I realized that the only car parts you can’t make yourself are engines and wheels. I would love to be able to make a functional car from nothing but a wreckage site, a shovel, a forge, and a fuckton of batteries.
Homemade wheels would be made in a forge, with low health. Steam engines could be crafted from a few tanks and pipes, and would be wood- or charcoal-powered but inefficient. This would also give the advantage of a readily-available and renewable fuel source, which could be a replacement for electric power now that solar panels are nerfed.
Someone buffed solar panels by 50% earlier today I think.
Also, does making tires or a steam engine have any science behind it?
If I dare search, will I find a video or Wikipedia page about homemade tires/steam engines?
I will totally accept the idea if you link something.
Wow, I didn’t think about wooden wheels at all. That’s even better than my idea. Also, I’ll see if I can find something about homemade steam engines.
EDIT: If you ignore the eye-searing text, this seems to be a reliable source: http://www.john-tom.com/html/SteamPlans.html
We definitely should have steam engines, at minimum for use as generators. Especially as this is set in New England, where Steam shows (sort of like a car show for tractors) are common. One steam tractor would provide all the raw power a Survivor could ever want, if you hooked it to a generator, or three, or TEN for that matter. They may be slow, but they have LOADS of torque. At tractor shows, people don’t even bother entering them in the load-pulling contests, it wouldn’t be fair to the other tractors. Steam tractors are awesome.
With a bunch of plutonium and other engine doohickeys (and lead plates) you might make a nuclear steam engine that converts water into electricity.
It’s not an actual steam engine, but ALL current types of power generation IRL are actually run by steam. The fuel just provides the energy that turns the water into steam.
Then again, if you’re willing to throw away all realism you can just make an engine run by charcoal.
Homemade wheels would be made in a forge, with low health
You’ll need more than a forge. You’ll have to have a pretty big lathe to turn your steel or aluminum castings to a true round shape.
I like the steam engine idea. I’d suggest that it involve making all the parts first, pistons, boiler, firebox/burner etc then assembling them into a unit. Multiple fuel types could be possible as well, wood pellets, alcohol etc. The type of burner you use can drive the fuel type the engine takes.
Now is it possible to make a single engine consume both fuel and water?