NASA and AMC's pet project.

[El Matador]

That engine must have run pretty hot, judging by the extra ventilation in the front bumper.

[AMCKen]

Article mentions 60kw engine - that's about 80hp.

[shanebo]

As impressive as it looks 80hp wont be getting you anywhere fast! It would sure put a whole new twist on finding parts.

[AMCKen]

Perhaps the torque was more useable. Article didn't mention an rpm figure. If it was 80hp @ 2000, that would convert to 210ftlbs at that rpm.

[thereverendbill]

80hp is about the same as the GM iron duke.  Those engines will get you where ya wanna go, but they are pretty powerless off the line

[IowaEagle]

First I heard of the AMC connection.  We need to know more.

So here is some info I found:  http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/08/blast-from-the-past-nasas-stirling-powered-amc-spirit/

Over the last few months, Segway-inventor Dean Kamen has made headlines for installing a Stirling engine in an older EV from Th!nk to create an extended-range electric vehicle. Interestingly, this is not at all the first time a Stirling engine was used to power an automobile. Apparently, the U.S. Department of Energy tasked NASA with the job of fitting an American-made car with a Stirling engine way back in the 1970s when the first oil crisis had the country in its grasp.

After realizing it lacked a certain amount of expertise in refitting automobiles (as opposed to, say, space shuttles) with new engines, NASA reportedly contracted AM General to do the actual conversion work. The result of all this effort is the AMC Sprit you see above. In later years, NASA's Stirling projects also included an AMC Concord, a GM G-chassis cube van, a Dodge D-150 pickup truck and a 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity.

According to Hemmings, these vehicles were tested extensively for over 50,000 miles and were able to achieve average efficiency that ranged between 18 and 28.5 miles per gallon. Perhaps the idea of using a Stirling engine as a generator isn't so crazy after all?

The pictures at this site say they are NASA/AMC prototypes:  http://green.autoblog.com/photos/nasa-amc-stirling-prototypes/#2131970


A link to a Hemmings article:  http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2009/01/27/nasa-gets-spiritual-and-drops-stirling-engines-in-some-odd-vehicles/


The link to the 172 page NASA report:  http://mac6.ma.psu.edu/stirling/reports/19970012689_1997021349.pdf

[83Eagle!]

One of the people who responded to the Hemmings Article mentioned that a friend of his actually has the Spirit that NASA used.  Says it was sold at government auction minus the sterling engine.  Wonder how true that is.

[shanebo]

Without the engine its just a nice spirit with some cool decals!! Not that I wouldnt take though!!...I wonder if they were ordered to destroy the engines after abandoning the project., like alot of prototype cars are.