Would you do it?
 

So would you do it? Would you swap in an electric powerplant?

I think I would, as long as it was in the ballpark in time and complexity of a robust swap...just to see the look on people's faces as you pulled into the "electric vehicle" parking spot. :lol:

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/ecop...e-way-forward/

Re: Would you do it?
 

I would without hesitation. I already have plans to make both my current 59 and my 08 Silverado into electric. As soon as some of the supplies becomes a little cheaper or I can find the stuff at a good cost everything will be electric.

Fork lift motors are a good buy right now if anyone else is looking to build up a storage of parts.

If they can launch this at a good price it would be a better swap for my LS than my current ideas.

Re: Would you do it?
 

yep, ecopo crate engine, gonna be more money than a regular person makes in a year, gotta think. thats no including batteries and other items required. it is cool that they are thinking about it I guess. my generation will be the ones with an ecopo under the hood of their wheel standing, tire scorching scooter drag racing others like me around the assisted living condo parking lot. maybe a mock road course....
hmmmm, I wonder if there is a market for that. ecopo linked to a fwd trans set in the rear of a one off quasi scooter, driver hunkered down between a set of goodyears, like an old dragster.......

Re: Would you do it?
 

I would do it in a minute, thought about it for sure. When I found my block was cracked in the Rambler I thought a lot about it, checked in on prices and what not.

I have been an electric car fan since the seventies, I used to have a bunch of books on building them from scratch using good old motors bolted to the diff and a bunch of 12 volt batteries. That really is all I would have needed for the Rambler being I just drive it here in town.

But I am damn curious to see if you proceed and look forward to a build thread.

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

Depends on the power needed, I looked into it back a few years ago and there were quite a few on the used market with refurbished battering being around $1200. Give LKQ a car (the WALMART of wrecking yards) 916-403-6022 This is a Sacramento California number but they have sources and locations all over the country.

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

I just had a funny old dude flash back. My truck 35 years ago had a mid engine Buick 401 with the carb right between the bucket seats. It did NOT look like this on the outside and when I would open the hood and you could see the ground below the axle at the bottom the engine compartment I got some damn funny looks.

Anyway, once I was pulling into a parking spot at a little drive-inn diner car show and a guy standing next to the hood was starring at me and asked if it was electric because he couldn't hear the motor. :D

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

Nope, not interested in electric cars.

Re: Would you do it?
 

It's interesting technology but unless it's a cheaper more powerful ,longer range alternative, then nope...
And yes I've seen the electric powered drag videos

Re: Would you do it?
 

If I was 20 years younger I'd think seriously about it. Donor rigs are still the issue as you never see damaged electric cars up for sale salvage wise.

Curb weight on a 2012 Prius is 3042 lbs and I think you could beat that by a bit if you swapped the drive train into and AD truck after removing the engine trans and rear axle. run the Prius drive train as rear wheel drive with the battery pack in a box where the trans and driveshaft would go normally and Swap in a Mustang II front end and you have an old truck that runs about the same as it would with a 235 at low speeds but cruises at 70 all day long for coffee money.

Ideally you would find a Tesla model 3 at a bargain price that still had all the needed pieces and have an all electric truck that might set freeway speed records while doing it in stealth mode. Can you visualize passing someone at 90 mph an not making any noise in your hot rod truck?

Re: Would you do it?
 

I'm with Rickysnickers, NOPE not interested in electric cars. I love the smell of raw gasoline in the morning.

Re: Would you do it?
 

Where would you put the giant speakers to make engine noises?

Re: Would you do it?
 

To repeat my reply when this same question was posed in the General Discussion forum:

Electric vehicles simply defer their environmental consequences somewhere else: coal-fired plants, hydroelectric dams or nuclear power plants. Heck, even wind turbines are, as John Stossel says, "giant bird-killing Cuisinarts." The California power grid can barely maintain the load that is on it now; imagine the brownouts with 30 million EVs added to that. Not to mention the elephant in the room that is battery disposal...

Multiply the pic below by 270 million electric cars and that's your future vistas with EV's:

Re: Would you do it?
 

Good point: the engine vibration and exhaust sound are all part of the sensory experience of driving a classic internal combustion powered vehicle.

Re: Would you do it?
 

You bring up a good point and this is a different issue all together. Making a change to alternative energy requires everyone to participate. But 700HP starting at 1 RPM -10,000 RPM is a lot of fun power. Don't think the lack of exhaust note would be an issue.

You can also get it in 300HP option. That would be plenty suitable for my '59

Re: Would you do it?
 

When battery tech evolves call me. Right now for me anything that requires a recharge time longer than a gas station visit is impractical. Anything less than 400-500 mile range is also impractical.

Re: Would you do it?
 

I understand, but I had to laugh about that last line of yours as just yesterday I pulled my 65 Gran Sport out and drove it to work because I primed the floor of my trucks cab in the garage they share. This Buick has a very rumpity cam in it, the Fremont Drag Strip was 6 miles from where I live and 30 years ago that car was there a lot, best time 13:90 at 99.99 MPH (never broke 100 :( )

Yesterday when I was driving it I called my brother (a Buick Nailhead expert) and talked to him about leaving the car with him so he could put a stock or near stock cam in it. OMG the exhaust, YEOW, with the windows up even, HOLY CRAP the people around me at the stop lights do not appreciate it, I'll tell you that! LOL

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

And I have to tell you guys, if you haven't driven a full on electric car, they are damn amazing! Remember the electric motor gives you ALL it's torque at zero RPM. They have serious get up and go. The first time I drove a Tesla I was blown away, they REALLY haul! And it's instant, and the regenerative coasting when you let off the throttle it's almost like you are stomping on the brake, so it drives very different (if the settings are like that, you can change it so it's not.)

I HATE late model cars in general, HATE all the BS stuff that takes away you using your brain, but damn I do dig electric cars.

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

But we are all different. I drove a 59 Rambler every day. My TOTAL miles every single day is 15, with 40 or so being a max. I have driven it for 6 years now every single day and only a couple of times I have driven it 50 miles or so in a day. So not all of us need that kinda range. A basic dozen 12 volt batteries like an electric car from 40 years ago had would be just fine.

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

You are right, but I don't see that many electric cars in our life time or our kids lifetime. So by then maybe we will have different technology to do it?

I do know one thing, I sure am glad not every one is driving a 59 Rambler every day in my area like I am. LOL

Brian

Re: Would you do it?
 

I'd say changing an AD or TF truck to all electric or Hybrid first would mean it is a second truck that you wheel around in locally. Second it most likely would have to be practical for where you live and or drive. Having had to hunt a gas station in down town Seattle while towing my sailboat behind my 71 and being super low on gas I can say in that area an electric rig may be pretty practical as a run around rig. Vashon, Bainbridge or the San Juan Islands of Washington electric could be pretty practical. They wouldn't be worth much if you lived in Rock Springs Wyoming though as there aren't many charging bushes along that stretch or road.

Re: Would you do it?
 

NO.! Why.? My truck run's on propane.

There not Called soul sucking Prius for no reason...

If you never Stepped hard into a LT1 or Fine Tuned LS Motor.
that you can find in a Muscle car of the last 25yrs
....That Sound and that deep inside you feel
Grabs your soul
....and will stay with you for a very very long time.

I Highly recommend it.!
.
I'm not talking about Horsepower
I'm talking about the Torq.!


Now I'm sure Ford, Dodge, and others Have some similar power Plants....
But I'm not familiar with That personally
.
One things is for sure Death await us all.!
Live a little before it's too late
.
.

Re: Would you do it?
 

This^^^


Currently hydrocarbons are the most efficient portable power source.
Electric could be great.
It would be super simple mechanically.
But those batteries just aren't there yet unless you are living the short city commute life.

Re: Would you do it?
 

Johnathan Ward at Icon did a VW Thing full Electric. Bad Ass!!! Here is the

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnEDfltpr-4

I would do it if i were not already deep in my current project.

Re: Would you do it?
 

235's forever, flatheads too.

Re: Would you do it?
 

my first roommate in wichita had a VW thing, it was our only car for a while. in the winter the ratty top did very little to dissuade the wind and cold from making us windy and cold. and in the summer with no top, ever, when we were hot we would just pull the floor plugs and go through a car wash, hiding from the brushes under the dash. it was crazy fun, I wouldnt ever think of a thing without the potatopotatopotatopotato idle out the back :lol: