Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro Build thread

[Daox]

Very cool Ben!

A Miata would be a very cool project car. I just dug up some info on wikipedia here. It looks like the older you get, the lighter they are.


1989–1997
curb weight - 2070 lbs.
Cd - 0.38


1998–2005
curb weight - 2200 lbs.
Cd - 0.36

2006-Present (for kicks)
curb weight - 2414 lbs.
Cd - ?


The Neon would also be a good conversion. The body does look like its in very descent shape, and it sounds like it'll run enough to not have to tow it home.

1995 Neon
curb weight - 2380 lbs
Cd - 0.33



I browsed through craigslist quickly too searching for 'bad engine' and 'blown engine'. There isn't a ton to choose from.

91 Civic - $700
http://madison.craigslist.org/car/531870401.html

95 Metro - $350
http://madison.craigslist.org/car/523728067.html

94 Tercel - $300
http://madison.craigslist.org/pts/513921781.html

89 Escort - $300
http://appleton.craigslist.org/car/544607393.html

94 Prelude - $800
http://appleton.craigslist.org/car/519658292.html

300ZX - $350
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/pts/553594879.html

[bennelson]

Thanks for the links.

Looks like the lighter the vehicle, the better. I am going to try to keep it around a ton or less. I think that Neon would be about as big as I would want to go.

I have noticed that with most lines of vehicles, they get heavier and more expensive and the model years go by. Supossedly, consumers demand more and more luxuries, A/C, bigger engine, etc.

I have heard that EV converters should try to get earlier models of cars over later ones.

I think the weight of the Miata is a good example of this.


Ideally, I am looking for the cheaper the better.

However, I did learn with the electric motorcycle conversion that a lot of little things wrong will take a lot of time and money to fix.

I think this time, I am going to spend more time looking around to find something that ONLY has a bad engine, and not much else wrong with it.

I am currently saving up a big pile of cash to wave under the nose of the seller for when the right vehicle comes along.

[Daox]

If your looking for lightweight I think the CRX or Metro are going to be the best bet. They both comes in well under 2000 lbs I believe. I'm sure others here know much more about them. I'm more of a Toyota nut.

[Christopher Jordan]

Originally Posted by Daox

I browsed through craigslist quickly

You missed some doozeys! Dontcha really want a Ford Aspire? I know, I know... rolling easter egg - bumper cars- just need a back pole......

I must be a rarity to like these re-badged Kias; but Craigslist usually has these pretty low. Sure enough $399, and a couple $800 "in mint condition!" (yeah, right...) here is a link to one-

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/555955087.html

countersTrike

[bennelson]

Hmmmm - a Ford Aspire?......

Today I got a call from the office person at the Medical College (the place selling the forklift)

She was trying to figure out how to properly selling the forklift without them having to collect sales tax and also covering their a$$ for liability.

It looks like I am going to get a receipt for $500 for "Misc Lab Services" and a second page with a memo saying that it is for "forklift salvage - NOT to be used as a forklift"

Works for me.
On a "homebuilt" vehicle, you do need to show where you got the parts from for the engine, transmission, and frame. Since mine will just be a conversion, I don't have to worry about that.

I am still currently arranging for getting a big truck and trailer over there to pick this thing up.

Will update again once I get that figured out.

[Daox]

Originally Posted by Christopher Jordan

You missed some doozeys! Dontcha really want a Ford Aspire? I know, I know... rolling easter egg - bumper cars- just need a back pole......

I must be a rarity to like these re-badged Kias; but Craigslist usually has these pretty low. Sure enough $399, and a couple $800 "in mint condition!" (yeah, right...) here is a link to one-

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/555955087.html

countersTrike

Yeah, the Aspire is a nice little car. However, I was searching for cars in the immediate area, not 2000+ miles away.

[Ryland]

there are a number of good books out there on electric cars, Convert It is one of them, New Electric Vehicles is another one of them, of course they are both older, but the basics are simaler.

[bennelson]

I got an e-mail from the guy with all the Miatas.

He is asking $1200 for the Miata. I don't know what year it is yet. I am planning on going to look at it next week.

$1200 sounds like way more than I was budgeting for the car shell, but a Miata would be WAY cooler than a Metro (nothing personal to you Metro-heads!)

I might be able to do some forklift parts trade to get the cost of the Miata down, if I go that route

[SVOboy]

Do it! You can prolly part it out a bit, na?

[diesel_john]

on the charger, i would want 240v not 3-phase or 120v.


what's your battery weight?


Do you use any gears or do you couple direct to a front drive shaft?