Jay Leno's 1925 Doble E-20 Steam Car

[CJ]

I found this video fucking fascinating.

[GrayStangGT]

I make it a point to go watch his new video every week. Truly an amazing collection.

[UserX]

That was cool, I like Leno.

[Frank]

I was just watching that one earlier too. That car was far ahead of its time. The technology that went into it was pretty amazing.

[Moose242]

I wish superchargers were still called draft boosters.

That be some turbo encabulator shit.

[CJ]

150hp, 1,000ft/lbs of torque. And surprisingly, he fired that thing up in about a minute, that's awesome.

The 1924 model Doble Series E steam car could run for 1,500 miles (2,400 km) before its 24-gallon water tank needed to be refilled; even in freezing weather, it could be started from cold and move off within 30 seconds, and once fully warmed could be relied upon to reach speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). In recent years Doble cars have been run at speeds approaching 120 mph (190 km/h), this without the benefits of streamlining, and a stripped down version of the Series E accelerated from 0 - 75 mph (121 km/h) in 10 seconds.[15][16] Its fuel consumption, burning a variety of fuels (often kerosene), was competitive with automobiles of the day, and its ability to run in eerie silence apart from wind noise gave it a distinct edge. At 70 mph (110 km/h), there was little noticeable vibration, with the engine turning at around 900 rpm.

Also, apparently Abner Doble didn't believe in gaskets. The cars were machined perfectly so no seal was required between surfaces.

[GhostTX]

150hp, 1,000ft/lbs of torque. And surprisingly, he fired that thing up in about a minute, that's awesome.




Also, apparently Abner Doble didn't believe in gaskets. The cars were machined perfectly so no seal was required between surfaces.

That is awesome. He makes a good point, what could we do with technology now?

[line-em-up]

That is so cool and something I didn't know existed.

On a side note, Jay needs to fix his radiator hose. It's leaking.

[bcoop]

Steam has always been one of the most efficient sources of energy available. I don't know why everyone shifted away from it.

[2011GT]

Steam has always been one of the most efficient sources of energy available. I don't know why everyone shifted away from it.

Maybe the fear of an exploding boiler?

[01vnms4v]

his collection of cars is really bad ass. but cost for insurance on all those cars got to be at least $1million

[jakesford]

his collection of cars is really bad ass. but cost for insurance on all those cars got to be at least $1million

I don't know what it would be but if anything catastrophic ever happened to that collection, it would be a sad day for the automotive world... He has some of the last/only examples left in the world.

[bcoop]

Maybe the fear of an exploding boiler?

That stuff rarely happens anymore. Back then, I could see, maybe. Steam engines would also provide private sector employment for Navy folks, post service.

[mstng86]

I am sure we would have made significant improvements on the designs if it was mass produced like the internal combustion engine.

[CJ]

Well, seeing as these cars don't use boilers, worst case scenario it's an inconvenience.