CarBEN EV5 Full Sized Prototype Construction - 5 Seat Electric Car From Scratch

[Xist]

Originally Posted by stankoprowski

Neil,
I ran across this information recently about windshields. I can't post a link but if you go to Facebook and search for Wikispeed and select the top item of the search it shows how these people assured a good fit for their windshield.

Stan

Here?

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...4472104&type=1

[Christ]

If you remove the dots from the link, you should be able to post it despite not having 5 posts. That rule is in place to keep spam accounts from linking up the place.

[NeilBlanchard]

I am back to smoothing/shaping with the disk sander and the long board - I am working on the 'A' pillars and the brow of the windshield and the transition to the roof, and on the hatch door.

[bbennett2]

ok, its been a month, and the carben thread has been waaaaay to quiet! have I missed something? kickstarter? moved somewhere else? I need my daily/weekly does of built from scratch electric car motivation!!

[HydroJim]

I'm guessing he's working on shaping the body. It's got to be perfect! and smooth. Just imagine how long a boat tail takes. Then imagine if you had to make the whole car like that!

or he tries some fiberglass resin and it melted the car and now he's sad. hopefully it's the former.

[stankoprowski]

Neil,

I've been following your build on both the Ecomoddder and the Aptera sites. The Aptera site is giving me error messages. Have they shut down?

Stan

[Smurf]

Everytime I view this thread, I get a ridiculous sense of jealousy.

[NeilBlanchard]

The Aptera Forum server seems to be crashed. I've not emailed the admin is so long that I can't find his address.

I have been stymied by lack of funds - I need to buy fiberglass and buy the windshield and wipers. The weather is getting colder again, and I had hoped to have most of the fiberglass done by now...

So, yes I need to do a video for a crowd funding campaign, and a friend will be helping me do that. I've been told that Kickstarter doesn't "do" electric cars, so I have to ask them. If they won't, I'll probably use IndieGoGo. Then there is the matter of the budget...

I will try to glue the nose on over a warm weekend. And I will flip it onto the roof to work again on the underside. This will be the first part to get fiberglass - I'm going to use the 40oz E-glass. It will take roughly 9 or 10 yards, and along with the glue, I'm guessing it will add ~45 pounds to the chassis.

I'm starting back to work (for an architectural office) on Monday, and they need 40+ hours a week for at least two months - this will be a very good thing. So, I'll have more money, but very little time. Catch 22.

The only melting that has happened was on the left front "wheel" when a scoop light moved and rested the incandescent bulb on the foam... Whew - just a piece I will cut out eventually.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I'm starting back to work (for an architectural office) on Monday, and they need 40+ hours a week for at least two months - this will be a very good thing. So, I'll have more money, but very little time. Catch 22.

What will you be doing for them?

FYI: I'm an architect.

Regarding the last image posted, one phrase comes to mind.........in through the out door.

Also the name of a Led Zeppelin album.

[NeilBlanchard]

I'll be doing CAD drafting mostly, and field measuring. They got a bunch of work in a week, and they will be hiring another project architect. All four of them are running jobs, and I'll be doing as much as possible.

Oh, I did go talk to a windshield replacement business, and they would charge the same or slightly more than the Smart dealer, and they won't sell me the piece - they have to install it, and so I can't have it beforehand to fit it. They were kinda' miffed by what I'm trying to do, as it is quite different from what they do all the time. So, I'll be heading to the Boston dealer as soon as I have ~$850 in hand. That is ~$320 for the windshield and the rest for the wiper arms and motor and the vented bezel at the bottom of the windshield.