Ben's Citicar

[Ryland]

change the rear gear oil, I'm sure it's over 30 years old, you should have two lower drain plugs a to fill plug and a side plug that spills when it's full, takes around a quart of gear oil, I use amsoil.
the plates showed up today for my citicar, so as soon as I get enough of a body built to mount lights I'll have it on the road.
best way to get music in this car would be an mp3 player and some tiny speakers, also check the brake fluid level, it's under the dash and hard to get to so it's often forgotten about.
I like my paktrakr gauge, if you can afford to get one, it works as a meter for each battery and for the whole pack, and a fuel gauge, all at the same time.

[Christopher Jordan]

Congrats! You did much better than a thirsty V-12. You done good!!!

[toyobug]

Originally Posted by bennelson

Oooohhh - I sense a knickname forming!!!!

Here's an Idea......How about a "name that citicar"
"contest".
The winner gets a Ecomodder t-shirt.
What you think guys?

[bennelson]

I always wanted a YELLOW Citicar so that I could add vinyl stick-on cheese "holes" to it.

I am in the dairy state after all!


Something like this.




MY FIRST THOUGHTS ON THE CITICAR:



Today, I got to do a little work on the Citicar.

I pulled out the bad battery and replaced it. I still had enough room to fit one more battery under the seat, so I did. 5 12V batteries = 60V system!

I still haven't been able to get the headlights and brakelights to work, but the motor works great.

At 60 volts, it had plenty of acceleration and speed. I easily got to 35 mph very fast. Down the street from me are 25 and 15 mph zones, so that's really the best I could test it so far.

Suspension on this thing is terrible. It's just a couple of leaf springs. It really bounces over any small bumps.

Amazing how people stare at the car!!! Nobody can't look at this thing!

This car does NOT seal up. The windows are like those on a rag top of a convertable, there is no window frame to the doors, there is no insulation in the walls. I can NOT possibly imagine driving this thing in the winter!

(Ryland, how much do you drive your Commuta-Car in the winter?)

The doors are chincy little things.

On the plus side, visibility through the windshield and rear window are great! Accelerator is fantastic, very smooth, nice spingy-ness to the pedal. Fun car.

Brakes on this car need major work. Parking brake is broken.

Seems like this would be a fantastic fair weather car for zipping around town.

I think most of my energy has to go into finishing off the Electro-Metro conversion. That should be a fine car for winter. I feel safe in it. It has airbags, suspension, and cargo space.

I may just have to stash the Citicar and work on it over the winter, then pull it out for some fun in the spring. In the mean time, using the Electro-Metro to offset gasoline use as much as possible.

[dirtha]

Originally Posted by bennelson

Instead of an electric pump to run the windshield washer fluid, you pump it with your foot!

Just like Dad's 1968 AMC Rebel!

Originally Posted by bennelson

There is no radio in this car. There never was.

Actually, this too.


Another great project!

[Sean T.]

Thanks for bringing it all the way to Wisconsin for me

To you just need to deliver it to Michigan.... I'll PM you my address. I'll be expecting the citicar in my driveway by noon. or else.

mwahahahaha!

Seriously though, these are so awesome! I wanted one so bad, I never knew there were any still up and running until I joined ecomodder.

[bennelson]

I just had a thought about the problem with the lights;
Check all the bulbs.

This thing is old enough that it is completely possible MULTIPLE BULBS are burned out!

Always check the easy things first!

[Sean T.]

oh! LED conversion would be so sweet!

[bennelson]

I just got the old title in the mail today. With it was also an original manual for the Curtis controller. It's an actual manual which also covers the controller I have in the Metro!

On the original title it says "E" under fuel type.

Do any of you Citicar guys have any advice on correctly titling this car?

[rmay635703]

My car is titled as "Cord", bring it in as long as they take it don't worry. I drove my car all winter, the advantage of not sealing well is that your windows don't fog (actually with some fleet farm special extra thick gaskets my doors do seal and my windows always did although the gasket is starting to rot. Also my car has heat. Depending on your tires slush can really suck but in snow it does OK.