Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-28-2007

Yay!
CHP riveted a couple of dog tags to the car today and I can now go back to the DMV for the next step in the registration process.

They'll probably ask for a smog test which it won't pass. I'll ask for another temporary waiver(s) for the duration of the conversion. The car is still a 1988 but it is noted that it has a 71 pan and a 74 engine.

PS.
I got honked and waved at today by a couple of high school girls on the way to the CHP.

I forgot to mention a couple of girls took pictures of the car the 1st time I filled up at the gas station.(Hmmm maybe I shouldn't go EV...) :)


3-27-2007

Great EVAoSD Meeting.

Joseph S. Gottlieb of was there as a guest speaker. Turns out he's a Bradley GT2 Fan. He even liked the Metallic Rootbeer Brown paint job.


Michael Kadie of SSI-Racing was at the EVAoSD meeting. He has 1 hella-sweet ride.

I was able to get myself on the stand-by list for Abran Quevedo's EV Conversion Class.

Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-25-2007

3-25-2007
Been reading books, joining online groups, and waiting for the CHP to get back to me.
To see the largest conversion list in one place go here:

I've also been in contact with the following company regarding their EV electronics:
http://www.belktronix.com/

My new job is a 25 mile one way freeway trip away. A round trip may be pushing the capabilities of my EV as currently designed if I can not find a way to charge at work.

Been thinking of solutions to this dilemma...

My second Electric Vehicle Association of San Diego meeting is coming up on Tuesday, March 27th. I attended my 1st meeting last month right before I got the roller and the donor.
The members there are involved in creating EV conversion classes.


Kinda sucks that I won't have more progress to report. Hopefully I can enlist some help while I'm there.

Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-14-2007

I drove to Oceanside, CA where the nearest CHP station is located.
My VIN inspection appointment was at 8:00AM.
I handed the officer all the paperwork I have to date, answered a few questions regarding my history with the vehicle, my plans to convert to electric, and then waited in the lobby.
About 45 minutes later he handed all the paperwork back to me and said he needed to contact the Maryland DMV to inquire about the vehicle and that he'd get back to me by phone.
He was pretty cool and asked me how long it would take for the conversion. Somewhere in the conversation it sounded like whatever issues may come up would not be project terminators.
I'll be waiting for his call with crossed fingers. Wish me luck.

Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-10-2007

I've started reading the books I bought from C.W..
Convert It

and
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle

Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-9-2007

I call up another body shop that sounds interested in giving the car a look. I take a picture of a Viper he has in the shop to see if the hood mechanism can be emulated on the BGT.

He checks out my car and recommends I talk to the shop next door to him.

Bingo!

Reiss Racing does a lot of custom work, the owner gives me a tour of his shop.
There are 4 or 5 off road racing trucks, as well as an old 'Cuda they are working on. They have a really sweet classic Camaro on a lift that looks cherry. The roll bars and welded frames on the trucks he shows me, has me convinced that he'd be able to come in handy in figuring out the battery boxes for the conversion.
He would take on the job to subsidize his racing.
He tells me he has worked on a Bradley before.
Bonus: his rate is less expensive than the other places.

Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-8-2007

While getting the brakes done on my mustang, I check out shops that may be able to help out with my conversion. I go to 4 or 5 different places and no one seems enthused about working on the BGT.

A custom hot rod shop I call, charges $95 an hour with an estimated 4 hour commitment to check out the gull wing door issue.

The mechanic doing my brakes says he can move the existing body to the other pan as opposed to transplanting the parts (ev motor, brakes, shocks, battery boxes) to the kit car for $1000.

Still looking...

Electric Vehicle ( EV ) Conversion 3-7-2007

A trip to Home Depot gets me some marine glue and weather stripping.
I use the glue on the existing stripping on the doors as the stripping would come off whenever opening them.
I may use the new stripping on the roof/top of gull-wings as a temporary fix until I contact a body shop for help fixing the doors.

Electric Car Conversion 3-6-2007

I return to the DMV in the BGT and wait another hour waiting for my number to be called.
A few people come up to me and ask about the vehicle out in the parking lot.
The DMV guy confirms the VIN on the PAN but gives up when he gets to the engine.
He tells me I need to go to the highway patrol (CHP) for further VIN inspection.
He says something about not being able to see any Fed. Cert..
The DMV guy from yesterday comes out to look at the car as well, but not in an official capacity.
I receive a temporary placard that I tape to the rear window.
The CHP schedules me for a VIN inspection on 3-14-2007.

Electric Car Conversion 3-5-2007

Trip to the DMV.
I pay for title change and registration.
They need to see the vehicle to confirm VIN.
I'm not able to change the title to from 1988 to 1971-74 to reflect age of VW pan or engine.

Electric Car Conversion 3-2-2007

The BGT2 arrives.
BGT= Bradley GT or Brown Gassy Turd
Wife calls it = Mid-Life Crisis Mobile
Need to come up with a post-conversion name...

Chip the Auto transporter bluetoothed some cameraphone pix from the pick-up and drive from snowy Maryland to sunny southern California.



Here's the BGT unloaded off the transport.

Now to plan the conversion...

Electric Car Conversion 3-1-2007

Last night I picked up some EV parts from C.W.. He said he was sorry to part with it, but sometimes life gets in the way of this type of hobby. He needed it all moved before today, and so I agreed to buy it all off him, for $3000.

Here's what I moved to our 2 car garage:
Front and rear battery boxes fabricated.
Center rack under construction.
'69 VW IRS pan no rust - with title
New adjustable height front end
New wheel and axle bearings
New coil-over shocks – front and rear
Honda rack and pinion steering and column
New 4 wheel disk brakes
Stainless steel brake hoses
Vacuum pump for power brakes
New brake line kit
New 17" ADR Bronze "Octane" tuner wheels
New Tuner lugs and nuts
225 R17 Falken tires
New Custom billet wheel adapters
New NetGain WarP 9" DC series motor
New Electroautomotive adapter plate
New clutch and pressure plate
New Lightened flywheel
New Urethane transaxle mounts
New Rear sway bar, urethane mounts
New Urethane bump pads
New short trigger shifter, urethane coupler, quick shift kit
Eaton 250 amp circuit breaker
Electric cabling and lugs
Curtis PB6 pot box
NewFuse block and fuses
Approximately 100 yds of fiberglass cloth
2 Books – Build Your Own Electric Vehicle, Convert it
10' lengths of various angle and square mild steel tube

I had to say no to the following to take $2000 off the $5000 he was asking for.
1 pair new Dynamik racing seats
Curtis 300 watt DC to DC converter
Curtis 1231C Motor Controller
(if he still has this in a couple of months, I may still buy these off him as well).
Here's where I found his ad: http://www.austinev.org/evtradinpost/index.php?clearoff=1
Basically he was local, so I figured, we'd meet and if I got a good vibe, I'd go for it.
Pix of the parts are here:EV Picassa Photo Album

Tomorrow the pre-converted vehicle arrives.
The idea is to use the parts above and convert the following to an Electric Vehicle:
Pix are from the Ebay ad. More pix from previous owner here: BGT2 Picassa Album