Hi guys, a couple of you having been interested in seeing progress on this electric truck project I have started.
There is no other place to post this in a Canadian Poncho Forum as it probably won't have any Canadian Poncho parts in it except maybe for a set of 1967 2+2 Ralleys (15x5inch!) that I am planning to run, so i will post progress shots here.
As I said before this is probably not going to be too cost efficient just yet. I figure roughly I'll have to put on about 70,000 kms before I even break even on the cost of the electric components but it is something I want to try anyway.
I brought in the donor truck (1987 S10 Blazer 2wd Manual transmission) just before Christmas and stripped her to the frame. Then I towed it to town and washed it off at the car wash. Since then I have mocked up the electic motor and mounts just to see how it all fits.
Next step is to take it off again and start cleaning the frame seriously for a paint job.
This is going to be a three season driver so it may not meet some of you guy's standards for finish, (in fact I may leave it in primer) but all advice will be welcome and the stuff I can understand or do will be used.
YES.. curious as to where you got your components.. this has been an idea for a long time and would love to know what your using for a motor.. an idea on cost would be great too.
You can buy S10 conversion kits HERE The best donor is a 2.5 4 banger stick S10. You keep the trans however you lose the clutch. You only use the first 2 gears. It's a slick setup.
Hi guys thanks for the interest. I first thought of this when I was in Tofino last spring.
Its a hippie haven and there was a scruffy looking S10 pickup that looked weird parked next to a resterant Once I got close, I could see it have a plug in where the fuel filler woild normally be.
It started me thinking that the 38 Willys pickup body I was planning to stick on a S10 blazer frame would might work as an electric vehicle. I checked a few web sites and found Canadian Electric Vehicles has already engineered and offers a conversion kit for a 2wd manual tranny pickup. He's based out of Vancouver Island and after a few chats he kind of sold me although it ain;t cheap. (About 12,000.00 for the whole kit as you noted before). His kits aren;t for the blazer per se as you need to keep the batteries out of the passenger compartment but with the Willys on that frame it'll work out.
I have half the kit so far and am saving my pennies for the rest but with what I have now I can go as far as mounting the major components, the body pieces and doing the body work, which I am very rusty (ha hah) at.
He recommends keeping the clutch so you can easily switch ranges (so to speak) and so you can disengage the motor real fast if you need to with a reflex you are already used to.
I'm keeping the 5 speed Borg Warner (non world class) but probably will really use only 2 or so gears usually.
I'm planning to mount the batteries inside the frame rails under the box (which I want to make tilt) with maybe a couple in the motor compartment. His kit allows the use of power brakes but not power steering so I've dug up a manual box.
I really like the idea of not having to figure out fuel lines, or where to mount a rad or an exhaust system.
It should be about the same weight as the stock Blazer when all is said and done but it should handle a lot better with the low centre of gravity
Anyway I'll keep you posted. Having this will also keep me working on it as I don't want to look like a slug.
As for horsepower I'm not sure but I figure it'll be pretty perky. I have a 14 kilometer cummte to work to a small town so it should really work out well for that.
As for registerng the thing and insurance I really haven't done my homework there yet. (not smart)
-- Edited by 66 Grande guy on Tuesday 5th of January 2010 06:31:24 PM
Howdy guys just in case you think I gave up on this here is some pics of what the electric Willys is looking like lately.
I stripped the S10 down to the frame, had it sandblasted and then painted it black with Endura epoxy paint. (kind of nasty to work with but it has a finish like stove enamel.)
I replumbed the brake lines, and stuck the motor and tranny together and parked in the frame maybe to stay. Note that I don't care about the fuel system, exhaust system or cooling system cause I ain't going to need them.
The engine seems to sit at too much of an angle for my tastes but that seems to be the way the mounts are engineered.
Now the hard part begins: Mounting and fixing the tired old cab and front clip.
This probably should have done before I nicely painted the frame but I wanted to give myself some encouragement to finish this by having a sanitary frame to work from and also I have to keep kind of mentally commitiing myself by sort of diving into the deep end of this as well. (As I am kind of lazy as well)
Here are some shots of the motor mounted into the painted frame.
-- Edited by 66 Grande guy on Monday 8th of February 2010 03:35:11 PM
That's kind of the plan! That is a 38 in the picture I believe. I may even leave it like that for paint. we'll see. There's something about the patina of age I am kind of starting to like. The major thing that will be different will be the wheels will be skinnier (for less rolling resistance) they'll be my 15 x5" rallys I saved from my 67 2+2) and the rake not so much.
According to CEV (Canadian Electric Vehicles) the place I got the kit from you should use 24-6 volt golf cart type batteries but I guess it would work with any amount of batteries that you can hook into series to make 144 volts.
I think the 6 volt ones tend to last a lot longer. I was measuriing inside the frame rails last night and to tell the truth I can't see how I'll have room within the rails (which is what I really want to do) for that many batteries. I may have to carry some or all in the box but we will see.....
The engine seems to sit at too much of an angle for my tastes but that seems to be the way the mounts are engineered.
Can the mount for the motor be installed the other way around so that you have less angle? It looks as though there is plenty of room to do this from the pictures. I am eager to see the finished product. Keep up the progress pictures. You know we all love the pictures!