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EcomodderDeleted
@Deleted
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Feb 28, 2008 22:45:16 GMT
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I sit behind diseaseals in traffic most days and they are anything but ecofriendly especially the more modern ones which seem to chuck out more curse word than anything else on the road . i would rather drive my mostly recycled 40 year old petrol powered car that uses very little fuel because it weighs very little compared to a modern equivalent and there for pound for pound probably puts out less harmful emissions compared to it modern equivalent, infact even once it has it more powerful larger engine fitted it still more than like be better for emissions than its modern equivalent . so i you want to drive an eco retro just drive the non eco bandwagon retro you drive now
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Last Edit: Feb 28, 2008 22:53:24 GMT by Deleted
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Feb 28, 2008 23:56:46 GMT
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Dunno about that.. When an engine is running richer than its stoichiometric ratio, (the chemically ideal proportion of air to fuel) the emissions go up exponentially. That is, emissions per litre of fuel you burn. The difference the combustion efficiency makes can be so big that it dwarves the influence of the actual amount of petrol you get through.
Most old carbed engines run really rich, because they would get detonation at their stoichiometric ratio, because of the inaccurate metering of the fuel, and the inaccuracies of the ignition timing.
Also, an engine set up for maximum power kicks out about twice as much carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide as one set up to be at the stoichiometric ratio. If the engine is running richer than is best for maximum power, the emissions go mad.
On the other hand, diesel engines run leaner than their stoichiometric ratio by some way.. Simply because they don't have to worry about det. This means they have much lower carbon monoxide emissions, but higher emissions of NOx, which is more poisonous than carbon monoxide. However, people think they are dirty simply because they kick out loads of soot. The particulates are pretty harmless except in cities where enough of it can create smog.
So seriously.. Overhauling your carbs and having a rolling road session could halve your emissions, as well as making the car a hell of a lot nicer to drive. Getting electronic ignition helps too, anything that reduces timing scatter. It's something to think about.
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Last Edit: Feb 29, 2008 0:06:27 GMT by rustybits
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Feb 29, 2008 10:08:50 GMT
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Anyone actually driven a Prius? Need to pick new company car soon and Hybrids save a fortune, and a good way to avoid the whole "my company car's better than yours" willy waving. I've driven a Honda Civic Hybrid for a few days and was quite impressed, 45mpg on a petrol is not bad, but still less than diesel. Other option is a Polo bluemotion 1.4TDI jobby with claimed 70mpg. Either way expect it will be a bit slower that the Curpa R! Yep, we've got Priuses as pool cars - they're OK, but nothing particularly amazing. As an example, took one out last week to drive from central London to Chessington and back - a mixture of traffic jams in the centre then a steady 50mph up the A3 and I think I averaged about 50-55mpg according to the trip computer. I generally drive like a pansy though - most people seem to get similar to get mid-40s. Is it just me that wants to strip out the electrical gubbins, paint one matt black and fit a Lexus V8 though? Ta was thinking they'd be more around the 45mpg. Financially I can't really afford to opt out of the car scheme and a hydrid is so much better on tax I almost can't afford not to pick one, even if a diesel makes more sense in terms of mpg and being a non-ugly car. I'm thinking Prius in black, maybe get a light tint on the glass, then drive around slowly looking like that car in Wraith!
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Feb 29, 2008 14:40:28 GMT
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Electric cars make no sense in respect to the environment, Where does the electricity come from? A Coal Power Station! and you then they need harmful batteries, big ones at that. Actually electricity generation, even from older coal fired stations, is far more ecofriendly than a petrol engine. I had wondered about that so I checked it out and its true. Even after transmision losses from the lines etc. Plus not all electricity comes from coal. You, run an old, efficient PETROL car. Diesels are pretty bad for the environment even though they get much better MPG the emissions are much worse. Depends whether you are trying to save the environment by reducing consumption or reducing polution. No easy answers. But in a world where people insiston having new cars, new toys, new phones, etc etc etc. we have to be looking at methods of conservation which come from efficiency in manufacture and use of new products as thats where the bulk of the consumer demand is... And FWIW - the Prius is kinda fun inside. I like the screen with the whole hybrid syndergy real time display thing. Compared to my cars its like being on the starship enterprise or something. They drive OK too if you just want a "pootle about" kind of car. Frikkin ugly to look at though. Non-car people seem to be really impressed by them though. A mate of mine has one and everyone's like "WOW you have a PRIUS!!!!" and the girles want to roll wid him an all dat. Most odd.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Feb 29, 2008 16:18:37 GMT
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Electric cars make no sense in respect to the environment, Where does the electricity come from? A Coal Power Station! and you then they need harmful batteries, big ones at that. Actually electricity generation, even from older coal fired stations, is far more ecofriendly than a petrol engine. I had wondered about that so I checked it out and its true. Even after transmision losses from the lines etc. Plus not all electricity comes from coal. Plus..... if everyone runs petrol cars, then you have x million sources of badness to get rid of. If everyone drove electric cars, yes at the minute a large proportion of that electricity comes from coal-fired power stations BUT you've only got a few thousand sources of it which is then easy to convert. It's not the answer by a long way, but it's partway to finding a solution. It's like our recycling bins - we seperate cardboard/plastic and have it collected seperately. Only at the minute, it all goes into landfill as well! However now the infrastructure is set up to collect it seperately, it's easy to switch the destination - it's just if you look at it as a whole right now it seems a waste of time.
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Never trust a man Who names himself Trevor. Or one day you might find He's not a real drug dealer.
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