Slashdot Mirror
Dymaxion Car Being Restored
An anonymous reader notes that R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Car is being restored by the company Crosthwaite and Gardiner. Only three of the vehicles were produced in the 1930s and only one survives. "Synchronofile.com has been granted the great honor of announcing the restoration of the Dymaxion Car — because our readers are now invited to help in the project. Can you identify the manufacturer for the component shown at the link?"
From Wikipoedia:
The Dymaxion car was a concept car designed by U.S. inventor and architect Buckminster Fuller during 1933. The word Dymaxion is a brand name that Fuller gave to several of his inventions, to emphasize that he considered them part of a more general project to improve humanity's living conditions. The car had a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per US gallon (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg-imp). It could transport 11 passengers. While Fuller claimed it could do speeds of 120 miles per hour (190 km/h), the fastest documented speed was 90 miles per hour (140 km/h).
not bad for a 30's car and a V8 (albeit an 84hp V8).
After reading the "summary" and all the links I still don't know what any of this means. From what I gather three cars were made in the 1930s and they need to know who made the turn signals. Thats about all so far....
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
Seriously, an article on some obscure car should include at least one image so we know what the heck it's talking about.
http://www.washedashore.com/projects/dymax/pictures.html
...something with a bit better stability control
Yes, well, anybody who has flown a taildragger can understand why this car could never be "naturally" stable. The usual experiment with a shopping cart can dramatically show you why.
For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
They're undoubtedly trying to fix it with original parts. It's counted as original parts if it's the same part, even if it comes from a rusty hulk in someone's barn. The unit shown can be restored with sandblasting, polishing, painting, and replating. So they're probably looking for a missing part for the other side of the vehicle. I doubt that this vehicle would have had ordinary lights on it. So if it's not a custom part, maybe it's an aftermarket accessory. I don't have any 1932 automotive catalogs, and their availability would be limited due to questionable copyright status.
The thing had a canvas roof. You don't get much lighter than that.
The GP was correct; this car's efficiency would drop like a rock if brought up to spec. Heck, it'd drop like a rock if you merely tested the existing thing on a modern drivecycle. Also, the rear wheel steering was a really, really bad idea.
Santa Ana Winds: Like the Dustbowl, but with awards shows.
It's sheet metal, not machined from stock, so that machine shop would have to produce dies for the job.
Do-able, but it would be several hundred dollars worth of work at least for the shell, then more money to duplicate the lens. Looks like a generic add-on light of the era.
Posting the thing in Hemmings Motor News along with contacting appropriate firms for help would make much more sense.
Anyone who restores old cars should be thoroughly familiar with Hemmings, which has been around for decades:
http://www.hemmings.com/
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."