[Woodsmith]

Thanks for that info, OHM.

Both the cars have 5 speed manual gear boxes and the Micra is also manual steering and windows and no aircon. I don't know if the Polo has power steering yet as the lad wasn't in to ask.

The Micra is definately the nicer of the two but the only EV Micra I could find is this 1988 model.
I will have to wait for the Micra and probably stump up a decent bit of cash for it. I do have the advantage that the ICE bits are good so may sell for some funds. I can also drive it the 35 miles home. I'm not sure that there would be enough space to locate batteries without using the back seat space though.

The Polo will probably be free or a beer or three but it needs a door, a bumper, at least two wheel rims and four tyres, replacement door locks, brake service, I think a wheel bearing and a suspension bush and CV boot/joint. It also has a full length Webasto sun roof which is nice but may also leak and add to drag, it may also get slashed where I go to work. It is a non runner so will need to be recovered home and also it is covered with Police stickers for abandonment.

Overall I am tempted to go with the Micra even though it would feel odd driving my ex's car. The cost of it will probably be the same or less then putting the Polo right.

[Woodsmith]

I have found a 1989 Daihatsu Charade on Freecycle and put my name forward for it. It is currently a non runner as the diesel cylinder head has cracked. All parts and a spare gearbox are supplied. I shall go and see it tomorrow to see if it is suitable for me. I know nothing about them.

I am also still looking at the scratch build method that is basically a cockpit on a battery pack slung between 3 or 4 wheels. I just don't know how much space I will need for batteries as there are so many variables to consider.

ETA: The Daihatsu has gone now so that's one option off the list.

[Woodsmith]

So, based on the findings from this thread I am getting a better idea of what I need to pull together in terms of battery pack and so that will guide me better towards my conversion (or build) of choice.

I am watching Ford Probes on Ebay but I'm not sure there is much space in one for batteries.

I have figured that weight is going to be a big thing at slower speeds and being a big element of the Rolling Resistance but aerodynamic has an even bigger effect at the high speeds I need to drive at for most of my commute.

That leads me to think that a slippery shape and small frontal area is going to be more important then overall weight but still keep the weight low if possible.
Also avoid open wheel vintage car layouts, convertables and vans due to the air resistence at speed.

[Woodsmith]

I just processed some figures based on my current car, Skoda Octavia Estate, if I were to convert it to an EV.
Given:
Mass = 1800kg
Cd = 0.31
Frontal Area = 2.3m2

Rho = 1.29 (density of still air at 0C)
Crr = 0.03 (rolling resistance of car tyres on asphalt)

At 60mph it would need 384.5 Wh/mile
At 40mph it would need 302.2 Wh/mile

If I used 50 LiFePo4 180ah batteries I would get 160v
Range at 60mph would be 60 miles at 80% DoD
Range at 40mph would be 76 miles at 80% DoD

It would need to loose a lot of weight or I couldn't afford the batteries.

[Woodsmith]

I have a donor car!

I went out to have a look at this MR2 and decided to have it.

The seller wasn't wrong when he says there is no rust. The only rusty things I could find were a bit of surface rust on the fan mounting in the drivers side vent and the heads of a couple of bolts in the engine bay.
Comes with a shed load of spares too.

I will be getting it transported to mine this weekend all being well.

[SimonRafferty]

That looks a bloody good starting point!

My Freeloader is being inspected for the insurance on Wednesday - so hopefully I'll be on the road wed evening!

Si

[Woodsmith]

Good luck with the inspection, Simon, I'm sure it will be fine.

I'm reckoning on recovering all or most the cost of the car through selling off the unwanted bits, and there are a lot of unwanted bits.

The only bad news is that I wasn't expecting to get a car so soon and with the delivery costs it has blown my budget for the time being and I am going to lose the bidding on the engineering lathe I want. I can't afford to get both at the moment.

If I could get the lathe I could do most of my own turning for the conversion.

[SimonRafferty]

Shame you are so far away - I have a pretty good workshop with CNC lathe & mill. A Lathe is definitely worth buying - probably the single most enabling tool I have.

If you need any quick stuff turning - send me a drawing and I'll see what I can do.

Si

[Woodsmith]

Originally Posted by SimonRafferty

Shame you are so far away - I have a pretty good workshop with CNC lathe & mill. A Lathe is definitely worth buying - probably the single most enabling tool I have.

If you need any quick stuff turning - send me a drawing and I'll see what I can do.

Si

Cheers Simon, I will do that. It may be help in making up the adaptor plate.

The lathe I was after was old and on a cast iron legged frame but big enough to get a motor armature onto it. It would be easy to dismantle and take into my basement workshop where my engineering stuff lives. And it was local too to make collection easier. I should really up the bid and borrow the cash to cover it as it is too good to let slip. It should still be cheaper then paying a local engineering firm to do work, I would hope, plus I get to keep the lathe afterwards.

[Amberwolf]

Originally Posted by SimonRafferty

A Lathe is definitely worth buying - probably the single most enabling tool I have.

I heartily agree with this. I was lucky enough to find mine on Freecycle, and even though it is a 60-year old rustbucket and missing parts it is still extremely useful. (It's a South Bend lathe from the 1940's; for the whole story go here: http://electricle.blogspot.com/2008/...of-heaven.html )

There are things on the bike project I could not have done without it. Well, maybe I could have, but they'd've been handmade and filed and nowhere near as "precise" as I got using the lathe, and would've taken days or weeks to make!

If you need any quick stuff turning - send me a drawing and I'll see what I can do.

I wish you were in the USA I have a piece I need for the bike that I can't make on my lathe, since I'm missing all the threading gears except the one that's on it (not the right one unless I swap out the AC motor for my treadmill motor and use my ebike controller to get the right speed).