Electric Duster Project

Electrical Storm Is No More :(

2010-06-12T13:18:00.007-05:00

Without ceremony, Electrical Storm was put to rest today. Electrical Storm was a great idea whose time has passed. The battery pack was given a final charge, then all life support cables and control equipment was removed. The batteries have been put on Craigslist and will hopefully go to good homes, although they will likely not remain together as a pack. The motor, controller, and all other electrical conversion components were also put on Craigslist as a lot. If a suitable home cannot be found, items will have to be separated and relocated individually. Although it is a sad day, you can see in the following picture that the 1971 Plymouth Duster is feeling a lot lighter while awaiting the return of the internal combustion engine.

Update March 2010 - The End?

2010-03-31T19:34:00.003-05:00

Well, since my last blog post I have done absolutely nothing with the Electric Duster except for occasionally moving it around the driveway. The project got put on the back burner, and there it has remained, while my interests have changed. I am now considering ending the project all together. I have no room for it to just sit there and don't really have any desire to drive it regularly.

I would really like to sell it to someone who could benefit from what I have accomplished so far. But it would really need to go to someone who is mechanically and electrically able to work on it, if need be. I may try to put it on eBay or Craigslist in the near future just to see if anyone interested is out there. Even then, I don't think I could come close to recovering what I have spent on it.

It may be better for me to just put the 360 engine back in it and try to sell the batteries and EV components separately. Seems like decision time is getting close.

Update - June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T10:37:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all!

Wow, my last post was almost two months ago. It's definitely time to check in and write an update.

No, I haven't given up on the Duster. After about 9 or 10 months of focusing on nothing but this project, life has sort of caught up with me. I have been pretty busy the past couple of months taking care of MANY other household and career necessities that I had been neglecting. There is never enough time or energy to do everything I want/need to.

Also, I finally had to halt everything car-related and clean out my shop from top to bottom. I have collected so many projects and parts over the past few years that it was becoming nearly impossible to accomplish anything. I was getting seriously frustrated whenever I worked on something because I could never find what I needed - tools, parts, room to work. So, I have sold off a lot of unnecessary stuff and re-organized my workspace so now I can THINK clearly again and actually FIND things.

The Duster is "streetable" but has not left the driveway in quite some time. I am about ready to resume where I left off, especially now that gas prices are creeping up again. My next step is to finish installing the various meters I need to monitor the performance. At that time, I can complete the "fix" on the battery terminals. Then I will be ready for some serious street testing.

We're Number 1

2009-04-09T12:37:00.003-05:00

I'm picking up my replacement battery on the way to work today, so the Duster will be back on the road again tomorrow. In the mean time...

I have a "Ride Page" over at CarDomain.com. Rob Einaudi, Editor-In Chief of CarDomain, likes my car and has written about it several times on his site. The latest article is HERE.

A while back I was looking at the CarDomain categories that my Duster might fit into. Just for the fun of it, I put it into the "Green Machine" category. Today I noticed that we are the "TOP RIDE" in that category. Hey, that's pretty cool!

Another Setback

2009-04-05T15:08:00.003-05:00

Well, I certainly hate reporting the failures, but they are a part of the whole story of this conversion. Maybe the information will help someone else avoid some trouble. The first several mishaps were due to defective parts. The last two failures were totally my fault.

Yesterday during the test driving I smelled a slight burning smell. When I finished driving, I took a quick look around and checked the controller and contactor connections with my infrared thermometer. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary so I attributed the smell to just new parts "burning in". Today I was installing the new Link 10 meter and turned on the main contactor. I immediately heard a "snapping" noise in the trunk. I could also see the unmistakable blue flash of arcing, since there is no back seat in the car.

Upon opening the trunk, I found that one of the battery terminals had gotten so hot that it had melted the lead around the post. I assume this happened yesterday during my two miles of test driving. I am taking the blame for this because I have neglected to check the rear battery terminals for tightness in quite a while. After discovering this, I checked the other terminals on the rear battery pack and found a couple others that were somewhat loose. I believe this one just got too lose to handle all of the current. So I guess this means I'll have to replace the battery since the threads on the post got messed up as well. This is another lesson learned.

On The Road Again

2009-04-04T19:22:00.002-05:00

I welded and installed the motor coupling adapter today. Then I put the car all back together and did some more successful test driving. I'm still unwilling to stray too far from home until I am certain of its reliability, but I easily got her up to 40 mph in second gear.

Back From The Machine Shop

2009-03-25T11:59:00.005-05:00

After the motor coupling failure, I designed an adaptor plate and had a local machine shop make it out of steel. Now I can weld the steel hub to the adaptor plate and bolt the whole assembly to the coupling using grade 8 bolts.

Update On Mechanical Failure

2009-03-19T17:01:00.003-05:00

I was able to remove the back half of the motor coupling by removing the transmission. It was not too bad of a job and only took about an hour. I confirmed that the weld was indeed the culprit. I have come up with a couple of options which I will look into tomorrow.

Mechanical Failure - I'm Still Learning

2009-03-19T10:17:00.006-05:00

In yet another plot twist, the EV Duster has suffered a mechanical failure. I was working on testing a throttle limitation circuit to keep the car from lurching so much in reverse. I was trying different resistor values and test driving the car forward then reverse in the driveway when something in the driveline snapped. Upon inspection I discovered that the weld holding the machined clutch disk center to the Lovejoy motor coupling broke.
Well it didn't actually break. It just separated from the Lovejoy coupling. I was quick to blame my amateur welding skills for this failure. However, I have discovered that the failure is much more than that.

Doing some investigation, I have learned that the coupling is made of "sintered' iron. After reading up on sintered iron and calling the Lovejoy factory, I have learned that sintered iron cannot be welded. I guess I was lucky that my weld held as long as it did - perhaps a tribute to my superior welding skills :).

So this is a "design" problem which I am going to have to re-think. The Lovejoy factory told me that a steel version of the coupling "may" be available but at about 5 times the cost. That is prohibitive at this point. Apparently the sintered coupling can be drilled and tapped, so maybe I can fabricate a splined clutch disk center that I can bolt to the coupling. I'll have to think about this a while.

One small step back

2009-03-16T18:25:00.009-05:00

I decided to take a step backward today. When I originally installed the motor controller, I forgot to take into account the cooling fans that mount on top of it. I realized some months ago that the fans sat up too high for the hood to close, so I left them off. With all of the other issues I had to deal with, I put off deciding how to remedy this until today.

Today I moved the circuit breaker and controller over toward the middle of the car. In fact, I ended up repositioning just about everything on the control board. The end result is that I now have plenty of clearance for the fans and room for the control relays that I will be installing.

Dash To The Finish

2009-03-15T14:27:00.007-05:00

The last step in completing the tachometer project was hooking the signal wire into my dash tach. I needed to remove the dash to accomplish this. I also needed to make a few other repairs and modifications to my dash. This actually turned out to be a pretty big project.
First, I removed the old fuel and oil pressure gauges. In addition, I relabeled the water temperature guage to read "CNTRLR". I ran a sensor wire to the controller and was hoping to use the old water temperature sender to pick up the controller temperature. (So far, it is reading way too high so I will need to play with the sensor a bit more.)

I then added indicator LEDs in the dash for the main contactor status, the controller cooling fans, and the throttle control circuit that I will be adding to allow slower throttle response. I also added switches under the dash for the controller fans and throttle control circuit.

In addition to adding indicators to the dash, I picked up a few circuits at the dash that will be needed for the various controls and brought them out to the control board under the hood.
Before I knew it, I had run quite a few new wires. I finally hooked everything back up to the dash and reinstalled it. I then tested everything including the tach. Finally, I tucked all of the loose wires under the hood and test drove the car to make sure everything still works as it should. Now I can work on completing the necessary control circuits.

Tach Attack (The Final Chapter)

2009-03-09T02:03:00.010-05:00

I originally figured out the basics of how I was going to get a signal from the motor to my in-dash digital tachometer back in October. That post is here. I promised a "final chapter" so here it is.

I have now implemented that plan and have a working tach. I first decided to make life easy and pulled 9 batteries out of the front of the car. This gave me good access to the front of the motor.

The pieces I used to generate the tach signal were all removed from a 70's era Mopar distributor that I had in my stash of Muscle Car parts. This was the easiest and cheapest solution to the problem, since a distributor similar to this one was successfully generating the tach signal while the internal combustion engine was in the car. Figuring out how it did that was actually pretty simple.

I just replicated the sensor configuration from inside the distributor onto the front motor shaft. Proper alignment was pretty critical here so I am glad I took the time and effort to remove some batteries. One modification I had to make was to grind off four of the teeth from the sensor gear.

This was necessary because the gear originally generated 8 pulses per revolution of the distributor. An internal combustion engine has two revolutions per one revolution of the distributor. Therefore, four pulses equates to one revolution of the engine (or electric motor). The gear also needed to be bored out slightly to fit on the motor shaft.

Once the sensor unit was satisfactorily mounted, I connected it to the original ECU (electronic control unit). This unit was necessary to properly process the pulses generated by the sensor into something able to be read by the tachometer.

Of course I wanted to test it before lifting 600 pounds of batteries back into the car. I disconnected the motor from the controller and hooked up a 12 volt car battery to it - the same way I originally tested the motor. I connected a spare tachometer to my accessory 12v battery.

The test was a success. All I have to do now is run the sensor wire to the in-dash tach.

Pedal To The Metal (Not Quite)

2009-03-09T01:12:00.005-05:00

My stock accelerator pedal is used to control motor speed via a potentiometer, commonly referred to as a throttle box (seen here after the recent fire). I inadvertently discovered that my accelerator pedal was not transferring full range of motion to my throttle box. During my earlier resto-mod of the Duster, I had purchased some thick, custom "Mopar" floor mats. I had these out of the car when I originally installed and tested the throttle box.

Sometime later, I put the floor mats back into the car. I didn't even think twice about sliding the mat under the accelerator pedal the way it was designed to fit - not realizing that it was impeding full travel of the throttle box lever. This means that my recent test drives were all done using about 3/4 of the available throttle travel! Wow, I was pretty satisfied with the performance of the car during my test drives. Now that I have removed the thick floor mat enabling full throttle travel, I expect performance will be even better. Cool!

What's Left?

2009-03-07T05:25:00.004-06:00

I am definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The satisfactory completion of this project finally seems within my grasp, barring any unforeseen occurrences. So what is left to do?

Install tach sensor unit to front motor shaft and wire to dash gauge.
Install temperature sensor on motor controller and wire to dash gauge.
Install dash indicator light to show when main contactor #2 is engaged.
Install and wire two 12 volt controller cooling fans.
Wire up safety interlock relays for high voltage power up (foot brake ON & emergency brake OFF). (Also, emergency brake ON = high voltage power off.)
Install automatic/manual switch to insert resistor in parallel with throttle circuit. (will make backing up less jerky and allow smooth very slow forward speed if necessary).
install and wire 26 digital volt meters to monitor individual batteries.
Rework or rebuild battery restraint system to keep high voltage pack isolated from the car chassis.
Reinstall and program Link 10 battery monitor.
Construct a dedicated 20 amp cable for either 120 or 240 volt charger input.

Xantrex Link 10 Meter Problem Solved

2009-03-07T01:02:00.002-06:00

I decided to quit waiting around for Xantrex to contact me about my broken meter and gave their tech support line a call Thursday. I must say that they worked very hard to take care of my issue. The problem is that the Link 10 is no longer made - or replaced - or repaired. There are no longer any in stock at Xantrex. In addition, there is no equivalent meter being made, since the Link 10 is the only meter able to measure more than about 36 volts because it uses a pre-scaler. In other words, there is no other meter like it; and it has been discontinued.

To make a long story short, Xantrex told me that if I found a distributor somewhere that still had one in stock, they (Xantrex) would try to trade the distributor a more expensive Xantrex product for the Link 10. I was lucky enough after an online search and several phone calls to locate Marysville Marine in Tennesee. They still had a Link 10 in stock and were very easy to work with. They were receptive to Xantrex's proposal and my replacement meter will be sent out from Marysville Marine on Monday.

So at least for the time being, I will not have to re-think or re-wire my instrumentation. Hopefully this meter works and will never need replaced.

Progress

2009-03-05T14:54:00.006-06:00

I worked on correcting a few issues today. I pulled the right rear tire and bent the wheel well lip in a bit - tire rubbing problem solved. Gaining front wheel clearance was a bit more difficult. First, I cranked up the torsion bars to raise the front end a little. Then I pulled both front wheels and took a sawzall and die grinder to the battery support braces. That solved the turning clearance problem.
Next, I took the old gas filler tube, cut off the end where the gas cap mounts, and welded on a couple of small tabs to mount the charger plug. Now the plug is hidden nicely behind the gas cap.

More Success! Plus Video!!!

2009-03-04T17:48:00.005-06:00

I put the Duster through some more strenuous testing today and it performed very well. More about that in a moment.

I suffered a small setback the other day before my first test drive. My Link-10 meter broke before I even got to use it. I spent $339 on this wonderful piece of equipment (with accessories) to monitor everything about my battery pack and the car's performance (volts, amps, amp hours consumed, KWH, time remaining). I even built a cute little console (with cup holder) to house the instrument.

After it broke (for no apparent reason) I did a little checking in the on-line forums and discovered that it is pretty common for these to break or lock up - even by just putting power to them in a way they "don't like". Great, more stuff learned the hard way! Well, I really need to monitor the performance of the battery pack, especially during testing, so I can tell how hard I am pushing it. So I thought I might just purchase a replacement to use while I send this one back to get repaired. I went on-line to check prices only to find out that the Link-10 has been discontinued as of about a week ago. Yes, this is exactly how I have come to EXPECT things to go on this project. I have contacted the company on-line for product support but have not heard back from them yet. See one of my older posts for my rant about the lack of customer service I have experienced during this whole endeavor. I don't think I will hold my breath. I do think I will have to come up with something different for instrumentation.

Anyway, I decided to go ahead with the test driving without metering anything. I just won't be able to push it to the limits until I solve the instrumentation problems. Today, I drove up and down my street more aggressively and even took it around the block. I probably put a total of about 2 miles on it, reaching a speed of about 38 mph. Each successful drive boosts my confidence in the controller a little more. Although I still have visions of it exploding.

What I noticed during the test drives:

Acceleration is not near as good as it was with the 360 cid V8 I replaced. (Ha, no surprise there).
Shifting is natural and easy without the clutch, as expected.
It accelerates from a stop best in first gear. I had actually expected second gear to be best because of the motor torque curve. I guess the extra weight of the car overcomes the instant torque.
One rear tire rubs on the wheel well lip. This is an easy fix with a hammer.
The front battery rack supports rub the front tires when turning full in either direction. This is an easy fix with a grinder.
There is quite a bit of rattling - probably because the steel battery restraints are still loose from temporarily addressing the problem of pack voltage leaking to the car chassis.
I do not yet have a feel for how fast it will go. I need a tach and an ammeter before I push it much harder.
I do not yet have a feel for how far it will go. The short drives I have made did not use much of the battery capacity, which seems to bode well for the range.
Braking is very good. I did not really "feel" the extra weight - even when braking hard.

SUCCESS!

2009-02-26T16:44:00.003-06:00

The new motor controller is installed and the road test has been successful!

I first put the car on jack stands and did extensive "driveway" testing. I ran through all of the gears numerous times, including reverse. I took it up to 55 mph on the speedometer and held it there for a while. I did numerous shut-downs and component inspections.

I was satisfied with the results so I took the car out on the street. I didn't push it too hard but I put on about a mile going to the corner and back several times, as I didn't want to have to push it too far if it failed again. On the final run, I quickly went through all the gears and got it up to 28mph before letting off.

Not wanting to spoil this long-awaited successful moment, I decided to call it a day at this point and parked the car. I then did a final check for excessive heat on the components and connections, which all looked good.

If you've read the posts leading up to this one, you have a sense of how much this success means to me at this point. Rather than chance ruining the moment, when I was finished checking everything I PUSHED the car the final 10 feet into the shop. LOL

More rigorous testing will follow. However, the weather is turning colder again and I have to return to work tomorrow, so I may savor this success for a week or so before I do any more driving :)

Controller Update

2009-01-29T18:40:00.002-06:00

I spoke with Jim, the owner of LogiSystems this afternoon and thoroughly discussed my controller issue. First I will say that Jim has always been very polite, straight forward, and accessible through all of their problems. I have also heard this same thing from quite a few others who have called him about their failed controllers. I truly believe that he has the same goal as I do, which is to have a working controller in my car. I feel no need to be irate with him over this situation.

He did a post-mortem on my controller and found that it had a catastrophic failure. Duh! He said that it was the most badly damaged controller he has seen, even among the ones they have deliberately failed as test units. He did learn that the control board that was the source of the prior LogiSystems problems had not failed - which is a bit of good news I guess. He said that about 100 defective controllers had been repaired with no failures except mine. I have heard of no other failures and several other successes with the repaired controllers, so I do believe him. My controller was too badly damaged to know exactly what went wrong, but he said it looked like a direct short of full battery voltage/amperage across the main busses - which should be impossible in the controller.

At his request, I had also sent him a copy of my wiring diagram. He said the diagram was great and we discussed several aspects of my wiring with respect to how the controller works. We agreed that there should be no reason for this type of failure due to my wiring. So the end result is that we really have no idea what actually went wrong - not such good news. I was hoping for a definitive answer to this problem.

At this point, my thought is that if mine is the only repaired controller that failed, that is only a 1 percent failure rate among the prior defectives, and a much lower failure rate among all controllers they have shipped. This failure rate can probably be expected. I am going to assume that I am just the unlucky bastard who got a bad component or some other unfortunate defect with the last controller. I will further assume that the replacement unit will work as expected. I requested last week that they upgrade my controller to a 750 amp version, which they did and it was shipped out today.

So, I will put on my steel underwear and give Logisystems another try. Perhaps I should sell tickets this time and make an event out of it. In addition to getting my fire extinguisher refilled, I should probably pick up a fire suit and helmet for the next test drive.

FAIL

2009-01-23T14:54:00.003-06:00

LogiSystems controller #2 blew up causing a small fire. There was no damage to the car or other components.

Honestly, I don't even know what to say at this point. Words cannot adequately express the array of emotions I am feeling. After all of the hard work, long hours and money I have spent on this project, all I have built is "character" - which is precisely what I need to rely on at this moment.

I Have Control

2009-01-21T15:56:00.004-06:00

Two months to the day after blowing up my LogiSystems motor controller, the repaired unit has finally returned to me. In recent conversations with LogiSystems and in the blogosphere, I have heard of no failures and a couple of successes with the latest round of repaired controllers, which is certainly encouraging. Hopefully all of the company's controller issues have been worked out and I can now get the Duster on the road to do some serious test driving.
I have to work the last of 7 midnight shifts tonight and then have several days off. The weather will be warm tomorrow so I plan to reinstall the controller and see what happens.

End of Year Update

2008-12-31T00:58:00.004-06:00

As 2008 comes to a close I am still in waiting mode. The Duster is sitting in my shop without a motor controller while I work on other projects around the house. Granted, I have not been extremely motivated to work on automotive projects since the coldness of Winter has set in.

I have heard that LogiSystems recently had a " breakthrough" in diagnosing and repairing their controller design. I have spoken with them a couple of times in the past two weeks, and it seems that they have returned to production mode. I have not heard of anyone getting their repaired controller back yet, so have no reports about the effectiveness of the repairs. I am supposed to find out next week exactly when mine will be repaired and returned to me.

Even though I have a new Curtis controller at the ready, I am content for the time being to wait a while longer to see how the LogiSystems situation plays out. If that is not resolved by the time the weather starts to warm up, I will rewire, install the Curtis and continue on from there. In the mean time, I continue to plan for the eventual testing of the Duster, and applying what I've learned to the next, even greater, EV project.

Update II - Saw The Writing On The Wall

2008-12-09T07:48:00.003-06:00

Judging by other peoples' experiences, LogiSystems controllers obviously still have problems. Even if I get mine back in the near future, I don't feel like I will be able to put much trust in it. I decided to bite the bullet and spend another $1700 to get a more reliable Curtis 144 volt controller. Thinking that with this latest news about LogiSystems there might now be a rush of people trying to grab the few Curtis 144 volt controllers that are readily available, I purchased mine online last night. I have since gotten confirmation that it will be shipped today.

This opens a whole new chapter in the story of the Electric Duster. I now will have to remove two batteries to make it 144 volts. I honestly do not know if that voltage will be able to deliver the top speed I was shooting for in my heavy car. At least I will be removing 130 pounds of battery weight. And, at least I will be able to get the car on the road. Who knows how long I would be waiting if I held out for LogiSystems.

This change entails a little rewiring of course. In addition, I will have to adjust the voltage of my battery charger. I'm so glad I went with the Manzanita Micro charger that would allow me to adapt to a different battery pack.

Update: Good News & Bad News

2008-12-08T18:33:00.003-06:00

The good news is that replacing the $15 fuse in my battery charger has fixed the problem. My battery pack is now fully charged and waiting.

The bad news is that at least two repaired LogiSystems controllers just sent back to other people have already failed. This does not sound good for my controller. I NEVER would have thought that my project - so close to being finished - would be halted by lack of an available working 156 volt motor controller. I am very disappointed to say the least.

Excellent Timing

2008-12-06T08:21:00.005-06:00

I thought that this graph was a very interesting commentary on the way things happen for me. Crude oil prices, and thus gasoline prices, have undergone a historic tumble since I got fed up and and motivated to undertake the challenge of converting a car to electric. Interestingly, after I invest in a stock, the chart looks alarmingly similar. When I purchase a house, the same chart could be titled 'Real Estate Values'. How about 'Collector Car Values'? Same chart!

Smart people would be wise to do the OPPOSITE of what I do. Perhaps I should publish a newsletter: 'What Bruce is Investing in Now', so that people could profit from doing the opposite of what I do. Hmmm.

In all seriousness, I am still 100% committed to this project and the idea of electric vehicles in general. Although my primary reason for doing this conversion was financial in the beginning, my motivation has become so much more. Now it is mostly about accomplishment and FREEDOM. Even though oil prices are comparatively low right now, does anyone really doubt that the price will someday (probably sooner rather than than later) be as high or higher than it was last July? I want to be free from having pay whatever price I am TOLD to pay because I can't live without it.

We have to remember what killed off the electric car the last time there was enough incentive and motivation to develop and sell or purchase one. Oil prices became astonishingly low and the market for alternative modes of transportation and energy disappeared. People have such short memories! It makes one wonder if the current low oil prices are really a form of CONTROL to once again kill off the competition and keep us completely addicted to oil. I don't believe that this concept is outside of the realm of possibility. Other types of businesses have done it in the past.

Well, I for one vow to NOT forget this time. I want to end my addiction to oil, and quit providing support for all of the world turmoil that that addiction perpetuates. Therefore, smart people, the first edition of my hypothetical newsletter will be entitled 'Bruce Is Investing In ANOTHER Electric Vehicle When The Duster Is Complete'! If you like the uniqueness and coolness of this project, just wait until you see the next one. Stay tuned!

Welcome December!

2008-12-01T16:09:00.002-06:00

This month is beginning on a good note (aside from receiving the first snow of the season this morning). I spoke to Rich Rudman, the owner of Manzanita Micro. He had me pull the cover off of my charger and test a couple things.

Visible at the bottom left is the internal fuse that was referred to in the charger documentation. That is blown, which I was fairly certain would be. However, Rich told me the fuse is basically only to protect against a fire from (idiots) wiring it backwards. The charger circuitry is protected by an expensive power diode which, if blown would have to be replaced at the factory and cost about $250. After verifying the fuse was blown, Rich had me test the diode. This passed the test! It was like finding out from your doctor that the suspicious lump that grew on your body is not cancerous.

Rich said not to feel bad about hooking it up backwards - he gets four or five a year back because of that. I did not suggest that maybe it's because you have to look so hard in all of the documentation to find the wiring instructions. No, I just considered myself lucky that my stupidity is only going to cost me $15 and a few days instead of much more - at least this time.

November Sucked!

2008-11-30T14:30:00.004-06:00

The month of November began with me working very hard to get the Duster ready to test drive. For some reason, things started to turn against me.

First I discovered that one of my main contactors was defective. Because of the slow response from the vender it took quite a while just to purchase a replacement. I still have not heard anything back on the defective one I returned to them.

After I installed the replacement contactor, I encountered the perplexing problem of voltage from my 156 volt battery pack finding its way into the chassis of the car. It took a full day to finally diagnose and rectify that little issue. The cause was my steel battery restraints that I had worked extremely long and hard to fabricate and install. I removed most of them to alleviate the problem but will still have to correct them in the future.

So I finally got to a point where I was satisfied that everything was working correctly and safely, and took my first test drive. Of course that is the day I discovered (with a bang) that LogiSystems had been sending out defective controllers. That unit has been sent back to LogiSystems but I am still uncertain if they have corrected the issue with their product that precipitated this disaster. I have made no decision yet as to how to proceed. Rather than spend another $1600, I am giving LogiSystems a little time to make things right if they can.

If November wasn't bad enough already, I capped the month off with a mistake purely of my own making. I had already connected my Manzanita Micro battery charger but had never used it. Being in 'waiting mode' I wanted to at least charge my battery pack. I plugged it into a 120 volt outlet and the charger came alive. However it wasn't putting out any voltage.

In trying to diagnose the problem, I wanted to verify that I had at least connected it correctly. I went through all of my documentation and absolutely could not find any paperwork or instructions on which DC wire was which. I had connected it a while back and could not remember why I connected it the way I did. Even though I had already downloaded several files pertaining to this charger, not one of them instructed which DC wire was positive and which was negative.

I had to go online again and find and download another file at the Manzanita Micro website. Then I had to find a way to open the file since my computer did not have Microsoft Word installed on it. Finally, after quite some time I found what I suspected. Yup, I had connected the DC leads backwards. In this installation file, I also found the words "...something will be destroyed in either the car or the charger. The charger warranty does not cover this installation error".

Oh crap! I have been so careful and deliberate on this project, I don't know HOW I could have made such an idiotic mistake.

Of course my phone call and email to Manzanita Micro have not yet been returned, since this occurred on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Interestingly, I also found this on the newly downloaded installation and setup file: "The charger is protected from reverse polarity installation by an internal fuse". Hmmm, that's kind of contradictory to their prior statement of "something will be destroyed". Maybe what it means is that I have to send it back to them, wait weeks and spend hundreds of dollars for them to replace an internal fuse!

I'm so glad this is the last day of November. I am not going anywhere near the damn car today.

Update on Failed Controller Problem

2008-11-24T11:33:00.003-06:00

I am faced with a few choices to get the Duster back on the road.

Stick with LogiSystems and hope they can send me a working controller
Purchase a Kelly controller rated for 156 volts
Remove 2 batteries and purchase the industry standard Curtis 144 volt controller

Choices #2 and #3 would cost me over $1500. Choice #1 may never occur.

I called LogiSystems Controllers this morning. I was told that they have a redesigned board that they are currently testing. If testing is successful, they will have more of the boards produced and repairs to defective controllers will be their first priority. Repairs will consist of putting entirely new components into the existing case and should take 2 weeks.

I did hear from another source that LogiSystems has been trying to solve controller "issues" for over a year. Still, because of the amount of money involved, at this moment I am inclined to wait at least until I find out how the testing goes at Logisystems before spending another chunk of cash.

I guess I can wait a few weeks. There is no real reason I need the car on the road at this time. Winter is almost upon us so I would not likely be driving it too much. In addition, I still have other work to do on the car to complete the conversion.

I drove my EV Duster for the first time today...then...

2008-11-21T16:08:00.006-06:00

KABOOM!

I hadn't planned on test driving the car today. However, this morning after I hooked up the Link-10 meter and finished all of the testing I wanted to do, I had some extra time and enthusiasm before work. So I thought "What the hell".

The first clue that something might go wrong was when I tried to pre-charge the capacitors in the motor controller. This is done by connecting a resistor of some kind across the contactor to let a limited amount of current slowly charge the capacitors - as opposed to sending a large inrush of current at them by stepping on the throttle. Many people use a standard light bulb for this, which is what I used today. However it did not work as planned. The light bulb is supposed to light and slowly go out as the charge current decreases. My light bulb stayed lit. Hmmm.

I have been very cautious with this project and I continued that approach today. For the first test of the motor, controller and drive train at 160 volts I jacked the rear wheels off the ground. I went ahead and switched on the main contactor, energizing the controller. I lightly stepped on the accelerator pedal and everything worked as expected. Exciting!

Well, there was nothing left to do at that point but take it for a drive. I pulled the jack out of the way, jumped in and put her in reverse. The throttle was a little touchy - as I had been told to expect. It took very little pressure on the pedal to get the car moving. I got the feel of it right away as I backed into the street. I put the 3-speed manual transmission into second gear and pulled slowly forward. Everything was very smooth. It felt just like driving the Duster as before. I drove slowly about 50 yards to the neighbors house, pulled into their driveway and turned around. I again put it into second gear and drove back to my house. At that point, I shut everything down and proceeded to check everything. I used my infrared thermometer to check for anything abnormally hot. All appeared fine.

I then took a short break and contemplated parking the car so I could get ready for work. But the lure of a more rigorous test drive got to me. So OK, one more drive and then I'll park it for the day. I backed out of the driveway and headed down the street. I accelerated more on this drive, smoothly hitting 26 MPH before letting off. I coasted to a stop in another neighbor's driveway a few houses down the street.

At this point came another clue that all was not well. A strange noise emanated from under the hood. The best I can describe it is that it sounded like cards dragging against a bicycle spoke. I went ahead and backed out of the driveway and headed back toward my house. I stepped on the pedal but there was noticeably less acceleration than before. My first thought was that the batteries had run too low - although they had a 70% charge when I began this excursion. I stepped a little further on the accelerator pedal - still sluggish. Then I pushed down a little further and BANG! I felt something hit the firewall or the underside of the car, and heard something hit the pavement as the car slowed to a stop.

I immediately thought that it was a mechanical failure. In fact, I thought my motor-to-transmission coupling had broken. I got out and walked back to see what had fallen off of the car. All that was in the street was a 2 inch by 3 inch piece of thick green plastic. Hmmm. I have been over every inch of this car and I have never seen anything like that on it. I almost tossed it, but decided to hang onto it just in case.

When I walked back to the car I detected the distinctive smell of an electrically burned (or burning) device. Again, hmmmm.

I popped the hood to take a look, prepared to do battle with flames. (BTW, I had taken my fire extinguisher with me). I didn't have to look too hard to find that the end of the motor controller case - the end facing the firewall - had blown completely out. Interestingly, the fragments of the end piece that were remaining in the car were a thick green plastic material. So that mystery was solved. I am guessing that the cards-against-spokes sound was high-amperage arcing inside the controller before it blew up.

In a way, I was relieved to find that it was a component failure instead of something that I had installed incorrectly or wired wrong. That sense of relief quickly faded however.

Earlier this week I had tried to examine the tiny adjustment screws inside the controller case - just for future reference. I wasn't able to see any adjustment screws so I gave Steve Clunn from Grassroots EV a call, as I had purchased my motor and controller from them. (BTW, Steve and his partner Jon Hallquist have always been very accessible and helpful.) During that conversation Steve told me that they had been experiencing a very high failure rate with these Logisystems controllers. In fact, it had been so extensive that Grassroots had stopped selling Logisystems.

Upon speaking with both Steve and Jon after my controller failure today, I found out the true extent of the problem with Logisystems. Logisystems are in a mess. No new controllers are being shipped out. Many of the ones they previously shipped have blown up. They produced an upgraded controller that had a higher failure rate than the one it replaced. Failed controllers are not being fixed and sent back. Logisystems has apparently been full of promises but has not delivered on any. At least one customer has filed suit against them.

This isn't good. The reason I purchased the Logisystems in the first place was that they were the only controller in this price range advertising a unit good for 156 volts. With my heavy conversion I wanted to stay with 156 volts. Now I have the distinct feeling that I will never see a repaired controller if I send this one back to Logisystems. Grassroots will not/cannot refund my $1345.00. I am currently sorting out my options.

The one positive thing about today is that I now know I have an electric vehicle ready to roll if I can come up with a motor controller.

Encountered an Interesting Problem

2008-11-19T17:43:00.005-06:00

Today I was planning to take my first electric test drive. In preparation for that, I began final testing of everything as I powered up the system. At some point I realized that the battery pack voltage was somehow getting into the chassis of the vehicle. The battery pack is completely isolated from the car so that is not supposed to happen. I stopped the testing and went about trying to solve this problem.

After spending quite a bit of time disconnecting all of the likely suspects - battery charger, DC-DC converter etc. - I was still unable to discover how the battery pack voltage was getting to the chassis.

Finally I remembered something that I had read awhile back. Sometimes a light coating of electrolyte on the top of the batteries will provide a path for battery current to get to the automobile frame. I tried cleaning the top of the front battery pack with baking soda and water. Although that didn't solve the problem, I saw fluctuations in the wayward voltage. From that I correctly surmised that my battery restraints were the culprits. Because of the obstructions on the ends of the batteries, I had run the steel very close to the cells on the front batteries. Recently I had noticed some corrosion starting to occur, even though I had coated them with rubberized undercoating. This was enough to conduct electricity to the steel restraints.

I completely removed the restraints and the problem was solved. WELL ALMOST. When I reconnected the rear battery pack to the system, half of the voltage was again making it into the vehicle chassis. So it was coming from the rear battery pack as well as the front. The rear restraints were constructed in a completely different way and were nowhere close to the cell openings.

I couldn't figure out where the electricity was making it to the chassis, but it was nearly the full voltage of the rear pack. To isolate the problem I had to remove all of the cables and reinstall them one-by-one while testing the voltage to the car chassis. Finally, I traced the problem to just one battery. Upon close inspection I found a small area of corrosion on the restraint at that battery.

I hit that area with some water and baking soda, which altered the wayward voltage. This confirmed that it was the problem area. I removed the bolts securing the restraint and lifted it up off the battery. The voltage to the chassis went to zero. Problem solved.

So, even though the problem has been diagnosed and solved for the time being, it demonstrates that my battery restraints are going to be a problem. This will undoubtedly happen again, so I am going to have to figure out a better way to restrain the batteries to keep this issue from reoccurring.

Emergency Shutoff, Link 10 Meter

2008-11-19T17:27:00.004-06:00

Today I made a bracket and installed a choke pull cable as an emergency main breaker shutoff. This is just one of a few safety features in the event of some kind of a failure while driving.

I also ran the wires for the Link-10 meter that will monitor performance of the battery pack. The meter mounts in a little console I built a couple of months ago. The console also features a big tricked-out cup holder for a very large soft drink, which all of my other vehicles lack.

Update

2008-11-18T17:04:00.007-06:00

I've been making slow progress over the past few days on preparation for the big road test.

To modify the 12 volt switching control, I had to add a relay and do a little rewiring to the three that I had already installed under the dash.

I have installed most of the under hood 12 volt and 156 volt wiring. I still need to install three safety interlock relays and make the wiring all neat and pretty, but will do that after the test drive.

I have installed and wired up the battery charger. I still have to mount the input connector but will also do that after the testing is complete. I have an interesting idea on how to accomplish this.

I have mounted and wired a small 12 volt 'system' battery. This is really only used to power the system when the battery pack is disconnected. When the battery pack is connected, a DC to DC converter is used to obtain system voltage

I have mounted two 12 volt cooling fans on top of the motor controller. I had forgotten about these when I planned the control layout. Unfortunately, using the standoffs provided with the fans, they sat too high for the hood to close. I am going to solve this problem by mounting the fans at an angle.

Armed and Dangerous

2008-11-10T17:20:00.003-06:00

I crimped on 21 lugs today and finally got the batteries all wired up. They have held a pretty good charge in the 2½ months since I purchased them. The only high voltage wiring left to complete are the two cables going from the controller to the motor.

I also received and replaced the defective contactor today, so the 12 volt control wiring is just about ready to go. In fact it's almost time for the big road test. After testing, I have lots more to wire up such as the charger, all of the metering and the safety interlock relays. I will also need to perform the adjustment procedure on the motor controller to optimize performance.

Back to Front

2008-11-10T09:17:00.016-06:00

I wanted a safe way to get the two 2/0 cables from the rear battery pack to tie into the front battery pack. Just like seemingly everything else on this project, this became a time consuming little task. I didn't want the high voltage running through the passenger compartment. However, I didn't want to just dangle the cables under the car either.

So I fell back on my experience as an electrician oh-so-many years ago and ran a 1¼ pvc conduit under the car.

I used my plasma cutter to make a nice round hole for the pvc male adapter to go up through the floor behind where the back seat used to reside.

An LB fitting enabled me to bend the cables in a tight 90° turn.

Of course everything I do on this project ends up needing a fancy bracket or something fabricated. All it takes is a welder, a grinder, and lots of time.

I used a 90° sweep to run the cables up into the engine compartment - oops, MOTOR compartment

The cables terminate into an Anderson Connector so that the rear battery pack can safely be disconnected from the system if necessary.

Making Cables

2008-11-03T20:42:00.002-06:00

I now have a 72 volt battery pack in the rear of the car. I'm still not quite half done making cables.

A Rant

2008-11-03T16:14:00.004-06:00

I almost made it all the way through this project without bringing this up, but my attempt today to obtain a replacement contactor has convinced me that this must be said.

EV conversion parts suppliers - as a group - are the WORST people I have ever encountered to do business with . I have done a lot of different things in my long life, and I have never run across an industry with customer service this TERRIBLE.

Sure, it is supposedly a fledgling industry and they got overwhelmed when gas prices skyrocketed. But gas prices have been falling since July, and are now less than half of what they peaked at. Surely these companies have fewer customers by now. However, there is apparently still no customer service.

I have NEVER sent so many unanswered or slowly answered emails. I have NEVER made so many calls to businesses that just go to answering machines. I have NEVER left so many 'detailed messages' without receiving so much as a call in return. There are a few notable exceptions, but by and large this industry is full of parts suppliers that

do not stock the items they sell
require full payment up front for even long-lead-time and expensive items
do not answer phones
do not return calls
do not answer emails
do not provide necessary information for customers

Because of this constant difficulty, I would have to think seriously about ever doing another conversion. If gas remains this cheap or continues to fall, many of these no-service suppliers are going to have to find another business to be bad at.

Hit a Small Snag

2008-11-03T16:08:00.003-06:00

In wiring up the control system, I discovered that one of my main contactors is defective. I received these about two months ago and never thought to test them - didn't think I had to. This is a bummer, man. Hopefully I will have a replacement by this coming weekend.

Wiring the 12 Volt System

2008-11-03T15:26:00.008-06:00

After surviving a short period of being low on motivation, I finally started wiring up the 12 volt portion of the car. It's good to see the gauges and lights working again. It's like the car is coming back alive.

By the way, this is not your typical 1971 Duster. Besides the digital dash, I have installed my own version of a keyless ignition system. Bringing a specific RFID key fob close to the hidden sensor turns on the 12 volt power (obtained from a small battery). Pushing the button behind the flasher switch energizes the first main contactor and turns on the tiny pilot LED that I mounted in the flasher switch handle. This switch powers up the DC-DC converter which keeps my small 12 volt lawn mower 'system battery' charged off of the 156 volt traction battery pack. It also pre-charges the capacitors in the DC motor controller.

The original ignition switch has been removed. In its place I installed a tiny red momentary pushbutton. This pushbutton will control a set of relays that energize the second main contactor. This switch is pushed when you are ready to travel. For safety, this set of relays will not turn on the contactor unless the accelerator pedal is all the way up, the foot brake is on, and the emergency brake is off.

A small momentary pushbutton mounted behind the ashtray door is the system 'kill switch' that shuts down all 12 volt 'control' power, thus also opening the main contactors. There will also be an emergency 'kill switch' that physically attaches a control wire to the circuit breaker handle. This can be pulled in an emergency to immediately cut off all high voltage/amperage power to the motor and controller from the driver's seat.

Lugs: Crimping vs. Soldering

2008-10-29T09:57:00.012-05:00

This in not a how-to, it's a how-I-do. If you are planning to do an EV, you should decide which method is right for you. Since this subject has been discussed quite a bit in EV forums, I am going to show how I decided to do my 2/0 cable lugs. I was planning to solder them. There is a great tutorial for that method located here.

But there are some who caution against soldering larger lugs such as this page from the book 'Convert it' by Michael Brown. I have read that crimping is best on welding cable like I am using because it has so many fine strands. In the end, I decided that the best chance I had for consistently good terminations was to crimp.

I started by investing in a good pair of cable shears and a neat little insulation stripping tool.

This gives a good, clean stripped cable without harming even one strand of copper.

I then fill the lug about half full of Noalox, an anti-corrosion compound.

Before slipping the lug on, I slide a small length of shrink tube onto the cable

Then I crimp.

I weigh 175 pounds so I have to strain muscles I don't even have to accomplish this task.

By trial an error I found that supporting the crimping tool on the lip of a bucket while pulling the other handle down with all of my weight works the best. When the bucket or the handle slips, I bruise places that weren't meant to be bruised.

Here is a successfully crimped cable.

Lastly, I use a heat gun to shrink the tube around the lug and cable.

Wiring

2008-10-27T15:13:00.005-05:00

I'm making progress on the control wiring - just taking my time to get it right the first time. I got my first taste of making 2/0 cables today. I thought that with the large crimping tool I bought, it would be a little easier. But no, it's a workout crimping those lugs on the cable. I only have about 50 more to do. I think I'll work on the low voltage stuff for a while.

................................................................Oh, now you tell me.

Control Equipment Layout

2008-10-26T16:52:00.005-05:00

The battery restraints have now all been completed, coated, and installed. Today I began to lay out all of the control equipment and system wiring. Almost everything is being installed and pre-wired on a removable plywood panel. This will allow for an organized and contained wiring area. I also placed the battery charger in the trunk where it will likely be mounted.

Rear Battery Restraints

2008-10-25T10:35:00.003-05:00

I've made a little progress since my last post. I have now fabricated the battery restraint system for the trunk batteries and media blasted them.

Today I have to drill a few strategic holes to install them, then coat them with paint or undercoating. I now have a diagram as to how I want to wire the 26 traction batteries. This will necessitate turning a few of the batteries around 180°. After I do that, I can install both the front and rear restraints. Then, it's on to wiring up the controls.

She Carries Her Extra Weight Well

2008-10-20T11:46:00.004-05:00

I took a break from working on the car this morning to shoot some photos for a magazine article that will be coming out soon in New Zealand. While I was at it, I took a shot similar to one I had from before I started this conversion.
The top photo is with the old 360 engine in it. The bottom photo is after the conversion and is approximately 900 pounds heavier than with the 360 engine. As I said in another post, I prefer the way it sits now.

No-Fly Zone

2008-10-18T17:52:00.005-05:00

After a couple fun days of cutting, welding and drilling I have finished the underhood battery restraints. These guys won't be flying anywhere now. Before I bolt the brackets down to the angle iron battery racks, I'm going to clean them up with the die grinder, media blast and paint them.

Tachometer

2008-10-17T09:53:00.010-05:00

Here is how (for next to nothing) you can supply a proper square wave pulse to a tachometer that will then read the RPM of your electric motor.

It's still a bit chilly outside this morning so I thought I would play with this issue until it warms up enough to go out and work on the car. I have a digital tach in my existing dash and I have intended from the start of this project to use it for the electric motor. It is advantageous to know the RPM of the motor because there is a certain range (around 4000 for mine) that it is most efficient. Knowing what the RPM is at any given speed will allow me to be in the most appropriate gear to get the best performance from my motor and longest life out of my batteries.

These common motors and controllers like I am using have no output for a tach. For months I have been researching on-line about how to make a tach work. I have read about some ingenious and complicated ways that other people have done it - most of which I didn't really understand or was not capable of doing. I have not found one straight forward description that was easy, inexpensive, and sure to work for my setup. So, here is what I did. This should work for any remotely similar setup using a stock automotive tachometer. Maybe this information will fill a void and help someone else.

I had an old 70's type distributor with electronic ignition which I disassembled.

I salvaged what amounts to a 'magnetic gear tooth sensor'. The collar with the ridges on it rotates with the distributor. Every time a ridge passes the sensor magnet, a small pulse of electricity is generated.

I just happen to have a spare digital tach that I have never used. This is good for a test instrument so I hooked it up to a converter and powered it up with 12 volts.

The green wire on this, and most tachs that I have seen, is the sensor input. I tried various ways to get the tach sensor to recognize the little electrical pulses produced by the sensor but it wouldn't. So I went back out to my giant stash-o-parts and found an old 70s ECU (Electronic Control Unit). This is what the gear-tooth sensor originally plugged into.

I plugged the distributor into the mating plug. I then hooked the 12 volt power (positive) to the wire that originally went to the plus side of the coil. Then I hooked the ground (12v negative) to the metal case of the ECU. Lastly, I connected the wire that originally went to the negative side of the coil to the tachometer sensor input (green) wire. As I passed the metal collar past the magnet, the tach registered pulses.

Just to be sure, I affixed the collar to a cordless drill and rotated it at various speeds next to the magnet. The tach registered various RPMs. I did not take a picture of that because I only have two hands:) You'll just have to take my word for it.

So that's where I am today on solving this problem. The next step will be to modify it a bit to make it work for this application. The metal collar will be mounted to the tail shaft of my motor (the small shaft at the front) and will spin with the shaft.

The collar has 8 ridges on it. This means that the sensor generates 8 pulses for every revolution of the old distributor. A distributor rotates once for every two crankshaft rotations in a 4 stroke engine. So by my advanced math calculations, I figure 4 pulses of the sensor will equal one electric motor shaft revolution. Solution: grind down every other ridge so only four pass the magnetic sensor per revolution.

The last piece of the puzzle will be to mount the magnetic portion of the sensor to a stable surface where it can be adjusted close enough to the gear to sense the passing ridges.

Beautiful in it's simplicity! Best of all, it didn't cost me anything. However, these should be common, inexpensive junkyard parts if needed to be purchased.

I'll post the 'final chapter' to this when I finish the installation in the car sometime soon.

Just A Small Step Backwards

2008-10-16T19:18:00.005-05:00

I took care of raising the front battery rack 3/4 inch. Now I have plenty of clearance for the bottom battery terminals. I also cut out a couple of cell access areas on the second rail. If I haven't mentioned it before, all bare steel on the battery racks is coated with a spray-on rubberized undercoating. All of the batteries can go back in tomorrow so I can fabricate the hold-downs for them. We wouldn't want all of those batteries to go flying now would we?

Front Batteries Installed

2008-10-13T23:22:00.008-05:00

Fourteen batteries do indeed fit under the hood, with room left over for the motor controller and other equipment.

I still want to make a couple of modifications to the racks. Now that the hood is back on the car, I can see exactly how much clearance the front row of batteries has. I have decided to raise the front battery rack about a half inch to provide a little more space above the terminals on the bottom row. I am also going to cut the angle iron to provide access to the battery cell covers on the bottom batteries, as the water needs to be checked periodically. I will be able to slide the top batteries over enough to gain access to the bottom row for this task.

The car sits very nicely with all of the batteries installed. You can see in the pictures how it compares to the stock '70 Duster (without an engine) next to it. Before I started this project I measured the height of the car at the top of each wheel well centered on the wheel hub. With the weight of the batteries, the car sits about 2 1/2 lower in the rear and only 1 inch lower in the front. I had always disliked how high it was in the rear. Now I think it sits perfectly.

Do NOT Mess With a Man and His Sawzall

2008-10-11T15:36:00.003-05:00

Ok, I was pissed. So I got my sawzall, got into the engine bay and attacked the K-member. Half way through the job, some guy came walking up the driveway behind me. I didn't see him until he got right next to me and he startled me. I popped up with the sawzall still running, sweat pouring off of my face, and a crazed look in my eye. The guy took two steps back as he announced that he was running for County Sheriff and would like to give me a pamphlet. All I can say is, I'm glad he wasn't selling something or he would be missing an arm right now.

Some days you work very hard and make no progress. Some days you work very hard and accomplish a lot but show no progress. Today was that kind of day. Right now, I am back to where I thought I was this morning. The batteries will now fit. It's going to be close at the front of the hood, but the sawzall and I have become good friends.

Damn It!

2008-10-11T12:36:00.004-05:00

I'm going to have to go a tad lower on the bottom battery rack. I knew it was going to be close - oh so close. I was a little too conservative on cutting the K-member. Look out now ya bastard. It's time to put away the girly cutoff wheel and bring out the manly sawzall!

IT'S ALIVE!

2008-10-11T01:50:00.004-05:00

Today (Friday) was the big day to test the motor. I was a little nervous, mainly thinking about what-ifs. Like what if, for some reason, it didn't work after all off my toil and trouble? Using a 12 volt battery, as per instructions, I hooked it up and away she went. Sweet! I had the rear of the car jacked up so I hooked it up while in gear. The wheels turned! Everything sounded nice and smooth.

After unhooking everything, I went back into the house and discovered a message had been left on my phone. The last piece of the puzzle - my battery charger - has been shipped! Excellent timing! Now I can begin the 'home stretch'.

Engine Bay Prep

2008-10-11T01:31:00.004-05:00

All of the battery racks are finally complete. After a good coat of rubberized undercoating, they are ready to install.

I have used the last of my rattle-can red to paint the remainder of the engine bay. Then, while I still had good access to the engine bay, I decided to fashion a plate to block air from coming through the grill. This is a measure to improve the aerodynamic profile of the car.

I just happened to have some thin aluminum sheet that was removed from another car project. Working outside on a nice day using a few simple tools, I made a pretty nice little block-off plate.

What Did I learn Today?

2008-10-11T01:08:00.004-05:00

I was using my miter saw to cut metal for the battery racks. After cutting a couple of pieces, I walked over to the bench grinder to smooth out the edges on the cut pieces. When I turned back around, flames were shooting up the wall. Luckily I had a fire extinguisher nearby.

As everything can be a learning opportunity, here is what I learned from this experience.

Sparks from cutting metal can actually ignite a fire. I have always wondered.
Even though you've never used it, always keep a fire extinguisher handy.
When the guy at Home Depot tells you that the saw you are purchasing is not made for cutting metal, there may be a valid reason.
If ignoring advice and using a cheap miter saw to cut metal, remove the synthetic sawdust-catching sock on the back of the saw. It is flammable.

Racks and Brackets

2008-10-08T18:12:00.005-05:00

For clarity, I thought I'd post some pictures of what I have ended up with for my removable racks. The rack assembles will bolt to the brackets I have welded to the frame rail. Now I can finish welding everything, media blast, paint, and install it all.

Last Battery Rack Problem Solved

2008-10-08T17:49:00.004-05:00

I gave up trying to get a brace down to the frame next to the steering box on the 'problem' battery rack. I decided to just weld a bracket to the side of the engine bay, thinking it would be strong enough. Wrong! After I welded it on I had second thoughts and then discovered the 'right' way to do it.

I hate to admit it here, but the solution was pretty simple. I really should have thought of it before I had to cut through all of my welds. But, for some reason I just didn't. Anyway, after I got the bracket off and ground everything smooth again (with my new die grinder), I just drilled two holes and put bolts through the bracket, the engine bay, and through the shock mount on the outside of the engine bay. This will be plenty strong enough.

Ever Have One of Those Days?

2008-10-08T17:08:00.002-05:00

I finally had a day off from my real job today, so I planned to work all day on the battery racks. The first thing I did was tighten down the one in the picture so I could work on the other end of it. When I tightened the nuts, I noticed that I had tacked the frame bracket on crooked. Ok, minor setback.

I removed the rack and cut my tack welds off the bracket. When I went to grind the welds down, my die grinder broke. Ok, another setback. So I went to Home Depot and purchased a new die grinder.

On the way home I stopped to get a Dr Pepper. When I came back outside the store, I noticed coolant leaking out from under my truck. I hurried home before it started to overheat. From what I could see, the coolant was coming from the water pump. Ok, another setback.

I didn't want to waste my whole day off working on my truck, so I took it to a local shop and had them give me a ride back home. By that time, the day was half gone and I had accomplished nothing but spending money I didn't plan on. The thought crossed my mind to NOT work on the Duster for fear of something else going wrong. But after a lunch break, I regrouped and figured the odds were in my favor for the rest of the day. I actually did get some work done without anything else going haywire.

I am posting this to remind myself later that I experienced a lot of unrelated obstacles to accomplishing this conversion.

Problem Solving......Mopar Purists, Better Just Look Away

2008-10-05T17:13:00.009-05:00

As we all know, most problems have several possible solutions. We have to choose the best solution according to our needs. I have not mentioned this problem in the blog thus far because I wanted to wait until I knew for sure what I was going to do about it. Well, today is the day :)

This problem begins with my choice of voltage. The 'usual' and most common voltage used for heavier vehicles is 144 volts. I wanted to ensure that my performance would be at least as good as other 4,000 pound conversions so I chose to use 156 volts and found a reasonably priced and readily available motor controller that could handle that voltage. This necessitated using 26 batteries instead of 24.

I have been solidly committed to using 26 batteries from the start and that has never been negotiable. However, placement of those two 'extra' batteries has been something in the back of my mind. For proper weight distribution, I wanted, if at all possible, to place 12 batteries in the rear and 14 under the hood. I knew 14 under the hood would be tight. The best solution was to place 4 batteries down low in front of the motor, with the remaining batteries on the racks above the motor. The problem with this configuration is the limited height I have available.

So ok, I'm getting closer to coming to the point here :) My number one rule for this project is not to 'harm' this classic Mopar. Cutting some sheet metal is ok. Welding to the frame is ok. But THIS is something I really did not want to have to do. However, going back to my first paragraph, this was the best solution to achieve the end result I want. So, without further ado...

Cutting and modifying the K-frame allowed me to position the bottom rack low enough to get the clearance I need. In fact, if my measurements are correct I don't even have a half inch to spare. Had it been a rack for just two batteries, I would not have had a problem. Oh well, I guess it's not the end of the world, but it was still traumatic for me to perform that surgery.

Slow progress on the battery racks

2008-10-04T17:44:00.004-05:00

I'm mildly frustrated that this part of the job is taking me so long to complete. Like the rear battery racks, I didn't have much of a a set plan when I began work on them, just an idea of what I wanted to end up with. The rear racks went together quickly with no problems. However, The under-hood racks are proving to be much more difficult. Problem number one, as I mentioned in another post, is that I need these batteries as close to the underside of the hood as possible. Well, the hood slopes, so each cross bar is at a slightly different level, as illustrated in this picture.

Secondly, except for on the front two bars, each brace needs to attach to the frame in a different manner. Therefore, each one is its own special little custom job. I've almost got it all ready to make permanent except for the brace above the steering box.

There is very little room to drop an angle iron brace to the frame rail. So, the next job will be to get serious and figure out how I want to accomplish this task so I can finally be done with these and move on to the home stretch.

Replaced the Brace

2008-10-04T17:38:00.003-05:00

I like this brace much better than the first one I made. It was well worth the extra time.

Measure, Cut, Fit, Grind, Weld, Drill, Repeat

2008-10-02T19:29:00.005-05:00

These battery racks are proving to be quite a challenge. Most of the difficulty I'm having is designing them strong enough while keeping them removable. It has also been time consuming to make sure all of the batteries will end up just below the bottom of the hood - without the benefit of having the hood on to measure against. But, I'm determined to do a good job on these no matter how long it takes me. Today I spent way too long fabricating this mount...

...only to later decide that it won't be strong enough for me. It will easily hold the dead weight but I am afraid that it won't stand up well enough to any lateral forces. On the next rack I came up with what I think is a much better design. So I'm going to go back and redo the first one. There is a lot of measuring, cutting, grinding, welding and drilling with these little suckers. Man, I'm glad I don't do this for a living. Here is a picture of the rack support design I'm going with (not welded in yet). I still have a few more to make.

Underhood Battery Racks (continued)

2008-10-01T17:47:00.006-05:00

This part of the job is going much slower than I had expected. Today I very carefully fabricated the rear-most cross bar. I needed this piece to be perfect since all of the other bars will be built with respect to this one. For maximum strength and safety I decided to remove some engine bay sheet metal and attach the supports down to the outside of the frame rail.

Now that this critical piece is installed, the others should be much simpler. All of the rest of the supports and welding will be inside the engine bay and easily accessible.

Some Comments on Safety Concerns

2008-10-01T08:44:00.004-05:00

The Electric Duster has received quite a bit of exposure lately. Some of the comments I have received bring up safety concerns. Safety is a top priority for me, so I wanted to take a minute to address that topic.

All batteries will be restrained at the top so there will be no chance of them flying in a collision. No batteries or high voltage/current will enter the passenger compartment. There are redundant power shut offs built into the wiring plan. There will be a possibility of acid leaking out as the result of a collision, but with the additional vehicle weight and a very low center of gravity, the car will be extremely difficult to turn over, which would be the worst case scenario.

I am constantly reading and researching other electric conversions so that I can incorporate the best ideas that others have used concerning safety.

Underhood Battery Racks - Day 1

2008-09-30T18:25:00.004-05:00

When I began this portion of the project, I really didn't know exactly how I was going to accomplish the task. I began with a general idea and several criteria which had to be met.

Must fit 14 batteries
Must use angle iron as I did in the trunk
Each piece supported by car frame
Cross pieces must be removable
No major cutting of car body

It seemed like most of the day was spent thinking, measuring, leveling and calculating. To the left is a picture of the plan I finally came up with. Four batteries will be mounted sideways in the rack down low up front. Ten batteries will then be mounted in the 3 rows of racks above the motor. The angle iron that I have cut will be bolted to supports that I will fabricate and weld to the frame rails.

Motor Brace

2008-09-28T16:55:00.003-05:00

The main electric motor mounting point is the adapter in the rear, which is securely attached to the frame rails of the car. I have also fabricated a brace for the front of the motor to help support it and keep it from trying to twist or move around. I just welded together some 1/4 x 1-1/2 steel bar and fastened it to the existing motor mount locations.

The Motor Is Installed

2008-09-24T17:26:00.004-05:00

I've had more difficult jobs that went easier. But then again, I've had simpler jobs that were more trouble. A helper would definitely have been useful but I was able to complete the installation by myself in a couple of hours.

Man, there's still lots on space available in the engine bay. Fourteen deep cycle 6 volt batteries plus the original 12 volt will use it up. The control equipment will go under the hood as well.

Spline Piece Welded to Shaft Coupling

2008-09-24T12:04:00.003-05:00

Well yeah, like I said, I gave up on perfection a long time ago. You should have seen my weld before I ground it. Hideous - but functional.

Watching the Paint Dry

2008-09-24T11:39:00.004-05:00

Now that I have gotten the motor and transmission ready to be installed and the mounting brackets built, I was able to lay out approximately where the underhood battery racks will be located. My next job was going to be the final installation of the motor/transmission assembly. As I was getting ready though, I decided it would be best to paint the parts of the engine bay that I will not be able to get to with the motor installed.

My plan here was to weld up all of the unused holes in the sheet metal and grind them smooth, mask everything off, epoxy prime the bare metal, spray a couple of coats of red and then a couple of coats of clear. You know what? Screw that! I rattle canned it with black and red. I only have so many hours to give to this project and I gave up on perfection a long time ago. I want this Duster on the road!

Okay, just so the reader knows that I could have done the engine bay that way, here is a picture of my ongoing 69 Road Runner project.

Mr. Motor, Meet Mr. Transmission

2008-09-21T18:24:00.003-05:00

Here it is, all mated up and bolted together! This was a test fitting to make sure there weren't any problems. Everything lines up and fits perfectly. Now I can pull it apart and weld the splined piece I had machined permanently to the Lovejoy coupling. Once that is done, it can all be reassembled and installed into the car.

Painful Modifications

2008-09-21T18:04:00.005-05:00

It was necessary to cut off the end of the transmission input shaft for it to properly fit into the Lovejoy connector. Some of the modifications I have had to make to the original Mopar parts have bothered me. Somehow it doesn't feel 'right' to cut up a perfectly good part. Cutting this shaft made me feel the same way I did when I cut out the trunk floor - like I was harming an old friend. Well, the truth is, this is only a 3-speed manual transmission which isn't very popular or worth much anyway. Hang in there Old Friend, it will be worth it in the end.

Fabricating Mounts

2008-09-21T17:46:00.003-05:00

Since a lot of torque will be on the transition from the motor to the transmission, I am fabricating mounts to secure the adapter plate to the frame. I cut two flat triangular shaped brackets from 1/4 inch steel plate. Then I welded short lengths of angle iron to the frame rails of the car. Next. the brackets will be bolted to the angle iron and the aluminum adapter plate. Once this is done, the motor/adapter/transmission assembly can be permanently mounted in the car.

Some Details of My Build

2008-09-19T16:48:00.029-05:00

Since I am now referring other people interested in building Mopar EV conversions to this site, I thought I would take a moment to provide a few specific details about my build.

Netgain Warp 9 DC electric motor.
Logisysystems 550 amp motor controller.
Trojan T-125, 6 volt deep-cycle batteries - 26 wired in series for 156 volts.
Manzanita Micro PFC 20 on-board battery charger (variable input voltage).
Iota DLS-30 DC-DC Converter to provide 12 volt system & control voltage.
Xantrex Link-10 battery bank monitor.
Digital volt meters for battery management - 26 total, one for each battery.

The car has manual steering, drum brakes, no air conditioning or power anything. I am using the original 3-speed manual transmission but without a flywheel and clutch. The 3-speed is much lighter than a 4-speed manual trans. Most normal driving will likely be in 2nd gear, but I will be able to shift without the clutch if necessary. I'm also retaining the original 8 3/4 rear end with 3.23 gear ratio. I may swap in a much lighter 7 1/4 rear end after the build is complete, although the brakes are much smaller on that rear.

My Shaft Coupling Method Revealed!!!

2008-09-19T16:48:00.019-05:00

My method revolves around using a 'Lovejoy' coupling. This unit is rated for higher torque than my Netgain Warp 9 motor can produce and was available locally at WW Grainger. It is composed of two coupler bodies that mount to the shafts, and a synthetic 'spider' insert that goes between them. The insert allows for a little bit of shaft misalignment.

Mounting the coupler body to the motor was simple. It is just a 1 1/8 keyed shaft. However, a little creativity was necessary to mount the coupler body to the transmission shaft. I began by removing the splined center from an old clutch disk.

I disassembled the clutch disk by drilling out the rivets and removed the center. The machine shop then milled the center piece down to the size pictured above. Next, they counter-bored the Lovejoy coupler body to the same size.

After all test-fitting is complete, this piece will be inserted into the hole and have a bead welded around the top. The splined shaft of the existing transmission will then be able to slide into this modified coupling. However, the unsplined end of the transmission shaft will need to be cut off, as it cannot extend past the center insert of the Lovejoy coupling. Below is a picture of the whole assembly test fitted (without the transmission shaft inside the tube). As of this writing, everything seems to fit perfectly.

For $1000 You Can Turn Cardboard into Aluminum

2008-09-19T16:48:00.018-05:00

An integral part of the drive assembly has been completed. Pictured here is the adapter plate that I had a local machine shop fabricate for me - along side the cardboard template that I made. The adapter was made from a 2 inch thick piece of aluminum plate. It connects the electric motor to the original bellhousing at the correct distance to allow for coupling the shafts together.

Coupling the Motor to the Transmission

2008-09-19T16:48:00.009-05:00

My online research revealed that there are many unique ways to accomplish this task. There seems to be no single best way that is commonly used in EV conversions. My method for coupling these two shafts together is based upon a combination of many good ideas that I have seen others use.

Test Fitting the Adaptor Plate

2008-09-19T16:48:00.006-05:00

As expected, it is a perfect fit. I chose to spend the money necessary to have this adapter done by a precision machinist rather than trying to build something myself.

Engine Bay Preparation

2008-09-10T12:45:00.004-05:00

I spent quite a few hours over the weekend removing unnecessary items from the engine bay. I then hit it with degreaser and pressure washed it. I began media blasting the areas that still need to be painted but I ran into trouble. It's been very humid and I kept getting too much moisture in my air lines, so the blast media kept clogging. I had to stop numerous times and clean the lines so the media would flow. I finally had to give up until I get an air line dryer that works better than the one I have been using.

As it turns out, I don't need to be in such a big hurry to paint the engine bay until I decide where the battery and equipment racks will go, and how they will be attached. Welding, and possibly even some sheet metal cutting, will be involved so I'd probably just mess up my paint job anyway. Upon measuring for the racks, I realized that it is going to be a huge challenge finding room for all 14 batteries - well, actually 15 counting the accessory battery. I don't really even know exactly how much room I will have until I get the motor in the car.

Therefore, the next logical step is to work on the necessary parts to adapt the motor to the transmission and get that assembly mounted into the car. I expect this to be one of the most difficult jobs of the entire project so I might as well tackle it now.

The Old & The New

2008-09-06T20:23:00.002-05:00

After a 9 week wait, my electric motor finally arrived yesterday. Today I took a big step and removed the internal combustion engine. I took lots of time to bag and tag all of the parts that will go with the engine to another project. I also weighed everything that will not go back on the Duster so I can keep track of the total weight of the car.

Next, I have to spend some time prepping the engine bay. As with the trunk, I need to complete my paint job. I'll also be building racks to hold the other 14 traction batteries and the motor control equipment. I also need to fabricate mounts for the electric motor.

Test Drive

2008-09-02T15:56:00.003-05:00

Since the engine is still in the car, I couldn't resist taking a little test drive to see/feel how the weight affected the car. Of course there isn't a gas tank in the car anymore, so I rigged up a gallon jug under the hood. There is also no exhaust system, just open headers. Actually, it didn't seem all that loud so I went ahead and took it for a spin around the neighborhood.

I was quite sensitive to the car sitting lower and could definitely feel the extra weight but it seemed okay to me. I did a couple of test stops to see how the brakes handled it. No problem there although I only went up to about 30 mph. The battery rack didn't fall out so that was a plus.

I did hear a slight noise from the rear end when I coasted. I thought "oh no, the rear end can't handle it". But when I got back home I found that the right rear tire was just barely rubbing toward the front of the car. Those tires were the tallest I could fit under there, so I am not too surprised. It should be an easy fix by bending the wheel well lip in a little.

Load 'Em Up

2008-09-02T15:34:00.009-05:00

Finally the time came to load the batteries onto the finished trunk rack. I measured the height of the rear of the car to see how it would handle the 800 or so pounds of extra weight (including the rack). The center of the rear bumper came down just over 4 inches!!! By the way, the first two rows of batteries are just below floor level to leave room for a future supplemental charging generator. The last two rows are staggered higher into the trunk so they will be less noticeable from outside the car.

Actually, I like the way the car sits down over the rear tires. To me, it looks a lot better with this stance. I'm sure glad the previous owner installed those heavy duty leaf springs.

Building The Rear Battery Rack (Part 2)

2008-09-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

Building the battery rack without a plan was a slow process. I was very careful to think out each piece, measure everything several times, and grind all of the joints to prep the steel for welding. When all was said and done, it came out exactly as I had first pictured it. When I was finished I sprayed the whole thing with rubberized undercoating as I had done inside the trunk.

By the time I was finished, I had gotten a lot of practice at mig welding and was getting pretty good. I can verify two things that I really already knew but had never experienced. Mig welding WILL sunburn exposed skin. Also, when welding while sitting on the ground, do not let hot sparks bounce up your pant leg.

Building The Rear Battery Rack (Part 1)

2008-09-02T15:05:00.007-05:00

I didn't really have an exact plan, just a mental picture of what I wanted to end up with. I had purchased 40 feet of angle iron from a local steel company and just started measuring, cutting and welding.

A Slight Detour

2008-09-02T14:50:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted to finish out the trunk and I figured this would be a good opportunity to do that. I removed the trunk lid, all of the old weather stripping and spent a day or so prepping for paint.

The underside of the trunk lid came out nice. Inside the trunk I sprayed rubberized undercoating over everything, then sprayed it all red except for the trunk floor. The undercoating will help with the corrosion due to having 12 batteries in the trunk.

I Got the Power!

2008-08-22T11:43:00.005-05:00

Even though my motor is not due for another 2 or 3 weeks, I went ahead and got the traction batteries yesterday. I could have gotten these last, but having them on hand now will help me with designing & building the battery racks and battery connecting hardware. I picked all 1700 pounds of them up locally. As I was driving home with my truck's front wheels in the air, I could feel the effects of all of that weight on the handling of the truck. I was afraid to get on the freeway so I drove most of the way home on surface streets. I was seriously wondering how the duster would drive with all of that weight. Scary!

Past the Point of No Return

2008-08-16T07:08:00.004-05:00

Finally, after a very long wait of 6 weeks, some of the components that I've ordered finally began arriving this week. This inspired me to actually begin work on the car.

I removed the gas tank and filler pipe with its associated venting and tubing. Also, after a little bracket cutting I was able to remove the entire exhaust system in one piece. All of these items will eventually be transferred to my 1970 Duster project (to be started sometime later this century).

Next, and most painful, was cutting out the trunk floor to prepare for installation of some of the batteries. I will be building a rack to hold 12 of the 26 "traction" batteries between the rear frame rails. Eight of these batteries will be installed flush with the floor to save trunk space. This will allow enough room for a small charge-supplementing generator that I may install later.

I also plan to use this opportunity to finish my paint job in and around the trunk. This may delay the completion of this project, but it desperately needs to be done and I just can't leave it looking like it does now.

Step One: Weights & Measures (continued)

2008-08-03T12:46:00.004-05:00

With the weight calculations out of the way, on to the measurements. For comparison purposes I measured & recorded the ground clearance to the top-center of each wheel well lip. Fortunately the Duster has lots of wheel clearance all the way around, so adding a thousand pounds should not cause tire clearance issues. The Duster also has torsion bar adjusters to easily change the height of the front of the car.

I also carefully measured & recorded the position of the transmission. It will need to be reinstalled in exactly the same position to maintain the correct driveline angle.

Step One: Weights & Measures

2008-08-03T11:22:00.003-05:00

Let the conversion begin! There are several factors that will eventually determine my performance with the electric motor. For my purposes I am defining performance as top speed and range on a full charge.

Two important performance factors have already been removed from the equation, as I have already decided on a 9" series-wound DC motor, running on 156 volts. The remaining factors have to do with the car itself.

The most important variable with the car is the weight. Also somewhat important is rolling resistance (tires, wheels, brakes, gears) and aerodynamics (air resistance). Some things can be done to improve rolling resistance and aerodynamics, but I am primarily concerned with weight at this stage of the project.

As my starting point, I wanted to know the weight of the car before conversion. I will then keep close track of the weight of all items removed and added during the conversion so that I will have a good estimate of the final weight of the converted vehicle. Of course the easiest way to increase performance of an Electric Vehicle is to make it as light as possible. If the performance of this car when finished is not satisfactory, I will start removing weight wherever I can.

Various books and manuals list the weight of a 1971 Duster 340 at 3200-3400 pounds. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the car actually weighs 3080 pounds as it sits today. I was a little untrusting of that result so I drove a few miles to a different scale. The weight came out exactly the same.

I will be removing the internal combustion engine, mufflers & exhaust system, fuel tank, radiator, and a few other miscellaneous items including the back seat. The 3-speed manual transmission will remain, but not the clutch & flywheel. I roughly estimate that all of these items will total 1000 pounds.

I roughly estimate that I will be adding 2000 pounds back into the car. The electric motor is only about 140 pounds, but the 26 batteries (66 pounds each) will total a whopping 1716 pounds.

My goal is to keep the final weight under 4000 pounds (including driver). This is well within the maximum load that the car was designed to carry. Judging by the performance numbers that others have reported, I hope to attain a maximum speed of 65 mph and a range of 50 miles.

A Little Late to the Party

2008-07-25T20:11:00.005-05:00

I have been busy researching the specifics for my EV conversion. About the first thing I learned was that parts are very difficult to get. It seems that since about the first of the year, doing EV conversions has become very popular. Many manufacturers are swamped. So what at first appeared to be a 2 week job has now turned into a multiple month project.

I have ordered my electric motor, which will not arrive until sometime in September. On the plus side, this extra time has allowed me to more thoroughly plan out what I intend to do. This will make for a much better job. I have settled on what I think are the best components and methods for my particular conversion. Turns out that it's really a much more complicated job than just pulling out the ol' V8 and inserting an electric motor in its place.

Suitability of the Duster

2008-07-07T03:20:00.003-05:00

The 1971 Plymouth Duster is a somewhat unusual candidate for an electric motor conversion. In fact, other than an '83 Delorian, I have not encountered what I consider to be a cool street car converted to electric power. Most people seem to be converting the lightest, ugliest and cheapest vehicles they can obtain. In fact, I sense that the choice of that type of vehicle is even part of the sub-culture of "conversionists". I have felt an attitude of slight disapproval when discussing this project on a couple of EV forums. It doesn't meet the sub-culture's idea of a practical conversion.

I guess if cheap practically were my only consideration I'd have to go with the usual beat-up silver or white 4 door foreign piece of crap that is popular with the people that have already done conversions. But, I'm just not that kind of guy. I'd almost rather keep buying gasoline - or walk - than to have to drive something like that to go electric.

I believe that the Duster possesses several advantages for conversion. First, it is a solid, road-worthy, working automobile that needs nothing. Stripped of its engine, exhaust, radiator and other no longer relevant parts, it is actually a fairly light roller. Oh yeah, the sub-culture calls them "gliders". My glider is quite large compared to most. That means plenty room for batteries, controllers and chargers, etc. It does not contain a computer or sensitive electronics to contend with as newer vehicles do. It was built without power "anything", which is good. The non power brakes were built to stop much heavier cars than a Duster. Also, the previous owner of my car installed super stock leaf springs in the rear. As far as I can tell, that car could easily support 10 head of cattle in the trunk - and there is room for them! Lastly, an advantage to me is that I have worked on several of these cars. I know every square inch of it. There is no learning curve with the car itself. Yes, there will be challenges and required modifications, but I expect the results will be quite satisfactory.

Why An Electric Duster?

2008-07-07T01:25:00.004-05:00

Having now decided upon building an electric car, I researched the current technology to determine what was available and what to expect from the build. This opened the door to a wide range of possibilities. I could certainly build a vehicle from the ground up but I had to closely examine my purpose, desires and needs for building an electric car.

It quickly became evident that converting an existing vehicle was the only viable option for me. By doing this, I could fairly quickly produce a form of transportation that would satisfy a large percentage of my transportation needs, AND it would have the ability to actually pay for itself if I was able to drive it enough.

I find it amazing that after all of the research I had done, I stumbled upon a working solution that was right in front of me. Vehicle conversions were actually already being done successfully by thousands of people around the world. Why was I, a car guy and former electrician, not already familiar with this movement? Complacency I guess. I really should have been on this years ago.

My choice to convert the Duster was a natural one. I grew up when American Muscle cars ruled the road and we cruised around on 25 cent gasoline. My first car was a 340 Duster in 1970 and most of my friends drove Plymouths and Dodges. Ever since those days, I have had a love for 60s and early 70s Mopars. In 2003 I purchased a 1968 Dodge Dart, and thus began a passion for restoring, modifying and customizing my favorite old cars. Over the course of five years, one old Mopar grew into six, and a little garage workspace grew into a 1200 square foot shop with a lift.

I had just (mostly) completed my resto-modification of the '71 Duster and was beginning to regularly drive it around town when I had the "electric car epiphany". Driving the Duster is an incredible experience. It draws attention wherever I go . I guess I like attention! The Duster is a rolling work of American art and inspires gawks and stories from people I would never have interacted with otherwise. Converting this car to electric will be the ultimate modification. It will retain it looks and connection to the past, but will also exhibit something of future technology. I expect that the gawks and stories will turn into open jaws when I pop the hood. Hopefully it will inspire others, and make them want "un-petroleum" power as well. Ohhhh, a new name to consider: The "Non-Petrol Plymouth".

Why An Electric Car? (Part 2 - Epiphany)

2008-07-05T03:28:00.004-05:00

The convenience store across the street from my office recently erected a towering sign to display their gas prices - I guess because they are so proud of them. At one of the workstations I inhabit, I can gaze out the window and behold the wonderful sign.

One dark day recently, crude futures shot up $11 and it was all over the news. That afternoon, the massive numbers on the giant sign began to move. When they stopped, the gas price was 12 cents higher. I immediately attributed this price increase to the news that the futures had risen big that day. It was so obvious. I became furious. You mean to tell me that because the future price of crude oil would be higher, that gave them the right to make an extra profit on the gasoline they already had in the ground? I guess for me, this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I am sick and tired of being robbed. I am tired of that store, the gasoline distributors, the refineries, the futures traders, the government, foreign countries I care little or nothing about, and who knows who else, stealing my money. We, the people are continually being "prepped" by the media, and then systematically robbed of every last cent that can be squeezed out of us. And for what? Greed and nefarious purposes!

That very moment, I began to research what I could do to begin eliminating this evil petroleum from my life. I studied all available alternatives, present and future. I researched converting my current vehicle to ethanol, natural gas, or propane. I researched bio-diesel fuels. I researched purchasing a hybrid vehicle. I read all about hydrogen fuel cells. I researched growing and distilling my own ethanol. I researched the prospect of producing my own hydrogen. There was no reasonable transportation alternative that even came close to presenting me a financial advantage. Not even close! Yes, I could reduce my use of petroleum, but it would cost dearly. The only financially sensible thing to do was to keep purchasing gasoline at whatever price I was told to.

It was about this time that a coworker told me about the Tesla electric vehicle and the Chevy Volt concept car. Wow, I had no idea that electric vehicles had progressed that far since the demise (crushing) of the GM EV-1 many years ago. Why had this technology so secretly evolved? After watching the video "Who Killed The Electric Car", I came across the book pictured above. Within an hour of opening that book, I knew that I could - that I would - build my own damned electric car.

Why An Electric Car? (Part 1 - State Of Mind)

2008-07-04T22:25:00.007-05:00

Like almost everyone else, I am TOTALLY fed up with rising gas prices. I do not like the helpless feeling of being at the mercy of whatever today's price is. I do not like having the feeling of pressure upon my lifestyle that high gas prices imposes. I don't like knowing that it will cost me $2 in gas to drive to Home Depot to get a $1 part that I need for a home project.

What irks me the most is that there is no "real" reason for gas prices to be so high. It is simply because we will pay whatever we have to, and those that "create" the cost of gasoline know it and take full advantage of that fact. We the public are being squeezed for every cent we can spend to feed our addiction to gasoline. And for what? For greed and nefarious purposes - no other reasons. The greed and nefariousness is far and wide. It's not just the oil companies, not just the "Arabs", not just the futures traders, but our elected government as well. There is no incentive whatsoever for prices to come down and lessen the drain of cash from our pockets - for we will pay whatever we have to in order to feed our addiction.

However, I really don't feel any kind of satisfaction to just whine about this problem and remain feeling helpless. I want to DO something to make things better for myself. How can I stop giving away my hard earned money to faceless entities I have come to despise? What can I do as just one person?

Oh, I guess I could try to jump on the out-of-control train and buy oil stocks or trade crude futures. I do have some experience with stocks and futures. My experience is that the "little guy" still looses. Somehow, the brokers make money, the big traders make money, the business that cater to traders make money - I LOSE money. I give all my money to those people. I also have the knack of picking the exact top of the market to buy, and the exact bottom to sell. In fact, the SINGLE best hope for gasoline prices to retreat is for me to become involved in trading them. No, that's out.

I feel that the best way for me to alleviate this problem in the long-term is for me to somehow deal with my dependence on this drug gasoline. I am sick of my money going to people and causes that I despise.

Choosing A Project Name

2008-07-04T01:52:00.007-05:00

First things first. Every car project these days gets a catchy name. Well, this is a very unique project so deserves a cool name of its own. Currently (pun) I am torn between two different potential names.

The car will be 156 volts dc so I was thinking of naming it "DC Duster".

But, since I am a meteorologist, and the car will contain 26 batteries to power the electric motor, I thought an appropriate name might be "Super Cells".

I guess I'll just wait a while before deciding on a project name and see which name "sticks".