martha_91

iTrader: (7)

I have a lemma.... not to be confused with a dilemma, I only have one problem... What to do about a 1991 rx7 that is certifiable and emissions passable without a porblem other than going, with a 13b naturally aspirated 230,000 original km yet very strong engine but I want to do something about Global Warming. My first son and child, Logan Alan Craig Houle is due April 20th, 2007 and I don't want to turn over a filthy, petroleum-sucked, garbage heap of a planet to him. There are absolutely no resources nor education programs anywhere about alternative fuel sources, even though Ethanol was produced IN Canada.... What's the deal? I have found, through the media, very much by chance because I do not regularly read mail cuz this place sucks, that Mazda Headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan has let go on lease less than a dozen factory rx8s that refuel from a unit in your garage and can be switched in-car, whenever (especially at mid-throttle "legal" driving on this rock called the Americas) to Hydrogen and just as easily back. I've dreamed of racing cars since I was just a boy and I bought this car as I have driven it in dreams.... should I waste 3-5000 dollars on a twin-turbo 320HP 20b and continue to worship the pump, or is there a way I can do something about our air, world, and life here on Earth? If ANYONE out there even thinks they have some kind of wisdom that would help, please, please send it my way.......

old sparks

Ethanol made from corn or wheat is a crock if you want to save the environment.

Keep your car in good tune, and drive it on the weekends. Commute in a Yaris or try to find a cheap diesel-engined car (good luck on the latter)

or

Swap in a diesel engine and run it on vegetable oil.

http://www.greasecar.com/faq.cfm

zoomman

ok well look on the internet and find out how to make a hydrogen tank. fill it with water, and insert some electrodes and then figure out a way to compress it. and replace your gas tank with a certified vapor tank and hook it up in your car. replace your fuel lines with tubes, and then just run it into ur fuel rails. and waaa laaa a higher octane fuel that burns clean.

photopaintball

I have an idea no one seems to think about these days.

Just buy a car that gets good fuel economy.

It could be cheap so you can keep your fast one too.

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

Convert it to electric; RX7's have set tons of records with electric swaps. Not too difficult to do either with the size of the engine bay. Fill the hatch with batteries. Won't handle too well, but if done right will still be peppy to drive.

slo

iTrader: (1)

For about what 80 miles, and then you need to recharge, **** that. There is a video going around, the called who killed the electric car, the electric car killed the electric car.

But there is a dedicated fan based for electric cars, a few months ago I found an 800 amp electric motor speed control in the junk yard in a converted VW rabbit, cost 20 dollars. It sold on ebay for 900 dollars.

rarson

The problem with battery systems is the incredible cost and maintenance required of them.

First of all, you need to vent the batteries if they are not sealed, otherwise hydrogen build-up could reach explosive levels. Secondly, batteries require lots of maintenance when you're draining and recharging them all the time.

Even if it doesn't cost as much to recharge as it would for gas, you're probably looking at replacing the batteries every three years (that's something that I heard directly from a guy that converted a car to electric... and his cost totals exceeded the projected costs for leaving the car with a gasoline engine by a significant amount). And how many batteries IS that? Probably at least a dozen or so.

When battery technology improves, the tide will certainly turn, but right now, in my opinion, electric conversions aren't going to save you a lot of money, if any at all.

90turbo1

if you are that crazy about the environment then you already have a car that is not earth friendly. I mean that the rotary motor in those years wasnt known to be very "clean" to begin with.

Electric is not a viable swap for everyday, due to the fact that you need to recharge them all the time and if its the environment you are concerned about then plugging a car in and sucking power down from a coal or what ever power plant isnt the solution.

hydrogen for the do it yourselfer is a no no I have heard. and the range is not there either.

diesel is a better solution over all but that swap would be labor intensive as well.

so back to the engine swap idea.

I bet that a modern 4 cyl motor would pollute alot less and get far better fuel economy than a half worn out rotary. And be just as enjoyable to drive as a commuter if the right motor is chosen to start with. A nissan KA4de comes to mind. or a ford dual cam engine.

a 6 or a 8 can be set up to pollute less also and have great fuel economy to boot.

but you dream of racing cars and such you say so I bet that a 8 cyl power is your cup of tea, I would go with a LS1 V-8 and a 6 speed. its a legal swap if you retain all devices that came on that motor and the car you have is lighter than what that motor came in so you are guaranteed an instant MPG boost over the donor vehicle. (and most of those were already close to 28 MPG)

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

High output lithium polymer batteries molded to the body to sit as low as possible combined with high efficiency speed control and parallel path based hub motor(s) will get you a whole lot more the 80 miles and make gobs of torque at the same time. A small lawnmower engine + regenerative braking will power it nigh indefinitely.

Catch up to the 21st century on electric drivetains.

rarson

He's right though, that "Who Killed the Electric Car" bullshit is about as funny as Al Gore canceling a speech on global warming due to frigid temperatures.

The electric car DID kill the electric car. Battery tech back then was CRAP!

They should make an electric with photovoltaic body panels.

90turbo1

wow that wouldnt be expensive or anything........ ha ha ha ha

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

Expensive is a relative term.

martha_91

iTrader: (7)

Money in the Western Globe has proven to be limitless, so if you're saying it can't be done, it merely shows either your frustration with your own money problems or that you do not care passionately about your vehicle. If this world's gonna change, I'll be DAMNED if I'm going to lose my car. My RX-7 has a name: It's Martha. I've started my journey to get this heard. Mazda HAS this technology.... No more batteries... by using a natural gas powered home electrolysis system, I can easily fill my car everyday with water. The rotary engine supports it, so it was simple, have not 2 fuel systems. But as opposed to how it is thus far, it operates by switch. Use hydrogen when I want, then switch back to gas. This solves every frustration I have with my car, Martha won't let me go as I like to call them "slow limits" in North America because at half throttle, the rotary has proven to simply open a hole in your gas tank at mid throttle. Simple, Hydrogen when I'm stuck behind the everyday *******, and gas when I want to go. I went to the Mazda dealership in my city.... couldn't help me, says "go to the government"... I then proceed to the MTO (DMV equivalent to those who don't know Canada) all they could say was "does it have a VIN?" problem solved, my car was made 16 years ago WITH ONE!! so I emailed Mazda HQ in Japan telling them I want a representative to help me journey to them. And I will... won't be hard.... I drove from just south of Atlanta to Barrie this year.... twice, and I plan to do it again this week. For those of you who have read my previous post and truly aprreciate Mother Nature's cause, thank you, Haters: keep reading, and hatin', but I offer advice from someone who's had to learn WAY to many things the wrong way.... open your mind, and shut your mouth.

Shaggy's Dad

I have been doing a wiki search on similar issues for rx7 and found that the $5000 needed for a good electric conversion is not practical. What is practical is swapping in a JDM or EU turbodiesel that could mate with the standard tranny and running biodiesel. The tranny is supposed to be the same as the minitrucks though I have not personnally checked the bolt patterns yet. There is a euromarket common rail turbodiesel (MZ-CD I think) used for the 3 series but since we don't have them over here, I don't know if it's dooable. You're in Canada, why not look for Turbodiesel MPV vans, 323 and 626 variants. The main caveat is not to try to use an engine that is designed to be tilted back in the FWD mode because it will not work in a RWD application unless also tilted to the side. My current 85 GXL-SE is property of my son, an engineering major, who is more intertested in performance than global warming so I have not been able to stoke his interest on the conversion.

Shaggy's Dad

Oh, I also saw the news bit on running the rotary on hydrogen as well. However, the fine print kills it since the volume of gas needed would be tremendous. You would have to give up any space behind the seats for a compressed gas tank (aka bomb). The other killjoy they didn't mention is that the rotary is even more thirsty for hydrogen than fossil fuel. I read it in the primary source that they based the news byte on.

A bit off this topic , but my other what if project is mating the Mazda-Suzuki designed 2.7 lit V6 from the Vitara to an rx7 chassis. The all aluminum 60 degree V6 actually weighs about 50 lbs less than a 13b with headers. 180HP but more importantly, 180 ft lbs of torque down low for more MPG in daily use.

Crash Test Joey

iTrader: (1)

What space?