is a "GREEN" (environmentally speaking)hot rod possible??

thinking about the SEMA show...and how the manufacturers are coming around to supposedly caring about the planet (and their pocketbooks) by cashing in on the newest "buzz"...but...has anybody given any thought on how back yarders like us can make a "green" hot rod lately? like making them propane or ??? fueled and still keeping the engines we use today...just set them up to burn something else...just a wild idea....any thoughts? I am thinking of my grandkids and what they'll have to contend with if they ever grab hold of this hot rod thing.

 

Think about how much energy it takes to make a new car, how much waste there is in the process, etc. And sleep easy tonight.

 

Heh. Some lady was shocked when, after she made a comment to me about my comet the "gas guzzler", I told her that in my eyes it was more efficient than her prius. I mean it's only 45 years old, served four families, costs nothing to fix, and gets over 20 miles a gallon.

Edit-And worth more than it's original asking price.

 

I like old cars because they are not Politically Correct. I embrace fossil fuels and real tin... The only kind of "green" car I will ever own will be because I dig the color chip off a PPG chart. (Primered with HEAVY SOLIDS and shot without a HVLP). And generally speaking, if my grandkids get "it", none of this stupid save the world hug a tree crap will matter. (Red Barchetta by Rush always comes to mind).

 

i love the smell of gas in the morning, reminds me of victory

 

my flathead smokes like mount penatubo!!

 

This is about as 'green' as I'd consider making a hot rod;
http://www.zonk.com/hotrod.htm

Although I'd love to convert a diesel to run on veggie oil.

 

I just love it when "green" promoters leave their MANSIONS and FLY into town on JETS, then DRIVE to a convention center in a LIMO to tell me how I NEED to change my lifestyle for the future of this freaking planet that has air that is being DESTROYED by the FUMES coming from FACTORIES that they own stock in.

 

srgntlathargic has a propane powered Comet! I think it's turboed too!

 

Well said... building a tofu eatin hot rod is possible sure, but its kinda like building an escort gasser with a nose bleed straight axle,pizza cutter front wheels and a blown 460... you could but for the love of all things holy, WHY?

 

I like to think of dragsters as hybrids...they run on alcohol AND nitromethane!

 

my 56 chevy gets better milleage than my daily driver suv...
,,but that isnt saying much....

for real though,,i have it set up with a mild RV cam.600 holley ,HEI and highway gears...it actually does real good compared to my daily...

 

Well said... building a tofu eatin hot rod is possible sure, but its kinda like building an escort gasser with a nose bleed straight axle,pizza cutter front wheels and a blown 460... you could but for the love of all things holy, WHY?

 

I feel better about driving in anything lately, less guilty, since I realized that the only thing that has changed is that 3 billion Chinese and Indians are starting to drive cars. Nothing we can do will change that at all. But I can enjoy 4-bangers as much as any old-timey V8.

 

sure, next year when smart cars are running all over the US people will start installing the drive train into hot rods, what is a hot rod?

 

Not on this Site

 

I was talking to someone that works for Toyota. Because the Toyota has two completely different drive systems, it pollutes more to build one then a conventional car.

 

Reduce...Re-use...Recycle
Hot rods do all that better than any new plastic car.

 

no matter what those hippy's say gas will be around. heck i just heard autos are only 1/4 the problem its all the other crap they make with oil. don't believe what the 24 news programs brain wash ya into thinking. but if your really dead set on a project make your car run on some alt fuel like e85 or hell do like the F1 guy's did . first go to the ATF web site and apply to distil fuel then do some research and build a still and then start making your own fuel outta your backyard. hahahaha just don't drink that stuff. and make sure you have premission from the fed gov. or you could get into some real shit with them.

 

Not for nothing...but i saw a episode of Pimp my Ride (or whatever the hell it is now..) where they did a special with Arnold Schwaznagger (however you spell his name...) They redid this kids 65 ss Impala that was left to him by his older brother who was killed. The whole car was redone enviromentally friendly right down to the 'hemp' seats but the motor was what impressed me the most. It was a big block (cant remember the displacement) that ran on fossil or vegetable oil at approx like 500hp. plus pulled a killer et at the strip. They gave the kid a years supply of oil to run on but i cant remember what the gas mileage was but it was like triple on what a normally built car like that would run on...I cant say i'm a fan of it but it was kool just based on the fact they keep our hobby in mind so hopefully somebody will continue to 'represent' us to keep all this alive....Now i'm going back to sniff some gasoline and run some 10w-40 through my hair!

 

Naugahyde... ummm, plastic cups, petroluem jelly (that one should be obvious )

Yep, lots of other stuff for sure

 

Plus the enviromental impact ,when the time comes to"dispose" of those batteries.

 

i thought hot rodding in general was green friendly. about the largest group of recyclers on the planet.

 

I am currently involved in a MA based company focused on Renewable Energy

We install Solar Panels on Homes and Businesses and just got a Dealership for ZAP! electric vehicles.... we are waiting for our first few vehicles, and I am thinking about using the chassis/drivetrain for a 27 Ford or something like it - an all electric rod... Check out www.solaredisonllc.com for info

AB

 

i was just thinking of the "ingenuity" part of this and doing it on a grass roots level is all. I am all for helping to do my part keeping the planet a livable place, but as long as those sick fucks at corporate continue to rape the economy (its all about the money) and try to brainwash us into diverting our money and off shore money into their coffers, I am more and more convinced that simple ideas executed by inventive minds will always be way more in tune and acheivable than trying to pass a "green" law to get cars to get 35mpg by 2020. I just think that its possible to build one out of what is currently available. My son is wanting to build his fenderless 34 pickup and use what he terms "something different" regarding a powerplant and fuel source. this may be what he is referring to....you know even back in the 30's and 40's, swapping to a different more powerful engine to go faster took ingenuity. Today the motive is still the same.....the THRILL.

 

Here in NYC, our mayor (I'll leave his name out) rides the subway to work one day each week to help save the environment. While he's on the subway and entire motorcade of SUV's drives on the street above following the train to pick him up when he gets off and to run to his aid in case an emergency would happen to arise. I love it.

 

we're already recycling the cars, it's pretty easy nowadays to put in a motor that runs on methanol or biodiesel. methanol makes a lot more octane than gas, why do you think dragsters use it?

 

I was thinkin of this the other day.
If you use your Hot Rod as a long distance car,
then the gas mileage becomes more significant.

Every trick used to gain HP takes away GM.

Also while you can go alt. fuels,
I think just using an OD tranny and a tuned engine is a good practice.
Also trying to button up any OIL leaks -engine,tranny,st.box is also important.

Good Luck
TP

 

Yep what a few have said already, Ethanol, Methanol, alcohol will be the go for us hotrodders just have to tune that old V8 for it like the dragster guys-and whats more that fuel can be made from corn and how hard is it to find a supply of corn??

 

my hot rod is a hybrid ... it burns gas and rubber