# Planning 1969 VW Bug conversion (the Plug Bug)



## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Howdy all!
I'm new here, and I'm just getting started building my own EV. Right now I'm doing a lot of the research, and I just secured my donor vehicle, a 1969 VW bug. http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/04/electric-bug/

So, some info about myself:
* I'm 31 and a programmer at Apple by day. 
* Skill range: I can weld (MIG, oxy/acet) and braze fairly well. I'm good with tools; both woodworking and metal, although I'm a very novice machinist. I have a woodshop/machine shop  in my garage. I used to have a '67 mustang, so I'm used to working on cars, but mainly doing "basic stuff", like fixing power steering, heater cores, brakes, etc. I've rewired my house, so I have some experience with AC power, and I used to race electric R/C cars as a kid so I know a little about how batteries work (Nicads, back in those days).

My EV goal for the bug:
Ideally 100 mile range, but I would take 50 miles including a rather large 6 hill to my house. Ultimately, I just want to be able to drive to work and back (20 miles each way, without charging and make it up the hill -- "highway 17" for people in the Bay Area of California). I want to be able to go 65-70mph on the freeway when I need to.

How much money am I willing to invest? Well, as much as I have to to meet my goals. I'd like to keep it around the $10k point (maybe up to $15k).

What have I considered? So far, not much. Travis Tyler's 66 Bug has a lot of things I'm looking to mimic: http://ev.gearboxmagazine.com/2010/04/06/travis-tylers-1966-volkswagen-beetle-elec-bug/

Anyways, I'm looking forward to my project and just wanted to say hi.

-corbin


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

Sounds like a fun project. Generally, a 50 mile range will cost a lot less than a 100 mile range. To get the range of a VW Beetle to 50 or more miles I would recommend Lithium batteries. These cars where designed to roll very easily but aerodynamically they suck wind. Freeway range will be less than city range. If you build for about 90 miles city you will have around 60 miles of range at 60-70 mph freeway. 

It looks like you have picked up a sweet old Beetle to work with. I've never owned one that 'late model' (my newest Beetle is the '64 frame under my beach buggy.) I've thought about doing another Beetle, they are my favorite cars to work on.

Oh, and I'm an Apple user by night


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2010)

VW's and Apples go together very well. Mac only and VW only.


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## Travdude (May 11, 2009)

Welcome to the forum Corbin.

"Plug Bug" that's a clever name for your bug. 

Sounds like you have the skills to do a nice conversion. You will learn a lot in here, I know I did.

I think you are going to have to spend more than 10k to go that far, but it is defiantly possible.

If there is anything I can do to help, I would be glad to.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Well, after many months of restoration I actually have some electric parts in the car!
Via:
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/10/plug-bug-motor-installed/



















There's also a short video on my blog of a simple motor test.

I'm still waiting for more parts and batteries!

corbin


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## Guest (Oct 11, 2010)

Corbin,

Nice to see the bug back in the game. Lookin good. My Bus is now at the shop for welding a few things. I should be getting my adaptor back soon and we will be installing the Kostov hopefully here in a few weeks. 

I like the work you have done on your Bug. It looks real nice. Nice to see you did not hash your apron. Cut nicely and looks good. 

Pete


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

those are some gorgeous colors on that bug man! keep the pics coming!


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Here's the Interface Module mounted under the dash.

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/10/plug-bug-interface-module-installed/










corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Piece by piece things are going together. The Netgain controller on a 1/8" sheet backing plate:










More details at:
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/10/plug-bug-motor-backing-plate-controller/

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

cooling stuff:










Larger photos and comments at my blog posting about it.
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/10/plug-bug-wires-and-hoses/


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Lots more stuff put together. The rear section is completely put together (minus some weather proofing):

More pictures via:
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/11/plug-bug-wiring-and-more-wiring/


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

The heater is now installed. The three speed fan works great and turns on the HV contactor. I still don't have batteries so i can't test it.

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/11/plug-bug-electric-ceramic-heater/


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Finally, the iPad mount!

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/11/plug-bug-ipad-mount/










--corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

The project is moving along. I got my batteries a few weeks ago (finally!)

I did some box designs in sketchup: 









More pictures and the sketchup files: http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/12/plug-bug-battery-box-design/

And I strapped a bunch of cells together:










I started fabricating the boxes; hopefully by the end of next week I'll have it all together!

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

And a sticker for my gas cap:


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## bonewibb (Aug 30, 2009)

Nice job Corbin. Just starting my 1971 VW Bug electric car project.


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

This is looking good Corbin! I don't have anything to add, but I do enjoy the updates and pictures.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Thanks for the comments all! I appreciate that people enjoy following along with me on the project. I've been working hard on it the past few weeks since I got the batteries. I have had this past week off from work and I've been getting a lot done.

A new blog posting is up:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/12/plug-bug-front-battery-box-fabrication/

I'll copy some pictures here. 

The front battery box is fabricated. Here it is in the front trunk area of the car:










And painted metallic silver to match the car:










My blog posting has some more details on the construction. I also completed the rear box and I'm going to do a writeup on that soon. Tomorrow I'm hoping to start installing the cells and fabricating bus bars. If I can figure out the Elithion BMS I may actually get it all going! If not..I may skip the BMS for a week or so, just so I can see the tires spin.

The only set back might be not having enough 2/0 wire.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

And plowing along, post two for today about the rear battery box:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2010/12/plug-bug-rear-battery-box/



















corbin


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## bonewibb (Aug 30, 2009)

Corbin, looks like you wound up with 48 cells all together.

What has been your total investment in batteries and BMS battery management/charger?

Thanks, looking good.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

bonewibb said:


> Corbin, looks like you wound up with 48 cells all together.
> 
> What has been your total investment in batteries and BMS battery management/charger?
> 
> Thanks, looking good.


Hi bonewibb, thanks! Your almost right -- I'm using 48 cells total; 28 in the rear seat area, 5 behind those sitting horizontal, and 15 in the front.

Edit: And cost -- roughly $12k or so, if I remember right. I need to double check and see exactly what I paid.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Here's progress from two days ago. Yesterday I did a 20 mile unicycle ride instead of working on the car, and then passed out from exhaustion. 

A big thanks to everyone who has been answering my questions (via other posts) about where to put stuff.

Plog post:
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/01/plug-bug-batteries/

Some pictures copied here:













































corbin


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## Elithion (Oct 6, 2009)

corbin said:


> If I can figure out the Elithion BMS I may actually get it all going!


Glad to see that you are indeed asking questions in the Lithiumate Forum. Thanks for doing that.



corbin said:


> If not...I may skip the BMS for a week or so, just so I can see the tires spin.


#1 cause of blown Li-Ion packs: the urge to see the wheels spinning, before the BMS is fully connected to the motor controller. Take your time and do it right. Learn from others (hobbyists and automotive companies alike) who learned the hard way.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Elithion said:


> Glad to see that you are indeed asking questions in the Lithiumate Forum. Thanks for doing that.
> 
> #1 cause of blown Li-Ion packs: the urge to see the wheels spinning, before the BMS is fully connected to the motor controller. Take your time and do it right. Learn from others (hobbyists and automotive companies alike) who learned the hard way.


Hey Davide -- good point! I had Justin at Evolve overnight the 6 BMS boards I was missing, and the higher amp gauge. I'm going to put it all in on Saturday, provided I get them on time. 

I'll probably wait to charge until I have it all going; it is safest. Last night I did install all the bus bars and put the car on blocks and briefly pushed the throttle, just so I could see the tires spin (and indeed, they do spin).

--corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Well, I got the missing BMS boards last weekend, but unfortunately two boards weren't working (the LEDs didn't blink when plugged in). So, I'm waiting to get replacements for those before I charge it up and start running. That's okay, since the wiring is taking me longer than I expected. Hopefully it will move this weekend..but we'll see how it goes!

The Elithion Lithiumate BMS has been awesome to work with - it was initially challenging to learn how it all goes together, but I really enjoy doing all the wiring and crimping. Davide has also been helpful on the Elithion forums. 

New blog post:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/01/charger-mounted-bms-install-in-progress/

And a few copied pictures:



















corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

A quick update: the car moves! I got some replacement BMS boards yesterday, dropped them in, and began the process of setting up the Elithion BMS. I don't think I had the values right till late in the charge (not realizing what I was supposed to see or not -- I'll post details to the Elithion forums). The main trouble with the BMS is that the LiFePO4 cell settings aren't correct for Thundersky cells, and I didn't realize this. The way it tells me to calculate the values doesn't work quite right (based on the Thundersky charts). The pack needs top balancing, but I got the highest cell up to 4.0 volts. 

Then, at 2am last night, I did a short drive up the road!

The front end is dropped way too low, and I need to figure out how to adjust my beam to get it to ride higher; the wheels scrape the wells when turning. I also need to adjust my front end; it is horribly out of alignment.

Then, more refining of the BMS (install SOC display, hook up to the fuel gauge, install charger-on relay), and I'll be ready to install the interior and start driving! Hopefully I can get it all done by Thursday (my DMV appointment).

corbin


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## Jimdear2 (Oct 12, 2008)

corbin said:


> Then, at 2am last night, I did a short drive up the road!
> 
> The front end is dropped way too low, and I need to figure out how to adjust my beam to get it to ride higher; the wheels scrape the wells when turning. I also need to adjust my front end; it is horribly out of alignment.
> 
> corbin


Corbin,

Congrats on the drive BIG EV Grin?

A quick, relitivley inexpensive fix for the droop is a pair of coil over shocks. Adjusting the beam can require quite a bit of time and money. Look in the dune buggy shops.

Getting the suspension back up to height will help the alignment. 

Jim


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Jimdear2 said:


> Corbin,
> 
> Congrats on the drive BIG EV Grin?
> 
> ...


Thanks Jim. Yeah, the care is AWESOME! It's my first EV that I've driven (although, I've been in RAV4 EVs). I still need to ask my friend to let me drive his Tesla to compare it to the bug 

I spent yesterday morning raising the front end; I have an adjustable front beam on the bug, so I just took off the front suspension and wheels, and twisted the bar to the right spot (a pain to adjust, but I got it). Now it rides much higher in the front, and steering no longer hits the wheel wells. I may still get new coil-overs -- I was thinking of doing that anyways.

I have some "bugs" to work out in the car. Turning on the headlights reduces controller output for some reason.

corbin


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## Jimdear2 (Oct 12, 2008)

corbin said:


> Thanks Jim. Yeah, the care is AWESOME! It's my first EV that I've driven (although, I've been in RAV4 EVs). I still need to ask my friend to let me drive his Tesla to compare it to the bug


Corbin,

I remember the thrill I got from my little electric tractor the first time it moved with me on it. In a car it just "GOTTS" to be better.



corbin said:


> I spent yesterday morning raising the front end; I have an adjustable front beam on the bug, so I just took off the front suspension and wheels, and twisted the bar to the right spot (a pain to adjust, but I got it). Now it rides much higher in the front, and steering no longer hits the wheel wells. I may still get new coil-overs -- I was thinking of doing that anyways.


Adjustible Coil Overs will let you get the height spot on.



corbin said:


> I have some "bugs" to work out in the car. Turning on the headlights reduces controller output for some reason.
> 
> corbin


"bugs" (funny) of course, pun intended.

Do you have a DC to DC, could the draw from it be pulling your pack voltage down causing your controller to react. Do you have a 12 volt battery to act as a voltage stabilizer in the 12 volt system with the headlghts?

Just a thought, I'm not too hot on electrical stuff.

Jim


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi Jim,
Yes, I do have the DC-DC, and it is wired into the 12v system with an aux battery (only 18ah!). So yes, it is clearly going to draw more power when the lights are on, but I didn't think that would affect the controller in any way, since the controller should be able to draw out more amps. Maybe it has to do with the point at which I have it wired into the pack.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

How about the first drive video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBJYqB81qx4

-corbin


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## mrbigh (Dec 31, 2008)

corbin said:


> How about the first drive video?
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBJYqB81qx4
> 
> -corbin


Nice!!!! first drive......... I can relate to my first electric drive, what an emotion 
I like the Prius in the background though


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## Jimdear2 (Oct 12, 2008)

corbin said:


> Hi Jim,
> Yes, I do have the DC-DC, and it is wired into the 12v system with an aux battery (only 18ah!). So yes, it is clearly going to draw more power when the lights are on, but I didn't think that would affect the controller in any way, since the controller should be able to draw out more amps. Maybe it has to do with the point at which I have it wired into the pack.
> 
> corbin


Corbin,

That was my best guess.

A very nice bug. A true DIY craftsman's job.

From your battery/motor/controller selections, I'll bet there are some plans to be showing good views of your license plate to your friend with the Tesla.

Bet he's asking you for a drive soon.

Jim


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

mrbigh said:


> Nice!!!! first drive......... I can relate to my first electric drive, what an emotion
> I like the Prius in the background though


Yeah! The Prius is my current daily driver. The wife is dying for me to get the EV done so the Prius can be her daily driver 

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Anyone who's following along, I solved the "headlight" issue. 

There's a purple wire into the controller that is supposed to be hooked up to the reverse lights. I had it hooked up the tail light...so when the lights were on, the controller limits the output. Oh, duh! It'll be nice to have reverse not be so touchy 

corbin


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## Jimdear2 (Oct 12, 2008)

corbin said:


> Anyone who's following along, I solved the "headlight" issue.
> 
> There's a purple wire into the controller that is supposed to be hooked up to the reverse lights. I had it hooked up the tail light...so when the lights were on, the controller limits the output. Oh, duh! It'll be nice to have reverse not be so touchy
> 
> corbin


Corbin,

What did you do, follow that old Aircraft Mechanic adage. "When all else fails Look In The Book"?

Good job, glad you found it without a bunch of hassel.

Jim


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## bonewibb (Aug 30, 2009)

Corbin:

I'm going with air ride suspension and special order 5 x 4 3/4 hubs on the 1971 vw bug that I am working on. I figured that the air ride would give better support for battery weight and the larger brake hubs would help with stopping due to the extra weight.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

bonewibb said:


> Corbin:
> 
> I'm going with air ride suspension and special order 5 x 4 3/4 hubs on the 1971 vw bug that I am working on. I figured that the air ride would give better support for battery weight and the larger brake hubs would help with stopping due to the extra weight.


Yeah, that's a good idea! I did upgrade to disc brakes all around, and I'm glad I did. Even those heat up quite a bit while braking down the steep hills around my house.

I'm going to go by a VW shop today and see if they have anything for shocks. Where did you get yours? I was considering some adjustable coil-overs, like:

http://www.appletreeauto.com/BALL-JOINT-COIL-SHOCKS-CH/

or something similar

corbin


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## bonewibb (Aug 30, 2009)

The air ride suspension was already on the VW chassis when I acquired it off of ebay this summer. The previous owner said that he had special ordered the 5 x 4 3/4 brake hubs.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

bonewibb said:


> The air ride suspension was already on the VW chassis when I acquired it off of ebay this summer. The previous owner said that he had special ordered the 5 x 4 3/4 brake hubs.


cool -- i went to my local eve dub shop (bugformance, san jose) and got some coil over shocks for the front. The rear he said is probably squeaky for some other reasons, so i'll look into that.

corbin


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## Tahoe Tim (Feb 20, 2010)

The squeaky rear is probably the bushings where the trailing arm meets the chassis. 

I didn't think about the purple wire until you had solved it. I am right behind you and got my wiring finished. Waiting on the welder to finish my battery racks and we are off. 

FYI - I found a screen on the controller that shows brake ON and reverse ON. Check those screens on yours to verify that brake (brown) and reverse are being seen by the controller. Just tap them into one light for each.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

I have the soft reverse wired up now, and it is nice! 

I drove to work today for the first time; no registration yet -- the DMV appointment is this afternoon.

I parked at apple campus and got to the charging station first. Sorry Tesla guy..










corbin


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## mrbigh (Dec 31, 2008)

corbin said:


> I have the soft reverse wired up now, and it is nice!
> 
> I drove to work today for the first time; no registration yet -- the DMV appointment is this afternoon.
> 
> ...


It is nice to see the Tesla there but, " Screw the Tesla" .


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## Bellistner (Dec 12, 2010)

corbin said:


> http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg610/scaled.php?tn=0&server=610&filename=hismq.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640


Bwahahaha, nice!


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Well! Went to the DMV; I have temporary registration. They were going to inspect it, and came to look at, but couldn't verify it. They need TWO VIN number verifications. One is in the front; the other was buried under the rear seats lithium. 

So, I may have to get a new VIN number, since I don't want to pull the batteries (err…can't), while I'm at the DMV to show them the number. I have a CHP appointment to get that done. Agg! I was so close. If only I had another inspector; a guy on break came over and he really was into the car. 

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

And some stats, 20 miles to work, mostly downhill on the way to work but I do have a large driveway hill to go up: 34.0 Ah. I charged at work till it was full. The drive home: 47.4 Ah. 

So, I'll have met my goal of "only charge at work", as I could easily make it back home. I'm at 76% SOC according to the BMS.

Going up "highway 17" I was pulling 200-260 amps at 50mph. Roughly 616-800 watts/mile! Yikes.

corbin


corbin


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## Tahoe Tim (Feb 20, 2010)

Cograts. That's actually better than I expected up 17. Any idea what your weight is? 

I may be wrong but I think the VIN is inside the driver's door frame. Question: Why are you going to DMV? Isn't it still a vw bug?


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Tahoe Tim said:


> Cograts. That's actually better than I expected up 17. Any idea what your weight is?
> 
> I may be wrong but I think the VIN is inside the driver's door frame. Question: Why are you going to DMV? Isn't it still a vw bug?


I think it is about gross vehicle weight; around 1800 pounds if I recall. I have to double check my calculations. I need to actually weigh it to find out.

Yeah, it is still a VW bug, and it is smog exempt, but I was hoping to register it E for fuel and get a carpool sticker. It would be nice to have the sticker based on my commute; but only at certain times.

The car is quite fast if I step on the gas. I was light on it today just because I wanted to see what it can do for range. I can probably safely do 80 miles (at 80% DOD), including my hill twice. That's just an estimate though based on the distance and Ah it consumed.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

It was funny at the DMV. She said "turn it on", I did (with a click of the contractors) and said okay, its running. She was astonished as she clearly expected some noise.


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## Russco (Dec 23, 2008)

corbin said:


> Well! Went to the DMV; I have temporary registration. They were going to inspect it, and came to look at, but couldn't verify it. They need TWO VIN number verifications. One is in the front; the other was buried under the rear seats lithium.
> 
> So, I may have to get a new VIN number, since I don't want to pull the batteries (err…can't), while I'm at the DMV to show them the number. I have a CHP appointment to get that done. Agg! I was so close. If only I had another inspector; a guy on break came over and he really was into the car.
> 
> corbin


So, now that you've gone to the California DMV to have the registration changed to E (electric), isn't the car's personal property value going to be increased to the cost of electrical components, thus increasing your yearly registration fees to somewhere around $400 a year? 

Sometimes (actually always) it's best to keep your mouth shut (!) and not tell the DMV that you just increased your cars value from $2500 to $20,000.

Russ. with a '71 VW EV. Don't tell the DMV. I'm paying $70 a year.


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2011)

> VIN is inside the driver's door frame


Not on the old Air Cooled VW's. The Bugs, Ghia's, TypeIII's are found in the front trunk area and on the back of the tunnel where the rear shift linkage access point is located. It is stamped on the tunnel. Covered usually by the rear seats. But if you fill that area with batteries you cover it up. So my take is since you know at the start you need to show them the registration you should leave that area open and accessible until you have finished your paperwork then go home and increase the voltage and pack.


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## Travdude (May 11, 2009)

Like the black plates Corbin.

My bug is registered with motive power "E" and the registration is still $65. I did not tell my insurance company though.

You probably won't get the carpool sticker, but you can get the EV parking sticker. The main reason I changed the registration was to prove to the IRS that I converted my vehicle to get the tax credit.


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## Russco (Dec 23, 2008)

corbin said:


> Well! Went to the DMV; I have temporary registration. They were going to inspect it, and came to look at, but couldn't verify it. They need TWO VIN number verifications. One is in the front; the other was buried under the rear seats lithium.
> 
> So, I may have to get a new VIN number, since I don't want to pull the batteries (err…can't), while I'm at the DMV to show them the number. I have a CHP appointment to get that done. Agg! I was so close. If only I had another inspector; a guy on break came over and he really was into the car.
> 
> corbin


Oh Oh! New VIN Number? Red Flag. 

In my many years of dealing with the California DMV, I have learned to understand their procedure for vehicle title, registration and vehicle modifications/construction/reconstruction.

ALWAYS tell the DMV what to do, NEVER let them tell you what to do. If the DMV doesn't agree with your desires, immediately leave and go to a different field office until you find an overpaid California State DMV employee that will do it your way.

Case in Point: The DMV, in their infinite wisdom,wants you to take your car to the CHP, whom will probably want to stamp a new California VIN on your left door post. This is done on kit cars and factory cars that have a missing or mutilated VIN. Why would a factory car have a missing VIV? Recovered theft is one reason. 

Any factory car with a state issued VIN is subject to question by any knowledgeable prospective buyer. SALVAGE and BRANDED TITLE come to mind. If I were considering purchasing a used vehicle and the VIN has been state assigned, I would run away as fast as possible. And I wouldn't look back.

Corbin, remove a couple of your batteries and bypass them in your backseat area so the idiots at the DMV can verify your original VIN and allow you to retain it. 

Don't ever allow the CHP to assign the car a state VIN.

I'm afraid this is just the beginning of a can of worms you have opened up with the DMV. STAND YOUR GROUND. 

Russ, been there, done that. Owned 100 cars so far.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Russ -- GREAT idea! I think I'll make an appointment at another DMV and see if they will do it. At least I found one VIN number; if I would have shown it to the lady, she might have let it slide by. I'd have to remove a bank of batteries (4) which wouldn't kill range, but will be a major PIA. But, that would expose the VIN number.

The VIN number I found is in the front trunk, behind the spare tire on a metal plate. Apparently there was another one stamped on a small piece of metal by the dash…and I think I recall seeing it at one time, but during restoration I think I ditched it. I may look around and happen to "find" it again.

corbin


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## Russco (Dec 23, 2008)

corbin said:


> Russ -- GREAT idea! I think I'll make an appointment at another DMV and see if they will do it. At least I found one VIN number; if I would have shown it to the lady, she might have let it slide by. I'd have to remove a bank of batteries (4) which wouldn't kill range, but will be a major PIA. But, that would expose the VIN number.
> 
> The VIN number I found is in the front trunk, behind the spare tire on a metal plate. Apparently there was another one stamped on a small piece of metal by the dash…and I think I recall seeing it at one time, but during restoration I think I ditched it. I may look around and happen to "find" it again.
> 
> corbin


My VW EV is a '71 Super. The aluminum tag near the front of the front compartment shows front and rear axle maximum weight as well as gross vehicle weight. No VIN number here.

The "real" VIN number, as far as most people are concerned, is a silver metal plate riveted near the bottom of the driver's side A pillar. This plate is readable from outside of the car and has the VIN, rather securely displayed between "VW" letters. Obviously looks tamper proof.

The so called "hidden" VIN is under the back seat cushion on the center hump by the transmissions shift rod coupling. Of course, this VIN should match the dash VIN.

Your '69 may be different.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Well, I have another DMV appointment next week; I'm going to try to get by with one VIN # and see what they say. Fingers crossed!

Here's a new post:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/01/plug-bug-walk-around/

I did a "walk around" on the bug and made a little video showing some of the components.

I have about 215 miles on it so far. I can easily do 40 miles -- drive to work, and back, including a HUGE hill (highway 17). At that point, I'm a little less than 60% DOD. So, I can probably do 80 miles in the hills, 100 miles on flat freeway (the hill sucks the amps), and have 20% DOD left. I'll eventually have more data, and take a look at it and see what energy it is really taking.

I still have some kinks to work out...unfortunately some other things at home have come up (hot tub install -- I know, rough life. It was the wife's christmas present).

corbin


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## PatricioIN (Jun 13, 2008)

Looks very nicely put together Corbin. Good job. I particularly liked the "thingamabobber!"  Very good looking bug.


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## Evilsizer (Jan 25, 2010)

if you had your choice would you have gone with a Super beetle?


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Evilsizer said:


> if you had your choice would you have gone with a Super beetle?


Hi Evilsizer,
I did have my choice -- I had a friend who would have sold me his newer super beetle. Instead, I wanted a more classic car, and went with the oldest I could find (at a decent price).

corbin


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## Evilsizer (Jan 25, 2010)

ah,i started considering older VW bugs for a ev conversion. to me the super beetles sounded like a better way to go. do to the differences in suspension and it having more room in the front boot.


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## VoltsCar (Oct 26, 2010)

Corbin,

Awesome to see it on the road. I would have loved to see the expression on the face of the Tesla driver. No disrespect, but you know he was like "WTF?, A bug?"

Just curious too... what kind of plug is at the charging station? J1772?

Have you inquired about the IRS rebate?

Again, awesome job. Inspiring.

-Michael


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

VoltsCar said:


> Corbin,
> 
> Awesome to see it on the road. I would have loved to see the expression on the face of the Tesla driver. No disrespect, but you know he was like "WTF?, A bug?"
> 
> ...


Hey michael, thanks!

We have a NEMA 14-50 (a dryer plug) at work. They are going to put in J1772 stations closer to my office, which I'm actually not happy about because I just want a NEMA 14-50. It means I have to buy a $150-$200 adapter box. Oh well!

RE: IRS Rebate -- I will, but it will be for 2011, since the car was put into service in 2011.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

An update: Trip 3 to the DMV and I got it all settled! I had to go to the BAR to get it checked out, but they said it was "too old". So, I went back to the DMV and they were okay with all the paperwork I had. It took them a good 30-40 minutes to figure out how to switch the power mode to "E", but I got it done! 

Now I'm waiting for my carpool sticker 

I drove the car today; I still need to waterproof it, and I'm still working through an issue with the DC-DC converter. I had the BMS controller upgraded, and the Netgain Warp drive upgraded -- it is smoother now, and fixes some incorrect voltage levels reported in the Interface Module.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

And here is a blog posting describing today's drive home:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/03/plug-bug-analyzing-data/

I included some graphs of the voltage and amperage for the 20 mile drive.

corbin


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## nimblemotors (Oct 1, 2010)

Beautiful ride, nice job corbin!

It is great to see those graphs showing how wildly the battery amps vary.
Is this the finest grain time scale? the spikes are quite, well, spikey.



corbin said:


> And here is a blog posting describing today's drive home:
> 
> http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/03/plug-bug-analyzing-data/
> 
> ...


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

nimblemotors said:


> Beautiful ride, nice job corbin!
> 
> It is great to see those graphs showing how wildly the battery amps vary.
> Is this the finest grain time scale? the spikes are quite, well, spikey.


Thanks!

The logging is every 1 second. I can drop it to a shorter period. It looks dry out today, so I'll do that on my drive to work and home.

corbin


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## Russco (Dec 23, 2008)

corbin said:


> An update: Trip 3 to the DMV and I got it all settled! I had to go to the BAR to get it checked out, but they said it was "too old". So, I went back to the DMV and they were okay with all the paperwork I had. It took them a good 30-40 minutes to figure out how to switch the power mode to "E", but I got it done!
> 
> corbin


Did the cash strapped California DMV allow you to keep your $70 yearly registration fee  or did they revalue your car to the $30,000 it cost you with a yearly fee of $750? 

Russ Kaufmann

RUSSCO


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Russco said:


> Did the cash strapped California DMV allow you to keep your $70 yearly registration fee  or did they revalue your car to the $30,000 it cost you with a yearly fee of $750?
> 
> Russ Kaufmann
> 
> RUSSCO


they didn't ask for an updated value, so I didn't give them one!

corbin


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## Russco (Dec 23, 2008)

corbin said:


> they didn't ask for an updated value, so I didn't give them one!
> 
> corbin


Excellent! I bet you're smiling all the way to the bank. 

Russ Kaufmann

RUSSCO


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

So, I calculated my drive-to-work watt-hours per mile and it was 229. Average that with my 322 on the drive home from work (mainly due to the huge hill I have to drive), and my average is 276 watt-hours/mile over 40 miles. That ignores extra energy consumed by the DC-DC converter or the heater. That gives a 111 mile range estimate to 100% Depth of Discharge. At a more conservative 80% discharge depth, that would be an 89 mile range when driving conservatively like I did during my test period. 

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/03/plug-bug-drive-to-work-data/

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Well, I got something nice in the mail yesterday.



















Also posted to my blog with larger images:
http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/04/plug-bug-access-okay/

corbin


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## tomofreno (Mar 3, 2009)

Congratulations! Look like you have nothing that says "electric" on the car?


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Nope! Here's a good story:

I was driving to my local park to do some mountain unicycle riding and passed by some others standing around. One guy was staring at the car, and came running up to me after I parked. 

He said, "I thought I was going to have to push your car, since it was so quiet I assumed your engine was dead!" .. "But then I saw it had no tail pipe, and *knew* it was electric".

It turns out he works at Tesla and knows my friend Aaron (who also works there, and unicycles).

About ~1600 EV miles have been logged so far.

-corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Well, I've got 9000 miles on the car!

I did some "soft" driving today, maintaining 55mph on relatively flat freeways (highway 101 southbound to 85 south in California). I did a blog post on the route and some details:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2011/11/plug-bug-mileage-and-range/

The car was at 57% State Of Charge (SOC), meaning it consumed 43% of the battery (depth of discharge – or DOD). That was a 55 mile trip by the iPhone GPS. So, in theory, that is a 127 mile range to 0% SOC!

EDIT: I change it from 140mi to 127mi. I think the point where I took the reading was 5 miles higher than it should have been!

Pretty sweet. Plus, I had the headlights on!

corbin


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## mizlplix (May 1, 2011)

Just how much do you use 4th gear? Is the gap from 3rd to 4th a little wide?

If so, you might consider a close ratio 3rd/4th gear set. That was a standard "back in the day" to give the little 40 HP motor a little help. It changes it from a 3 speed with OD, to a true 4 speed trans.

Have low gear welded to the inner hub at the same time. They slip with high torque and big tires.

Lastly...If you need to increase your motor cruise RPMs some, you can install a Bus ring and pinion gear. It is worth throwing out on the table anyways.

Nice little Bug you have there. Miz


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

mizlplix said:


> Just how much do you use 4th gear? Is the gap from 3rd to 4th a little wide?
> 
> If so, you might consider a close ratio 3rd/4th gear set. That was a standard "back in the day" to give the little 40 HP motor a little help. It changes it from a 3 speed with OD, to a true 4 speed trans.
> 
> ...



Hi Miz, 
My shift speeds are based entirely on motor RPM, to keep it under 5000. So, here they are:

2nd: 0-40mph 
3rd: 40mph - 65mph
4th: 65mph - 98mph

So, I use 4th when I cruise at 70. So far, the gear range works quite well for me. I originally was considering a bus ring and pinion gear, but I'm not sure if it would help.

corbin


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## tomofreno (Mar 3, 2009)

Good data Corbin! Sounds like it is running nicely with no problems!


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

tomofreno said:


> Good data Corbin! Sounds like it is running nicely with no problems!


Well, I've recently had a few "old car" problems. I had to replace a few wheel bearings, and I have some squeaks I can't get rid of! Other than that...it is running pretty smooth.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

So far, I have about 37,000 miles on this car….

Ordered new brushes from EVWest.com as mine seem to be getting worn down.


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## PThompson509 (Jul 9, 2009)

Still the daily driver? BTW, I keep pointing people at your blog whenever they ask about cool EVs. 

Cheers!


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

PThompson509 said:


> Still the daily driver? BTW, I keep pointing people at your blog whenever they ask about cool EVs.
> 
> Cheers!


Yup, driving it daily! Tentatively thinking about my next build: '33 Factory Five; shiva; dual 11s.


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## PThompson509 (Jul 9, 2009)

corbin said:


> Yup, driving it daily! Tentatively thinking about my next build: '33 Factory Five; shiva; dual 11s.


LOL - well, you are one of the few that could carry THAT off.  Once my batteries die in a few years I'll look into the next project - either electric Delorean or electric gyrocopter. :-D

Cheers!


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi all. Been a while! My car has 38,000 miles on it so far. I've had some transmission issues, and the car was not driven for about 6+ months. Check out the post and video here:

http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blo...sion-motor-removal-in-an-electric-conversion/

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Also, a good article on the car:

http://www.gtweekly.com/index.php/s...r-stories/4847-the-plug-bug-corbin-dunn-.html

corbin


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## PThompson509 (Jul 9, 2009)

Hi Corbin,

I'm sorry to hear about this. The 914 crowd has an expert rebuilder of our transmissions - PM me if you want his contact info (He uses the moniker of Dr. Evil). Or, I could give you the contact info for my local 914 expert (he rebuilt my tranny).

Cheers, Peter


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Thanks Peter -- so far, the transmission in it is going okay. I'll see how it goes! My plan is to learn to rebuild myself and redo my older transmission when I get the time.

corbin


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Update: I was rear ended over a year ago. I rebuilt the back side and got it going again as a salvage vehicle.  

My DC-DC controller failed; I fixed it ( http://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2018/01/plug-bug-fixed-and-then-broken-again/ )

I was driving it a few months ago and it cut out again...turns out to be an intermittent connection to the controller for the throttle pedal. I need to source some parts for the controller...

I'm at about 47k miles!

Corbin


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## Travdude (May 11, 2009)

Hey Corbin - Glad you got the plug bug running after that rear ender. Was thinking you might buy a Tesla. I saw on your blog you took the carpool stickers off, hopefully the DMV issued new ones for you. 

Hows your batteries holding up? Ive noticed a bit more sag when drawing 400 amps, the pack goes to 115 volts which is 2.875 per cell. Still drives good just not as peppy. 

I'm still driving it to work 2 days a week, at 34,000 miles.


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## corbin (Apr 6, 2010)

Travdude said:


> Hey Corbin - Glad you got the plug bug running after that rear ender. Was thinking you might buy a Tesla. I saw on your blog you took the carpool stickers off, hopefully the DMV issued new ones for you.
> 
> Hows your batteries holding up? Ive noticed a bit more sag when drawing 400 amps, the pack goes to 115 volts which is 2.875 per cell. Still drives good just not as peppy.
> 
> I'm still driving it to work 2 days a week, at 34,000 miles.


Cool, that's awesome that you are still driving yours too! I'm sure you know, but it was an inspiration to my original conversion. 

The pack is doing "okay", but definitely not what it originally was. My main issue is loosing capacity in cells; I replaced two cells and I have one "new" third I can drop in at some point. They had lost about 30% capacity; the replaced ones weren't just "low" -- I would top them up individually and they would always still hit the bottom first (something like 2.8 or lower, when the rest of the pack would be above 3.0). I do occasionally top the cells off -- keeping them balanced at the top seems to work really well. The people who bottom balance are going to end up killing cells; I find they loose capacity and balance, but can be refreshed with some individual charging.

If I were to do it again, I'd add some charging smarts to stop the charge at 90% for daily driving, and only occasionally do 100% when absolutely necessary. The lithium gives a "sweet" smell when it sits at 100% SOC, which means something is chemically happening inside them. I'd charge at work to 100% and it would end at 12-1pm, and sit till 4-5pm before I'd drive it off; I think this was detrimental to the pack.

I did have to take the stickers off (two of the three), and I haven't replaced them. I wish I would have used a hairdryer to carefully remove them. I quit my job in January so I don't have a daily commute where I would need the carpool lane, so I never tried to get new stickers. Plus, I heard that they won't be good in 2019, so it wouldn't be worth the effort at this point.

PS: I did get a Tesla! Back when I was having some transmission trouble a few years back I caved and got one. It has nearly 50k miles too, and I take it on much longer trips thanks to supercharging (California -> Utah -> Colorado -> Arizona).


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