The radiator battery rack came back from the welder, and after all my carefull measuring, I nearly blew this one. It comes very close to the bell housing of the transmission. In fact, I had to grind away some of the adaptor plate so it could fit. In retrospect, I should've taken the whole car over and had the guy weld the rack into the car.
I don't know what it's like for other people making an EV, but after a while, I start to think, eat, breath, and sleep the EV. I'll even take a notepad with me when I go to the bathroom, out of fear I'll come up with an idea when on the john, and forget it before I write it down. For example, I was resting one day, when all of the sudden my mind was filled with every nut, bolt, washer, and lockwasher I'd need for the radiator battery rack. I quickly wrote it down. I almost lost it to, because my cat started to chew on the paper. If you're making an EV, it helps to have a good hardware store nearby. For example, I wanted to use stainless steel hardware in my battery box. I figured it would hold up better than zinc hardware, but you have to look around because not every hardware store has stainless steel.
If you're familiar with John Wayland ("We blow things up, so you don't have to) and "Plasma Boy." I too have a tale to tell. I call it getting points for my "Plasma Boy" merit badge. To move the car around the yard, I stuck a few batteries up front, and wired them in using an Albright contactor to complete the circuit. Since I hadn't built my control board yet, I just placed the contactor in the tray where the ICE starter battery went. Well, one day I went to move the car. Now I have the hood off the car, so from the drivers seat, I can see a little of the engine compartment. Well, as soon as I turn the key to run, I see sparks flying out from the battery tray. I turn the car off, and take a look at my main contactor. The negative battery terminal touched the motor side of the contactor-that's where the sparks were coming from. The terminal was welded to the contactor. I had to use a hammer to break it loose.
Here's the finished battery box. You'll notice I used 1/4" PVC for the sides. On the right side you'll see where I've mounted my power brake vacuum pump.
Here you can see what the battery box looks like in the engine bay. You can see how close it comes to the bellhousing of the transmission.
On the side facing the radiator openning, there wasn't room for a 1/4" piece of PVC, so I just used a heavy sheet of plastic, and I'm going to cover the radiator openning with a 1" thick piece of styrofoam.
With the radiator battery box done, my next goals are to finally finish the rear battery box, to fix the cancer ("rust") hole in the right rear wheel well, and to prototype my controller board.
The rear battery box isn't done at this point, largely because of hardware issues. I'd try one thing on it, find it didn't work, go back to the hardware store and try something else. I believe I have all the hardware I need now (cross my fingers, knock wood) and hope to get it done in the next few weeks. As far as fixing the cancer, I've got the sheet metal and fiberglass. It's just a matter of grinding away the rust till I get some solid metal to pop- rivet into. I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood the size of my proposed controller board. I will mount components on it, and test the layout and the operation of my circuits.
Are You Sure You're Building
an Electric Car?
Closed for the Season
Conversion Index