Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:57:44 -0700
Reply-To: dylan friedman <insyncro@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: dylan friedman <insyncro@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Hybrid Vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I agree with Jim fully.
The Syncro really does lend itself to being able to modified, but why?
Where I find a problem with Hybrid cars and SUVs being offered up in the retail environment is how many more parts they have on them and the fact that some of them are in locations that one or two good New England winters will blast them with enough salt from the roads to seriously give them a second thought about working properly.
Hybrids may evolve, but I don't understand how something that is "redesigned" and "more efficient", would have some many more parts in it. More parts to fail and be replaced, the way I look at it. The factories that will be making all these parts and the replacement parts will surely offset any environmental saving that the automobile may offer. Personally, I don't get the whole Hybrid thing.
I have clients with a Toyota Highlander Hybrid (I think), after looking it over, I was very happy with my 91 Syncro that has a Subie motor. I get better gas mileage and can haul tons more stuff. I'll tow that Yota if needed.
dylan
----- Original Message ----
From: Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2008 10:17:25 AM
Subject: Re: Hybrid Vanagon
Keep in mind that a hybrid will be a total waste of time/money for
the vast majority of vanagon owners. Vanagons are typically long-haul
vehicles, not city drivers, the hybrid's benefits will be almost
completely lost on long haul driving. not to mention that $15k-$25k
buys a lot of gas. You *might* be able get 100mpg by installing a
200cc engine and driving at 35, but it's a lot easier/cheaper to get a
motorcycle. Getting the hybrid into a vanagon it totally doable, in
fact with a synco front end, you could do an easy(relatively speaking)
front/rear electric/gas hybrid.. but it isn't, and likely will never
be worth it.
Jim Akiba
On Sat, Jun 28, 2008 at 11:27 PM, M'obeechi <obeechi@runbox.com> wrote:
> I don't want to give up on gasoline completely - I'm spending too much on the subaru engine (now the second type, a turbo) to walk away... but I think the writing is on the wall for a hybrid approach. Not sure if Fuel Cell still stands a change (MBZ hasn't given up on them), and then there are electric and gasoline hybrids... I just want to extend my mileage in the 100 miles per gallon range... but yeah, waiting it out makes sense... However, I do want to be among the first 100 vanagon owners who take the plunge into doing this. Might be tricky figuring out how to squeeze this into the Vanagon.
>
> From: Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Hybrid Vanagon
>
>> My initial thought on this is that if you want to get away from internal
>> combustion entirely or even mostly, than you might want to wait 3-5 years.
>> There are a number of technologies or approaches that are 'on the cusp', so
>> to speak, that should have either failed or made a breakthrough by then and
>> the practical options should be clearer.
>>
>> Cya,
>> Robert
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "M'obeechi" <obeechi@RUNBOX.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 5:50 PM
>> Subject: Hybrid Vanagon
>>
>>
>> I was looking up hybrid vehicles. Something in Wikipedia was saying better
>> to start with a car that has a manual transmission, that the AT wastes
>> energy. But they were talking about a conversion that removes the internal
>> combustion engine. I'm interested in maybe one day putting in electric
>> motors or what-ever-is-good to supplement the engine in my vanagon (which is
>> Subaru at this point). Thing is, I have an Automatic and want don't want to
>> consider a manual.
>>
>> Can someone point me in the right direction. Has this been discussed or done
>> with a vanagon yet. I'm not really thinking propane, I'm in Southern
>> California, plus my engine is being switched over to a turbo, and since
>> propane needs high compression, I don't think that would make sense.
>>
>> The paper today said that jet fuel cost has increased 80% this year. I won't
>> be surprised if gasoline reaches 25 dollars a gallon within the decade.
>>
>
> ----- End Original Message -----
>
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