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 - SOLD

$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. This vehicle is sold!

1952 MG TD Replica - SOLD

$14,995

MG TD Replica EV Conversion with stunning body work, paint, chrome, and interior. Built on fully restored 1974 VW Beetle chassis with Netgain Impulse9 DC Motor, Soliton1 Controller, Charger, Thunderstruck Charger, Charge Controller and BMS. Brand new battery pack - 36 CALB CA180FI cells. Dare I say it would be easy to retrofit a VW motor if that's what you'd prefer.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/708607734713344

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 80+ miles of range with a 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. 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 ...

Not quite ready for Prime Time ... but close

Long post warning! (but worth the read)

The eBugeye ran when it came off the transport, but much needed to be done. Barry, the gentleman who took over for me in 2012, did some really marvelous things. The rear battery box is a work of art that no one will ever see. It's a sturdy plywood container with a plexiglass top, painted black so it will disappear. It's strapped down to the spare tire loops and quite solid. The battery cells are connected with the braided straps from EVTV.

I added the Thunderstruck Battery Management System which was no small task. There's no trunk lid on a Bugeye so everything has to be accessed from behind the seats with limited clearance. You lay on your belly and assume many contorted positions to reach back there. I got the job done with the help of some nifty right angle drive tools.

Trust me, there are plexiglass sheets protecting the connectors.

The front battery pack was configured much as I had laid it out originally, except with cabinet grade plywood on top. I added the BMS wiring here as well. I found some plexiglass sheet among the extras that shipped with the car and it was clear that Barry had intended to use that for protection on the exposed sides. So I cut and installed that so the car will be "finger safe" when the bonnet is up for car shows. Thanks, Barry!

The rear deck behind the seats is filled with electronic bits that simply wouldn't fit anywhere else. The box upper left contains the rear pack fuse, charge control relay,  and the current sensor for the BMS. Next to that is the shunt and logic for the Juntek wireless volt/ammeter. Below the circuit box is the J1772 charge port and the Thunderstruck Master Control Unit. This MCU handles the J1772 interface, the BMS, and the Charger. Next to the MCU is the service disconnect switch.

The ELCON charger was previously installed in the evTD. With the addition of the ELCON CAN bus interface it worked perfectly from the very first charge. Thanks, Thunderstruck!

Wrapping up the rear of the car, I added a chrome flip-up gas cap from a Triumph TR3/TR4/Spitfire. It's a dummy just for show, but dresses up the rear aspect beautifully.

We've experienced a full month of over 100 degrees (F) here in Austin, so before going anywhere I needed to add liquid cooling for my Soliton Jr controller. The coolant radiator/fan from the old PorschEV Lear charger just happens to fit perfectly alongside a tank and yet another Prius coolant pump. After plumbing this whole thing together I'm happy to report that it doesn't leak and turns on under the control of the Soliton. A little black paint and it will look like it's always been there.

I mentioned that the eBugeye ran when it arrived, but it felt sluggish and slow. I couldn't imagine that the smaller SolitonJr with the smaller 140 volt pack made that much of a difference. One of the very elegant design elements from Evnetics (now sadly out of business) is the configuration through a small internal web server. It interfaces through an ethernet cable port and supports just about any browser to work as a configuration tool. I had to add an ethernet/USB dongle to my MacBook Air, but finally got logged in to find that all of the configuration parameters were set to factory defaults. A little tweaking and the eBugeye now performs in the "Spritely" manner I remembered. It still felt a bit rough, so the twenty year old tires were replaced. Although the old ones still had plenty of tread, I suspect they were flat spotted from 10 years sitting in a garage. The eBugeye now runs smooth and strong so the final step:

From this

To this. We're Texas legal and back on the road after eleven years!

There is still much finish work to be done, mostly interior panels and sound deadening as well as carpet and some touch up. 

The target is to have everything ready for EVCCON 2023 in September. 

The eBugeye was present at the first EVCCON in 2011 and will be there once again twelve years later. Only this time there will be no last minute all-nighters getting things done for the show. It's nice to have a little time for a shakedown and punch list.