"A man must keep a little back shop
where he can be himself without reserve.
In solitude alone can he know true freedom."
-Michel De Montaigne 1588
May to August, 2010
May 4, 2010 - With the body in position I made up a temporary jig to locate the body mounting points. Let me tell you it was challenging to weld this together upside down, lying on the floor, inside a one foot wide space.
Here is the rack mounted in place. After mounting, I tested the bump steer again and found no measurable toe-in or toe-out throughout the suspension travel.
May 5, 2010 - Using the jig, I made up the final body mount framework. It is designed to allow the front and rear body panels to hinge outward.
May 7, 2010 - I'm not that geat a welder and I'm even worse welding upside down. So I built a rotisserie for welding the frame.
May 12, 2010 - Decided to go with a 50 HP AC Drive package that is normally used on large 6 seater golf carts.
May 14, 2020 - First time off the build table. Suspension and wheels installed.
June 6, 2010 - Received shipment from CanEV. 32 Thundersky lithium iron phosphate batteries, AC50 motor and controller, and miscellaneous gauges.
July 18, 2010 - At first, I planned to put 24 cells in the rear and 8 up front but when I went through the weight balance calculations it turned out I could put all 32 in the rear and still stay at about 45/55 front/rear weight distribution. I also picked up a pair of office chairs that were on sale but they turned out to be too wide for the car.
July 31, 2010 - Here is the final design for the battery box. It just fits in the frame with just enough room to be able to remove the motor and transmission. Another instance of luck with clearances. I used my ebay special plasma cutter to cut the oval holes that allow some air circulation around the batteries and also help keep the overall weight of the car down.
Since I now have a rolling chassis, I decided to roll it out on the lawn to take some pictures.
Aug 20, 2010 - Solved my seat problem. Picked up a pair of Porsche 914 seats that are narrow enough for the chassis. One on Kijiji from a guy in Brampton and another from a guy in Colbourne. Both are passenger seats so they are in pretty good shape.
