# Planning a convertible conversion



## Jmill (Apr 30, 2008)

This is the one I'm going with. It doesn't get much lighter and the parts are cheap. http://www.kitcarmag.com/featuredvehicles/0801kc_perry_ds_55_porsche_550_spyder_replica/index.html


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## ViolentBlue (Apr 19, 2008)

I have a mg midget I've been thinking of restoring for a while, drivetrain is missing so it would be a good candidate.

early British sport scars have a ciche factor to them, most people who drive them are seen as slightly eccentric, so I'm sure you could get away with an electric version easily. besides which the original engines in them were not power houses, so electric would be an upgrade in power thats for sure.


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## xrotaryguy (Jul 26, 2007)

I would not recommend a British car. They're very unreliable. No sense in building an unreliable EV.


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## kixGas (May 2, 2008)

A 3rd gen Toyota MR2 is on my list of possible cars to do a conversion to. RWD, midengine (lots of room between the seats and the bumper), safe (airgbags etc.), it already has electric power steering, and there is a lot of aftermarket support for it. Some consider it a little girly but hey you had a Delsol and Miata on your list too


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## ViolentBlue (Apr 19, 2008)

xrotaryguy said:


> I would not recommend a British car. They're very unreliable. No sense in building an unreliable EV.


the whole point is to remove thew unreliable bits.
Got a buddy considering converting his lotus europa now that my project is under way.


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## Jmill (Apr 30, 2008)

The British cars were unreliable mainly due to their electrical systems. The positive ground threw alot of people off too. A re-wire would be #1 on an EVers to do list.


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## ClintK (Apr 27, 2008)

The MR2 looks pretty good. I know some of my choices were "girly" cars, but you can't argue with their weight.

I was thinking about the reliability of a "classic" car such as the MGB, but I'm hoping to remove most parts of the car that would really have problems. One thing in the back of my mind though - I just want to "convert a car to electric", not "restore a car and convert it to electric".

Thanks for the inputs!


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## wherethefmi (Apr 24, 2008)

mercury capri, the little front drive one's were pretty cool.


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## Jmill (Apr 30, 2008)

I hear you Clint. I'm going down the restoration and conversion route. It does add alot of time and some expense. However, it does save you $ on your car purchase if you have the skills to perform the work yourself. The money spent on converting an MG that runs like a top could be better spent on batteries. All you really need is a rust free roller. You also need to have some patience because it will take a bit longer. I was looking into the Perry D's speedster. For $6k you can get just about everything (minus the electrical components) and you have a sporty looking convertible. You'll have to weight cost vs skill vs your patience level to come up with the answer thats right for you.


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## ednovelty (May 7, 2008)

I've been thinking about a 2nd-gen (97-99) Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder - curb weight 2888. It has a very low coefficient of drag; 0.31, same as a Lamborghini Diablo - the Mazda Miata has a Cd of 0.38. It also has a very low drag area (Cd times frontal area). You might want to check the Cd on some of your candidate cars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficients


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## ClintK (Apr 27, 2008)

The kit cars look great, but I don't think I can tackle one of those right now.

I want a "sporty" looking car, but I'm far more concerned about weight than Cd. More drag will reduce range, but my range requirement is low. I do however want to be able to accelerate into traffic and change lanes with plenty of power left over (low weight).


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## ednovelty (May 7, 2008)

Although they are kind of hard to find these days, a Porsche 914 weighs in at about 2100 pounds and there are conversion kits available specifically for it that include all the adapter plates and mounting brackets. It isn't strictly a convertible though, more like a Targa top.


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