), I have spent a lot of time cruising Craigs List for possible donor cars...and daydreaming. Keeping in mind that I have no clue what I am doing (ignorance is bliss, right?) lots of crazy ideas run through my head. Ideally I want a 4 passenger vehicle with a 50 mile range and enough oomph to hit the highway, at least occassionally. If money were no object, then hey sure - why not a Hummer ... but I am trying desperately to keep my fantasies in the real word. (Not easy for an Aquarius)
The perfect car would weigh as much as a toaster and have the capacity to haul around the entire New England Patriots team ... as I haven't seen that yet - here are the ideas that bang around in my head.
If the Ford Ranger is such a good vehicle for conversion, why not the Bronco II? Pretty much the same vehicle with a back seat and a roof, right? Not the most aerodynamic of vehicles, I admit. OK, so the back seat and roof add extra weight. How much? I don't really know. Wouldn't the small cargo area in the back be perfect for battery storage, considering its size and proximity above the rear axel? Would a 4x4 come "stock" with enough extra suspension to fill my weight/ battery needs? Is it easy enough to just dump the 4x4 portion of the transmission and go 2wd? Again, Im not a mechanic. The big clue here is that I haven't seen one done as a home conversion online ... so I am guessing the other enthusiasts have ruled it out.
How about a mini van? A 7 passenger van should have a decent suspension, right? Remove the far back seat and theres plenty of room for batteries and 4 people, isn't there?
What about a Camaro or Firebird? I don't know about the suspension - but there is a ton of room under that hood isn't there? Even if the back seat is almost useless to begin with - heck - we aren't going too far on any given trip anyway - and it IS a backseat (read 4 passengers)
I realize, even if one of these is possible, I have a sneaking suspicion that my research will result in a smaller, more aerodynamic vehicle or a pickup truck - at least for my first conversion - leaving me with just a 2 seater. I can live with that. The VW bug is pretty easy to get ahold of - same with an S10 or similar small truck. I have secretly wanted a bug since before I ever had my drivers license anyway.
Whos knows? Really....Who Knows? I would love for others to weigh in. I'm actually trying to beg for insight ... without sounding like I am begging. Is it working?
3 comments:
You've got me crackin up over here--sitting at my computer at 4:00 a.m. researching electric cars as i await my copy of "Convert It!" and compare the "curb weights" of various used vehicles online.
Looks like we're in the same boat.
Useful sites i've found so far include:
http://www.electroauto.com/
http://www.eaaev.org/
http://www.evalbum.com/build#thebest
http://maeaa.org/
Good luck.
Hey Evan - you still out there somewhere?
I'ld really like to see how far you have or haven't gotten - just because I have given up doesn't mean that I don't find this exciting. Wishing you luck, man!
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