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New donor car and more free EV bits
Good news! Yesterday I was offered a Mazda MX-3 (Precidia) 4-cyl manual for $400. Amazing what gets thrown at your way when you have enough people looking out for parts for you! "What are you using as a donor car? A Volvo? That's no good. I have just the car for you!" I immediately put the Volvo on Craigslist, and someone is coming to look at it tomorrow morning with about 3 more emailers in queue.
The MX-3 will probably need an emissions test but even if it fails I can insure it for 4 months with repair - just long enough to gather enough parts to convert it to electric. It's about 640 lbs lighter than the Volvo and about 1000 times as aerodynamic.
On another front, today I visited a local forklift dealership and talked to the service manager there. I told him where I work (we do some business with this forklift company) and what I am after - a motor about 8-11" in diameter and 100 lbs. He figures a 24 volt motor will be the ticket. Works for me. He didn't have any now, but the next time they scrap a forklift with one of these motors he will give me a call. All I have to do is remove the motor from it's current home and it's mine for free! WOO HOO!
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