Anyone Know How Big Of Tire We Can Stuff Under The Back?

[charchri4]

People drive exotics on long trips all the time just for the point of taking their favorite car. Every other year a group of Lotus 7s run the Alcan and I know of a couple of V8 swapped Miatas that have done it as well. I'm 3 1/2 hours from the nearest pep boys and couldn't care less. If it breaks I'll fix it and if it doesn't break I'll drive it.

LOL and I have not carried a spare tire in any of my summer cars for decades. Your battery is 10 times more likely to fail an no one every carries a spare battery. Tires rarely give you no notice of an issue and I carry a small compressor with me in case I pick up a nail or something.

 

[John Painter]

And in Alaska, wait 3 weeks for a truck to drive up from Anchorage. In British Columbia I had an electrical fault when my Subaru was about 8 months old. They towed it 120 miles from Jasper to Edmonton, only Subaru dealer within 200 miles, and they found it was a suddenly-failed battery (car had 28,000 miles on it). Bill for tow: $1,200 Canadian, luckily paid for by the roadside assistance program that came as part of my warranty.

Service guy came in on a Saturday afternoon to deal with it, and off I went. They were about the nicest people in the world. But -- here's the point -- you do not want to have something exotic -- which the Elio will be for some years -- in places where help is not at hand. Or, if you do, expect to spend time meeting new friends and learning about the particular wee burg you happen to be in. Not all bad, but if you're in a rush, not so good.View attachment 6928

I understand what you're saying, though how is the Elio exotic? Maybe the shape is exotic, but the parts the one that make it run, especially a battery are all available from about any parts store or even gas station. My point is, in Maine there are plenty of places up North in the back woods, willy-whacks where even someone in a 2002 F150 would be SOL if they broke down. With the info we have to date on the Elio's engine and drive train, though a bit less certain until the ODB compliance is clarified, I'd be happy to take my chances in an Elio up North in Maine.

 

[Ekh]

Any car being driven in small numbers classifies as exotic, until, well, it's mainstream. Being 3-cylinder, 3-wheeled, and half a car wide certainly contributes to the notion that Elio is, for now, an exotic. Of course, my handful of friends living in Maine are exotic, too, in their way.

 

[Kuda]

Any car being driven in small numbers classifies as exotic, until, well, it's mainstream. Being 3-cylinder, 3-wheeled, and half a car wide certainly contributes to the notion that Elio is, for now, an exotic. Of course, my handful of friends living in Maine are exotic, too, in their way.

Should Elio follow the path
to success paved by the
'Model T' & The VW 'Beatle'
It will go from Exotic to Mundane.
A fate to be wished.......

 

[Ekh]

I understand what you're saying, though how is the Elio exotic? Maybe the shape is exotic, but the parts the one that make it run, especially a battery are all available from about any parts store or even gas station. My point is, in Maine there are plenty of places up North in the back woods, willy-whacks where even someone in a 2002 F150 would be SOL if they broke down. With the info we have to date on the Elio's engine and drive train, though a bit less certain until the ODB compliance is clarified, I'd be happy to take my chances in an Elio up North in Maine.

You've got a good point. Mechanically, not to tricky. But I'll bet you aren't going to get body parts in outer boondocks or a quick replacement for the elgin dash you just poked your foot through because you hate it so much and now have to replace it ...

 

[Coss]

You've got a good point. Mechanically, not to tricky. But I'll bet you aren't going to get body parts in outer boondocks or a quick replacement for the elgin dash you just poked your foot through because you hate it so much and now have to replace it ...

Down load a GPS Speedo app to your smart phone; problem solved until you can get a replacement.
As a matter of fact a lot of aftermarket speedometers have the option to either use the cable drive over and hope it doesn't need a new recalibration and drive gearing done or you can purchase the GPS speed/mileage sensor as an option.
Body parts in a pinch? Duct Tape. Have more time and a limited budget? Bondo and spray can paint.

See; easy if you're out in the boonies.

 

[John Painter]

You've got a good point. Mechanically, not to tricky. But I'll bet you aren't going to get body parts in outer boondocks or a quick replacement for the elgin dash you just poked your foot through because you hate it so much and now have to replace it ...

Maine is a heavy rust state due to winter salt on roads and in the air along the coast. I know a lot of people who, if they drove their minivan, truck or sedan into a lake or ocean would just float along because there is so much spray foam insulation in the long ago rusted away rockers and even some of the cab. It's amazing how smooth and solid you can make spray foam appear with a bit of practice.

 

[Ekh]

Maine is a heavy rust state due to winter salt on roads and in the air along the coast. I know a lot of people who, if they drove their minivan, truck or sedan into a lake or ocean would just float along because there is so much spray foam insulation in the long ago rusted away rockers and even some of the cab. It's amazing how smooth and solid you can make spray foam appear with a bit of practice.

Just finished reading RUST: the longest war by Jonathan Wildman. Wonderful book about the history of rust and corrosion, focusing on the stories of those who have been most influential in fighting it. We lose about 15 trillion dollars to rust, annually. Very human, very readable, very well informed.


http://www.amazon.com/Rust-The-Longest-Jonathan-Waldman/dp/1501231367

 

[slinches]

We lose about 15 trillion dollars to rust, annually.

Not to downplay the effects of oxidation and corrosion, but these sorts of estimates are not real. 15 trillion is ~20% of the current Gross World Product (sum of all countries GDPs) and we didn't even reach 15 trillion in GWP until the 1970s. There's no way there's that much actual sustained loss. I'm sure the costs are insanely high and I know that the degradation of our infrastructure is an increasingly huge problem. It just irks me when numbers like that are thrown around without the necessary context to make them useful.

By the way, the composite body panels on the Elio should help minimize rust damage. Of course, where I live, UV damage is likely to be more of an issue.

 

[electroken]

Spare tires on new vehicles are on the way OUT. Check out some of the newest vehicles and you will find a small bottle of sealer and a small compressor.
"Run flats" are slowly getting a footing, but they are expensive and limited to the high dollar vehicles..

My wife's 2011 Kia Optima has a spare tire but if we'd bought a 2012 or newer it would have the "mobility kit", or in other words a can or sealant and pressurized air.

I've been on the planet a while and have had lots of flat tires. I've played with many sealants and plug kits and with motorcycle tires, at least the ones I can spoon on myself, I get to see the aftermath when I eventually change the tire. What I think I've learned:

Latex goo + air in a can, AKA Fix-A-Flat.
May or may not get you off the road. Creates a horrendous mess and stays liquid in the tire forever. The tire guy will will thank you if you warn him of its presence in advance (after he gets done with the F-bombs).

Liquid sealants (Slime, Ride-On)
I've used both of these and my personal favorite is Ride-On. It has saved my butt a few times. Story time: A week before leaving on a cross-country motorcycle trip I got a small finish nail through the tread of my brand-new front tire. Dumped in the recommended amount of Ride-On and went on the 8009 mile trip. Two years and an additional 4000 miles later I removed the tire and found a very thin layer of the stuff coating the inner surface of the tire. No gooey mess, nothing poured out, and the tire seemed none the worse for it. I did notice over the life of that the tire that it needed to have air added LESS often than normal. I can't comment on their claim to balance the tire because I usually keep them balanced anyway.

Plug kits:
I've used the gooey rope type and the rubber mushroom type and both work WITH PRACTICE. You will not be happy using one for the first time on the side of the road. Any tire manufacturer will tell you it's temporary and the tire must be replaced immediately. I've run many plugged tires until they were worn out and never had a plug leak or come out.

As with anything in the internet, YMMV.