too expensive FE ideas?

[GasSavers_DaX]

Small engines. It is too expensive to sleeve an engine down yourself, and manufacturers (for cars sold in the USA) aren't willing to put money into developing small engines - around 600cc - for cars. This is more than enough to get around with the technologies they could apply to such small engines today. I drove my Honda Beat (656cc) from Buffalo, NY to Newnan, GA with no issues. My only gripe is that I would like to see a slightly longer ratio transmission mated to such an engine.

[SL8Brick]

Originally Posted by Graeme

Flaming River, a company noted for street rod steering components, has a new electric assist power steering unit. Mighty spendy though--like thousands. Ignoring the cost, it does seem to have potential.

FWIW - VW/Audi has already made OE elec. assist P/S a reality in the Audi A3, VW Jetta & Rabbit/GTI.

[Bill in Houston]

full belly pan
tall 6th gear on every MT

[baddog671]

But with all this money being put into the car, that jacks up the value. So what if you get 100mpg if you have a 50,000$ car loan. Personally, it would be cheaper to get a normal car and drop a few grand into it for modifications.

[jbum]

Originally Posted by baddog671

But with all this money being put into the car, that jacks up the value. So what if you get 100mpg if you have a 50,000$ car loan. Personally, it would be cheaper to get a normal car and drop a few grand into it for modifications.

It's called mass production. The incremental cost to put in the modifications from the factory goes way down the more they produce. It won't cost $50k. I might actually cost less than it does you and me.

[trebuchet03]

Hopefully Adaptive Cruise Control works its way down from luxury car status

[Bill in Houston]

really really good wheels

[VetteOwner]

ive pondered this question too, why doesnt every car/truck/suv have an electric fan? everyone knows they are far more efficent than a clutch fan and since most automakers make fwd cars and such that already are supplied with electric fans why not spend the extra $2 to design a plastic clip to hold the fan to the radiator and just order more electric fans from thier supplier...

i put an electric fan out of a 87 cavileer into my 95 s-10 and it fits perfectly! one bolt and 2 slots cut into the plastic shroud and wall! instant 2mpg gain and a very noticeable better acceleeration and torque.

[MakDiesel]

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

ive pondered this question too, why doesnt every car/truck/suv have an electric fan? everyone knows they are far more efficent than a clutch fan and since most automakers make fwd cars and such that already are supplied with electric fans why not spend the extra $2 to design a plastic clip to hold the fan to the radiator and just order more electric fans from thier supplier...

I've been pessimistic lately, but...
Many of us already know this one, being it is far easy for profit margin automaker (Detroit in particular) to stamp out a fan in steel and bolt it to another stamped piece than actually improve on a design that's as old as the automobile itself and make electric windings and wires and plugs and such for an electric one. In automotive design, it will always be about the bottom line; No use in making an intelligent, well-designed car that can make us less dependent on oil if all America wants is a big ol' pushrod piece o' $#!t that is neither innovative nor helping us do anything better but burn resources in an effort to keep up w/ the Jones'. Mak

[Telco]

Originally Posted by baddog671

Most people are lazy,dumb, and uncompromising. People like their big suv's with power,safetym , and plenty of room.

Compromise! is the only answer. If you want good mpg, you'll have to sacrifice something, and the general public probably wont until gas touches 5$.

When gas was a buck, people said SUVs would rule until gas hit 3 bucks. Here it is, now the block has been moved to 5? Sorry. It won't start affecting people until it hit 7-10 dollars a gallon, which it never will. The oil companies are already having problems with 3 buck a gallon gas. When gasoline is over 3 bucks a gallon, other technologies are now affordable. They are going to have to settle gas back to about 2 bucks a gallon, maybe 2.50 a gallon, if they want to stifle the competition. Gas may one day hit 5 bucks a gallon, but it won't be for several years barring a major disaster. If gasoline did hit even 4 bucks a gallon, how does that compare to the price of electricity? LPG? Ethanol? Gasoline is now more expensive than these other alternate fuels, enough so that it is worth it to innovate and bring new products to the market.

And remember that European gasoline is so much more expensive because they have very high taxes on it, which is used to subsidize their public transportation. US gasoline has a relatively small tax on it, so is a better barometer.