Battery Box Fabrication

 Robert Juarez posted this to Facebook:

"Meanwhile back at the day job almost have this Bug eyed Sprite battery box finished and ready to paint. This is what you have to do when there’s no trunk lid but you want to stuff a bunch of batteries in the back of your ride. Cut a big hole in the back floor and fabricate a box that will drop down from the bottom with all the batteries installed in it. I’ll have this little electric Sprite cruising around town not making a sound soon. Almost done Fred !"

Big hole in the boot floor also let Robert get inside to do some of the sheet metal work without crawling in from the cabin

Corners all trued up before welding

Parts cut and ready to assemble

Excellent fit for the batteries (note: trial fit, not correct battery orientation

Mounting brackets added

View from the underside

In place

Note the subtle curve in the
mounting bracket to conform
with the slope of the floor

Shoot on a coat of black pickup bed liner and it will disappear

Thanks Robert, really beautiful work!

Transformation

 The eBugeye "Sunshine" its looking good! Robert Juarez sent this photo of the finished rear bodywork and it's better than new.

Next step is fabricating the rear battery box, then rewiring everything. Here are some of the steps along the way:

In the Paint Booth

Robert Juarez of Pro Automotive reports that the body work and paint is all done - smooth and shiny again! Next step is to fabricate the new battery box that will lift into place in the boot floor. I'm adding four battery cells to bring it up to 48 cells total - balanced between 24 front and 24 rear. That gives us a nominal 15.4 kWh capacity which should be good for ~75 mile range. 

Of course there's plenty of detail reassembly yet to be done - lights, plate, filler cap, and all the internal electrical connections, but there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. And with the shiny yellow paint I think we'll christen this little car Sunshine!

In other news, all the healing time and physical therapy is starting to pay off. I'm now getting around without assist devices, walker or cane. Still slow and a bit painful but nowhere near what it was.

Thankful to Robert for his great craftsmanship getting my little car back in shape. Also to Dr. Jim Fernandez and Sonja 

Wanninger of Austin Sports Medicine for the treatment and patient physical therapy program getting me back in shape. Sunshine and I should both be back on the road in time to enjoy springtime rides.

Thinning the Fleet

The time has come to let the Porsche and the MG move on to new owners. I'm out of garage space (truthfully have been for some time now) and since my back injury have been unable to enjoy the garage time that I used to.

The eBugeye repair is nearing completion so it will be coming home soon. The new Tesla is occupying its share of the space and the wife would love to have her Prius back under cover as well. That means it's time for a clearance sale!

1988 Porsche 924S EV

$24,995

PorschEV at the Drive Seniors Charity car show

Project Build Blog: http://porscheev.blogspot.com/

Ongoing Development Blog: http://adventuresinevland.blogspot.com/

Overview Video: https://youtu.be/Uty46DF96WQ?si=IA6YzPw0_5gEm5g7

Built from a solid rust-free Texas donor, this Porsche is well sorted and runs great! It's nicely appointed with fresh Wet Okole heated seat covers and is very comfortable.

Range is around 50 miles with the current battery pack. I generally drive it in fourth gear (direct drive) and performance is excellent. If you want "Ludicrous Mode", start in second gear for thrills. 

Tires and all running gear are excellent. It has power brakes, power steering, electric window lifts, air conditioning, and Bluetooth AM/FM radio with hands-free phone support.

This Porsche EV has served me well as a reliable daily driver and exhibits well at Car Shows.

1952 MG TD Replica

$19,995 finished with fresh battery pack

$14,995 with all parts for completion

Allow me to explain: I was in the process of installing New Old Stock Better Place (Nissan) batteries when my back was injured and I have been unable to complete the job. All parts are included - battery pack, BMS, Charger, Charge Controller, and custom copper bus bars. If you're patient, I will finish it when I am physically able. If you'd like a straight forward project, then this is for you! Dare I say it would be easy to retrofit a VW motor if that's what you'd prefer.

Project Build Blog: http://evtd.blogspot.com/

Ongoing Development Blog: http://adventuresinevland.blogspot.com/

Overview Video: https://youtu.be/Uty46DF96WQ?si=IA6YzPw0_5gEm5g7

This is a high quality fiberglass replica of an early 1950's MG TD built on a 1974 VW Beetle chassis. Every moving part has been replaced as well as the floorboards. The paint and interior are stunning! It's literally a brand new vehicle.

I anticipate around 50 miles of range with the new battery pack, perfect for around town use. A custom tow bar is included if you'd like to take it to destinations that are out of range. The MG TD charges from standard J1772 public or private charging stations.

It's great fun to drive and quite sporty. It gets attention at stop lights and is a hit at Car Shows.

Please contact me at fred.behning@gmail.com or text (512) 689-3595 if you are interested in either or both. I'll be happy to provide additional photos or other information.

PorschEV and evTD on display at the Fully Charged Live event

Bugeye Progress!

 Facebook post from my friend Robert Juarez:

Robert is a true artist in metal! Nobody does it better, and the Bugeye's backside will certainly be cured long before mine is. Here are Robert's photos:

Finally in the Tesla Fold

Remember when I bought the 2000 Honda Insight and said it was to tide me over until the day that I could pay cash for a Tesla?

That day arrived last Saturday after my son sent me a text about Hertz thinning their fleet of electric vehicles. Despite the frenetic negative reports in the anti-Elon mainstream media, it was primarily a dollars and cents business decision on the part of Hertz management. The headlines were full of hyperbole like this:

Rental giant Hertz dumps EVs, including Teslas, for gas cars

Hertz's Tesla Fire Sale Portends EV Reckoning

Hertz USA say NO to EV... Dumps 20000 Tesla Cars

In fact the twenty thousand Teslas that Hertz has put on the market are about a third of their Tesla inventory and are largely high mileage vehicles that were part of Hertz's Uber initiative. The sky is not falling, but it was certainly an opportunity for me to pick one up for roughly half of what a new one would have cost. 

I chose a 2022 Rear Wheel Drive (LFP) Model 3 with 70,000 miles on it.

It's very clean and drives brilliantly. With the J1772 charging adapter I was able to use the existing charging stations in my garage and was pleased to find that a full charge showed a 258 mile range. That's only a 14 mile degradation from the quoted new car range of 272 miles, or .5%. Not bad after two years and 70,000 miles. Unlike the traditional lithium cobalt cells, Tesla recommends 100% charge for Lithium-Iron-Phosphate, so the range is actually comparable to a long range Model 3 at the recommended 80% charge. It got new tires 8,000 miles ago and apart from some small cosmetic imperfections on the interior, it is immaculate.

So the Honda served its purpose well and will likely be on the road for years to come with its new owner. I threatened to sell the Porsche and MG conversions and now have even more reason to move them out of the garage. If you have interest in either or both, drop me a line and we'll work something out. I'd like them to go to a good home with someone who appreciates the special nature of these cars. My wife will thank you for making room for her car in the garage. The eBugeye repair is underway and will be finished soon. Stay tuned for more on that front.

I've named the new Tesla the "Gogomobile" in honor of my recently deceased mother whom the grandkids called "Gogo". Mom would have been proud and the grandkids got the first ride. Easton was especially excited since he's been saying "Grandpa needs a Tesla" for a long time.

EVCCON 2023

After an eight year hiatus due to Jack Rickard's declining health and eventual passing, not to mention the COVID pandemic shutdowns, EVCCONN resumed this year.

Under the leadership of Jack's daughter Jackie along with Brian Noto and the rest of the EVTV staff, the conference was staged once again at the EVTV Motor Verks World Headquarters in Cape Girardeau, MO.

My friend Stan Cloyd offered to stop on his way from Mesa AZ and load my e-Bugeye in his enclosed trailer. He trailered his Tesla Model 3 and offloaded it to make room for the little yellow car. We caravanned the rest of the way, Tesla Model 3 and Chevy pickup/trailer. Made the trip in two days with a stop over in Texarkana.

I got to drive Stan's Model 3 from Texarkana to Cape Girardeau and must say I'm amazed at how easy it is to make long road trips! After entering the destination on the navigation panel, it plots all of the Supercharger stops along the way, charging only enough to get you to the next station with some cushion. Charging stops give you just enough time to find the restroom and check email.

Looking kinda goofy. Not good at selfies.

We arrived at the show Wednesday and lined up with the other early arrivals.

The welcome reception was themed "Tiki Mania" and featured Mai Tais and island fare. Great time to get reacquainted with old friends and new.

Thursday was opening day and I was honored to deliver a presentation on my experience as a serial EV converter. It went well and I brought it in right on time. There followed a panel discussion on Solar and off-grid topics with Stan Cloyd, Chris Snider, and Malcolm McCrea.

credit: screenshot from Michael Brown's video below

That evening after putting the e-Bugeye away for the night under the original Speedster in the EVTV shop, there was a barbecue at "The Captain's House". That would be Jack's home with a spectacular view overlooking the Mississippi River with gorgeous weather and a magical night view of the bridge. Also fireworks!

Staging Area for the Autocross

Friday, after very interesting presentations on Solar Challenge Cars by Byron Izenbaard and EV Oddities from Robert Dunn, we got outdoors for fun in the sun. An Autocross was set up in a shopping mall parking lot and lots of rubber was left behind on the tight course. Kevin Smith provided hilarious commentary and acted as "Cone Boy" dashing across the course on a Kooter to right overturned markers. It was a big day and most of the crowd moved on to the Drag Strip in the evening while several of us old guys chose an early dinner and a quiet evening back at the hotel.

Saturday we set up for the car show. That gap between the e-Bugeye and the Chevy Bolt was later filled by a Rivian pickup truck, a very cool and thoroughly modern vehicle. Very impressive. I decked out the under hood display with spec sheets on all three of my converted EVs and business cards for each with pointers to their respective web sites. Saves me having to write them down every time someone shows interest. Lots of conversations with curious people who were wondering what was going on in that mysterious EVTV building.

The last event was our EV Parade. We cruised through historic Cape Girardeau, past a fall festival on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, down lovely residential streets, and stopped at St. Mary's Cemetery. At Jack Rickard's graveside it was a somber moment as we paid our respects to the man who started all of this and gave us our weekly dose of education, inspiration, and motivation. Many fond memories.

Finally, here is Michael Brown's video recap of the week's activities. Michael rode with me for the parade and does a great job summarizing the feel of the event.

Postscript:

On the way back to the hotel after the parade I was waiting at a red light when a Freightliner semi decided to occupy the same space. My eyes got real big and the monster munched into the rear of the e-Bugeye. When big things crash into small things, it's gonna be bad for the small thing. 

Happily it was a slow speed impact or I might not be here to tell about it. I'm alive but sore, especially after the two day drive back to Austin. The e-Bugeye is over at Pro Automotive and in very good hands with Master Craftsman and body work guy Robert Juarez. After all the insurance stuff is sorted out I'm sure it will be better than ever when he's done.

Robert marked up all the damage for the virtual insurance estimate and noted the lack of access to the inside of the boot. He suggested that he cut a hole in the floor to get in there with his hammers and such. Then he proposed building a battery box that can be raised into place as a fully populated unit. That will allow for four extra cells. Very creative guy!

More to come, stay tuned ...