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Today I was lucky enough to pick up this 1976 Sebring-Vanguard Citicar from someone who bought it in the 80s and stored it ever since.
With ~3k miles it's in good shape for it's age, the body doesn't have too much cracking which I'm told is common for these. My goal for this project is to restore the exterior/interior and modernize the electronics. I'm coming to this forum as a newbie to EV work, and am looking for some advice on getting going with this build. I have experience wrenching on ICE cars, and have a background in electrical engineering & CS, but I'm not sure where to start/how far to go with this project. Today I cleaned out a few things and took stock of what I had gotten myself into.
The batteries hold enough charge to spin the rear wheels with no load, but not much else (~5V each when I pulled them).
They also weighed an absolute ton. My understanding is that batteries like these are recyclable, and some auto parts stores will even give you an in-store credit for bringing them in. I know the electrical system in the car works (everything light up, the main battery charger works, etc.) but the 50 year old wiring worries me, so I imagine I'll be changing a lot of it out. In terms of modernizing the electronics I'm thinking there are three key components to upgrade here: batteries, motor controller, and motor.
The batteries are a necessity because the old ones are toast. My dream would be ~50 miles of range out of a pack with modern battery tech, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for. I also know new battery chemistry means new battery charger (the old one seems comically simple).
Next up is the motor controller. The current "motor controller" is a combination of big relays and a big nichrome resistor that basically amounts to a three speed switch. I have a feeling this will work as a temporary solution but seems like a natural next step upgrade once I sort the batteries out.
Lastly the motor. If the current one is in good working order, I don't really see myself messing with it. An induction motor would be nice, but I don't think it justifies the hassle of swapping the motor. That being said I don't have a sense for the pros/cons of going induction over DC.
That's all for now. I'll be working on this tomorrow and I'll keep an eye on this thread. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated!
With ~3k miles it's in good shape for it's age, the body doesn't have too much cracking which I'm told is common for these. My goal for this project is to restore the exterior/interior and modernize the electronics. I'm coming to this forum as a newbie to EV work, and am looking for some advice on getting going with this build. I have experience wrenching on ICE cars, and have a background in electrical engineering & CS, but I'm not sure where to start/how far to go with this project. Today I cleaned out a few things and took stock of what I had gotten myself into.
The batteries hold enough charge to spin the rear wheels with no load, but not much else (~5V each when I pulled them).
They also weighed an absolute ton. My understanding is that batteries like these are recyclable, and some auto parts stores will even give you an in-store credit for bringing them in. I know the electrical system in the car works (everything light up, the main battery charger works, etc.) but the 50 year old wiring worries me, so I imagine I'll be changing a lot of it out. In terms of modernizing the electronics I'm thinking there are three key components to upgrade here: batteries, motor controller, and motor.
The batteries are a necessity because the old ones are toast. My dream would be ~50 miles of range out of a pack with modern battery tech, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for. I also know new battery chemistry means new battery charger (the old one seems comically simple).
Next up is the motor controller. The current "motor controller" is a combination of big relays and a big nichrome resistor that basically amounts to a three speed switch. I have a feeling this will work as a temporary solution but seems like a natural next step upgrade once I sort the batteries out.
Lastly the motor. If the current one is in good working order, I don't really see myself messing with it. An induction motor would be nice, but I don't think it justifies the hassle of swapping the motor. That being said I don't have a sense for the pros/cons of going induction over DC.
That's all for now. I'll be working on this tomorrow and I'll keep an eye on this thread. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated!