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Thread: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

  1. #17
    root Member DanceswithUnix's Avatar
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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen999 View Post
    Car design has changed hugely, and anything in the 4sec category has traction control software bodges to cope.
    FTFY

    Now I was being flippant with the 4 seconds comment which perhaps people have taken too much to heart here.

    Still, in the same way that a Lotus engine was dropped into a Talbot Sunbeam to great effect (250bhp in rally trim) back in the day, there are plenty of cars out there that could cope with a bit more speed.

    There are plenty of modern cars trying to put over 200bhp in a front wheel drive chassis which rely on software to tame the result.

    The Capri is an interesting example. It still boggles me that basics like panhard rod were an optional performance "RS" extra, but they could go if they were properly fettled.

    So yeah, you would have to choose carefully. I imagine an electric X1/9 would be straight into the nearest tree. OTOH, imagine the battery range you could fit in a big American land yaught

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  3. #18
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    For example this YouTube channel has a whole series of trials and tribulations on restoring their bargain basement Ferrari 308:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHKJszIhgm4
    That channel just tested a converted Ferrari 308:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gad0z2NuSCA



  4. #19
    Spreadie
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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    Quote Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix View Post
    FTFY

    Now I was being flippant with the 4 seconds comment which perhaps people have taken too much to heart here.
    Passive aggressive much
    Quote Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix View Post
    Still, in the same way that a Lotus engine was dropped into a Talbot Sunbeam to great effect (250bhp in rally trim) back in the day, there are plenty of cars out there that could cope with a bit more speed.
    They didn't just drop a lotus engine in there along with stock sunbeam parts. They'd have stiffened the chassis, uprated the suspension and, I'd imagine, changed the steering hardware and geometry.

    Quote Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix View Post
    There are plenty of modern cars trying to put over 200bhp in a front wheel drive chassis which rely on software to tame the result.
    But not with 1980s hardware.
    Quote Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix View Post
    The Capri is an interesting example. It still boggles me that basics like panhard rod were an optional performance "RS" extra, but they could go if they were properly fettled.
    The ghetto fix for the Capri was usually a couple of bags of grit sand in the boot, to stop the rear end stepping out.

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    root Member DanceswithUnix's Avatar
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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spreadie View Post
    But not with 1980s hardware.
    It *really* depends on the hardware.

    From memory the road going Lotus Sunbeam the tweaks were very minor, and the act of replacing the drive train with something electric probably means revisiting things like spring rates and anti-roll bars if you are doing a decent job because you are changing the weight of the car so existing springs will be wrong. The full rally version where the chassis wouldn't really be up to it, well that would have had a full roll cage fitted to stiffen it up. Perhaps Talbot *should* have done more with 150bhp, but hey this was the 80's

    Weight change is an interesting thing here though, these old cars weight next to nothing by modern standards. Whilst the old Capri (and Cortina) trick of a bag of sand in the boot could nicely be replaced with a battery pack, you are probably looking to add quite a bit of weight which the cars weren't designed for.

    These are of course really 1970's cars, if we move the the 80's I imagine a Quattro would convert nicely. But not sure how I would feel about a Delta Integrale conversion.

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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    Quote Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix View Post
    They might if it ends up doing 0-60 in 4 seconds
    Why do people always use this to try and sell me on electric cars?
    My bike goes that fast (faster, in fact) and for that I get labelled an insane speed demon... so how would it be a good thing to put this kind of power into the hands of mere mortals, who can already do so much damage with cars that only manage it in 8 seconds?

    I'll start taking electric cars seriously when they can accurately replicate the noise and the feel of a burbling old V8 engine.... or if they make it sounds like the jet turbine of an MTT!
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Tyson
    like a chihuahua urinating on a towering inferno...

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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    I saw this yesterday where they did an old BMW, I’m not sure I’m a fan tbh, there are many things that make a car desirable, ruining all but the look of a car destroys its soul...

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  9. #23
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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    In my opinion go for the electric conversion if your saving a neglected classic or have one that is not very original. Keeps them on the road and in the long run makes it more affordable to own and grow the electric aftermarket industry.

  10. #24
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    Re: Electric conversion of classic cars : are you IN or OUT?

    Absolutely in! as a EV owner of 4 years, would love to convert my other car (old 911) to electricity...

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