Your wife didn't know what she was getting into when she married you, did she?
This is an awesome project/thread. I really like all the good photos and videos.
Keep it up!
Any welding repairs made in the control arm arena?
The total bill was $365, which was much more than I originally budgeted.
BUT, that covered the adapter plate ( measuring, designing, machining)
Machining, mating and welding the coupler, cutting the drive shafts, making spacers, and lots of other little things that would have taken me forever without the right tools.
So, I am happy to pay it because he is a great guy who has been really helpful on this project.
So far
Purchase Metro: -$500
rent car dolly to drag it home: -$40
Sell engine: +$400
Sell gas tank and radiator: +$150
Basically I came out ten bucks ahead on the car.
Motor: $50
New brushes for motor: $50
CD Motor Controller: $300 (plus shipping $18)
Batteries (12) - $144
Machining services -$365
Thats just over $900 into this project.
I have had gasoline car repairs that cost more than that!
Who else do you know who has an electric car they got for under a grand? (No I am not counting the Forkenswift!, it was retorical!)
I still have to figure exactly what I am doing for chargers. That will be about the last expense I will have to figure into the core of this project.
If you're ordering the PB-6 from Electric Vehicles USA, it's going to take a few weeks. I think they're the cheapest place, but I'm not sure. Also, $365 is really good! Buying a metro adapter plate and coupler online is like $750!
__________________ As I watch the old man walk on the sidewalk below my window, I think "Some day old man, I will be like you. So why not give me your coat?" Then I go downstairs to get his coat, but he's gone. Hey, maybe he was Zorro.
I stopped at Radio Shack on the way home from work today and picked up both a 0-5k ohm and 0-10k ohm potentiometers.
I played with hooking up the 0-10k up to the Curtis controller. Works just fine like that. I saw on the box that the pots twist 300 degrees - too far to have turn from pressing the gas pedal- er, GO pedal.
By using the 0-10K pot, it only has to turn half as far. If you twist it TOO far, power to the motor does cut out. It reads anything above 5K ohms as an error and stops spinning the motor until you bring the resistance signal back down to 5K.
just an fyi I've heard that some radio shack pots wear out to quickly when used as volume controls. But heck; even if they do wear out they are inexpensive.
