# Suggestions for Mini or Moke EV conversion



## Cheeseburger (Sep 28, 2014)

Hi guys. I'm itching for a new car project and this time I want to experiment with an EV build. In the past i've owned V8 muscle cars, four-wheel-drives, European sports cars, but my taste these days is for micro machines.

My current 'toy' is a Suzuki Sierra (Samurai in the US) - rebuilt from the ground up and runs straight LPG. It's been a killer little car, absolutely unstoppable off-road, but off-roading is starting to bore me so time for a new project. For my next project I want to dip into the realm of electric.











I'm keeping an eye on the local auto classified for either a classic Mini or a Moke, but most examples i've come across are top dollar as they've been fully restored. But, good starting point vehicles are out there to be had, you can't dilly-dally when they come up.

I'm basically after a fun summer toy (won't be my DD) with enough range so I can cover suburban errands, trips to the beach or the hills, and the odd trip into the city. 100 - 150km range would be ideal. I'm not after a tyre-shredding rocket ship, but it would be nice to have a car that can illicit a few thrills than merely pedestrian performance. A top speed of 110kph is more than enough - not a car i'd feel comfortable in going much faster than this.

I've always wanted a Moke, but this is the video that inspired me to go electric. Unfortunately i'm a total EV greenwood and if any component specs were mentioned they went over my head:






My plan would be to hide any batteries in the wings of the body rather than clump them together at the front and the rear. And i'd probably opt for a Suzuki Swift or Honda Civic transaxle instead of original 50yo Mini components. 


Can anyone throw me a bone? I'd love some words of wisdom so I can set my expectations straight and perhaps also come up with a ball-park budget. I've found the forum stickies that demonstrate the maths, physics and other calculations i'll need to do, but to tell the truth i'm not sure what sized motor I should be looking at as a starting point. Nor do I know the good brands from the bad from the ugly. I'm at the bottom of the learning curve.

Advice, tips and suggestions would be most welcomed


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi
First - Mini Moke
They are OK but the "Scamp" 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Scamp
Could be a better bet as it is a tubular steel frame with aluminium panels

The frame is so simple you could build your own

Mini suspension bits are - in modern terms - horrible
(This from a long term mini guy)

What about making yourself a Moke looking car with more modern suspension - Suzuki Swift maybe??


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## Cheeseburger (Sep 28, 2014)

Any suspension is an upgrade from my Sierra  Even if it's merely a rubber cone in each corner.

I've never seen a Scamp before and I fear they'd have a price tag reflective of their rarity. Mokes and Minis are a bit more commonplace. And to tell the truth I prefer the look of a Moke anyway - it's a car i've always wanted to own. There's something about them that just puts a smile on your face every time you see one. And perfect for the perpetual summer that is Perth, the city I live in.

Hmmm... perhaps I could investigate building my own. I do love a good DIY project, but i've never built from scratch before.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi 
The problem with the mini suspension wasn't the rubber cones it was 
The ball joints
The knuckle joints
The rear swing arm bearings
All horrible!!

If you fancy a DIY what about a "Locost"

This is my Device
http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forum...-dubious-device-44370p7.html?highlight=duncan


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## Cheeseburger (Sep 28, 2014)

Awesome!

Obviously i'll have to investigate this further. I'm still jonesing for a Moke. I guess I could DIY, but thinking about it a bit more, and having resto'ed a few cars over the years, I recognise a scratch build could easily become a Pandora's box project that you get sick of before you actually finish.


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Cheeseburger said:


> Awesome!
> 
> Obviously i'll have to investigate this further. I'm still jonesing for a Moke. I guess I could DIY, but thinking about it a bit more, and having resto'ed a few cars over the years, I recognise a scratch build could easily become a Pandora's box project that you get sick of before you actually finish.


The solution to that is - make it basic!
Doors, windows are difficult
So don't fit any!

The Locost is based on Colin Chapman's Lotus 7 
His philosophy was - make it light - then make it lighter

The lightest bit is the bit that is not fitted
So make it minimal

Which cuts 90% of the work of making a scratch built
The old Moke was built to a similar philosophy


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## Caspar (Dec 17, 2011)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8uG2PQk0OGM

EV pickup from Norway, same front frame as the Moke. Easy too convert


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## el_gallo_azul (Nov 22, 2015)




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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

I'd get rid of the prop shaft entirely and couple the motor to the diff...if the bodywork allows it. Frees up the front for batteries, among other things.


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## el_gallo_azul (Nov 22, 2015)

remy_martian said:


> I'd get rid of the prop shaft entirely and couple the motor to the diff...if the bodywork allows it. Frees up the front for batteries, among other things.


The diff is at the front in the above photo, and replaces the original diff which was built into the gearbox. Above the diff is the engine bay, which is completely full of batteries, in order to maintain the original car's 64/36 weight distribution.

The diff only just fits in under the battery box, and happily the flat floor steps up just in front of the rear wheels, with enough room to squeeze the motor in there.

The prop shaft sits inside the exhaust-pipe bulge in the floor.

The transaxle built into the Tesla small motor is another option that has become available since I did mine, but it takes up a lot more room in the engine bay, so batteries have to go elsewhere.


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