Carburetors to Hydrogen

[the_yellow_dart]

The "Worst Case Scenario" thread brought back a memory of a TV show that I thought you might all be interested in.

FOG was mentioning that it shouldn't be hard to retrofit cars to run on hydrogen. Turns out he's right, as long as the car is carburetted.

The show Mythbusters was testing methods of saving fuel. You've all seen the crappy infomercials, so they were testing if any of these products were actually worth money. To test, they had an early 90's Accord, representing fuel injected cars, and a late 70s Oldsmobile Omega, representing carburetted cars. They tried all the fuel saving methods on both cars, and they all failed, some even made the mileage worse. Then they tried this special method they found on the internet of making a carburetted car into a hydrogen car. First they disconnected the fuel line. Then they built a special box to go where the carburettor was, and pumped hydrogen from a tank into that (they were just trying to start the car, not drive it). The box was built wrong and didn't work. So, they gave a very stern "Don't try this at home kids", and stuck the hose from the hydrogen tank right into the hole where the carburettor was, and started the car! It ran for about 15 seconds, then they had a minor backfire which scared them and they stopped the experiment. My point, however, is that it obviously can't be that hard to make one of those cars run on hydrogen - just pump in the hydrogen and seal it up to prevent what happened to them.

Pretty cool little finding, I thought.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I think hydrogen is the most feasible solution for classic car collectors like me. I mean, oil will probably be around for a long time anyway, and even if it goes through the roof it still won't affect me much simply because the cars aren't driven that much. But if something should happen to oil, then I'd almost bet on a hydrogen conversion of some sort being developed for these cars. There is just too much $$$ and too many jobs on the line betweeen the aftermarket and restoration businesses, the owners and the collectors for the hobby to just be abandoned.

I just hope our lobbyists are in DC doing their jobs.

[Intrepidation]

That's very interesting news...so is the exhaust still water or what?

I love Mythbusters.

[Flybrian]

Can you imagine that? The most unadvanced, archaic, obsolete cars can be propelled by the fuel of the future? Amazing.

[Intrepidation]

It really is. and Ironic to say the last. So technically one could say the American auto industry had fuel alternatives way before everyone else!

[Z-06]

Can you imagine that? The most unadvanced, archaic, obsolete cars can be propelled by the fuel of the future? Amazing.

Honda developing carburetted cars with Toy in order to gain market shares and innovation. The engine is supposedly based on GM's 1970 V-6 and small blocks.

GXT is going to be their chief engineer incharge of stealing GM's design and innovating it into the Japanese designs.

[Sixty8panther]

Can you imagine that? The most unadvanced, archaic, obsolete cars can be propelled by the fuel of the future? Amazing.

Interesting that this thread popped up today.

About a half hour ago I was having a conversation about

how I will NEVER give up on driving my B-59 and other

such classics... even if I have to retrofit a Duramax Diesel

in it OR convert it to run on Hydrogen or Propane. My

uncle back in Slovakia (who is a doctor) converted his

POS Russian Lada to run on Propane. He had a GIANT 100

gallon tank in the backseat that lasted like 3 months.

[FAPTurbo]

Hmm... Maybe I should go back to considering that '68 Firebird in my neighbourhood.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Honestly, fuel prices don't really matter that much in the world of classic cars simply because for most people, including myself, the cars are 3rd or 4th cars. So, as long as you have a daily driver, then I'd say 'go for it' with that '68 Firebird (I've always wanted one of those too)

I have a friend who converted from a Camaro to a Jeep Liberty a year or so ago and he is always asking me if I'm "Ready to sell those Camaros, gas must be killer." I bet I don't go through 2 or 3 tanks of gas a year.

Another alternative is Ethanol... Ethanol dragsters have been around for YEARS, so it wouldn't be hard to set that technology up on classics either.

[capriceman]

have you checked hydrogen prices recently?

F*CK through the roof from 5 years ago. I had to pick some the other day and I didnt her the price but The office lady was swearing up a storm when they got the invoice. I think she said its almost 2 times the price of oxygen now.