Soooo... russbost got me thinking about this compressed air car thingy....
how hard would it be to put a super eco engine in a locost and turn it into a daily runner. IE hard top and heating etc.....
i have a bmw 525d which is averaging about 38mpg on my 135 miles per day. given the price of fuel is £1.40 per litre (6.41 per gallon) thats a mad
£22.77 a day in fuel.
Thats madness.
Anyway im looking at the best way to save money and need idea's
Ford focus is bringing a 100 MPG-e car out next year which looks good....
A locost doesn't really have a good enoguh aero profile to achieve wonderful mpg on a motorway commute - doable for town journeys though...
James
I had a random idea about this sort of thing too, there's a few small 1.2 or 1.3 diesel engines appearing now that are already very economical, why not stick one of these in a locost style midi should get even better mpg and there about 65 bhp so shouldn't be too slow
hasnt someone built a hard top aerodynamic body to slap on the locost yet?
if you get a 2 litre diesel engine with 6 speed box and big wheels on a locost with a decent body you must be able to achieve 80 mpg plus.
the new focus 1.6 does 78 mpg on motorway. that must weigh 1.5 tons. drop that in a locost maybe get 100 mpg.
quote:
Originally posted by jossey
hasnt someone built a hard top aerodynamic body to slap on the locost yet?
if you get a 2 litre diesel engine with 6 speed box and big wheels on a locost with a decent body you must be able to achieve 80 mpg plus.
the new focus 1.6 does 78 mpg on motorway. that must weigh 1.5 tons. drop that in a locost maybe get 100 mpg.
Well I seem to get about 50mpg out of my 1.8 CVH locost on a mixed commuter run (M40 35miles, and some minor roads 15 miles).. With full windscreen,
and some beans on motorway
On a motorway weight means nothing, its all about aero as said. Around town on a stop-start the reverse is ofcause true however.
My westfield (1900cvh on carbs) appears to about the same as my 306 (1800 injection) in that they both average around 30mpg when driven with a certain
amount of gusto on mixed driving, 35 is lucky.
Daniel
god damn air flow. GRRRRrrrrrrr
right ok thats not good.
So .... what next then....
Diesel engines are most efficient at light loads and low crankshaft RPM --- a big turbo diesel works best so a 2litre turbo diesel in
something like an lightened MX5 ?
With petrol engines the peak thermal efficiency will be at wide open throttle at rpm close to peak torque -- a very small turbo petrol will give best
thermal efficiency.
Also based on 1970s research by BL for the K series petrol engines best combustion tends to occur with cylinders around 300 to 350cc per
cylinder.
With this in mind Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino and Smart Roadster would be the pattern to follow.
[Edited on 10/1/12 by britishtrident]
ok soooo.
what cheap car has potential of sticking a 2ltr diesel in it and great aerodynamics.... please?????
There was a Westfield in PPC with a VAG 1.9D a while ago and if I remember rightly it did 90mpg at a steady 80mph on the motorway.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=247471
I think some RWD engineering a 1.9D into a Saxo/106 would preserve the need for roof and what not and overcome a 7's lack of aerodynamics...
My next build is to be a bike engine rwd Saxo Vtr.
[Edited on 10/1/12 by coozer]
Veg oil-fuelled Locost 7 in USA
Drag is frontal area * cd factor. Although the cd is poor in a 7 it isn't as bad in something like a Phoenix/Fury.
The frontal area on our cars is way down on a grown-up car, so drag might not be too bad (especially if you can lose the windscreen).
I would go with a VW 3-cylinder diesel engine. I bet you could get more MGH than a Polo.
I was always told that the width of the tyres had a noticeable impact on economy (aero and rolling resistance) and I believe that all these new
'eco' tintop models have skinny tyres for this reason ?
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
I think some RWD engineering a 1.9D into a Saxo/106 would preserve the need for roof and what not and overcome a 7's lack of aerodynamics...
You could always put a diesel engine in a LE MANS style kitcar.
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
You could always put a diesel engine in a LE MANS style kitcar.
quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
I was always told that the width of the tyres had a noticeable impact on economy (aero and rolling resistance) and I believe that all these new 'eco' tintop models have skinny tyres for this reason ?
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
I think some RWD engineering a 1.9D into a Saxo/106 would preserve the need for roof and what not and overcome a 7's lack of aerodynamics...
well I could get 55+ MPG out of my S1 106 on the motorway (average over 100 miles or more)
and that was a 954cc 8v petrol with a single choke solex carb and 4 speed gearbox
mind you it didn't weigh much (760kg)
the 1.5d might not have been that good an engine, but i've heard of some impresive MPG results...
[Edited on 10/1/2012 by mcerd1]
Its for sale!
80 mpg 106.... how much???
Well, as my names already been mentioned, I think what you want is a Furore F1 with no wings, bubble screen, some skinny wheels & a 1.2 diesel in
the back, with some aero fairings over the skinny wheels & suspension I reckon 100mpg & 100mph should both be easily acheiveable!
russbost
not great if the weather turns bad. as im sure you know after the le mans drive home i read about......
quote:
Originally posted by jossey
ok soooo.
what cheap car has potential of sticking a 2ltr diesel in it and great aerodynamics.... please?????
http://www.calibrawiki.com/index.php?title=Drag_coefficient
I'd use a twin turbo 2.7l Jag/Pug lump as Clarkson managed best part of 65 mpg when they did their Blackpool lights run.
That in a lightweight aerodynamic shell, with a low enough diff (70mph at 1500rpm) should be economical and reasonably quick.
Next project after the extansion will be either diesel bike or diesel locost (but maybe with a "proper" body
ATB
Simon
GTM or Midas with small diesel , or buy Coozers 106 and remove or blend in anything that will reduce drag.
Colleague of my Father's commutes 240miles per day, mostly on motorways in a diesel Smart.
I'm told he gets 99mpg so might be worth investigating that route.
Cheers,
James
quote:
Originally posted by James
Colleague of my Father's commutes 240miles per day, mostly on motorways in a diesel Smart.
I'm told he gets 99mpg so might be worth investigating that route.
Cheers,
James
I used to drive a very early golf mk3 tdi 1.9tdi (200 m1 miles a day)
It was lowered 40mm on 15" steelies, it did 80 mph at 2200 rpm at an average of 58mpg. it still did circa 50mpg at a tonne
it red lined at 3500rpm (the last of the tractor like diesels!) I then got one of the last mk3 estates. being an estate, totally different gearing and
a higher red line, bugger!
there was a scruffy grey dc2 honda integra on the web with a vag pd 130tdi in it. first thoughts were what the ... then actually remapped to 160 with
integra handling would be a great daily hack come to think of it.
buy a citreon c3 1.4 diesel.
70mpg (I average 63mpg on my 37 mile mixed driving commute)
You can get them for £3k.
Seats arn;t very comfy, but seeing as my fuel bill has HALVED, I can live with that.
[Edited on 11/1/12 by Dangle_kt]
These days I take all modern tintop MPG figures I see on the web with Dead Sea load load of salt too many people quote computer read outs of MPG or convert at 5 litres to a Gallon.
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
These days I take all modern tintop MPG figures I see on the web with Dead Sea load load of salt too many people quote computer read outs of MPG or convert at 5 litres to a Gallon.
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Right on it there, I have 1.5d 106 that does 80mpg on the motorway and 70+ round the doors