Classic electric

[2b1ask1]

I looked into it when I got the XC-90 as an LPG conversion would have paid for itself in about 6 months if the bl00dy thing had have been reliable!

 

[lifes2short]

Oh that hurt!

sorry couldn't resist, never owned a stag but I think i'm right is saying they did have overheating issues?

 

[lifes2short]

£3.5k a year thank you!

I just don't get all this pollution thing all of a sudden, it's a conspiracy to tax the bloomin motorist again, bit like the moon landings and kennedy

 

[lifes2short]

I looked into it when I got the XC-90 as an LPG conversion would have paid for itself in about 6 months if the bl00dy thing had have been reliable!

I think did hear somewhere that volvo will only be producing electric motors in the next couple of years ??

 

[mjheathcote]

sorry couldn't resist, never owned a stag but I think i'm right is saying they did have overheating issues?

When new, yes.
British Leyland didn't flush out the parting sand from the cast engine block, and all the sand tended to settle in the cross flow radiator restricting flow.
I completely bare shell restored mine in the early 90's and even though it had a factory exchange short engine, the block had a lot of sand still in it.
The other issue was the design of the oil filter element with glued cardboard end caps. These unstuck with the hot oil and tendered to move out of place, again restricting in this case, the oil flow. Unipart redesigned the filter in the late 80's, 10 years after the last cars were made.
So with both issues sorted, they are a reliable, high revving, OHC V8 engine.
We have a few owners that have achieved 250 BHP on fuel injection, not bad for a 2 valve normally aspirated 3lt engine.
I have my own EFI project that I need to finish using 8 individual throttle bodies!

 

[Evo Cymru]

Back to classic electric cars - I think this will grow quite a bit over the next few years. Many like the idea of electric and it is an interesting power delivery and driving experience but like the idea of using original, and more individual, interesting designs.

I think it also makes more sense as we will not be scrapping perfectly sound cars just to go electric which surely makes more 'green' sense? Certainly I have been looking to do it with my R53 mini when the engine finally meets the end ....

 

[2b1ask1]

In all seriousness, Alex may we’ll do an electric conversion of the VW T2 camper as it is entirely sensible, the only exception being that it would then require MOT every year again as it would be ‘substantially altered’

 

[mjheathcote]

In all seriousness, Alex may we’ll do an electric conversion of the VW T2 camper as it is entirely sensible, the only exception being that it would then require MOT every year again as it would be ‘substantially altered’

Good point, last night renewed the road tax on the Stag, and had to tick the not substantially altered box.

 

[mjheathcote]

The feed in tariff has ended on solar panels for new installs.
I can see the cost of panels now dropping again!
I can see the attraction of covering our perfectly aligned south facing roof in affordable panels and the energy going into a EV car. Especially as both of us spend a fair amount of time working from home these days in day light hours.

 

[lifes2short]

it would then require MOT every year again as it would be ‘substantially altered’

cant win, try and do your bit for the environment and end up paying for it, but as mentioned by evo cymru this will grow, to have 5 uk companies already converting classics there's obviously a market for it

 

[mjheathcote]

cant win, try and do your bit for the environment and end up paying for it, but as mentioned by evo cymru this will grow, to have 5 uk companies already converting classics there's obviously a market for it

To be fair, it should be able to pass a MOT anyway on the remaining chassis, less combustion engine, or it shouldn't be on the road anyway.
Which classic car would you convert though?

 

[lifes2short]

Which classic car would you convert though?

i'm quite liking the thought of my little fiat 500 going electric, would you consider anything

 

[2b1ask1]

To be fair, it should be able to pass a MOT anyway on the remaining chassis, less combustion engine, or it shouldn't be on the road anyway.
Which classic car would you convert though?

The VW camper is perfect, nobody expects it to go fast, when you get to the site, you can plug it in.... But think of all the fun you can have with an electric fridge, cooker and even heating if you wanted to!

Bur really the easy bit is if you can get a Tesla battery pack it is a shoe to bolt on the underside! Just need to crack the fast charging side of things as Tesla won't help you there!

 

[mjheathcote]

The VW camper is perfect, nobody expects it to go fast, when you get to the site, you can plug it in.... But think of all the fun you can have with an electric fridge, cooker and even heating if you wanted to!

Bur really the easy bit is if you can get a Tesla battery pack it is a shoe to bolt on the underside! Just need to crack the fast charging side of things as Tesla won't help you there!

Sounds like a project, and as you say, having a hookup campsite is perfect!
I'm sure it has been done before, numerous times in fact.

 

[lifes2short]

found this interesting vid on the 500 conversion