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Nov 19, 2007 15:48:08 GMT
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This isn't really a "tell me about.." thread, more a "What would fit this spec..." thread.
I'm interested in a microcar as a basis for an electric conversion to gain both experience and a zero emission city car. It has to be a microcar because the conversion I'm pricing up is a low power ~40mph quadricycle city car.
Trouble is, microcars, or at least ones that come in as quadricycles, are a little thin on the ground. There are one or two commercially available electric vehicles that come into this category but they're generally either rather less than safe or just eversoslightly iffy in the styling department. There are a few exceptions such as the Microcar Zenn but they're hardly cheap.
So you're left with things like the Piaggio Ape which though it's way cool and I'd love to own one is impractical because it only has one seat, or the chance of finding some relic from the 1950s or '60s and paying a scene tax.
I'm sure my dad's generation would have used a bought-for-nowt Austin 7, but I'm hardly that fortunate. Reliant Robin/Rialto? Perhaps, but I have to say I'm not attracted. Ligier? Now I'm scraping the barrel. How much to Japanese Kei cars weigh?
Your thoughts? Realistic and not too expensive, I want to spent my hard-earned on fancy batteries and electronics, not a fancy base vehicle.
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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posam
Part of things
Posts: 408
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Nov 19, 2007 16:04:29 GMT
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er.. mini ?? get one with a rusted boot and no sills... you're gonna have to do a load of welding to strengthen it enough for heavy batteries anyway... go for an estate for extra battery room.... ?
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Nov 19, 2007 16:09:58 GMT
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Mini front transmission doesn't lend itself to electric conversion, that in-sump gearbox was a revolutionary solution in 1959 but it's too married to the A series to bolt an electric motor on the end of it. Also it's a little heavy. Shame, because I happen to have one handy.
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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Samage
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,467
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Nov 19, 2007 16:11:12 GMT
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Fiat 126!
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Nov 19, 2007 16:14:16 GMT
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FIAT. Hmmm, hadn't thought of them. Legendary FIAT electrics and alleged-metal construction though . Are there many 126s left these days?
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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Samage
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,467
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Nov 19, 2007 16:15:49 GMT
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Search the Bay of E. There's a few knocking around there, and not TOO costly either. Problem is finding a cheap one that hasn't succumbed to the grot, although such cars do exist if you look hard enough. As for the electrics - well, surely you'll be completely redoing those anyway! The later watercooled cars tend to be a lot cheaper than the aircooled ones, and have often fared better against rust. Less reliable engines apparently, but since you'll be binning that, it's not a problem. ;D
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Last Edit: Nov 19, 2007 16:16:54 GMT by Samage
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Nov 19, 2007 16:23:18 GMT
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what would really be awesome would be if I could find one of the really small original kei class diddy vans. Never seen one here, but I don't mean the Suzuki Supercarry, Daihatsu HiJet 1 litre class, I mean the really small ones with <500cc engines.
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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twigzy
Part of things
In rust we trust
Posts: 755
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Nov 19, 2007 17:35:28 GMT
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600cc and me and a mate turned it on its side by hand so nice and light ;D
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TWIGZY 17
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rtlkyuubi
Posted a lot
Low and Slow
Posts: 2,922
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Nov 19, 2007 17:39:45 GMT
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suzuki cappuccino?
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Nov 19, 2007 17:53:04 GMT
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Austin 7
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Nov 19, 2007 18:52:24 GMT
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Twigzy: WTF is that? Capuccino? Hadn't considered that. Might it not be a bit expensive? Austin 7. As I said above, ideal. Sadly not exactly on every street corner for pennies these days. Find me one for a couple of hundred! Bonus: I don't need the engine
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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Nov 19, 2007 18:59:15 GMT
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Citroen 2CV
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Nov 19, 2007 19:01:33 GMT
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2cv? Good choice, but a bit too heavy to be a quadricycle.
Heavier car == more expensive motor you see.
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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Nov 19, 2007 19:14:33 GMT
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I suspect that issues may arise if herald948 tries to get his considerable frame into a Fiat 126....
A trabant sounds ideal for the job though. Or something more recent and nastier like Perodua Nippa or Suzuki Alto/Swift.
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Nov 19, 2007 19:21:06 GMT
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Yep, Trabbi or small Fiat sounds good I reckon (although have no experience whatsoever ;D ) that the rear engined styles of the 126 will help, although room for batteries might be an issue. Have you seen the leccy drag race bug? It's quick
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twigzy
Part of things
In rust we trust
Posts: 755
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Nov 19, 2007 19:51:02 GMT
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its a NSU sport prinz, 600cc rear engine and cooler then an ice cube in winter, its tiny, apologies for my mate looking like a goon, its smaller than a metro that next to it on the right is an austin a40, think you get the idea how small it is ;D ;D ;D
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TWIGZY 17
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Nov 19, 2007 19:58:43 GMT
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Reliant Kitten.
*n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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I suspect that issues may arise if herald948 tries to get his considerable frame into a Fiat 126.... A trabant sounds ideal for the job though. Or something more recent and nastier like Perodua Nippa or Suzuki Alto/Swift. Careful! They'll think I'm lardy!! True I've never sat in a 126 so I have no idea of the headroom. My Panda was nice and roomy but definitely bigger. Trabant? 560kg. What's the spares situation like? Just as an illustration of weight, a quadricycle is 500kg. (looks at google...) A Daihatsu Cuore for example is 740kg and a Smart Fortwo is 730kg, and those are light weight cars these days. How much weight could you lose from a modern car if you have a near silent engine? A Kitten sounds promising, but they're hardly common these days. That Prinz looks really cool, but rarer than a rust free Lancia. Shame. Fast electric VW, it's relatively easy to make a very fast electric car so long as it doesn't have to go far. Batteries are generally good at dumping vast amounts of current for short periods. It gets more difficult designing one that has range. Anyway, in conclusion, the candidates so far. FIAT 126 (580kg) Reliant Kitten (533kg) Austin 7 (360kg)(though unlikely) Come on, there must be something else out there!
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Last Edit: Nov 20, 2007 7:54:09 GMT by herald948
"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor
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Last Edit: Nov 20, 2007 8:58:28 GMT by garethj
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