Filed under: Car Buying, Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative, Trucks/Pickups
Willie's Willy: 700 ponies of pure, unadulterated biodiesel
Attendees at the 2006 National Biodiesel Conference in San Diego, California, U.S., joined singer and biodiesel advocate Willie Nelson in surprise when he received the “Willie’s Willys”, a biodiesel-powered recreation of a 1941 Willys pickup truck (pictured). The Institute of Ecolonomics and Ecosense Solutions made the presentation.
Each Willie Willys is powered by a 6.5-litre, twin-turbo diesel engine with the production version generating 350 horsepower. The transmission is a six-speed automatic. The truck has spark plugs, unusual for a diesel engine, which the designers state will help reduce particulate emissions. Tests indicated the truck should average thirty-eight miles per gallon.
And, of course, it runs on pure biodiesel.
While the frame is made of conventional stainless steel and the truck bed is oak, the body is made of a soy-based resin.
Each limited-edition Willie Willys costs $97,000.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
J 9:30AM (2/10/2006)
If this ever goes on sale, they need a promotion like "Willie didn't pay his taxes, and on this truck neither will you!"
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Red Headed Stranger 12:30PM (2/10/2006)
Actually Willie did pay his taxes, albeit late, including some very substantial late fees.
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goat 12:47PM (2/10/2006)
Spark plugs?
700 hp?
38 mpg?
This sounds like utter B.S.
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Big Dog 2:10PM (2/10/2006)
"he drives a Mercedes-Benz E-Class diesel sedan powered 100 percent by diesel."
As opposed to what? Pineapple Juice? Moonshine?
Wow, Willy's really special, running a diesel car on diesel fuel. What will they think of next?
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phil 2:38PM (2/10/2006)
Wow, Willy's really special, running a diesel car on diesel fuel. What will they think of next?
BIODIESEL... fuel created using vegtable oil, not petroleum... less emitions, longer lasting engine, non toxic... read before you post....
for more info www.biodiesel.com (no affiliation just a huge fan)
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bhtooefr 3:35PM (2/10/2006)
Except he did read.
TFA had it wrong.
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Ant 3:35PM (2/10/2006)
#3:
In addition to #4's comments, biodiesel coming from vegetable products, animal remains (yes, think unused chicken heads and feet), and algae means it's a RENEWABLE resource. Not to mention that these raw resources come from America and not the Middle East. This means jobs HERE in the States, and with less dependency on the Middle East tite, we can pull out of there and probably solve our terrorism woes.
--ant
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Ant 3:37PM (2/10/2006)
oops, i meant for my message to be directed to #4, with a nod to #5.
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Fabulo 6:46PM (2/10/2006)
"6.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 by AM General"
...
"After computerized testing of the engine, Gehrke estimates a combined 38 miles to the gallon, when driven conservatively."
Twinturbo, 6.5l, 38 mpg. Sure. From a computerizes test? So it's never been actually driven?
Maybe driving conservatively involves using the engine for 5 miles and then pushing for the next 33 miles...
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josh 1:50AM (2/11/2006)
biodiesel gets up to 30% more HP over regular diesel... i could ave it wrong it could be 30 more HP but i believe it is 30%
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Mike 9:18AM (2/11/2006)
I just think the PR Nelson generates with this, (good or bad) is great for biodiesel, the environment and American independence from foreign oil. But I'll save those comments for a political blog. :-)
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iQuack 2:04PM (2/11/2006)
That thing gives me the willies;-).
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biofool 2:37AM (2/18/2006)
Hey guys, the volkswagen tdi gets over 40 mpg.
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Sean 8:57PM (3/26/2006)
Hey thats great an all about the tdi but it aint got 700hp.
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Arjan kolkman 7:19AM (5/23/2006)
is there any more info on this car/truck, i own a chevy nova from 1977 and i have put an 6.5 litre diesel in it with an 4l80e transmission i the summer i run on biodiesel i cat about 32 mpg, when i have a bigger exaust and smaller precups in the head, i can cet maby 38 mpg
arjan kolkman from the netherlands.
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GMC62diesel 2:55AM (6/13/2009)
Hi Arjan, saw your video on the diesel page and would like to know more about your diesel projects, gmc6.2diesel at hot mail dot com, thanks.
Thomas
vinny 5:42PM (10/31/2006)
biodiesel does not give you 30% more power. It Actually gives you 9% less because it doesnt burn as hot.
And spark plugs in a diesel would never work
Im not sure how smart any of you are but diesels only take in air through the intake port. Then they inject the fuel at TDC to create combustion. The fuel is the spark.
A gas engine takes in a fuel and air mixture the ignites it at TDC with a spark.
A Diesel engine runs between 16:1 and 22;1 compression ration.
A gas runs 4;1-10;1
The gas has to run lower because the fuel and air are premixed. If it ran a higher ration it would prematurely combust.
It would be impractical to run this motor on spark plugs because of the following reasons.
20:1 compressin ratio.
Indirect injection meaning the fuel is injected into a prechamber. So a spark plug would not work in that hole because the spark would not reach the combusion chamber effectively.
No spot for the Distributor(Which delivers the Spark) to go.
No spot for the carbuerator.
you cant run diesel fuel with a spark. At least not for 700hp.
The crankshaft would not hold up. Theyve been know to fail at 300hp.
The motor is 114hp stock.
Normal diesels of that size are barely reaching 700hp.
and at 700hp with twin turbos and a gas engine setup it would be completely impossible to get 38mpg especially when you are running biodiesel.
So its BS dont believe it
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Alex 9:52PM (12/27/2006)
Just a thought, but some of Vinny's comments are a little misguided.
Everything said was true up until this:
"No spot for the Distributor(Which delivers the Spark) to go."
This is not quite true, 6.2L and 6.5L diesels from AM General, General Motors or Detroit Diesel are loosely based on gasoline engines; the blocks are different materials but the milling points are the same. In place of a distributor some engines have a vacuum pump to supplement normal gasoline engine vacuum. In either case, there needs to be something there to drive the oil pump. So yes, there is a place if anyone ever found a need for a distributor.
Another thought; maybe the aforementioned "spark plugs" are nothing more than part of the emissions reduction system? Combusting unburnt fuel, no one ever said the spark plugs were IN the engine. And for that all one would need is a simple oscillator circuit with a high voltage coil.
"The motor is 114hp stock."
Also not quite true, a stock 6.2L on a good day will produce 130HP and a 6.5L Turbo will produce 150-170HP
While this articles title of "700 ponies" is a bit misleading, I believe one of these engines could achieve 350HP, possibly not at that fuel economy estimate. The real question is how long would it last? These engines are classified as light-duty diesels; they have a hard time not shaking themselves apart from the factory.
-Alex
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Todd 8:29PM (2/13/2007)
"These engines are classified as light-duty diesels; they have a hard time not shaking themselves apart from the factory.
-Alex"
I differ, my family is on it's second 6.5L Single turbo chevy, the first one went through hay hauling hell with its original owner for 185,000 miles, and with usually lighter use from us, still ran with a blown Head gasket at 298,000.
The current truck just hit 292,000 last week with no problems.
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sixfiver 1:09AM (10/09/2007)
The poor 6.5 diesel always gets a bad "rap".
If they were so bad, they wouldn't be relied on to haul our troops around the battlefield would they? My 6.5 has 365,000k on the original engine and still runs great!
FYI. . . these engines now come off AMGenerals assembly line rated @ 250 HP with one turbo and no "frills". And a warranty!!! Obviously the engine can handle a lot more power as the OE's always tune conservatively.
By the way the cummins 5.9 and the powerstroke and duramax are also considered "light duty" but when modified they can out run a new corvette and still get 18-21 mpg in a crew cab 1ton truck!!! only a diesel can do that!!!
Also nothing was spoken about a "gas setup". Spark plugs are used simply to help burn particulates more effectively during initial start up only. In other words MORE EMISSIONS CRAP!
700 hp? maybe a stretch! 350 hp? easy!!!
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