[DeTomaso] Fuel Cells

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/23/07 10:37:14 PM, jason.eaton at gmail.com writes:

<< I'm considering installing a fuel cell in the front of the car, even to 
the extent of seriously modifying the front trunk to lower the fuelcell as low 
as it can go and to increase the volume of gas it can hold. >>

Dennis Quella's plastic-pantera racer uses a tube frame & I think an 8-gallon 
cell in what would be the front trunk; I'd ask his advice. It seems like 
there's room for quite a bit more if you fill the front trunk. Second, the trunk 
floor in a stock Pantera is a structural part of the front suspension; cut that 
away and you'll have to add some serious bracing to return front frame 
stiffness to stock levels. The bracing will be tricky to design if you expect to 
service the cell now and then. Crawl under and take a look- the steering rack 
mount takes up quite a bit of the underside. 
If you're looking for better balance, I think some of the Euro racers used 
dual 10 or 12-gallon tanks on both sides of the engine (stock position). Better 
balance, shorter fuel lines and as good protection as the stocker has. Heck, 
you could build a mirror-image of a full sized stock tank for the right side & 
load up 43 gallons!<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See 
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