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Author Topic: NASA and AMC's pet project.  (Read 21073 times)

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Offline shanebo

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NASA and AMC's pet project.
« on: June 24, 2011, 12:21:13 AM »
Anyone ever heard of a Sterling engine. I had heard the name but never had any idea of what i was. Its an old idea concieved in 1816 by Robert stirling to rival the steam engine. Its a kind of extenal combustion engine...wikipedia can explain it better than I can. Any way,  turns out NASA was doing some experimentation with this engine in the late 70's. In theory this engine can turn unheard of gas mileage numbers. Evidently NASA and AMC teamed up briefly and one of these experimental engines found its way under the hood of a 79' Spirit and later a D-150 Dodge.
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Offline thereverendbill

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2011, 12:25:10 AM »
awesome find, eggs to you ....... i wonder what tranny bolted up to it
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Offline shanebo

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2011, 12:40:57 AM »
Thanks Bill ;D Im really curious as to what kind of power it produced too. According to a Hemings blog the Dodge actually surfaced in a NASA cold storage area but no trace of the AMC has surfaced. heres the write ups http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2009/01/27/nasa-gets-spiritual-and-drops-stirling-engines-in-some-odd-vehicles/
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/tag/vam-lerma/
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Offline shanebo

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2011, 01:08:00 AM »
Looking further into this subject...looks like the functional prototype was actually a VAM Lerma....the beloved concords Mexican counterpart....Im like obsessed with this thing!!
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Offline philotomy

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2011, 10:17:34 AM »
Interesting;looks like a turbo and a HUGE air cleaner,fitted onto a stock motor from what I can see.I'd like to hear one run,maybe this technology will be revisited soon
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Offline Mavericke

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2011, 04:46:24 PM »
Wow... that is beyond awesome. It defines the word. Wow.

A lot of prototypes got dismantled in those days. That spirit is probably scrap somewhere... that's too bad. Either that or it's in someone's private collection. Man o man... what I would do to have that Spirit. I'd probably kill for it, lol!
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Offline shanebo

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2011, 10:03:37 PM »
Id sell a kidney for it for sure...LOL
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Offline 83Eagle!

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2011, 10:51:10 PM »
That is awesome.  Great find.
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Offline amc78concord

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2011, 02:13:16 AM »
Interesting!

Just when you think you know it all about AMC, you learn something new... That is really neat
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Offline 85AmCfreak

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2011, 06:45:19 AM »
You deff got may attention LOL totally awesome find I have been researching this thing for half an hour.
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Offline Whuntmore

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2011, 11:58:09 AM »
I love when these tidbits come along...  thx for posting that.  Egg ya!
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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2011, 09:33:26 PM »
Just saw a show on TV the other day about engines and they talked about the Sterling engine. Apparently they were prone to vibrations.
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Offline shanebo

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2011, 11:38:43 PM »
If that Dodge is still around its possible the Spirit may be sitting in someones barn somewhere....It could happen.
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Offline rollguy

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2011, 12:02:16 AM »
Up to yesterday (after reading this thread), I had never heard of a Sterling engine.  Today at the Antique Steam and Gas Tractor Museum, I saw a Sterling (hot air) water pump display.  Is that a coincidence  or what?
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Offline shanebo

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Re: NASA and AMC's pet project.
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2011, 12:08:34 AM »
Its evidently quite an old idea....Its amazing to me that NASA out of all things would have stuck money into a project like this.
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