White Lightning (Nissan Leaf) Build Thread

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Who me? I attempt to avoid using the cellulose based paints, but I still have a gallon of tampa green aerogloss, a gallon of nitrate, and some clear with aluminum flakes left over from my Pacer recover. Suprising how fast aircraft covering burns.

yeah, a NASA expert on hydrogen, did a forensic reconstruction of the Hindenburg fire, and it turned out that the culprit for the rapid flame propagation was the nitrocellulose and powdered aluminum dope used on the envelope fabric , ignited by a spark from static electricity. Not hydrogen in the balonettes.

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by aerohead

yeah, a NASA expert on hydrogen, did a forensic reconstruction of the Hindenburg fire, and it turned out that the culprit for the rapid flame propagation was the nitrocellulose and powdered aluminum dope used on the envelope fabric , ignited by a spark from static electricity. Not hydrogen in the balonettes.

As an additional note, hydrogen fires don't radiate nearly as much heat as other flame sources. As I understand it, you have to be standing basically inside of a hydrogen fire for it to burn you, unlike gasoline, which can burn you from hundreds of feet away if it's big enough.

[Piotrsko]

I am under the possibly mistaken impression that there were also iron flakes in the covering which makes a material known as thermite when mixed with the aluminum flakes and nitrates.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by Flakbadger

It's in front of the wheel. I think if I were to do this for real, I would use ABS so I could bend it, and just make 1 big piece.

I'm also considering finding some sort of "dope" I could use with cotton fabric, sort of poor-man's fiberglass without actually having to use fiberglass.

Wondering if wood glue on cotton, then sprayed with several layers of paint would be weather resistant enough.......

Thanks for bringing that up about using cloth.
I have some areas on in my wheelwells that I am using coroplast for that involve complex curves.
Coroplast and curves don't get along !

I am an aircraft nut, yet hadn't thought of using fabric.
I also like the idea of using something non toxic - great idea!

[Flakbadger]

Haven't worked on eco-mods lately, but I *DID* install a dash camera today---front and rear. The rear camera even picks up when I push on the brakes, which should help if I ever need to submit or use the video.

[Flakbadger]

The side skirts have been on for around 3,000 miles now. I slapped them on as a proof of concept, but I'm not sure they're the "definitive" version. So, while I work today on making a better side skirt assembly, I took the old ones off.

I noticed that there is much more dirt and grime on the front (leading) end of the skirt than on the back (trailing) end.

Why?

Is it because the tire rotating forward throws more debris to the front, like riding a bike and having the tire send a stripe of water up your back---or is it due to pressure differences inside the wheel well?

[Flakbadger]

Decided I want to give the rear wheel covers another crack.

My plan is the following:

1) Make some good looking rear wheel skirts out of foam.

2) Find a plastic shop in town that can make vacuum molds, which can then be installed into the vehicle.


Here is one of them, pressure-fit into place. I can tell already I need it to be more "sticky-outy" near the bottom or it's not going to clear the wheel.

I cut the foam with a hot wire cutter, then spent a bit of time with some 80-grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Wear a respirator, kids; this stuff isn't meant to be inhaled.


A shot from the rear of the car looking toward the front. The panel doesn't line up perfectly while being pressure fit, but would if I were to put it on the "right" way.

This is about an hour or so of work. I've got a few ideas. Originally I'd hoped to make one single shape that could just be swapped side-to-side, but apparently the wheel wells aren't symmetrical from front to back, so that means it's going to be two separate pieces.

Let me know your thoughts. As for me, I'm back to work on it.

[Flakbadger]

Very brief update: I haven't forgotten my Leaf, as a matter of fact I've been driving the crap out of it. But I have been very busy in real life with a multitude of projects, so the Leaf has taken a back seat.

On the plus side, my wife and I just closed on our first house, so a level-2 charger is incoming VERY soon. Pretty excited about that.

Once we get settled in, I'm debating either going all-in on ecomods, or trading the Leaf in for a Bolt, and going all-in on ecomods on that!

Need to test drive a Bolt first to see if I'd like it, but the battery range and battery management system not based on "thoughts and prayers" like Nissan's are both big pluses.

[2022Leaf62kwh]

Which mods give best improvement and are easiest to do? I was thinking about making removable panel for rear tires for long distance driving. Arent those reverse mudflaps worse improvement for range than actually lowering the car same height? Besides rearwheel cover panels i think it would be cool to have removable wings!

I hope my 2022 will get those cool wheels of new facelift of Nissan Leaf. They are supposed to be 6,5 inch wide so i could have 195/60 R17 tires on them except there are no many good tires available so i gotta stick on 205/55 Michelin Crossclimate 2s.

ALSO, i heard some people put solar panel on their car. How about pedals or steptronic for passenger? 200 w pedaling would give quite nice range improvement. Besidis human who is doing exercise is causing heat about 200 watts more than normally.

[blownb310]

Originally Posted by Flakbadger

Once we get settled in, I'm debating either going all-in on ecomods, or trading the Leaf in for a Bolt, and going all-in on ecomods on that!

Did you ever get a Bolt EV? Would love an update to see what EV you are driving today.