NACS Part Deux

 Due to an unforgivable, unfortunate, bone-headed brain fart, we had to drop the rear battery box for servicing. More about that in a future post. While the battery box was out, I took the open access to the rear compartment to good advantage revising the mount system for the charge port.

I was pleased with the NACS charge port under the Aston-Martin flip-up gas cap, but not so happy with the attachment. I had used a rubber hose and clamp to mount the underside of the port which made it squishy and allowed for rotation of both the port itself and the cap.

Thinking about a better way to affix the port, I refused to do anything like drilling mounting holes in the now pristine rear body work. It had to be something invisible but secure and able to withstand the inevitable vibration and shock of regular road use.

Being an around-the-house handyman, I remembered something that bordered on magic: the lowly Garbage Disposal!

Hanging under the sink, solid and secure, heavy and often unbalanced, giving years of trouble free service, what's the secret?

The mount uses screw pressure to separate the sink flange from the disposal collar. No holes, no adhesive, no fuss, no bother. Tried and true in every kitchen sink in the civilized world.

Adapting the mount to the NACS charge port was really pretty straight forward. The NACS port supported by the ledge in the gas cap served as the upper flange.

The lower cable retainer would act as the disposal collar, but how to make that work with the mount? 

Cut a round piece of scrap 1/4" plywood to fit the lower disposal mount. 

Cut out the rounded trapezoid to snugly match the outer NACS tube.

Put all together we have a clean and compact mount for the NACS charge port.

Now solid and secure, it feels like it was designed by a pro. A pro plumber, that is.

   

Back Home Again

 Now that the MG has moved on to its new home, I have space for the eBugeye.

It was delivered by Leander Towing who did a very courteous and professional job of backing it right into place in my garage.

Now that Robert Juarez of Pro Automotive and Body has worked his magic, it's time for me to finish the high voltage cabling and trouble shoot the 12 volt system.

Nearly two years after the accident, we should be back on the road soon.

The Curtain Comes Down

Ever since it was finished in 2012, the evTD has been a show-stopper. 

Arrival at EVTV Motor Verks

Finished late in the night before departure for Cape Girardeau, MO and EVCCON 2012, arriving in a torrential thunderstorm, and winning a trophy for "Best Paint".

This was an auspicious beginning for its run as a show car. Appearances at EVCCON 2013 and EVCCON 2014 followed with Autocross, Drag Races, Parades, and of course Car Shows.

Proud to display at Texas All British Car Days

Cars and Coffee is a perennial show, but the British Invasion of 2013 was a great mingling of Rod & Custom cars with British Classics, so the evTD fit right in. 

Texas All British Car Days (2018, 2019) and IBM Employee Car Shows (2013, 2019) were also regular stops on the fall show circuit 

ALT NRG show in the Palmer Events Center

Also notable were several EV Shows. EV Expo in 2019 and the ALT NRG show in the Palmer Events Center in 2021. 

The Austin Maker Faire was an eclectic event, perfect for a hand crafted specialty car like the evTD.

Most memorable was the Fully Charged Live event at the Circuit of the Americas in 2020.

The "EV Petting Zoo" at Fully Charged Live

Parked next to the evTD, my Porsche was a more sophisticated build and far more useful as an everyday driver, but just not that interesting to the casual observer. The MG is a basic and rudimentary EV conversion, but attracts all kinds of attention with its vintage style and classic good looks.

Which leads us to "Exit Stage Right". After finishing the new battery installation and realizing that I could no longer drive it comfortably (left leg wouldn't cooperate with the clutch pedal), I reopened the marketplace ad and almost immediately the right new owner surfaced. She is a realtor from east Texas who specializes in restored Victorian homes. She kept saying "it's a work of art" and plans to use it as an attraction and photo op for her real estate listings. I'm excited about the evTD's second life and wish them many happy miles down the road ahead.

Farewell old friend.

At Long Last ...

After a three and a half year hibernation the MG took its first tentative excursion under its own power. A major setback along the way was with the full complement of twenty CALB 180 cells standing behind the seat, it was impossible for me to get in and out with the seat so upright. Reconfigured for 12 cells on their side, the seatback rake is now perfect. That yields ~20kWh pack which should be good for around 80 miles of range. Of course, your mileage may vary. The extra eight brand new cells will convey with the car.

Battery cells oriented on their side with the terminals facing forward, protected by the seat back.

This configuration allows for a deeper parcel tray which is more useful as well.

While the seat was out I took the opportunity to install new seat belts which are clean and attractive compared to the old ones.

A year and a half after my accident, I'm still relearning how to use my legs, so getting in and out is awkward at best, and operating the clutch and brake pedals doesn't come naturally yet. 

Time now to give it a shake-down and address some details like programming the BMS display and fuel gauge. Then back on the market in time for lovely Spring evening cruises for some fortunate new owner.

New Battery Pack for the MG

Much to report since my last update. I have officially "graduated" from physical therapy, so am spending more time working in the garage. I still tire easily and take frequent breaks, but I'm getting some things accomplished. The Bugeye is basically done save for some wiring and trouble shooting, but it's still in residence at Pro Automotive until I clear space in the garage for it. That means getting the MG sold and off to a new home. Here's the Facebook Marketplace listing.

There were a lot of inquiries initially, but it was clear that no one was prepared to take on the remaining project. A test drive would also help, so I'm finishing out the new battery pack installation. I ordered 44 brand new CALB180FI cells from Cycle Charge that happily came with bus bars and bolts. Battery prices have come down considerably, so I can add the costs to my asking price without breaking the bank. That would result in a 25.3kWh pack that should give a little over 100 miles of range. I also ordered a new charger and DC/DC converter from Thunderstruck Motors that were a better match for the new pack voltage.

Crate of 36 cells plus 8 additional

Crate nicely packaged

Twenty cells fit perfectly on the rear platform

New Charger and DC/DC Converter mounted to forward battery end cap.

Twenty one cells fit the forward platform with room for the end cap components. The three remaining cells mount under the forward control board.

The forward board has the NACS (Tesla) charge port, charge LED indicator, Thunderstruck Charge and BMS controllers, and the maintenance switch. The gap between the cells allows for the switch wiring. Yet to be placed are the 12 volt battery and a couple of relays. 

Jack Rickard always said that 80% of the effort in converting a car to an EV lies in planning the battery and component layout. The remaining 20% on this project will entail building the battery container boxes and the high voltage, BMS, and 12 volt wiring. Stay tuned as we finish this up.

Progress on Several Fronts

 Pleased to report that things are moving ahead on the car repair and my physical repair. I've retired both the walker and the cane, and am getting around pretty well without the assist devices. I'm still regaining balance and strength, but less awkward than before if a bit slow. Even better, after nine months of rehab my physical therapy team has reduced my visits to every other week. I need to keep up the home exercise and hope their evaluation holds. Now to lose the twenty pounds I picked up with steroid meds and sedentary lifestyle while healing.

That means I've been able to increase quality time in the garage. Robert brought over the finished rear battery box and the battery cells. We designed it to hold the four extra cells, bringing the total to 48, balanced 24 front, 24 rear. Wired the set with Jack Rickard approved flexible bus bars and Nordlock washers, all from EVTV Motor Verks.

Added the sensor wiring for the 

Thunderstruck BMS, then tidied up the arrangement with some zip ties so none of the wiring is touching terminals or bus bars.

Built up the electronics mount board for the charger, Master Control Unit, solid state relay with heat sink, rear pack fuse, hall effect current sensor, 2/0 Anderson connector, and BMS Satellite. The black box behind the BMS contains all the extra length sensor wires, neatly coiled and out of harm's way.

What remains is to finish out the control unit and relay connections in the car and add the Anderson Connector's mate which will also function as the service disconnect. Finally, have the whole rear battery box assembly returned to Pro Automotive and lifted into place in the rear boot.

So this saga promises to come to a conclusion as both the eBugeye and yours truly are rehabilitated and return to normal, whatever that is ... more to come!

New Page, New Chapter

 

My Porsche 924S EV has been on the road in one form or another since late 2015 and has served well as a daily driver and occasional show car. Since re-adding the eBugeye "Sunshine" to the fleet and later the Tesla Model 3, the Porsche has been relegated to shuttling between the garage and street parking, no longer the prime buzz around town ride it was. It hasn't helped that since my back injury, it has become very difficult for me to get in and out of the driver's seat.

After offering both the Porsche and the evTD for sale, the Porsche has found a new home with Ian Harris, whom I knew from EVCCON. I trust Ian's experience with EV's and know he will do a great job taking the PorschEV to the next level.

In the meantime, he can enjoy tinkering and updating the car, driving it often, and increasing his own skill set through re-engineering the stuff that I put together.

Ian made the road trip down from Cape Girardeau, Missouri with Mckinley (hope I spelled that right) and his friend Robert Dunn, who hosts the Aging Wheels Youtube channel.

All the best to Ian as he starts a new chapter for the PorschEV.