[jclars]

So I covered it. There goes my electric motor showcase...

what you see is a mock-up of the proposed CALB LiFePO4 230Ah battery pack. 28 pc in front as shown, and 12 pc in trunk. This will round out the weight distribution nicely and give me the voltage/range desired. This seemed to be the best combo to get what I needed in the space available.

As you can see, I have pretty much filled the engine bay except on the fringes. I am thinking as a minimum, I want to locate the controller (seen in second pic) with chill plate where the old 12V battery sat (mid firewall cavity) as it is the most structural place to go - unless it is better to have the 12V battery up front.

I will also have the small water pump and small radiator for the chill plate behind the grill area - lots of room there. Anything else you might suggest behind the grill that is low crash damage risk?

In the rear, I am thinking DC-DC charger, Main charger, etc. I am planning a bulkhead mounting panel in the rear trunk area.

Ideas please!!

 

[remy_martian]

Looks like you have room to pile some stuff on top (chargers...), or does that ruin your HV battery showcase?

It's not a grocery getter if there's no room for groceries.

 

[jclars]

So true! There actually would be room on top. Hood is very bulbous.

Is that common? Putting working parts on top of the battery pack?

I could do a hinged horizontal bulkhead over the front battery pack. It would leave most of the rear cargo area for groceries. Especially since this is the first car I have brought home where my wife said she could see herself driving it!

 

[cliffordfjohnson]

Hello All!

I pondered what to do to this car for over 1 year since driving it home. Yes, it was the first project car I had not needed a trailer for! I have travelled as far as Southern Cal. to pickup other projects with a trailer in tow. Never one only 15 miles from home! And so cheap ($2500) for a running vintage car!

Because the starting point was so favorable, it was tempting to simply do a stock restoration. But then I started digging and found the engine and tranny were not original, coming from a newer Volvo. I felt like it opened the door for a restomod. I am soon 72 years old and have always enjoyed a challenge. My last build was a traditional hot rod which included at totally fabricated frame and flat head V8. Parts were either already in my shop or sourced from multiple swap meets and online sales The various parts spanned years 1928 to 1962 in vintage. I also upgraded a 1958 MGA Coupe to a 2000 Miata drive train. I have done a 1956 F100 PU with a 90's era drivetrain from a T-bird SuperCoupe. This past May I drove Rte. 66 in it. 6000 miles round trip. So major technology jumps with previous projects has been accomplished. And I drive the things! But ICE to EV??? Before last year I didn't even know what those acronyms stood for!

I reviewed the topics I was to cover with my first post, and I can see the logic to determine where everyone enters this EV game. So I can fabricate, I can visualize, I can drive. But this EV thing was a bit intimidating. Then I took a ride in a modern EV and got sucked in! With your help, I hope to make this car an almost daily driver. I am planning for 80 - 100 mile range. I also want to approach this incrementally, both for affordability, but also because I like to mock up restomods to present a car look like it could have come from the factory that way. I have become adept at doing this, but it has always been by trial and error with lots of cardboard and wood mock-ups. I have fabricated things multiple times to get it looking right (as well as for structural integrity!).

I hope I can present this EV conversion similar to my other less radical projects. I want the motor with controller to take center stage, so no battery box on top of it, even though there is a lot of room under the bulbous hood. Likewise, I doubled the HP and Torque on that MGA mentioned above, and it suddenly became a fun (not to mention dependable) sports car! While I will only have a marginal HP jump in my chosen EV gear, I am pretty sure the torque value and dependability factors will be satisfying enough!

That all said, I have been working with EVWest to gain a system understanding and with a local Electrical shop that has dabbled in EV development for the last 10 years. EVWest had done a Volvo P1800 several years ago and just this past week we were able to confirm a match to my Volvo bellhousing and flywheel. So I have the adapter/coupler on order with them. I also have a Hyper 9 HV motor system with chill plate and front motor mount on order with the local shop. Saved much on freight by finding a local source for that! I have other components pre-selected from both EVW and locally, but again will use these first major pieces to anchor the mock-up stage. So because the adapter is a long lead item, I will probably be doing more restoration type stuff in the interim, so bear with me.

I attach pix of the car, the voluminous engine bay and similar trunk. I do plan to put at least some battery packs in the rear where the gas tank came from. However only 100-120 lbs or so to help keep within original weight trim. Which I think will be okay, with so much room in front. But again, I want to showcase the motor. Not the battery packs.

Looking forward to hearing comments from this valued knowledge base in the months ahead!

View attachment 134310 View attachment 134311 View attachment 134312

John Larsen
Lynden, WA
USA

Hi John, Thanks so much for posting this project. It is a project that I have dreamed about (except while we are in dream land, I am looking for a 444) and I am already learning from your progress. Now, if I could only find a smoking hot deal on a donor like you!

 

[jclars]

Thanks Clifford,

Not many 444's left, but fair number of 544's out there. Good luck on your search - There is a garage in No. Seattle (Ballard) that has a sort of junk yard with restorable hulks. If you are close to the PNW, it might be worth a shot.

John

 

[jclars]

Motor was removed, top terminals rotated to be next to steering column, gaining about 1" of battery depth.

I also modified the support to fit my front cross member. I will add 1" rubber isolators under it. I don't think I have to remove it again, but who knows?

The controller and chiller will mount nicely into original battery tray. 12V battery will go to trunk or under front seat.

 

[remy_martian]

Lol...the fit of the controller into the firewall

👌🏻

(I learned in my biz travels in Europe that the hand gesture means something else in places like Italy, so take it as you want to interpret it 😁)

 

[jclars]

Like the backward "peace sign" in England that so many think is one and the same as the Hippies used to use?

 

[remy_martian]

Your battery can go anywhere (like under the steering shaft in the "engine" bay?) - the rage these days is to bring out a set of jumper posts to an area that temporarily repowers the car's 12V according to the access needed (Tesla was behind the front "grill" - the car can't be unlocked without 12V).

You do not need a lot of current to bootstrap the car's controller (if you have one) and contactors to get the DC to DC converter running off the HV battery.

I'm a big fan of keeping sulfuric acid away from human flesh when metal bends. Cabin is not a great idea, imo, trunk is used by some OEMs but the battery is down in a metal well.

 

[jclars]

I am soon moving onto the charging aspect of the conversion. Partly because it has some large pieces that have to be fitted onto the vehicle somewhere. More mock-ups coming to the trunk area.

I have been told to look at the Thunderstruck MCU in their BMS. It is relatively new? Not finding a lot of info on it. Does it simplify things? As in integrate more functions into one module? Explain in layman terms if possible.

 

[remy_martian]

That kind of question is how you get to make new friends on the forum.

 

[jclars]

You mean more sarcastic members I have to vet?

 

[remy_martian]

You'll be disappointed - I think we hold #1 and #2

 

[jclars]

Well okay then. I guess I felt protected in my own little build bubble...

 

[jclars]

I got some good info from my post on another thread concerning the BMS. Two users stepped up to confirm the TSM MCU performance. It sounds like patches are still pretty active on it, but that it does integrate functions that might otherwise have to be addressed with separate modules or owner creations. My plan is to go ahead with the TSM charger and DC-DC system and defer on the MCU with satellites until the batteries are ready to install. The intent is to get the most current version of the MCU as.possible closer to the fire off date.

I also recieved the J1772 receptacle this week along with a hinged fuel door to install it in. Alas, the door was the wrong one, so I now sit and wait for the correct one to arrive.

But timing is perfect to get these on order, as I was able to sell the ICE engine to one person this week, and the gas tank/radiator to another! I like when things come together like that, which is not very often!

While all this was unfolding, I managed to finish painting the car's under carriage and then move it off the lift, onto the floor for the next stage which will all occur inside the trunk. While parts are coming, I intend to fix an air bag leak on my shop truck which was a nuisance filling up every time I wanted to use it. And I do use it for running after parts! Even in the winter!

 

[remy_martian]

I saw the TSM discussion but don't recall a BMS discussion. Link?

edit: Ignore this....That BMS is too puny for anything but an eBike.

 

[jclars]

Are you referring to the TMU? Maybe I unplugged too quickly, but in my ignorance, I thought we were discussing the BMS?

Be nice now...

 

[remy_martian]

woops...I'm in the wrong thread. Sorry.

Carry on.

 

[jclars]

Sheesh. I am sitting here with a glass of wine, simply trying to relax with the afterglow of my days achievements (or perceived achievements) and there you are.

Like the boogey man!

 

[remy_martian]

Yup...I'm the Grinch that stole DIYelectric car...just ask m34tbag on Reddit 😂