Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
0 comments 
Unique 1951 Car Was Adapted as a Wood-Powered 1951 Chevrolet, a Wood-Powered Car and an Old Wood Car with a Gasifier Engine in the Interior of Santa Catarina.
What is now an eye-catching mechanical curiosity began 47 years ago in the Alto Benedito neighborhood, in Benedito Novo, Santa Catarina. There, a unique 1951 car was transformed into a wood-powered 1951 Chevrolet, capable of traveling up to 80 kilometers with about 20 kilograms of wood, using a handcrafted gasifier engine.
The project was developed by Arnoldo Schmith, a self-taught mechanic, along with his son Elemer. They purchased an original gasoline 1951 Chevrolet and, over months of work, created a wood-powered car, now a true old wood car that continues to run, registered as a gasifier vehicle and preserved by the family.
Operation of the Wood-Powered 1951 Chevrolet
According to Elemer Schmith, the wood-powered 1951 Chevrolet uses a large metal tank adapted at the rear, nicknamed “the large pot.” It is there that the wood is placed and burned in a controlled manner.
-
The Toyota Hilux is R$ 75.5 thousand cheaper and bets on the 2.8 turbodiesel engine with up to 204 hp and 50.9 kgfm to catch up with the VW Saveiro, which leads with 4,472 sales.
-
The new Renault Koleos has a screen exclusively for the passenger that is invisible to the driver, heated rear seats, and 29 assistance systems, but its Chinese competitors cost R$ 40,000 less and deliver more power.
-
The car stored for 38 years: when opening the barn door, what appears is breathtaking and looks like a scene from a movie!
-
Fiat works miracles in the Brazilian market, lowers the price of its 0 km hatch to R$ 69,990, reestablishes the model as the cheapest car in the country, and reignites the battle against Kwid and C3.
The wood does not turn into direct flame in the engine, but generates a combustible gas, known as gasifier gas, which travels through pipes, passes through filters, and goes to the engine’s intake system.
The system works like this: the wood is ignited in the main compartment, the gas released by the burning descends through the internal sides of the large pot, circulates through filters and a coil that helps cool the flow, and then goes to the gasifier engine. This gas enters under the carburetor, replacing the function of gasoline.
To start using the gasifier gas, the owner lights the fire with paper and small wood and activates an electric exhaust fan installed in the engine compartment. This exhaust fan pulls hot smoke and gas into the system until the mixture is sufficient to activate the wood-powered car.
After that, the engine operates with the gas produced from the burning wood in the rear tank.
Range and Consumption of the Wood-Powered Car
According to Elemer, the unique 1951 car achieves a range of up to 80 kilometers with approximately 20 to 22 kilograms of wood placed up to a specific mark in the tank.
On average, the reported consumption is about 3.5 kilometers per kilogram of wood, depending on the route and usage conditions.
The vehicle maintains performance considered sufficient for running on local roads. The owner claims that the wood-powered 1951 Chevrolet can reach speeds of around 80 to 90 kilometers per hour under suitable conditions, with an estimated power loss of about 25 percent compared to its original gasoline operation.
Even as a wood old car, the system maintains a gasoline reserve. A small auxiliary tank of about 10 liters has been installed to allow starts or short trips without the need to light the gasifier, especially when the goal is just to move the car within the property or in short stretches in town.
Handcrafted Construction and Adaptation of the Gasifier Engine
The adaptation of the gasifier engine was done in a completely handcrafted manner. At the time, according to reports, there were no modern cutting discs available, and most of the metal sheets were cut with a chisel and hammer. The system includes:
- Rear large pot for burning wood
- Metal pipes that conduct the gas
- Coil for cooling
- Filters for retaining residues
- Electric exhaust fan to pull the gas to the engine
The wood-powered car retains the original inline engine of the 1951 Chevrolet, an important characteristic for the adaptation. The gas produced by the gasifier enters directly into the intake, below the carburetor, allowing continuous operation with the alternative fuel.
In tests conducted in the past at a technological university, the vehicle was evaluated as a functional example of a gasifier engine in real use.
The family, however, keeps the construction details confidential, respecting the wishes of the creator, Arnoldo Schmith, who wanted this unique 1951 car to remain a family project.
Family History and Preservation of the Wood Old Car
The wood old car was adapted in the 1970s, during a time of more expensive and scarcer gasoline. Arnoldo Schmith, a mechanic, and his son Elemer sought a viable alternative based on a classic model, creating a wood-powered 1951 Chevrolet focused on economy and autonomy for everyday use.
Over the years, the vehicle traveled long distances. The family reports trips to cities like Florianópolis, Lages, and Curitiba, with planning based on the volume of wood carried in the rear compartment. On some routes, six bags of wood were enough to go and return, with leftovers.
The wood-powered car remains registered as a gasifier vehicle and is preserved by Elemer Schmith in Benedito Novo.
The mechanical maintenance is done by the owner himself, who takes care of both the engine and the gasifier system, including cleaning filters, removing resin residues, and inspecting pipes.
Unique Identity of the Unique 1951 Car
The project is regarded by the family as exclusive. According to reports, there has been external interest in knowing details and reproducing the system, including from educational institutions, but the decision was made to keep the unique 1951 car as a singular piece, tied to the memory of Arnoldo Schmith and the family history.
For Elemer, the vehicle is more than a wood old car. It represents a practical example of an alternative fuel solution, based on wood, in a gasifier engine built without formal academic training in engineering, only with mechanical experience and experimentation over months.
Today, the use of the wood-powered 1951 Chevrolet is more restricted. The car circulates more frequently in rural areas and on interior routes, as it always attracts curious onlookers when it enters the city.
At every stop, the vehicle draws attention for being a wood-powered car that continues to run, decades after the original adaptation.
Knowing the history of this unique 1951 car, would you use a wood-powered car with a gasifier engine in your daily life, or do you think this type of technology should remain solely as a historical and experimental memory?
-
-
-
-
-
11 pessoas reagiram a isso.