# Jaguar XK8 (96') EV



## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

*1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*

hello I'm new to this forum!
I'm planning to start my first EV conversion! And I would like to get as much advice or feedback from this forum so please do leave anything that may help me!

Experience:
I have experience of building 5 E-bikes in past. I had enough with having have to worry about the weather all the time and making sure no one can steal my ebike!
I have working understanding of ICE and MT (not much on AT). I need to do more readings on ECU, gear ratio and other car mechanics...But I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty! 
I have computer science degree and now working as a engineer at auto parts company (working on self-driving EV car).


What I got:
Donor car - 1996-1998 Jaguar XK8 (4.0L AJ26-V8)
0-100km/h - 7.8sec was original
Drag - 0.35Cd
Weight - 3560lbs (1615kg)
-- 1st 3.57:1
-- 2nd 2.20:1
-- 3rd 1.51:1
-- 4th 1.00:1
-- 5th 0.80:1
-- R 4.10:1
-- Final 3.06:1


What I want:
Top speed - 160km/h (100mph)
highway continuous speed - 110km/h (68mph)
Range - 110-150km (70-93mile)
Cost - 20,000USD(exclude donor)

Needs (Correct me if im wrong):
Motor - Kostov K11 alpha
Controller op1 - Soliton 1
Controller op2 - Soliton Jr.
Battery op1- CA100FI(80s)/CA60FI(70s2p)/CA180FI(60s)
Charger - not sure yet
BMS - not sure I'll need it

I've made quick excel to check as much as possible.

So here is where I am at:
got a dealer who can sell me the car for a good price(I'm getting it by April)
started emailing EV parts companies for their shipping quotes (Chinese new year isn't helping me much tho,,,)
looking for a garage I can work and getting to know my local garage shop people.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Roderick said:


> Correct me if im wrong
> Motor - Kostov K11 alpha
> Controller op1 - Soliton 1



Hi Roderick, pretty Shnazzy donor car, but....
go Brushless or go home.
No EV can be planned these days without KERS for range extension.
Brushed motors are as out dated as ICE.
They are usually only used in drag racing.


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

Brushed motors do make good boat anchors!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

RIPPERTON said:


> Hi Roderick, pretty Shnazzy donor car, but....
> go Brushless or go home.
> No EV can be planned these days without KERS for range extension.
> Brushed motors are as out dated as ICE.
> They are usually only used in drag racing.


Yes, I was aiming for Snazzy!
Any recommendation for BLDC motor to run on the spec?

Edit: After looking through AC (BLDC) It seems like I should go towards The AC-75 or AC-51.
considering their price does include controller and they have more torque per voltage and weight. 

started looking up the difference between BLDC and AC now...despite all the E-bikes, I still dont know anything! lol


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi

AC are definitely the way to go - in the future

As far as NOW is concerned AC is either;
Expensive or wimpy or both

If you can afford $20,000 then you can get decent power out of AC

If not you will end up turning your Jag into a mouse pretending to be a cat

Brushed motors are cheap, reliable and above all powerful 

Your 11 inch Dc and Soliton will give 300 hp for as long as your batteries can take
And you would think about change that to a 75hp motor?
OK for a small city car - but not a Jag


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## Tesseract (Sep 27, 2008)

Roderick said:


> What I got:
> Donor car - 1996-1998 Jaguar XK8 (4.0L AJ26-V8)


Rebirth Auto made a twin-motor adapter for the 96-08 XK8. It's pretty spendy, but they might be willing to modify it for a single motor which should bring down the price. 



Roderick said:


> What I want:
> Top speed - 160km/h (100mph)
> highway continuous speed - 110km/h (68mph)
> Range - 110-150km (70-93mile)
> ...


The Kostov K11 Alpha is a good choice for this application and I'd go with the 80s pack as the Kostov needs more voltage but less current than a comparable NetGain motor. 

As for the choice of controllers, I would say that your vehicle's weight plus the (implied) desire for a sub-8 second 0-100km/h time give the nod to the Soliton 1, but in order to keep the Kostov happy you'll want to turn the motor current limit down to 750-800A because of the aforementioned caveat about running at a higher voltage and lower current for a given power output. Note that the K11 will deliver ~190Nm (~140 lb-ft) of torque at 500A and since torque is more or less directly proportional to current in this part of the performance curve, you should get 270Nm (~200 lb-ft) at 720A, which is about the same as a WarP-9 at 1000A.

I think you can meet your $20k budget with the 80s pack of 100Ah, the K11 Alpha and the Soliton 1. After buying those major items you will have $4000 left over for the motor adapter and various odds and ends.

As for the comment from Ripperton that DC is dead... to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of DC's demise are greatly exaggerated. After all, an AC system that comes close to the peak output of a $5750 Soliton Jr + K11 Alpha system is the HPEVS AC35x2 which clocks in at $8900. You have to recapture a lot of range* through regen braking (and/or save a lot of brake pad replacements) to justify that $3150 premium in price.

Granted, there are some "intangible" benefits to regen braking along with more tangible benefits like saving wear on brake pads and increasing net range, so I leave it to the individual to decide what is most important rather than just categorically declare one solution fits all and to hell with the rest of you.

Also, an AC controller (or "inverter") will *always* cost more for a given power output than a DC controller, so don't expect these prices to drop dramatically as volume picks up. For example, the Soliton 1 uses two half-bridge modules that together can deliver an honest 300kW (300V @ 1000A). If I were to add a 3rd module to make it into an inverter, the same modules might could be pushed to deliver 500A rms per phase (but only by exceeding 500A for a good portion of each cycle!). That adds up to a total power output of 184kW**. So, by adding another IGBT module and cutting power output by 40% you get an inverter... Some fancy modulation schemes will squeeze a bit more AC voltage out of the DC supply, but even that would only bump you up to 210kW or so.

* - Approximately 143000km, actually, assuming electricity costs $0.10 per kW-hr and the average EV of this weight requires 220Wh to go 1km.

** - Total AC power from DC input voltage and the current in one phase is calculated by this equation: (Vdc / 1.414) * (Irms * 1.732)


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

thanks Tesseracts! it make more sense now. 
and for the rebirth twin system, they only used the system that way due to clearance of 11" motor won't fit well on the jag. I believe they only tested it with warp 11. (k11a is only 3cm larger in diameter then warp 9).

also for the 0-100km/h, I was referring to the original and not the converted version. I don't mind having mine slightly slower.(within 10sec)

thanks again for the explanation Tesseract​


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## glaurung (Nov 11, 2009)

Hi Roderic
Nice choise for conversion. I have XJS conversion that is about same vehicle, only without electronic complications. I tried with Kostov dual11" without transmission and it overheated. Too low gear ratio.With 10" motor and gearbox fixed on second gear it was fine, only top speed was too low.
I had 64 or so 200ah cells and range was what you wished.
Considering these experiences i would say that Tesseracts suggestion is very accurate. 
Good luck with your conversion!
Regards, Harri


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## Tesseract (Sep 27, 2008)

Roderick said:


> thanks Tesseracts! it make more sense now.
> and for the rebirth twin system, they only used the system that way due to clearance of 11" motor won't fit well on the jag. I believe they only tested it with warp 11. (k11a is only 3cm larger in diameter then warp 9).​


Your welcome.

As for the Rebirth twin motor adapter, I can assure you that it was tested with WarP-9 motors. That XK-8 was shipped to Rebbl in the Netherlands, but I'm not sure if they still have it. It was a beast to drive (and cooked a couple sets of motors before Seb got the forced-air cooling working right).



Roderick said:


> also for the 0-100km/h, I was referring to the original and not the converted version. I don't mind having mine slightly slower.(within 10sec)


 
Well, much as I'd like to sell you the more powerful controller, I think the Soliton Jr will do fine. With 80 100Ah cells limited to 4C you'll have 100-105kW to work with, and that should just about get you to 100km/h in 10s.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Tesseract said:


> As for the Rebirth twin motor adapter, I can assure you that it was tested with WarP-9 motors. That XK-8 was shipped to Rebbl in the Netherlands, but I'm not sure if they still have it. It was a beast to drive (and cooked a couple sets of motors before Seb got the forced-air cooling working right).​


​ 
Sorry about my horrible english, I mean to say they could only fit 9" due to clearance(warp 11 was too big). I'm sure k11a would fit fine tho.... hopefully.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Okay so, This is something I've made up my mind. (Its little silly doing all this before I get the car but the car is on its way!)

Motor: Kostov 11" alpha 
Controller:Soliton 1
Throttle: EVnetics Pot Box
Adapter Plate: Sorted


Need to decide:
Battery: CABL CA100FI (80S) or CA100FI (90S) or CA60(80S2P) 
Charger: Manzanita Micro PFC20X or Elcon 3kw or Zivan Charger NG3

Any advice on them? 
I've been reading everywhere to get useful tips but not many out there about good but not too expensive EV charger...
Zivan Charger NG3
Zivan Charger sNG3


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## crackerjackz (Jun 26, 2009)

Hope you guys aint gonna start another ac / dc fight !! Heres my input towatd dc motors  lol


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

crackerjackz said:


> Hope you guys aint gonna start another ac / dc fight !! Heres my input towatd dc motors  lol
> View attachment 18053


LOLZ
Il see your glazed com and raise you a charred brush
http://www.glelec.com/en/product_category.asp?id=3


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## crackerjackz (Jun 26, 2009)

Ac or dc is personal choice . My gator is dc and works great so long as it stays cool . My bmw is ac and thats what i wanted no worries and no maintenance .


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

I am designing a 600Lb. EV.
Thinking about using the Plettenberg Nova 15 BLDC motor.
I am cutting weight in every part and using LiPo batteries.
Am I doing the right thing?


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

sunworksco said:


> I am designing a 600Lb. EV.
> Thinking about using the Plettenberg Nova 15 BLDC motor.
> I am cutting weight in every part and using LiPo batteries.
> Am I doing the right thing?


I think it depends on what you are designing the EV for. 
from cutting weight down plus lipo, I'm guessing some kind of race vehicle?


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

It is a reverse-trike single cockpit street EV that resembles the 1906 Stanley Rocket race car. I am designing it with a racing suspension with a lot of fun driving in mind.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

sunworksco said:


> It is a reverse-trike single cockpit street EV that resembles the 1906 Stanley Rocket race car. I am designing it with a racing suspension with a lot of fun driving in mind.


sounds like a good build although I prefer using a hub motor for trike builds. but then again, it depends on spec you want as well.
you got thread anywhere on your build?


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

Not yet.
I'm waiting for my 3-D computer graphics guy to finish the rendering.
Guess I'm still in the dream stage.


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Rare
Probably ignore the specs. With that amount of copper its good for 250kW if you cool it.
Im making aluminium end frames for mine. Still dont have a project for it.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/170895516018?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Thank you so much for the feedback so far!
I've already decided where to buy the parts for best value
*
Here is what I'm deciding now:*
100Ah 80s = 91km range but only 270kg
100Ah 90s = 103km range but 306kg...
60Ah 80s2p = 110km range but 320kg......
I'm not sure which is best suited for my set up. any suggestions?

Charger: 
should I get dual charger or single super expensive? 

thanks!

PS: I'll post some picture of the car soon!


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Roderick said:


> Charger:
> should I get dual charger or single super expensive?


Apparently you only have 100v mains in Japan ??

I figured it like this. Here in Aus we have 240v, my house has 28A fuses so I got a 4kW Elcon charger which pulls 20A while running. The fuses get warm but the idea is to go as big as possible with the supply you have available.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Okay got back from most of EV dealers and I'm happy to tell you guys that Rebirth has extremely good price on everything (their price tag is estimate). I've updated my excel sheet on the page 1 so you can check the price of things there too. 
so here are pretty much my final spec to be ordered:

Kostov 11k alpha - $2550
Soliton 1 - $2845
CA60FI (80s2p) - $12529
Elcon 4000w - $1400
total 19324 (+300~600 shipping)

does anyone know if I should make 80s1p x2 and parallel
or make 1s2p x 80 and series them? (i hear there is correct answer..)


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## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

2x 80s 1p will require 2 bms systems ($$$$$$$$$$$$$)
I wouldnt pre-group the pairs either.
Just make the box then stack them in there, then bolt in the series busbars and bms units


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

RIPPERTON said:


> 2x 80s 1p will require 2 bms systems ($$$$$$$$$$$$$)
> I wouldnt pre-group the pairs either.
> Just make the box then stack them in there, then bolt in the series busbars and bms units


Erm...if I don't pair them nor 2 x80s, how shall I build my pack??
sorry didn't get what u meant as stack them...


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## Tesseract (Sep 27, 2008)

Roderick said:


> does anyone know if I should make 80s1p x2 and parallel
> or make 1s2p x 80 and series them? (i hear there is correct answer..)


Yes, there is a correct answer to that question: put pairs of cells in parallel first (increasing the Ah capacity), then connect the pairs in series (increasing the total pack voltage).


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Super long over due! here is the photo of my Jag xk8!
I had little trouble getting it registered here in japan.

The next step is to write a modification document which needs to be approved so once the conversion is completed, they will check and see if the mod was done accordingly.(this is the only way to register in japan)

Mod document includes strength of material, torque, data ect.

it would be great if anyone who has experience in this type of things to give me any advice or tips! 

more pictures of fixing the car to come soon!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Long time no post. I've been preparing to start the conversion and here are some updates. 

already got
Soliton 1 Controller
Cooling kit
adapter plate
MR2 EHPS pump 

I am looking to buy the vacuum pump on auction. can anyone recommend me one thats quite?
looking at these models on auction right now:
Audi A4 03'
Volvo V70 03'
Mercedes-Benz W203 02'

any advice would be appreciated!
PS; here is pic of my workshop(hard to find a place to convert in japan...


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

*Ice removing*

its been sometime since the last update as i have been busy with work...
but here are some update in the garage! 

Ice is almost out still got a long way to go. (anyone interested of buying V8? 
Epic car conversion (i got the adaptor plate from them) are offering me a custom motor mount for the jaguar but it is very expensive...does anyone with kostov 11 alpha got a problem with simple mount? or I should be careful making my own??


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Hello forum! Its been a while since my last update so here we go! 
I've been busy with work so couldn't get much done but ICE is out and ready to start the transplant of V8 to motor! 

done:
- Most of the Exhaust System is out ( one of the bolt isnt coming out...)
- Engine is out
- Adaptor plate is getting sorted
- 11" Kostov alpha is on way here
- Mechanical Fix of the car 


To do:
- Remove fuel System
- Clean up
- decide where to place batteries 

I'll be away for the xmas and new year but will keep this updated as soon as i can!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Happy new year! (so its almost February ) 
I've got few updates of my conversion!

Update
- Kostov 11" alpha is here! 
- Fuel tank is finally out!
- Batteries* ordered and paid!

* Batteries, I've decided to go with Sinopoly SP-LFP100AHA x 100

Now the fuel tank has been removed, I can start the battery box!
thanks to the massive tank! i can fit at least 60cells there!
Enough said, Pictures!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

It's been few month since the last update!(cant believe I haven't done much...)I've been busy moving out of current garage and into Garage Apartment (1st Floor Garage, 2nd living and bedroom)








Unfortunately no photos of cars But got a diagram (Schematics )I'd like to share to seek any opinion or advice.


Here are some updates:
- Fuel System is completely out
- Engine bay is nice and clean 
- Adapter plate and Motor mount is ready

Todo:
- Collect batteries from the port
- Get electronic components


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## tylerwatts (Feb 9, 2012)

Sounds good Roderick. I like the new place, very nice. Show us some pictures of your motor adapter and mount arrangements please. Thanks


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

My Easter holiday is over now and I'm getting ready to move into the new apartment. 

Meanwhile, all 353kg of batteries have arrived!
I have net yet checked all the voltages not their condition but they look great in their own little box!

hopefully more to come in the next month!



tylerwatts said:


> Show us some pictures of your motor adapter and mount arrangements please. Thanks


Here is what I can show you guys so far of my Adapter plate plus mounting.
I need bit more time on the coupler.


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## z_power (Dec 17, 2011)

I thought I saw Shiva...


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## itchyback (May 28, 2014)

loving this build nice mounts and adaptors


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## Eric318 (Aug 9, 2015)

Very interesting thread, fascinating project!

I am considering converting my 1975 Jaguar XJC (ICE engine is not doing well anyway) . It is the grandmother of the XJS and the XK8 (same platform), so this is of great interest to me.

However, I might outsource the whole work to a specialized shop (San Francisco area), I have too many other mechanical projects going on (I know, it is a bail out...).

Cant wait to see how your project comes along. Particularly interested in understanding more about gearbox/no gearbox.

Cheers.


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

I have a 1975 Jaguar XJ6-Coupe, too.


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## Eric318 (Aug 9, 2015)

sunworksco said:


> I have a 1975 Jaguar XJ6-Coupe, too.


The most beautiful car ever right? 

Electric or stock?


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

It is stock, no rust and only 84,000 miles.
I'm hoping that the new lithium capacitor battery, that GE is working on, will make it possible to propel such a heavy car.
Otherwise, I think it would be better to build a www.vintagespyders.com Porsche 550 Sypder. It would only weigh 1,200Lbs.


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

Roderick,
That 1996 Coupe is going to be so nice. Probably handle better than stock.

Eric,
You may consider buying a wrecked Chevrolet Spark EV and dropping that into the front engine bay. Then driving the front wheels. You could remove the very heavy rear suspension and install a lightweight Palatov racing suspension, front suspension, too. He can machine the suspension uprights for pin-drive center-lock wheels.
http://www.palatov.com/products/suspension.html
The batteries could go into the bonnet(hood) and boot (trunk), mostly spare tire well. Perfect 50/50 weight distribution and very low CG.
I installed a rear sway bar, from a 1984 XJS. You will need this for your extra battery weight, on the rear end. I bought the entire sway bar set off a used car. You will need the XJS radius arms, since they have the sway bar attachments on them. The front end will handle the EV drive train and balance of batteries weight. The engine, transmission and all of the ICE stuff weighs around 1,000Lbs. The rear end weighs around 500Lbs. Palatov rear and front suspension is very light and you will notice much better suspension handling.
You may be able to find an electric assist steering system, from a wrecked Mercedes or some other luxury car.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Great to see some people are following my slow moving project.
I want to speed things up a little but I'm bad to convincing myself to do things 

For the last few weeks, I've been reading up on the AT to MT swap and they are very interesting! 
I am planning to keep this car for as long as I can and want to make this as efficient as possible. Thus weight loss and efficiency is a big deal! 
I have already started to get my hands on CF hood for the Jag. 

Anyone know how I can calculate the optimum gear ratio to be used on the powerglide? 

PS: here is my excel sheet for every information I've got on my conversion up to date!


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## sunworksco (Sep 8, 2008)

Have you become a member?

http://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

sunworksco said:


> Have you become a member?
> 
> http://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/


thank you for the reminder, I've already joined them. 
Not updating much so far tho...


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Okay some update! 

I've finally got the Adapter plate, coupler and mighty Soliton1 
I have no excuse to not get it moving now! 
I just want to get this moving first, thus I will be going with AT. Once it's registered and all is done, I will make it hooked up with powerglide to save some weight! 

first thing first, I will get the whole engine bay a nice clean and get it spray painted within couple weeks! then will test spin the system with low voltage!


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## tylerwatts (Feb 9, 2012)

*Re: 1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*

Wow, very nice adapter. Did you design it yourself?


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

*Re: 1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*



tylerwatts said:


> Wow, very nice adapter. Did you design it yourself?


Yes it's all me, is what I'd like to say. but I can't take all credit since I've asked Epic Car Conversion to make the mounting and coupler to work with the plate. (long story short, They had previous CAD design so I've edited it out)
Epic car conversion is very good in my opinion


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## adriftatsea (Oct 5, 2015)

*Re: 1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*

Lots of good stuff Roderick. What are the stepped shaped aluminium bits?


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

*Re: 1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*



adriftatsea said:


> Lots of good stuff Roderick. What are the stepped shaped aluminium bits?


They are to be used as a Motor mount. 
They will be connected to 5 bolts by the Adapter plate and bolted on to the original ICE mount. (neat)


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Happy New year! 
So, I've been away for some time between Christmas, New year!
Here is what I've got up to till now!

Removed as much parts as I can and cleaned the whole engine room with Scrubbing Bubbles (bought 3 of them) and now sanding down the old paint off.
I've bought Primer, Black paint, Urethane clear Coat. 
This will be done hopefully by the end of this month.

I cant work on the car for now as I am currently in Germany (Spain next week) for my work.

Oh, Also, got those dirty Engine mount removed. (currently sitting with alcohol cleaner and making it nice and clean!)


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## tylerwatts (Feb 9, 2012)

*Re: 1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*

Wow, looking good Roderick.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

I've been quite busy traveling to places with my job.
(Traveling to Germany and Spain)
Unfortunately, Not much has changed other then preparing for the engine bay paint job. (Alot of sanding...)

I've finished stripping the engine room and scraped as much paint as possible...The original paint job was surprisingly thick! 
So, Here are photos of before and after (still in middle of Priming layers...)

Will try to get it done by the end of this month!







_Before_







_After(still in middle of base coat_


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## itchyback (May 28, 2014)

that looks like a really fiddly and annoying job. keep up the good work, this car will rock when youre done!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

More update with a paint job!

Got more done this weekend but yet to finish...(will finish this week)

Got all primer done and wet sanded with 2000grit. (silky smooooooth!)

i've started with the black paint(Honda colour code: NH731P) but only 1st layer is on it for now.
i've done my research and as it turns out, this honda's black is the deepest and gorgeous of all backs I can find!








_2nd layer of Promer






_
_3rd layer of Promer






_
_4 layers of Primer.
wet sanded with 2000grid 






_
_Beginning of 1st layer of black paint!

_


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## BWA (Mar 14, 2015)

2000 grit finish on the primer stage might be a mistake. You may end up with paint adhesion problems down the road.

In over 40 years of automotive restoration, I never used anything higher than 400 for the primer stage. The paint needs some slight roughness of surface to be able to grip onto the primer.

I would certainly check that with your paint manufacturer before going any further.


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

BWA said:


> 2000 grit finish on the primer stage might be a mistake. You may end up with paint adhesion problems down the road.
> 
> In over 40 years of automotive restoration, I never used anything higher than 400 for the primer stage. The paint needs some slight roughness of surface to be able to grip onto the primer.
> 
> I would certainly check that with your paint manufacturer before going any further.


I agree with your statement normally, but I am using can spray for primer, colour and clear coat. This paint works by chemically binding the surface with each other to create the bond.

Here is a picture of the chemical bond (sorry it's in Japanese)
basically, whatever you put on the top layer, they will bond. (paint must be from the same company of course)


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Engine room paint is DONE! 
here are photos! 








_2nd coat_








_3rd and final clear coat!
_Yes, the headlight housing in green still(now I wish I did it as well) but hey, once the headlight is in, you wont see any green-ness!









PS: Technique I've used is to dip the can in hot(45 degrees C) water before use. And to make sure you have good light shining on where you are painting to see the reflection of the coating!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

*slight delay*...I was going to hook up the coupler to the flywheel but light problem has surfaced...coupler has wrong bolt pitch...Original flywheel comes with M12 1.75pitch bolts where as the new couple is threaded with 1.5pitch. 
Already made the order for them...














_original bolt only goes in for about 2mm....
if I force it in, I will cross thread it
_ 

Another problem...I was gonna put the shiny motor mount to the engine mount. However, engine mount bolt is too short...so I'm gonna need to make slightly larger hole on top of the current one to make them fit! 














_engine mount arm is way too thick! _


Oh I've also cleaned the engine mount rubber thing. (They are shiny!)


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

So, Here are some update from this weekend.
I've finally got few things sorted. let the picture speak instead!


_everything back together_

Got everything back together after the paint job! (really want to get the headlights painted to black...future upgrade I guess...




_Motor mounted to the adaptor plate_




_Transmission side_

tested with 12v and they spin so nicely!


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## mons2b (Nov 17, 2015)

Very nicely done.


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## rahulkentonn (May 15, 2016)

I'm trying to build my first EV too. Great post !


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

Long overdue update.
Motor is now fitted to the engine mount + trans! 
I am now at the stage of making cardboard prototype for other components to be fitted into the engine compartment as well as rear section of the car. 
So far, My plan is to place half (48) cells under the hood and rest (48) on the old fuel tank space. 

Since my last update, I've taken my bonnet to the concept car designer/ manufacture (He has worked for Merc, Mazda, Nissan ect) to make a carbon fiber version of it. (Aim is to save weight) 
We are working on getting it as OEM as possible but he has advised me to use hood pin at the front...will discuss more in detail after he has taken close look at it.

here is the crazy method of how I've transported the bonnet for 300km on highway!














_hard to see, but there is enough gap between cross-member and the motor






















_


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

It's been a year!! what?! 
Work had me kept away from working on the car but I am back!
Anyways, Super long over due update!

I've been working on rear battery box for decade now....lol 
I don't know where the time went but here are some updates.

So far, I've worked out the Sliderail mechanism and started fabricating the boxs(2). Two of these boxes will store 24x2 batteries. 

First picture is where I had to make the hole for the battery compartment little higher and attached rubber protection around it. 

I've found some cool parts while making it；
Do you guys know what U-nut is? (video of it in Japanese)
It's a type of a lock-Nut that's simple and reusable. So, I've decided to use these for the rail fixture.

_Battery compartment increased in hight_








_Taper M5 12mm bolt + U-nut_








_Battery box complete (needs to paint it)_








_Slide rail ready to install! _








Next up:
- Needs to paint the box and start making the car side of the rail fixture.
- rear passenger battery box to be made
- Front ICE(motor) compartment area design
- I've started designing a new connector that goes with sliding mechanism(battery will be disconnected when slid out, and re-connected when it's back in the place)


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

I don't have much of an update but here are the latest.

Box has been re-painted and rails are fitted nicely. 
Now that I am done with making the rear battery box, I did the test fitting...
well, the height is perfect but the width is not








Due to the slight curve on the bottom sides, I must have miscalculated the length...Needs to make the hole bigger...again...





















Since i've updated my tool wall recently, I thought i'll share it with you guys!







Next up:
- Cut out more rear end firewall (might as well clean the area)
- making the car side of the rail fixture.(got an idea for it)
- rear passenger battery box to be made 
- Front ICE(motor) compartment area design


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

More update,

So, Cutting that rear firewall is so hard!! (it is firewall after all...)
Thank god that's over for now. 

Got myself two pieces of square aluminium pipes (2mm thick). This will be used to support the rear end of the two battery box rails. 







_mounting holes drilled out_














Rough idea of where it'll go








I'll start attaching the angle metal pieces to aluminium bars for the back end of the rails. I thought about welding to the car but I'd like to keep things removable so, I'll use rivet nut(M6) to attach the aluminium bars to the body.

Next up:
- making the car side of the rail fixture.
　・complete rear end of rail fixture (almost done)
　・complete front end of rail fixture
- rear passenger battery box to be made 
- Front ICE(motor) compartment area design


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## Baratong (Nov 29, 2012)

i like your concept of the slide-out battery box! I wish I had built that into my Spitfire for my rear battery box.


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## itchyback (May 28, 2014)

better not wide enough than too wide, at least you can make the hole bigger 

I like your slide mechanism, i hope it is strong enough!?

The u-nut looks something like what we call in Australia a Nyloc Nut, it has a nylon ring in the nut that makes it more difficult to undo and less likely to become loose due to vibration. 

Keep the updates coming, all progress is good


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

itchyback said:


> better not wide enough than too wide, at least you can make the hole bigger
> 
> I like your slide mechanism, i hope it is strong enough!?
> 
> ...


The rail I'm using is from this site
It is rated to withstand up to 260kg/ pair.
I am using it for 24batteries per box (80kg each with the frame) so should be more than enough. 

I am aware of the nylon nut but according to my research, U-nut is better of two. (and is reusable for many times).


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

update!
This weekend I've completed rear side of rail and aluminium bar attachments. Slight miscalculation...I've got couple holes on the centre bracket misaligned so will need to re-make that part this week. but apart from that, I've managed to assemble all the parts(for test) and they are looking good!
Hopefully by the end of this week, I'll be done with rear battery box!







_up to 16mm capable hand-drill. monster!_








_Had to weld one of the hole shut_








_Angle being painted and bolted._















_rail working as it should! (has not been bolted on the car yet)_

Next up:
- making the car side of the rail fixture.
　・Drill holes on car for aluminium bar bolting 
　・complete front end of rail fixture
- rear passenger battery box to be made 
- Front ICE(motor) compartment area design


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

I'm still working on the rear battery boxes but and they are coming along nicely.
In the last couple weeks, I've finished fabricating most of the rear battery box rail system. 
its been very difficult to work in such a tiny space but managed to get most of it done. (The welding is not the greatest...)
This week, I'll finish painting them and finally test fit batteries in them. 
(hopefully it wont fail on me...)








_rear box front support_







_M6 Nut rivet to secure the front end_







_rear box rear side support_







_rear box rear side support_







_Test fitting _







_welded rear box side support_







_welded rear box side support_

Before I welded the area, I've applied JB weld to make sure fitting wont move and to have little more support in case my weld doesn't go well...
I'll apply JB weld over the whole welded area to make it look pretty and easy to paint.

Next up:
- paint few areas for the rear battery box supports
+ test fit the batteries and a lid
- rear passenger battery box to be made (Mid box?)
- Front ICE(motor) compartment area design


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

WOW its really been half a year?! 
Here are some update...but looking back at it, I feel I haven't done anything in the past 6 months!

・I've completed the rear fuel tank battery boxs. They slides in and out nicely and do lock in position very well. (I am planning to build another structure to keep it in place in case of frontal collision or something)








・I have completed the rear passenger area battery box(structure) which were quite difficult task as there are plenty of curves on the body. 





















・The 12cells are secured with original seat belt bolts and couple M6 Stainless rivet nuts. 















Next up:
・Front frame and battery boxes(36cells to go!) → hopefully I'll have something to show by April 
・High Voltage wiring + 12v system to be made...


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## tylerwatts (Feb 9, 2012)

*Re: 1996 Jaguar XK8 Ev (Planning Stage)*

Great to see you are still working on it Roderick.


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## itchyback (May 28, 2014)

agreed.
I think everyone sympathises with the slow progress but what matters most is any progress. keep it up!


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## Roderick (Dec 8, 2013)

UPDATE! 
Hard to believe couple months went by so quickly! 
Since the last update, I've managed to design the engine compartment's battery box.
The photo only shows the base of the box pre-fitted to the car. 
I'm currently welding it into a box. (similar to the rear battery box) 

Unfortunately, I'll be away for a couple weeks from now so next update will possibly be in a month time.


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## itchyback (May 28, 2014)

Looks good. Those holes in the frame are a thoughtful weight saving measure. I'll be making my frame out of 30x3 angle steel, looks similar size to yours. It far exceeds the strength needed but is useful for longevity. 
Keep going!!


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