New Project Options

[pek771]

Hello all
New project. 1970, no rust other than surface rust from 38 years in the Arizona desert.
I am going to convert it to electric.

This is an upload test:

[pek771]

So, I'm thinking about batteries. Tesla has the laptop batteries in the frame, so the 1100# battery package is pretty low. I don't think we can approximate the weight/CG of a Tesla Model S with a converted 914. However, If I get some fiberglass deck lids, and limit the batteries to around 600#, I should be approximating the stock weight distribution. I don't know where the CG lies in a vertical plane on a 914. It would be great if someone has this info. I can only speculate that the handling will be adversely affected if the battery weight is higher up in the car. I believe an AC-50 motor is around 120#. I will still have the 914 transmission (we do like to shift, after all). Likely only need 2nd and 3rd. The AC induction motors torque up pretty well at low RPM with the proper controller.

I need to probably change the springs in the rear, possibly some bigger torsion bars in the front. I may be able to sneak a couple of battery modules into the engine bay.

So, it looks like the first order of business is to do an analysis of the weight distribution. We want the 914 to come out of the corners like a rocket, which ain't happening with a Type 4 VW engine.

BTW, I have a fish scale hanging in the garage, so I can weigh everything in and out. The car was like 1900# on a CAT scale, but a CAT scale is really not that accurate. I had to weight the SUV and the 914 together, and subtract off the weight of the SUV. Must be someone in the area with corner scales.

[914e]

So, I'm thinking about batteries. Tesla has the laptop batteries in the frame, so the 1100# battery package is pretty low. I don't think we can approximate the weight/CG of a Tesla Model S with a converted 914. However, If I get some fiberglass deck lids, and limit the batteries to around 600#, I should be approximating the stock weight distribution. I don't know where the CG lies in a vertical plane on a 914. It would be great if someone has this info. I can only speculate that the handling will be adversely affected if the battery weight is higher up in the car. I believe an AC-50 motor is around 120#. I will still have the 914 transmission (we do like to shift, after all). Likely only need 2nd and 3rd. The AC induction motors torque up pretty well at low RPM with the proper controller.

I need to probably change the springs in the rear, possibly some bigger torsion bars in the front. I may be able to sneak a couple of battery modules into the engine bay.

So, it looks like the first order of business is to do an analysis of the weight distribution. We want the 914 to come out of the corners like a rocket, which ain't happening with a Type 4 VW engine.

BTW, I have a fish scale hanging in the garage, so I can weigh everything in and out. The car was like 1900# on a CAT scale, but a CAT scale is really not that accurate. I had to weight the SUV and the 914 together, and subtract off the weight of the SUV. Must be someone in the area with corner scales.

@pek771 I Have an AC-34 in our Super Beetle with 4 banks of Chevy Volt batteries. Plenty of power for a bug, first gear is a rocket. Two banks are on place of the gas tank using the gas tank mounting hole to mount the battery box. The rear banks are being the back seat. The car ended up being about 160 pounds heavier than stock most of it ending up in the front. The controller is easy to program and adjust. The down side is the programming is done through a little 2" gauge.

My 914 has a Hyper9 motor with around the HP of a 6 but pushing the torque limits of the 901 and the CV joints. I plan on rebuilding the 901 as soon as it cools off. My 914 was converted 24 years ago and had a 9" DC motor with lead acid batteries by a school for and engineering competition. In the 90's we had EV races with high schools and colleges building cars.
On this one I am again using the Chevy Volt batteries. One bank in the front in place of the gas tank. They had added an aluminum shelf for the old batteries that I cleaned up and reused. I would have not done it they way they did but it was already there.
In the rear I am mounting batteries on both sides of the motor the keep the weigh low and close the same location. I expect the weight to be the same as a 914/6