66 mustang conversion - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

goEv · 05-29-2009, 09:21 AM

Some day when my garage completes some body work I will get my 66 mustang back. Its no power house, only a 6 cyl, so I am considering making it a all electric.

Just like any one I want to look at cost before I do it. I guess that depends on how fast and for how long you want it to go? I would use it around town and for shows. If I want it too go higway speeds with a 90+ mile range what cost am I looking at?

Thanks for your help

Daox · 05-29-2009, 09:42 AM

90+ miles at highway speeds is gonna cost you looooooots of batteries. Probably every nook and cranny of the car would be full of lead acid.

goEv · 05-29-2009, 10:34 AM

If I would add a small generator to the project, would that save the number of batteries? I know that defeats the purpose of being pure electric, but I would like to get some extr range out of it.

Daox · 05-29-2009, 10:38 AM

Yup, an onboard generator would definitely save on the batteries (dunno about cost). If you went with a Lithium it would also lessen the amount (not cost) of the batteries. Do you have any idea of how much you want to spend?

MazdaMatt · 05-29-2009, 10:57 AM

If 10-15k scares you, stop now. If 20k scares you, don't expect a wonderful multi-purpose, long range, high speed car. That's what I gather by looking at DIY Electric Car Forums Site Home, EV Photo Album: Our Electric Cars on the Web and Domain Name For Sale - contact: info@nucom.com

If you want to roll down to the local donut shop for the wednesday night show n shine, you could hack and slash it for 1-2k if you're crafty.

goEv · 05-29-2009, 10:58 AM

Well I may be able to do it in stages.. that always gets more expensive in the long run. I would like to get it going for as little as possible. I would be willing to put 2k to 3k in it at first. Can I get batteries with the idea of adding more later as funding permits? Then in the end I would add the generator when I get the money. over all under 6k would be great.

What do I take out.. I know I should look this up some where in more detail... I guess the engine, transmition, gas tank... what else?

goEv · 05-29-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MazdaMatt

If 10-15k scares you, stop now. If 20k scares you, don't expect a wonderful multi-purpose, long range, high speed car. That's what I gather by looking at DIY Electric Car Forums Site Home, EV Photo Album: Our Electric Cars on the Web and Domain Name For Sale - contact: info@nucom.com

If you want to roll down to the local donut shop for the wednesday night show n shine, you could hack and slash it for 1-2k if you're crafty.

yeah 10 to 15 scares me... but I like the idea of the hack and slash. What can I expect out of the car if I put 10 in it in the long run? I dont need it for a long range car, but with a generator wouldnt that be possible?

MazdaMatt · 05-29-2009, 11:10 AM

My best suggestion would be to spend ten hours reading those three websites I listed. Then you'll get an idea of how much you have to spend to get results. There are many cost-saving techniques, like buying a dead forklift, taking the electronics out, then sending the lift to scrap.

You need to make decisions on AC or DC (expensive and efficient vs inexpensive and easy), pick your type of battery (cheap batteries get you started, but expensive batteries cost less in the long run). Generators are more expensive than you think. Expect to pay 2-5k for a deisel that will work for this.

You can save a couple thousand by building your own controller (see Paul and Sabrina's thread). And if you get your hands dirty, you can find motors cheap. Batteries are killer on most projects, i think, if you want decent range.

Really though, don't be afraid of the costs if you're just looking to get groceries and go to local shows and you're willing to "hack" and scrounge. I'd love to see your conversion take place... old muscle car meets new tech is just cool.

zjrog · 05-29-2009, 12:33 PM

Which 6 is in the Mustang? While a EV conversion sounds neat, maybe a swap to a different transmission will net you better mileage?

MazdaMatt · 05-29-2009, 12:36 PM

If your engine, tranny, intake, exhaust, cooling system, gas tank and other engine-related items are considered sought after, valuable and in good shape, then you could nearly fund a local-driving EV conversion just by pulling out the parts, cleaning them and selling them.

You could even sell the dash cluster because you may want to make a custom one instead with Current and Voltage instead of gas level, oil pressure/temp and coolant temp.