The new license plate arrives

Check it out...

I also did some work on the front battery racks. The Exide 34XCD batteries have posts that are very close to the edge, so there is a risk of a short with the retaining frames. So some quick work with the angle grinder cut-off wheel, and... voila. Not a problem anymore.


I also made up a plastic (cutting board material) floor for each of the front rack spaces, for proper support and protection of the batteries from underneath. Here is a picture of how all the front batteries look during the test fit. Note the gap below - still have to order battery #16.

Battery layout & wiring

Both racks are now completely bolted in, and the battery clamps are scheduled to arrive middle of this week. So it's time to start planning the layout of how the batteries will be wired together. Here are some diagrams I whipped up for the front:And for the rear:

Note the use of Anderson connectors to disconnect the battery packs from the rest of the HV circuit in the front and in the back. I have also come to the realization that, based on the type of DC/DC converter I am installing, I may not need an auxiliary battery at all. The DC/DC converter will be connected to the HV traction battery pack at all times, and does not pull much current in "idle" mode (on the order of mA). Plus, I have a nice spot for the DC/DC converter to be mounted - right where the auxiliary battery used to be! Serendipity!

Battery fun

Junior mechanic putting in some weight-lifting cross-training reps on the batteries. At 41 lbs. each, they are heavy!


Put the poly battery box into the rear rack, and put the new batteries in for a test fit. They fit great! The whole unit is pretty solid, and has a lid and two top lockdown brackets, so in the event of an accident, these things ain't going nowhere.

The rear rack/box is a bit exposed because the rear bumper is missing. Remember, I am replacing the clipper ("crapper") kit bumpers with new, smaller euro-style bumpers, still on order.

Happy Battery Day!

My Exide Orbitals arrived today! I picked them up at a local mom-n-pop auto parts store that is about a mile from my house and distributes them (thanks Edmonds Auto Parts! You saved me mucho $$$ on shipping).

It was a hoot picking them up! At first I got some quizzical looks that implied I had somehow over-ordered for my car or boat. How could I possibly need that many batteries? The look transformed after I started explaining the intended purpose. I get that a lot these days. I think with gas prices where they are, people want to see stuff like this on the road. I get comments like "I'd like to build one too", to "how can I buy one of these things?"

You may notice from the pic that I only have 15 batteries. I planned on 16 (192V), but waffled at the last minute because I considered one rack position for the DC-DC converter. Now that I know my Belktronix unit will fit elsewhere, I plan on ordering battery #16 soon to complete the set.

Pack Voltage Increase!

After installing the front and rear battery racks, I did some measurements and more analysis on how many Exide Orbital 34XCD batteries I would be able to fit. To my surprise, I am able to fit up to 4 more, increasing the ultimate pack voltage from 144V to 192V. Most of the HV components can handle this increase, with the exception of the DC/DC converter. This is the unit that is effectively replacing the alternator in the car as the 12v auxiliary battery charge source, for lights and other LV items in the car. My current one was rated only up to 180V, and it would have been marginal at that high end.

As it turns out, 192V is a difficult pack voltage to get a converter for! It rests between the lower voltage range (72-170V) and upper voltage range (200-400V). I did end up finding a couple of candidates though:

Belktronix 675W Wide Range Converter (50A):
http://www.belktronix.com/isodcdc.html

EV Power's 486W Wide Range Converter (36A):
http://www.ev-power.com.au/-EV-DC-DC-CONVERTER-.html

I went with the Belktronix - a bit more expensive, but higher power. Should be here in a couple of weeks.

Batteries will be here Friday!

My current back-order component list:
1) Z1k-HV motor controller with HB2
2) Manzanita Micro PFC20 battery charger
3) Belktronix DC/DC converter

The battery racks arrive!

It was like Christmas Friday! The big package from Electro Auto arrived, containing front & rear battery racks, and the rear poly battery box that fits into the rear rack. I immediately checked the rear hole dimensions against the dimensions of the rear rack. You guessed it - the hole was too small. Better than too big, I guess. I trimmed the hole to fit with the grinder, and after some significant "persuasion", The rack moved into the hole. I haven't bolted it in yet, but I need to add some reinforcement pieces of steel for the side lips first - they came with the rack.
I also performed a test fit on the front rack - fit well. It also isn't bolted in yet, but I will do that soon.

I had been periodically removing the cabriolet body "clipper kit" over the last week or so while I was waiting for the parts to arrive. The plastic clipper kit pieces, including bumpers, are pretty thrashed, and I planned on replacing these bumpers with lighter weight and less obnoxious euro-style bumpers anyway. During the test fit in the front, I had to remove the bolts holding the front bumper on the vehicle. So here is the first look at the vehicle and its new form...

Also, the mount plate for the brake booster system arrived, so I installed that as well. It basically mounts the electric vacuum motor and vacuum reservoir for the power brake system (since the engine is gone, I need a new vacuum source for the brakes, and this is it). The motor mounted nicely, and now I have to attach the reservoir on top with some tightening hold-downs.
Exide Orbital (34XCD) batteries have been ordered (12 of them). I should be able to pick them up next week! The project is starting to speed up again!

Routing HV cables front to back

I've been working out an approach to safely and securely route the HV cables from the rear of the car to the engine compartment. The cables should not go through the passenger compartment, and although they are insulated should be protected from each other and weather, road kick-up, etc. After closer examination at the underside of the car, it looks like the best candidate location is the center channel underneath the car. This channel is where the exhaust pipe was routed, and has readily accessible mounting bolts attached to the underside of the frame. The channel is also obviously recessed, so it should protect the cables better.

I am also planning on sheathing each of the cables in schedule 40 PVC pipe. I considered putting them into the same pipe, but again, I want to isolate them as much as possible from each other in the event something does pierce one of the pipes. This way, the chances of an electrical short are minimized.