# Planning Classic EV Conversion



## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

Hi and welcome.

From what I remember from my MG days the MGA doesn't have a lot of room or access. The engine compartment has a small hood and the trunk is tiny.









However, it is a very good looking car and if you can get everything in there it would be a lovely conversion.

Is it just the body that is available? You could adapt a lot of later MGB part to fit as they weren't that different. 

But, as a project, it would all depend on your skills and knowledge of the cars and what you want to get out of it in terms of range and speed.

I would hope that this one is a potential though.


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## electromet (Oct 20, 2009)

The MGB and the MGB are almost two completely different animals. The "A" is body-on-frame and the "B" is a unibody. In either event you can virtually build a whole car from reproduction parts that are availabe from Moss Motors (www.mossmotors.com), as well as few other suppliers. I've had personal experience with both cars, and there's not a great deal of room in either. But a couple guys on this forum have done MG Midgets, so it's possible pull it off. It depends on what distance and speed sacrifices you're willing to make.


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## dtbaker (Jan 5, 2008)

you don't need much electrical knowledge beyond reading simple schematics. mechanical skills, basic auto, basic welding are helpful.

For a 60-80 mile range, and small space available, you will HAVE to go with LiFePO4 batteries, and associated charger and BMS... which means your conversion parts will come out closer to $13-15kUSD (just to prepare you mentally.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

The A and B were different in that the A had a chassis and the B was monocoque but rear axle and springs, front suspension components and the gearbox were virtually identical in many respects. The A had a gearbox extension for the shifter and the B mounted its front suspension on a removable cross member that as good as replicated the A's chassis.

Given a bare shell it would be worth the look to see if the more available B parts could be adapted without too much diffculty. There would be a lot of fabrication for the conversion in any case.

ETA: I could be wrong though as it is over 25 years since I played with MG's A, B, YB and Midgets.


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## GreenSun (Nov 22, 2009)

Thanks for the info.

I didn't realize space would be such a huge concern, the hood looks so big, I thought for sure there would be room (and the trunk for the charger), and will likely use LiFePO4 batteries.

I suppose I should change the budget to $6 - $7500 + batteries.

Ugh, maybe I should just do a VW Beetle to start. I don't want one EV, I want a fleet!

I was thinking I'd use 40 LiFePO4 160AH batteries = 128V and 20kWh

I ordered a 3 pack of books from Amazon last night to give me some winter reading while I save up for a spring conversion.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

You might find the room but when I was working on an A I found the access to the ICE a pain.

Given that you only have a shell to work with you could look at maybe putting the motor in the tunnel where the gear box was and then all the batteries under the hood. Maybe you could adapt the tunnel to push the transmission further down it or even look at using a trans axle from, say, a Porsche 924 and doing away with the clutch.









You would have to do something interesting with the rear axle to either make an independent set up or you could have a De-Dion axle tube on the leaf springs.

All down to how much you are able to do yourself.

To get an idea of battery space I made a mock up of a cell by taking the dimensions of a suitable cell from a seller's website and stacking some wood together. You can use foam as it is lighter. Then place the cell in the spaces and see how it fits. You can then work out how many can physically fit in the spaces and then work out what it would weigh.


This could be over complicating things though. 

When you have just a shell it can free you up to do anything you like or it can leave you with nothing to work with.


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## electromet (Oct 20, 2009)

Greensun,

I guess I'm a little confused. Does the car come complete with frame? If not, perhaps this isn't the best donor to start with, unless of course you have a lot of fabrication talent. A whole lot of your budget will involve just getting the car ready for the conversion. If the car is at least a roller, it's a little easier. My project is a "resto-conversion" and the restoration is somewhat secondary to the conversion. I want to be able drive it first, then clean it up as I use it.

As far as room for batteries, the engine bay on the MGA is rather long. If you are able to set your motor as far back as possible, there might be plenty of room for most of your battery pack atop and forward of the motor, once the radiator is gone. One word of caution is to watch your F/R weight distribution. LiFePO4's are most likely your best bet. They're lighter and can be installed in little nooks and crannies, such as the OEM battery boxes in the rear floor.


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## GreenSun (Nov 22, 2009)

Awesome insight fellas, yes, the car is a roller complete with body, frame and I think drive train less engine.

I've made a mock 160AH LiFePO4 battery out of an old box of cereal, and was pleasantly surprised to see it's size.

I definitely plan on making use of the trunk and hopefully finding some useful space where the gas tank once was to try and help with the F/R weight distribution.

My next step will likely be to do a bunch of reading, and eat a ton more cereal to get my 40 cells, but am excited to see the positive feedback and support! 

There is no reason why I couldn't put a layer of batteries above the motor? Any chance LiFePO4's can be installed on their side, or does that compromise their performance?

I'll document this heavily with photos and videos, and will blog once I sort out my web hosting / design.


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## drdonh (Aug 8, 2008)

Hi,

I converted a classic British car (Austin A40 Somerset) and am very satisfied with my choice. Albeit that car had relatively ample room for FLA battery boxes compared to an MG. What is interesting, when going down the street, is that the car first gets noticed for its classic look, and then when the "Electric Vehicle" stickers are spotted, people pay extra attention. I've received many thumbs-up, and sometimes cheers, on my daily rides.

I would certainly encourage going the classic car route, if you can find a solid donor car. You are going to spend a lot of hours on your car, you might as well make it an interesting one. 

Don
EV-a40.blogspot.com


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

I found this for you.
Electric MGA


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