Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Penman]

Hi
Sorry but I think that record should be downgraded to Fastest IC engined milk float and then get one of the electric car enthusiasts to do a proper battery powered record.
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Bitumen Boy]

[Ray White]

[MrWhite]

I had cause recently to look up some information about steam power. Some companies have progressed steam engine technology for industrial use even though the general public are probably unaware of it, so there are more modern than the 'turn of the century' steam vehicles most people know about but just no-one has put one in a car, at least to the best of my knowledge. This kind of thing appealed to me; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F9nB69FQjc
I coudn't help but wonder if it was another thing that was we maybe gave up on too soon

[Ray White]

[Penman]

Hi Ray
Have you seen or heard of this? It was at a show in Cheshire years ago, the first time I met Rick.

]
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Ray White]

No I haven't but there a some remarkable home made steam contraptions.

How about a steam Land Rover?
http://www.steamcar.net/video-page-8.html

[Ray White]

No I haven't but there a some remarkable home made steam contraptions.

About the only bits I recognise are the Austin Seven wheels!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

How about a steam Land Rover?

http://www.steamcar.net/video-page-8.html

[Keith D]

Back in the 1960s/1970s an Aussie called Ted Pritchard, together with his father, developed and built an extremely successful steam car with an engine of their own design.

It was taken to the USA and tested and inspected by all the big car mobs, but although it received "rave" reviews, nothing happened. We still have petrol engined cars.

http://www.linux-host.org/energy/spritch.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJq2Hc_mXFI

Keith
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1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[roverdriver]

Keith, in 1965 I was the proud owner of a 1939 Series E Morris 8/40. In Melbourne, early one Sunday morning, I was stopped at traffic lights, when a Ford Falcon pulled up alongside me. Now, in those days, there was virtually no traffic about until after about 9.00 on a Sunday, and this day was no different.
I thought, "I wonder if I can pull away quickly when the lights change, and surprise the Falcon driver." The lights changed, the Morris leapt (well as much as 8 horses could make it leap!) forwards, but the Falcon, silently and majestically showed me its heels. I was amazed by its silent and swift progression, so started investigating. I found out that the car was the steam powered one owned by Ted Pritchard.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[peter scott]

Hi Dane,

We really miss your photos on the forum. Please see:
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19585

Thanks,

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Ray White]

[Keith D]

Ray, the interesting thing about Ted Pritchard's engine was that it would run successfully on any liquid that would burn. Because the boiler is completely separate from the actual engine, it was made extremely efficient. It could run on anything, petrol, kero, diesel, old sump oil!

As Dane has said, it was driven and tested under all conditions for ages around the state of Victoria and it's performance was outstanding.

I lived in Melbourne at that time and Pritchard and his car were frequently featured on local television so we all knew what was happening with it.

I've never heard that it was un-economical to run.

Incidently, a nineteen sixties off-the-shelf Ford Falcon used around town would not have done many miles on a gallon of petrol. Maybe low to mid twenties.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[Ray White]

I think it is a trade off between cost and availability. If steam were to make a comeback - and there are enthusiasts who think it can - the question is what fuel source is readily available at the pumps. This at the moment is either petrol, Diesel or LPG. If the aim is to move away from fossil fuels then a practical mass produced alternative would need to be found. I prefer the hydrogen route to the electric so it would be interesting to see if a steam boiler could run on that?

The fact that a steam engine boiler may be heated with almost any combustable liquid is probably of little importance given that a serious move over to steam would need a readily pumpable fuel. It may be run very cheaply (if smelly) on used chip fat - like some Diesel cars - but I would have thought it is somewhat impractical on a large scale.

Interestingly, a steam car usually requires two fuels; one for the pilot light (hexane is good) and another for the main burner (normally kerosine or Diesel).

I hope I have my facts right.

[Bitumen Boy]

Surely the problem with steam cars would be the same as with petrol and diesel - namely that the green lobby will object to them burning anything at all?

Of course we all know that something will most likely have to be burnt in a power station to charge the batteries of electric vehicles, but being logical has never had much to do with being green...