Not FE or even Ford but pretty cool. Chrysler turbine

[AlanCasida]

I knew they built a few in the early 60s but I didn't know they revisited it in the 70s.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322061350498?rmvSB=true&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true

[thatdarncat]

The Chrysler Turbine car program is very interesting and there is an excellent book available, "Chrysler Turbine Car" by Steve Lehto.

Link to book: http://www.amazon.com/Chryslers-Turbine-Car-Detroits-Creation/dp/1613743459/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460084012&sr=1-1&keywords=chrysler+turbine+car

It details the program right up to the end, including the '78 LeBaron 7th generation cars, and the cars remaining today. The '63 Ghia cars are the best known, but Chrysler kept developing the cars and technology all along, until government interest and Chryslers money ran out. There were 50 ( plus ) of the 1963 cars produced and it's wild today to think about them being loaned to the public for consumer feedback. The cars were rotated though multiple families. For those that don't know, all of the big 3 were involved with turbines, Ford also had a program and one of the best known publicity vehicles being the "Big Red" truck. This thing was HUGE and required special permits most everywhere it went around the country. There was an excellent article written about it years back in a Ford Truck magazine. I'll have to see if I can find the issue date. I believe the Ford truck has been found and is possibly being restored. I remember seeing the magazine ads as a kid for both Big Red and the turbine engines like the ad below.

The big question - does Hemi Joel have his bid in on ebay?

[cjshaker]

Jay Leno has an episode where he drives one of the original '63 cars. It's pretty cool but also seems pretty insane.

Chrysler and Ford did some pretty crazy promotional stuff back then. I remember reading how, in either 1961 or 1962, Ford replaced EVERY vehicle in a small town with Ford products for people to drive for a week or two. That's a pretty crazy stunt, but brilliant.

[57 lima bean]

Jay Leno video.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2A5ijU3Ivs

[Katz427]

The turbine cars were cool but not very efficient even with the regenerators to capture some exhaust heat. Turbines can be efficient at steady speeds and very high temps. I was working at Pratt and Whitney while they were working on developing a higher temp turbine for helicopter use. Pratt had an extensive metallurgy group working on high temp alloys for the turbine section and combustion cans.
Many remember the STP turbine cars at Indy that used this helicopter engine. The big problem was that the turbine engine in those STP cars cost more than that of a new Lincoln back then. The car companies were trying to reduce costs in order to make it a practical reality. But never could happen for a low cost production vehicle. I always thought Ford had the best idea to use it in heavy trucks where the costs could be justified. One of the engineers later told me that the introduction of the turbocharged diesel is what ened the program for heavy trucks. Ford also did a ton of development work on the Sterling cycle engine. Ford had Pinto's running around Dearborn with sterling power but again cost and issues with sealing the high temps caused this program on the back burner.

[machoneman]

Funny but I always though using a turbine for a LSR car at Bonneville would be ideal.

[WConley]

... Ford also did a ton of development work on the Sterling cycle engine. Ford had Pinto's running around Dearborn with sterling power but again cost and issues with sealing the high temps caused this program on the back burner.

Ford was still doing Sterling cycle work as late as 1990.  I remember seeing a UPS truck in front of the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn with the hood up, and there was a Sterling powerplant with some Ford experimental logos on it.  Must have been a Scientific Research Lab project.  (Funny - the SciLab buildings were constructed for the turbine and PROCO engine projects that never quite made it.)

- Bill

[Falcon67]

A related item - "The Lively Set":

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058296/

"Casey Owens (James Darren), a young mechanic, has developed a design for a turbine car engine, paving the way for a jet-powered auto certain to set a new land speed record. Wealthy playboy Stanford Rogers (Peter Mann) hires Casey to build the car for him to race in the Tri-State Endurance Run. Chuck Manning (Doug McClure), an engineering student Casey met in a drag race, discovers potential flaws in the car's design. After an unsuccessful test run, Rogers abandons the turbine-powered car for a traditional racing model, but Casey and Chuck rework the turbine vehicle to compete with Rogers in the endurance run. Pamela Tiffin plays Eadie, Chuck's sister who becomes Casey's love interest."

[57 lima bean]

Wow,that brings back memories Falcon67.My brother has a copy of that on 16mm.It's been many years since I've seen it.

[Qikbbstang]

One place in the motorsports field where Turbines make sense is boats. As mentioned they are not good a variable speed - you know idling at a stop light and then running at only 70 on the highway.  The Ms Geico offshore and the Unlimited Hydroplanes are turbine naturals sustained big power.
  BTW Leno has a motorcycle with a turbine (he mentions more torque than a Viper) It idle'd at 70 and essentially you drove it with the brakes not the throttle. The best vid was with Dennis Gauge on a bike show but can't find it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM7PK5d2Yug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgwmiQr_t8M
http://missgeicoracing.com/

[Falcon67]

Wow,that brings back memories Falcon67.My brother has a copy of that on 16mm.It's been many years since I've seen it.

I have a DVD of the movie.  It's crude, but watchable.