# 1985 VW Cabriolet using Nissan Leaf - Charlottesville, VA, USA



## niklaskinn (Nov 27, 2021)

heybluez said:


> I might as well start a build thread. It seem to be all the rage, right?! .
> 
> I am also shooting video as I do and will try to put a few videos out there as I can.
> 
> ...


We’ll come to you.
I will looking forward to seeing your build.
the battery is huge so it is god to have a plan for the placement,

I make a model of “Styrofoam” not sure if google translated it right. 
then you can easy try a lot of different places.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

heybluez said:


> At this point, I am 1% in the conversion. I will continue to remove what is not needed in the car and then clean. Once I secure the doner car I plan to remove the motor and battery pack and wire it up and see if I can get this thing to work out side of the car. Once that is done, I will disassemble the pack and begin the process of figuring out where to place the batteries.


That all makes sense.

But those are normally called battery *modules* - the whole set is called the "battery".



heybluez said:


> Right now, I am trying to:
> 
> 1. get as close as the original balance of the car
> 2. try to keep batteries out of the main cabin
> ...


More than a few. The set of modules are far larger in volume than the gas tank plus a bit of the trunk. And after you put the entire drive unit (motor with transaxle) with the inverter and PDU (power distribution unit, including charger, etc) in the front - just as it is in the Leaf - I think that you'll find that there's no space left for battery modules. There's a reason that EVs are generally designed with the battery under a raised floor.

The mass (weight) distribution will definitely shift rearward due to the battery.

The Ford Focus Electric used the fuel tank and trunk space, but it took nearly the entire trunk.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Given the minimalist trunk space of that body style, you might need to reconsider your drive strategy to RWD, or hub motors, and put the modules in the engine bay and under the back seat, as well as in the trunk.

The Leaf does make for a nice propulsion solution in place of the ICE/transaxle, but without batteries it's not a propulsion solution.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

"considering that the market for cars is absolutely nuts (thank you, inflation)"

Used cars are a component of the inflationary index, CPI, so, no, that's not the reason.

It's the new car supply chain that has caused used cars to go nuts.

Some of that supply chain affects our ability to get stuff for conversions, as well, so make sure you can get all the pieces (and everything fits). I'm waiting on a connector...a few pieces are getting stocked in March 2022.


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## jawmes8 (Dec 22, 2021)

Nice platform to convert! How long did it take to remove the motor?


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Let's wait a couple of months and see how he packages the batteries and traction solution before declaring it's a nice platform to convert. 

Looks awfully challenging to me.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

remy_martian said:


> Let's wait a couple of months and see how he packages the batteries and traction solution before declaring it's a nice platform to convert.
> 
> Looks awfully challenging to me.


I agree - it might be a nice car to have (although other than the convertible top it's nothing special), but it's no more suited to conversion than other small front wheel drive cars. A Leaf drive unit into the front is easy; the battery is the challenge.


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## jawmes8 (Dec 22, 2021)

remy_martian said:


> Let's wait a couple of months and see how he packages the batteries and traction solution before declaring it's a nice platform to convert.
> 
> Looks awfully challenging to me.


Good point lol. What I mean is, that would look really cool to drive by electric power


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## Pehr (Jun 6, 2021)

jawmes8 said:


> Good point lol. What I mean is, that would look really cool to drive by electric power


Please check how VW did when they made the original CitySTROMer for inspiration.








The Volkswagen Elektro-Golf: an Electric Car from 1976


This Volkswagen Golf hatchback had an electric drive even in 1976. But why did we have to wait several decades for an electric Golf to go into production?




dyler.com













Another cool but very challenging route would be to use the entire floor from the Leaf and install the pack intact.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Pehr said:


> Please check how VW did when they made the original CitySTROMer for inspiration.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, under the rear seat - or replacing it - plus using the bottom the cargo space (which would be all of the cargo space in a Cabriolet) is probably the most viable option without a custom floor design. The Ford Focus Electric and the Chevrolet Spark (and probably a few others) are similar, because they were designed to work with an existing floor.



Pehr said:


> Another cool but very challenging route would be to use the entire floor from the Leaf and install the pack intact.


A Leaf floor obviously won't fit a Golf, but a similar shape could be custom-built, even using some of the Leaf floor panel. The Leaf has 300 mm (a foot) longer wheelbase than the Golf, so even with a custom floor the Leaf pack is unlikely to fit intact - either the back end runs into the rear suspension or the front end blocks the front seat footwell, or both.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Then there's the issue of having to increase the spring and damping rates with all that added mass over the rear wheels. 

The car will handle like your 400 pound mother-in-law is in the back seat, along with her dead sister in the trunk, all the time.

Which may be perfectly acceptable to some people. 

All depends what you want out of your build. It will be electric, but it may handle like a forklift.


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## glengoesgreen (Dec 19, 2021)

Pehr said:


> Please check how VW did when they made the original CitySTROMer for inspiration.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I know with the old beetles sometimes a lift kit to Baha it and then put the batteries in the newly won space in the floor and throw a skid plate over it. I know this would work with 18650 packs. But I know nothing about lift kits for the vw/golf/rabbit. Just a thought.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

jawmes8 said:


> Nice platform to convert! How long did it take to remove the motor?


My first time.. couple of days.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

Pehr said:


> Please check how VW did when they made the original CitySTROMer for inspiration.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting.. this was pretty much what I was hoping to do -- ie the modules where gas tank, trunk are.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

Update -- Just 'purchased' a 2015 Nissan Leaf from the junkyard. Headed to get it next Monday. Let the fun continue.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

The traction pack is now extracted. Honestly, pretty easy. Only 12 bolts holding it in place. Gosh... I so wish I could bolt this into the VW... haha. 










Next step, extract the motor.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

Looking at the traction pack and then the VW Cabriolet...I wonder can I modify the floor pan and find a way to bolt it up in there... never taking it out of the pack assembly? Prob not, but will take a good look this weekend. Hmmm.....


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## Pehr (Jun 6, 2021)

Please give it a try. Would it be possible to salvage the floor from the Leaf and transplant it to the Golf?


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

Pehr said:


> Please give it a try. Would it be possible to salvage the floor from the Leaf and transplant it to the Golf?


honestly don't know.... will see what it is possible. 

i also thought about seeing if i can just disassemble and build a nice underfloor container and rearrange the module in the gas tank area then flat under the body. Either way, it will be done.

promise to report back here!


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Pehr said:


> Would it be possible to salvage the floor from the Leaf and transplant it to the Golf?


As noted earlier:


brian_ said:


> A Leaf floor obviously won't fit a Golf, but a similar shape could be custom-built, even using some of the Leaf floor panel. The Leaf has 300 mm (a foot) longer wheelbase than the Golf, so even with a custom floor the Leaf pack is unlikely to fit intact - either the back end runs into the rear suspension or the front end blocks the front seat footwell, or both.


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## Pehr (Jun 6, 2021)

brian_ said:


> As noted earlier:


However the battery pack doesn’t strech all the way. It may still be possible and at least worth checking.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Pehr said:


> However the battery pack doesn’t strech all the way. It may still be possible and at least worth checking.
> View attachment 126857


So imagine the floor much shorter, in a Golf... and that stack of modules under the Leaf's front seat ending up under the driver's feet. 

But yes, certainly check out the details, preferably in drawings, photos, or 3D models (not by chopping up cars to then throw away the pieces) to be sure - perhaps you could come up with something workable.


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## fakename (Aug 12, 2021)

Early VWs also have very little interior height clearance and low, thin floors. I'm researching similar setup options for my own potential project and even adding an inch or two to the floor might lead to either significant headroom loss or road clearance issues, or both, and there isn't much of either to begin with. I own a MK2 but intend to use an A1 chassis for a conversion which will make it even harder.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

For those tracking.. my current progress. Motor, et al out.

Next step will to get it to run on the "bench". Then figure out how to get into VW Cab. Not sure I can do the traction pack as is so most likely will require disassembly and reconfiguration. What / how I do not know.


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## jbelliveau (8 mo ago)

@heybluez - how goes it? I'm keenly waiting updates ! Hanging on to a 93 Cabriolet over here in Aus and getting real itchy feet on an EV conversion.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

Hello. Its going pretty good! Yesterday we test fit the motor (with inverter and gearbox) and mocked a possible way to mount it. We are going to fab this tomorrow evening so we can drop it again and place it. Then build motor mounts. 

Once that is in, we can start placing the other components. For battery placement, I think I can drop the 24 module pack (48 modules in total) as is in the trunk right behind the cross member. Then I think I can put 12 (maybe) where the gas tank was and finally I _think_ 12 more in the front. At least that was the plan.. but I am not sure how I will get the Leaf PDM in the car. It is pretty large. If I can't get that in, then I may go another route and look at a Thunderstruck VCU and what not so I can place a DC/DC converter, charger, and so on separately in the car.


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## LAB (Sep 6, 2021)

I am relatively local in Richmond and I'd love to pick your brain, I'd buy the coffee, or take a look at what you're doing. I am thinking about doing an MGB conversion (currently restoring a 79 ICE MGB) and I'd love to hear directly from someone about the process and pitfalls.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

MGB is going to be a fitment nightmare. I'm not sure a Leaf is a good idea in such a tiny RWD car.


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## LAB (Sep 6, 2021)

remy_martian said:


> MGB is going to be a fitment nightmare. I'm not sure a Leaf is a good idea in such a tiny RWD car.


Actually looking at the warp 9 but if you can fit a v8 into an mg a leaf motor may not be impossible.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

Motor fit is the easy part.

Batteries...

Which if you choose the wrong motor....


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

LAB. Interestingly enough.. I would not go the Leaf route for the MGB.. but have some ideas for you. DM'd you.


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## heybluez (Nov 29, 2021)

Quick update.. working on what I am calling the cradle. See pics. Hope to have the motor (w/ inverter) mounted this week. Don't worry, we will make this all look pretty... just trying to get it right.

Also, I could not get all the batteries, motor, inverter, and the Nissan PDU in the car. SO I am dumping the Resolve EV VCU and bought Thunderstruck VCU and BMS with a separate charger and dc converter. Those should be coming soon.

The plan is 24 modules in trunk, 9 in the gas tank area and 3 where muffler used to be, and 12 on top of the motor in the engine bay. Once I get the motor mounted will test and be sure. 

More soon.


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## UglyCarFan (8 mo ago)

heybluez: nice project! We don't see a lot of these in the Midwest, but one happened to pass me 2 days ago and it was nowhere near as nice as the one you bought. Your Leaf donor also looks very clean. 
Just curious about one thing: what are your range expectations? Lately, I've been paying more attention to just how many miles I drive around town during a typical day. It isn't that many, often only about 14-22. If I buzz out to see my buddy, it jumps up to mid 40 range. For that reason, I'm paying attention to the hybrid packs, such as the BMW 5 and 7 series versions. I can see how it might fit some peoples needs. Certainly not for everyone.

Keep up the good work!


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## bostonmacosx (Apr 14, 2021)

I have an 86 Cabby would love to see how you get the batteries in and can you comment on pricing?


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