Just struck a deal for a 1979 Spitfire and will be towing it to the shop this weekend to begin my conversion adventure (will post pictures).
Car is in decent shape. About 100k miles, one tiny spot of pitting on the left rear wheel well. Doesn't run only because the owner was replacing the starter (but not a problem for me!). Transmission seems to be functional.
I want to make this a really fun-to-drive car. Hoping to get a top speed of at least 80 MPH (for freeway driving), 0-60s in under 8s (the quicker the better), and somewhere between 80-100 mile range.
I am looking for feedback/recommendations on battery/motor selection. I'd say my top options at the moment are Tesla Smart batteries (aiming for 20 kWh pack) powering an AC 34 or 35 dual motor. At first glance, it looks like the Tesla batteries will fit nicely where the gas tank is.
Do the dual motors make a noticeable difference in performance or would single AC-50/51 be sufficient for a sporty-feel?
I've also heard that the Spitfire transmission doesn't handle electric motors well in EV conversions. I'm considering going no transmission (just straight to a diff). Not too picky on this, but was hoping to get some advice.
Anyways, thanks in advance. Really excited to get working on the car!
Car is in decent shape. About 100k miles, one tiny spot of pitting on the left rear wheel well. Doesn't run only because the owner was replacing the starter (but not a problem for me!). Transmission seems to be functional.
I want to make this a really fun-to-drive car. Hoping to get a top speed of at least 80 MPH (for freeway driving), 0-60s in under 8s (the quicker the better), and somewhere between 80-100 mile range.
I am looking for feedback/recommendations on battery/motor selection. I'd say my top options at the moment are Tesla Smart batteries (aiming for 20 kWh pack) powering an AC 34 or 35 dual motor. At first glance, it looks like the Tesla batteries will fit nicely where the gas tank is.
Do the dual motors make a noticeable difference in performance or would single AC-50/51 be sufficient for a sporty-feel?
I've also heard that the Spitfire transmission doesn't handle electric motors well in EV conversions. I'm considering going no transmission (just straight to a diff). Not too picky on this, but was hoping to get some advice.
Anyways, thanks in advance. Really excited to get working on the car!