could handle flight for that long without maintenance. If it could, that would be amazing.