I still have my first car--1957 Chevy 2-dr Sedan--that I bought in 1964. It is basically stock. I want to convert it to a rear wheel drive EV and I have pretty much settled on a Tesla Model 3 rear drive unit which will give me the bonus of IRS. I will drop the front spindles to lower the overall ride height closer to the Tesla. The Tesla weighs about the same as the Chevy.
My questions are will the Tesla unit fit within the stock fenders and where will the subframe mounting pads fall relative to the stock frame rails? I am not concerned about interference with the inner fender panels, gas tank, spare tire well (both to be removed) or trunk floor. I have not been able to find the dimensions that I need before committing to the project. I am looking for 1) the outside width of the stock Tesla tires, 2) the center-to-center dimensions of the four subframe mounting points relative to the rear axel centerline, 3) the height of each mounting pad above the ground, 4) the overall diameter of the stock Tesla wheel and tire combination. Also, are the mounting pads symmetrical with the centerline of the vehicle?
My goal is to design and build custom subframe, cross-member, and shock mounts that can be bolted in place on the stock frame so others can perform a tri-five conversion.
I hope that someone has the answers I need to get started. I am sure that I will have more questions in the future and I look forward to sharing what I learn with the forum.