The Future Has Arrived. These images may be disturbing to some.

[Guest rideswithchuck]

I paid a visit to Dave The Wave in northern Illinois. This is the result of that visit.

[Guest Jim_Edwards]

Good Grief!

I was expecting that someone had slapped a wind generator on the roof of something so as to continually recharge the batteries. Maybe something like an air boat with wheels, but with the blades on a generator actually being turned by the forward motion of the vehicle. Probably about as close to perpetual motion one might ever expect from a vehicle.

At thirty-five mph top end, I'm trying to figure out just what city one could safely drive that thing. Darn street sweepers move faster than that thing!

Jim

[Dave@Moon]

At thirty-five mph top end, I'm trying to figure out just what city one could safely drive that thing. Darn street sweepers move faster than that thing!

Jim

Back in the 1970s there was a Citicar dealer in my neighborhood, so I became very familiar with them in traffic. They'll do a good 40 mph without trouble, so on a 35 mph road they're not a problem. They also accelerate quite quickly up to top speed. Unless you're behind one trying to pull a steep hill with a dying battery, there's no worry about being in one or stuck behind it.

They have a very short range, so they're only useful in urban/suburban areas anyway. If you live 8 miles from the A&P it'll do ya' just fine!:cool:

[Bob40]

I know where of one is sitting in a shed.Asked the owner 6 years ago if it was for sale but he declined.I'll have to revisit it.

[alsancle]

I liked the comment that it was basically a street legal go-kart.

[Guest rideswithchuck]

I liked the comment that it was basically a street legal go-kart.

Dave might have meant to say golf cart. It was extremely cold, hypothermia was hard at work.

[Rusty_OToole]

I know where of one is sitting in a shed.Asked the owner 6 years ago if it was for sale but he declined.I'll have to revisit it.

The big problem with an old electric car is the batteries. This one no doubt needs new ones, and they cost $2000 to $3000.

[ted sweet]

i believe i saw several amphicars in that barn?

[padgett]

I recall a road test that on braking the caliper came loose and wrapped around the axle. Was that a CitiCar ?

[Rusty_OToole]

Got any crash photos of one of those things?

Old electric cars are extremely safe. Without new batteries they won't even move. Unless you get a pre WW1 model with Edison Nickel Iron batteries.

[Dave@Moon]

The big problem with an old electric car is the batteries. This one no doubt needs new ones, and they cost $2000 to $3000.

They use 8 6 Volt deep cycle batteries usually used in golf carts, arranged in series. Apparently one of the msot common replacement batteries used by Citicar owners is the Trojan T105, which runs about $115-$150 each.

[Dave@Moon]

I recall a road test that on braking the caliper came loose and wrapped around the axle. Was that a CitiCar ?

It was Consumer Reports second test of the Citicar where that happened. They had to do a second test because they uncharacteristically erred in the first one, and apparently were loath to admit the mistake. (It was not their finest hour!) It seems that that test was the only documented time when that happened!

However there were safety issues in some of the design features of the Citicar, and it was NHTSA's critique combined with Consumer Reports's test that combined to end the company.

For a very interesting article on the Citicar's demise, E10 gasahol, hydrogen cars, alternative ethanol sources, and a 80 mpg 1979 diesel Mercury Capri...see this article from the May 21, 1979 New York Magazine: New York Magazine - Google Books

[Guest Skyking]

No thanks, I'll stick to a Metropolitan that gets 40mpg. At least it's bigger:D

[Shop Rat]

i believe i saw several amphicars in that barn?

I think I counted at least three Amphicars in that barn.

[Shop Rat]

..... If you live 8 miles from the A&P it'll do ya' just fine!:cool:

Hoke and Miss Daisy would have to both ride up front for a trip to the local A&P. (AKA "The Tea Store" as my grandmother called it. It was known first as the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. )

[Dave@Moon]

I think I counted at least three Amphicars in that barn.

This guy has interesting tastes in cars. He has at least 4, maybe 5, licensed and restored Amphicars visible in that barn. He also has a late 1980s Mazda RX7, a mid-1970s Chevy Blazer (rough), a 2008/2009 Toyota Prius, and a new Hybrid Ford Escape. There's a red 1990s S10 Blazer used to raise the turbine pole which might be his, and a dark blue modern sedan of some type which may be the filmmaker's car (although the Prius's hatch is open in the last scene, so he might own it instead).

[Ron Green]

Factory set up is typically eight 6 volt wet cell batteries (parallel wired 1st & 2nd speed / 48 volt series full speed). They did have a 36 volt in the beginning. Range can be as long as 40 to 45 miles depending on hills, stops and starts. Cannot use Optima batteries only wet cell type.

Here is a link to a recent restoration of a Citicar. http://forums.aaca.org/f190/1976-citicar-restoration-261392.html

Edited March 8, 2011 by Ron Green (see edit history)

[Guest De Soto Frank]

A local body shop was once the local agent for Sebring / Citi-Car... they still have two of them tucked away...

[Dave@Moon]

Factory set up is typically eight 6 volt wet cell batteries (parallel wired 1st & 2nd speed / 48 volt series full speed). They did have a 36 volt in the beginning. Range can be as long as 40 to 45 miles depending on hills, stops and starts. Cannot use Optima batteries only wet cell type.

Here is a link to a recent restoration of a Citicar. http://forums.aaca.org/f190/1976-citicar-restoration-261392.html

Ron, you should try and contact the guy in the video. He is using Optima batteries, you can see him hook the turbine charger up to them. Maybe they have a deep-cycle version, or he's just using them for a quick-run in front of the camera.

[Guest Dave Boyer]

When I was in grade school (the 70's) One of the teachers had a light blue Citicar, it was no match for one of the other teachers Road Runner...

I remember one day, they hauled us all out to the parking lot to look at the future of the automobile.....Wow we've come a long way

[Ron Green]

Ron, you should try and contact the guy in the video. He is using Optima batteries, you can see him hook the turbine charger up to them. Maybe they have a deep-cycle version, or he's just using them for a quick-run in front of the camera.

I know the Wave as he belongs to the Amphicar club. More than likely he just uses the car to putt around the property. He isn’t going to far anyhow since there are only a few batteries being used.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Ron Green (see edit history)

[Guest Davethewave]

I am the owner of the Citicar. Only reason I bought it was for the battery storage for the Bergey. But it took way longer than anticipated to get Bergey operational and batteries went bad. When batteries were at half life we could go about a dozen miles at about 25mph. At zero degrees with Optimas only a few miles and six donuts before needing a charge.

Cars in barn. 72 Camaro being restored by son. Mazda RX7 restored by other son. Pulse/Litestar #110 way fast with Ninja power train. Black Amphicar named "Allure" which I am currently building as a mild custom. Other Amphicars are customer cars.

Pics at midwestamphicar.com

Rideswithchuck Youtube name has videos of Pulse and Freeway (another odd vehicle)

Dave the Wave

[Amphicar BUYER]

Hey Dave! Glad to have you here! Really!! Lots of great folks here and many cool cars too. Not many customs, but lots of unique ones.

This forum is so much better than what used to be a great Amphicar forum before the few dillutional morons with self-serving goals ruined it for the many. At least 3 windbags who I can think of could ea power your Bergey with ease!

BTW - You sent us 2 right side battery trays even though one was labeled "drivers." Blaine is doing some pie cuts and magic to make it fit. Just having a little trouble aligning the 2 rolled ridges. Now ya owe me a couple beers and a ticket to Florida! (lotsalove my friend!)