Subscribe to an EV e-mail list and don’t be afraid to post your general plans and ask for comments and suggestions. - Keep the car in its original condition until the conversion kit is received. That way, it’s still functional while you wait—not just taking up space in your garage. Most importantly, you are more likely to remember how to put it back together.
- Identify efficiency gains. For instance, automatic transmissions are not as efficient as manual transmissions. Power steering is less efficient than manual steering mechanisms. Wherever you can reduce mechanical losses from motor-driven components, do so.
- Use ceramic core heaters instead of fluid heaters. Some tests show that fluid heaters take almost 10 minutes to warm up, whereas ceramic heaters get hot within seconds. A dual ceramic heater core is recommended for cold climates.
- Make a battery master plan. Batteries add significant weight to the vehicle, so try to distribute the weight evenly. Before my conversion, the front axle weighed in at 1,400 pounds and the rear axle weighed 980 pounds, for a total of 2,380 pounds. After the conversion, the front axle weighed 1,200 pounds and the rear axle weighed 1,520 pounds for a total of 2,720 pounds, still below the maximum gross vehicle weight (2,915 pounds) listed on the door post.
- Decide how active you want to be in managing your batteries. I decided to use sealed AGM batteries. Using a sealed battery means I won’t have to be concerned about battery box ventilation, or have to water them. On the downside, a battery management system may be needed to ensure the batteries charge equally and do not charge too quickly, which can ruin them. If possible, use batteries all from the same production run, numbered sequentially, to ensure consistent performance.
- Measure the height of the transmission relative to the chassis. You’ll need to duplicate this height with the electric motor installed to avoid binding the drive train.
- Consider removing the starter gear ring from the flywheel, since this will slightly reduce air drag inside the bell housing. Some people remove the entire flywheel, but I think it’s best to keep it for smooth motor operation.
- Remember: You’re working with electricity! Take precautions. While doing any wiring, turn off the main circuit breaker. A mistake here can result in injury, or harm components or tools.
- Fool the stock gauges. With no gas-tank sending unit, the gas gauge shows “empty”, which is no problem, but the low-fuel light by the odometer flashed annoyingly. Checking the electrical shop manual, I found that a 50‑ohm resistor wired to the gas-gauge sending unit would “spoof” the gauge to show half full, with no low-fuel light flashing.
- Pay attention to the motor power curves. The optimum motor rpm for mine is about 4,000. You’ll need to tailor your driving accordingly for optimum performance.
- Check with your insurance provider. Our insurance company initially said they would not insure a conversion, but our track record with them over the last 40 years is excellent, so they agreed to insure our conversion for the car’s book value, plus the value of the conversion. EV discussion groups can help you find an insurer if yours declines coverage.
