So I got this idea, what do you all think?

[maddog]

I did electric vehicles for about a dozen years. Started my own company, developed my own vehicle ground up, made vehicles, hired a CEO to run it. He needed more stock.... then more.... then he had control, layed me off, he lost the company to the investors, and got fired!

I lost out on everything but lesson learned.

Here is where you guys come in, what do you think about this?

Pick up mostly finished project cars ( chopped top mercs, chevys, fords, cool stuff) convert them to electric, filling the trunk and half the engine compartment with batteries and one big motor and controler plugged into the standard transmission (standard procedure when converting a car to electric) and sell it.

About 75 mph and 60 to 150 mile range depending on what type of batteries used.

Pennies per mile compaired to $4.00 plus a gallon of gas.

Lead Sled Inc. .com

What do you think?

 

[Unkl Ian]

Sounds real risky as a full time venture.
Plus the cars would be limited to local shows only.

 

[Bonehead]

Well, you know more about electric vehicles than I probably ever will. I always figured electrics had to be light weight. Sounds like a cool project.
I wonder if half of the attraction of owning a car like that is the sound of the engine, etc. Maybe you should look into track T style cars for this? I don't know.

 

[Unkl Ian]

Plus the cars would be limited to local shows only.

Anything further away,and you would have to trailer the car,
negating the fuel saving idea.

 

[LordMaximo]

Only problem.....the big3 are at each other and the over seas companies are at it aswell. Plus big brother has all sorts of hurdles to jump over once you start producing more then 1 car per month, or selling 5 cars per year. Then you are under another catagory and would be required by the autolaw to being able to pass all the hyped up auto restrictions in conversion of older rides.
It actually turns into a big mud pie and the local establishments are well into trying to rid the country of anything older then 10 years on the road.
I would say, try to pick up from when you got bounced out of the original setup, you might have a better chance at survival over the retro-fits to electric. By introducing a new concept EV to the market, it would actually force the big3 and others to come to you and try to buy you out, thus you gain more in the long run.
Good luckMaximo

 

[maddog]

All good points.
Most of city driving is under 60 miles per day.

I wouldnt think the person that would buy this car would be into car shows or the sound of open pipes, like you guys and I. I think the person that would want this car would be the guy or gal that allways wanted one but didnt make sense till now.

My electric vehicle mentor allways said "Electric vehicles is the perfect way to loose all your money" and he has been building, developing and racing electricle vehicles since the gas crunch in the 70's.

Soooo......... nevermind

I dont like electric vehicles anymore anyway, but I might build one for myself that I can drive when I am not working for cash to fill the tank on the thirsty 454 Topolino.

OK, so I got this other idea, you take a ...... and then you.....

 

[Tripper]

Work on it!

Madog,
U may sa well work on it because when gas get to $5 a gallon... lotta people mite change their minds!

I'm already startin' to build a 6-bang my own self!!! ; - >

BoB

 

[LordMaximo]

My associates and I have been working on 3 wheeled karts with motorcycle engines and 1 rear wheel drive units. We are using VW front clips with disc brakes, and anything from a kawi 1000cc to the Honda V6. Our next build is using the Suzuki 1100 shaft drive unit with an inline cockpit instead of side-by-side. Motorcycle driven karts can get up to 75mpg with the proper gear ratio.
My bigblocks and heavy trucks sit as lawn art for now

This is the route that will bring in fast money. A three wheeled comuter getting 50plus mpg, that can carry 2 persons and a small stow-a-way area. 1 wheel rear drive with two wheel steering is a very solid platform with great CG and balance. Soon enough, I will have a two person commuter before the summer is over with a nice composit body for weather.

Maximo

 

[dawg]

I know how to burn water...

 

[Willowbilly3]

Google Joe Cell or Joe energy cell. Amazing thing, runs on nothing

 

[hotrodron]

An electric car may not be a bad idea. However, I don't think that an electric powered rod or custom would be the way to go. They may appeal to a few, but I think most people who want to drive a vehicle like this take it out maybe on the weekends for a nice long drive and not as much as a daily driver for getting to work and back.

What about price and reliability? How much does it cost to replace all those batteries when they are no longer good, and how long do they last? What about servicing the vehicle? I don't think that many of us could trouble shoot and repair our electric car? Would you offer service to the vehicles as well?

I don't think an electric car is a bad idea, but maybe a gasoline/electric hybrid would work better. Something that could run on electricity until the batteries needed recharging, then the a small fuel efficient four cylinder engine could take over and power the car while re-charging the batteries?

 

[chopper tom]

Dont give up so quick now !I for one want to know more about this but can it be done in a lite little T-bucket typ car?[at least a two seater ]
I have been wanting to build a t- bucket with a four cyl in it for a while now and caint find a goo motor tranny to use yet[some thing thats not computer drivin? A carberated s-10 motor would work well ,i really want it to be simple to work on though.
I f you could build an electric a-model or t-model would be easy enough to sell ,as a matter a'fact i remember seeing an electric motor in a roadster in an issue of street roder some years back with a 5 speed tranny in it [and it would bun rubber too from what i remember!
I beleive that like it or not we will be driveing something other than gasoline powerd cars in the near futcher,i would rather it be some thing cool rather than the junky lookin stuff that they are geting ready to offer on the market,An electric 32 coupe would be way more apealing as a daily driver than the airplane lookwith no wings on itthat ive seen on tv.
And i couldnt afford it if i did like it.
I really like the idea of hydrogen and we can run it in our old motors too ,runs cooler and can still have glass packs or open exaust and not hurt the inviro ment either.If a lown mower can run on it than so can a 350 chevy!!!!!!
And i hate to say this but i have always loved riding a bicycle but the raods are fare too dangerous anymore ,i cant understand why the citys cant be made more bike frendly ???

 

[Cob]

I have toyed with a hybrid in ol skool format for years.

Actually have the complete drive unit out of a 12 volt forklift.

My interest is in avoiding over heating while waiting in line to get into car shows.

However backing up to the first beginning on the electric car. Where do you propose to get the electricity? Converting our transportation to electric would place HUGE loads on the electric grid.

Windmills? Thats laughable. We have been tilting at windmills for 25 years and they still produce less than 1% of our electricity and they have almost nil reliability at times of peak load.

 

[OldschoolJay]

solar seems the way to go, then you guys won't be stealing more hydro from us canucks.
LOL
i am building my 50 dodge truck with a 93 v6 right now.

 

[Cob]

I am fairly familiar with Hydro in North America.

America gets bashed for our excessive energy consumption but between USA and Canada we produce more renewable Hydro than an all the other nations combined.

Three Gorges might change that.

Few people realize that USA can buy Canadian Hydro kwhr's for less than we pay in subsidy for American Wind kwhr's

As I understand it Canada gets the short end of the stick as USA makes the bulk of the profit selling Canadian resources.

Heres a sobering statistic for all the "GREENS" All the hydro,Solar and wind together doesn't even equal the transmission losses associated with conventional power plants

 

[Perx Motorsports]

i am into a hybrid idea. i sold Toyota for a while and really liked the driveability and idea of the Prius (not so much the styling). that would really motivate a T w/ a big 4 and a hybrid drive.
or better yet for sales, build a diesel/elec. hybrid Ariel Atom-ish. but place the elec drive on the front wheels and the diesel drive on the rear wheels. suddenly you have a all wheel drive 1900 lb sports car w/ gobs of torque.
keep us posted.

 

[earthman]

I always wanted to try a small motor with a big flywheel and a torque converter. Oldtimers will remember friction motor toy cars. Friend had a heavy large scale toy car with soft tires and a big flywheel. By revving it to the max it would do a 3 wheel wheelie almost coming completely off the floor. A small motor could keep a flywheel turning high revs and a tc could tap the inertia only as needed.

 

[maddog]

Somebody built some busses for some big city a few years ago and they had flywheels in them. They were small diameter but spun at a bizzilion RPM's

I think the hybred idea is good.

Here is a hybred 3 wheeled stand up chariot we built about 5 years ago.
48volts electric motor and a 49cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine.
Total tire smoker. We showed it to the army and some Captian got on it and flipped it and broke his anckle. He was a good sport about it.

The thing was insane to ride.

 

[Cutman]

Ergo... the Volksrod... don't want to step on any ratrod purists (kind of an oxymoron if you ask me) toes but since you are participating in this thread you must be open minded. I am building my recent project for fuel economy factor... and I thought I could make it look good too. I will be under $2500 into the whole thing when done, haul my family of four, get 30-35mpg, and it sounds cool too.

More info on my project in my signature link...

 

[hotrodron]

That trike looks like a good time Maddog. You still got it?

Oh, and did I see you in the new issue of Traditional Rod & Kulture???