# 300ZX Electric Conversion



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Been in the EV game for quite a few years now. Have only had electric motorcycle conversions (can see these on Elmoto.net) and this is my first car build. Being in Ohio the MC sits unused to often due to weather or desire to gear up. So I'm getting rid of the bike and upgrading to a car. I do also have a 2016 Volt that is my daily driver. 

My first thoughts had me looking at Miata/RX7/MR2 size cars, but I decided I wanted a bit more room in the car and would love a backseat for a bit more utility. This lead me to 3000GT or 300ZX. The other 3 cars hold there value better than the 300ZX and the 300ZX is only slight less efficient (weight+aero). Found a 300ZX about an hour away and picked it last week. Good interior, decent/rust free body and blown, but in place engine. Picked it up for $1200.

It is a 1993 2+2 NA, auto vehicle. 

Towing was an adventure and within the first week the only key snapped in half, so I'm off to a great start. 























Here are the interesting details. Current plan (but I will discuss other options too)

Tesla drive unit in the rear, replaces rear diff and fuel tank area. Haven't decided on large vs small unit yet. Depends on price/room. 

Batteries will be some used EV cells. Dont want to go tesla modules first time around due to cost mainly. Other EV batteries can be had for half the cost. Will be something like Volt, i3, eGolf, or Soul EV cells most likely. All these cells can produce decent power (10C+) and are mostly available. 

Plan to use power steering, ac compressor, ptc heater, and brake pump from a production EV or hybrid. Haven't spec'd these out yet. 

Goals are to be faster than the stock TT (300HP) and get 100-200mile range eventually. Hoping to keep it under 3500lbs. 

Next few months will be tearing the car apart and weighing everything. Thanks for reading -Kyle


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Tesla drive unit in the rear, replaces rear diff and fuel tank area.


One challenge in using Tesla drive units is making them fit with a suspension which was not designed for them. It's straightforward with semi-trailing arm designs (like old VW, BMW, Mercedes, etc), but not with modern multi-link suspensions. The 300ZX might not be too bad to fit (because the control arms don't run much behind the axle line)... except that the Super HICAS active rear steering won't fit with the Tesla motor in place, and even fixed track rods might be a challenge.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

brian_ said:


> One challenge in using Tesla drive units is making them fit with a suspension which was not designed for them. It's straightforward with semi-trailing arm designs (like old VW, BMW, Mercedes, etc), but not with modern multi-link suspensions. The 300ZX might not be too bad to fit (because the control arms don't run much behind the axle line)... except that the Super HICAS active rear steering won't fit with the Tesla motor in place, and even fixed track rods might be a challenge.


Agreed, the hardest part of this whole build will be modifying the rear subframe to fit the drive unit. Do not have an exact plan right now 

See this picture









Behind the diff is the fuel tank. So the trickiest part is clearing the rear subframe mounting points with the controller/motor casing while maintaining axle position. I will have the car up on jacks in a few weeks to measure/investigate further. 

This is a non-turbo so no HICAS on board. I would have deleted it either way. Not worth the weight and complexity.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> This is a non-turbo so no HICAS on board. I would have deleted it either way.


That's fortunate (for the conversion). The track rods (barely visible in the photo) are still an issue: their mounting points are likely to interfere with motor or inverter housing, and if you change their length or mounting points you'll change the bump steer behaviour.


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

Nuts&Volts said:


> See this picture


Could you put some dimension on that picture? I could then try overlaying the Tesla 'small' rear drive unit for you... would at least tell you whether that's an option worth pursuing.

Note: given the majority of the drive unit is 'behind' the driveshafts it looks as if it would fit to me


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Kevin Sharpe said:


> Note: given the majority of the drive unit is 'behind' the driveshafts it looks as if it would fit to me


That's the fortunate characteristic which I mentioned a few posts ago: the Tesla drive unit is mostly behind the axle line, while the suspension is mostly ahead of it. 

With a rear track of 1534 mm, and tire section width of 225 mm, it's 1310 mm between the tires, or 655 mm from centreline to tire. The motor appears to extend about 340 mm outward from the centreline 

Now, look at the track rod. It is at roughly the height of the axle shaft, and extends inboard to somewhere close to the inner CV joint... closer to the centre line of the car than to the inboard face of the wheel. On the motor side of the Tesla unit, that looks like it will be close to, if not into, the motor housing.

If it all fits, great. I'm just suggesting a serious look at the packaging, and overlaying dimensionally correct images would certainly help.

Is the Tesla S/X front drive unit narrower than even the smaller rear unit, perhaps to provide more tire clearance for steering? If that's true, then it may be a better candidate for some of these challenging installations (even though it places the motor significantly higher, potentially causing other fit problems).


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

I’ll get a dimensional picture tomorrow, but you motivated me to lift the car and take measurements. Rear frame mounts are 27” on center and they are about 6.5” from the center of the driveshaft. 

And the rear axle center could move 2” rearward without hitting. I need to look closer at the axle angle and what the max is allowable.

Thanks for the images of the smaller drive unit


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Rear frame mounts are 27” on center and they are about 6.5” from the center of the driveshaft.


If I'm reading the photo correctly, 27” on centre would put the mount at the 3-inch mark on the tape measure in Kevin's second photo... right on the end of the motor housing. The motor housing appears to start about 3" rearward of the axle centre line, so 6.5" back from the axle line would be well into or beside the motor. Tesla does appear to run the axle shafts at a substantial angle to allow the motor to sit further forward (because it fits between the parts of the suspension designed to work with it); the shafts could be run at a similar angle in the other direction to allow the motor to sit rearward, although suspension travel will further increase the joint angles in that case. Also keep in mind that's the centre of the mount, not the outside of the mount or that chunk of subframe.

The track rod end is further rearward than the subframe mount, and so in greater conflict with the motor housing.


----------



## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Hi Nuts

Don't worry too much about moving the Tesla motor a bit further back - you do need to check that the combined extra angle plus the suspension movement is not too much but I bet you have a ton to play with

As far as the rear subframe that the suspension mounts to - just cut it all away and make up your own frame to get everything into the right position

Looks like you will have plenty of room!

And that leaves the whole transmission tunnel for batteries - all the way through to where the radiator used to be
Leaf modules are 35 mm thick - I bet that you could have a 60 module long stack (30 kWhrs) just in that space with enough room for two smaller stacks - one each side in the engine bay

AND all of that plus the motor is right on the floor - so your C of G will be a lot lower than the origional

IF your C of G is lower then you may not need the anti-roll bars - I have the mountings for the anti-roll bars on my car but I simply don't need them


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Yes, the tunnel will be wide open for batteries. That's in the plan. Leaf cells are lower on my list due to cost mainly, but I would consider the 30kWh packs if I find one at the right price. 

Also yea I think I would blow away the rear of the subframe including the two mount points. With a combination of increasing axle angle, lower profile bushing mounts, and a small tilt of the motor things should fit. The bigger hurdle is the toe rod that has been discussed that needs shortened or relocated in some manner.
See the some info on the 300ZX here (https://conceptzperformance.com/blog/suspension-101-300zx-edition/). I need to keep reading, but it looks like the geometry matters to limit bumpsteer. I may be wrong,but it appears that the current setup doesn't follow the general rules anyways. 

Anyone have the height dimensions of the small drive unit so that I can confirm ground clearances? I will do my best make a solid model of the small drive unit over the next week using those dimensional images. I'll also model up the axle/mounting points. very crudely at least. 

Next step is to compare to the large drive unit (I saw the other thread with good dimensions), just to be thorough on whats possible.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> The bigger hurdle is the toe rod that has been discussed that needs shortened or relocated in some manner.


I agree. If the motor interferes with the track/toe rod, perhaps an arm can be arranged on the hub carrier going forward, placing the rod ahead of the axle line rather than behind it.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> See the some info on the 300ZX here (https://conceptzperformance.com/blog/suspension-101-300zx-edition/). I need to keep reading, but it looks like the geometry matters to limit bumpsteer. I may be wrong,but it appears that the current setup doesn't follow the general rules anyways.


If it helps, you can think of the combination of the rear upper control arm and what they call the "traction rod" as forming a virtual upper A-arm (with the virtual ball joint at the intersection of the centrelines of these two arms). The Toe Rod is the steering link.

It looks like the passive toe rod is shorter than the links of the active Super HICAS system. That suggests that one of them is not ideal for bump-steer, but they're similar.

I don't see anything "against the rules" about this design. Compared to a typical front double-A-arm suspension, the arms trail (face rearward) an unusual amount - that certainly doesn't stop it from working properly, and is probably done either to enable more anti-squat, or to provide less toe change due to bushing compliance under acceleration and braking loads.

Yes, the geometry matters. As the suspension moves vertically the hub carrier moves laterally and bit longitudinally; the track rod needs to complement this movement, so it needs to be comparable in both length and angle to the other arms (lower control arm and effective upper A-arm). To be effective, it must attach to the hub carrier well off of the steering axis (the line through the lower ball joint and effective upper pivot point)... but that can be behind or ahead of the axle line.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> YSee the some info on the 300ZX here (https://conceptzperformance.com/blog/suspension-101-300zx-edition/).


Looking for more information on this suspension, I ran across an enthusiast's website collection of images. Some of the drawings might be handy for planning component layout.


Nothing to do with EV conversion, but I found this interesting...

While the rear suspension is a relatively common modern multi-link design, the front suspension is outright freaky. It is essentially a double-A-arm design, but with the (extended) hub carrier split so it can rotate around the steering axis, so that the outboard end of the (short) upper arm can have a single-axis pivot instead of a ball joint. This is halfway between a normal ball-joint suspension and a kingpin type. It gave Nissan interesting opportunities for geometry, but I would want make sure those two pivot pins (between the upper and lower hub carriers, and at the upper arm outboard end) have minimal play! The ball joint normally used for this function has nearly zero compliance or free play.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

One more observation from a fan of mechanical design: the Z32-generation 300ZX appears to use the same rear suspension as the S13-generation 240SX (and other S-platform models of that generation... but I've only seen the 240SX because it was the only one sold in North America). This means that when Nuts&Volts works out the Tesla drive unit swap, the same design will work for the S13 240SX (and the nearly identical S14 240SX)... if anyone can pry one out of the hands of a drifting enthusiast. 

The 240SX is narrower than the 300ZX, and lighter (although that might be mostly due to the difference in engines).


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

So overall it seems I will be able to find a solution to fitting a unit. In a few weeks time I will have the engine/etc. out and be able to take more accurate measurements of things. At that point I'll dig in hard on the rear subframe redesign.

My hope is for a small rear drive unit or a large rear drive unit. I'm keeping my eyes open for a deal in the next two months. 

So using HSR as my baseline I'm trying to figure out what the units can handle assuming I use DIY control board that lets me set my own limits. All Tesla units can handle 404V max in the Tesla's 96s battery pack and I assume the drive control units are designed with 600V components. Anyone think its worth the extra power potential to run 100s or 102s on these units. 

On the current side of things I see a small unit is rated at 650Adc and large non performances is rated at 950Adc on the input. Havent seen anything about output current. Anyone have any info? What do we think we can get out of a small rear drive unit? 

On the vehicle side of things I have a few tasks. New front bumper, new spoiler, new taillights, headlights need a little repair. A few small rust spots to clean up near the rear of the car. Those are the major things.


----------



## tylerwatts (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi
Speak to Kevin Sharpe (username) about the open source performance of Tesla drives. He and a bunch of guys (and gals?) are doing great work on this and should have practical advice for you.

Cheers

Tyler


----------



## rbzig (Oct 15, 2015)

Hi Nuts & Volts While you are sizing it all up consider using the whole suspension package. The whole rear end, or even the whole front end installed in the rear. That way all the geometry is done for you and all you have to manufacture is 4 or 6 bolt up points. It might work.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

rbzig said:


> Hi Nuts & Volts While you are sizing it all up consider using the whole suspension package. The whole rear end, or even the whole front end installed in the rear. That way all the geometry is done for you and all you have to manufacture is 4 or 6 bolt up points. It might work.




I’ve considered this and plan to look into that more closely once I pull the rear subframe off the frame. I like this idea, except for cost. I have the resources (software, tools, friend with a welder, etc) to retrofit existing subframe and some steel tubing shouldn’t cost too much ($500). Add $500 for custom axles, decent estimate? I’m afraid a full subframe/suspension will run be another $2000 minimum, plus I’ll still need some metalwork. I love the idea, just hard to justify the cost.

Additionally the Model S rear track is 6.5” greater than the 300. 67” vs 60.5”. That’s a lot to overcome. Even the front is 65.5” track. Need to take into account wheel offsets, wheel width and body spacing to get the full picture

Anyone else have input about using the full Model S rear end?

-Kyle


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

For a vehicle with a very wide track, the stock Tesla suspension makes sense to me.

Narrowing this suspension with just wheel offset changes would certainly hurt geometry, and is unlikely to be practical for a significant track difference. Narrowing this suspension by making shorter arms seems pointless, since you would be basically building a whole new suspension, as well as needing shorter axles. Narrowing this suspension by mounting the inboard ends of the arms further inboard seems very unlikely to work, because the rear mounts will run into the drive unit.


----------



## itchyback (May 28, 2014)

I have the large drive unit, its about 120cm wide so you might have some trouble fitting it. Its certainly possible but you will have more work to redesign the original suspension. As for using the tesla subframe, what are the rules like in your area? + 7inch wide rear end is a fair bit but maybe a tastey wide body body kit might look nice?

I think the small drive unit would fit with some minor massaging of the left hand subframe mount, but its going to be some work either way so get what you really want and make it work from there


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

itchyback said:


> I have the large drive unit, its about 120cm wide so you might have some trouble fitting it. Its certainly possible but you will have more work to redesign the original suspension. As for using the tesla subframe, what are the rules like in your area? + 7inch wide rear end is a fair bit but maybe a tastey wide body body kit might look nice?
> 
> I think the small drive unit would fit with some minor massaging of the left hand subframe mount, but its going to be some work either way so get what you really want and make it work from there


Took a closer look at rear layout of the 2 vehicles. The Model S has 3 1/16" extra width (outside of tire) on each side. I have about 1" to the fender right now. So that (1") plus some more offset(~1/2"), plus maybe a slightly narrower tire (1/4") I get down to 1.5" or less. Would be a great candidate for a wide body kit and the car looks good with one IMHO. Option is still alive in my mind. 

I would want a little more subtle, but the idea. 








another image









Also here is a usable surface model of the large tesla drive unit. I did not create this. https://grabcad.com/library/tesla-rear-drive-unit-1 . I opened it up in SW, some errors, but it will work perfectly for spacing/dimension needs.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

What are people’s thoughts about running a Tesla drive unit upside down? Everything rotates the same direction just the motor and controller are in front of the axle. 

What about running the motor in reverse? Buddy mentioned the gears may be directional 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

Nuts&Volts said:


> What are people’s thoughts about running a Tesla drive unit upside down?


Tesla use splash lubrication so you'll have to use pumped lubrication.

Have you looked at both the 'small' Tesla drive units? The front DU stands a lot more upright than the rear if you're trying to save space front to back.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> What are people’s thoughts about running a Tesla drive unit upside down? Everything rotates the same direction just the motor and controller are in front of the axle.


I would wonder about lubrication, since where the lubricant would normally drain to is now the top. Gear casings are designed to control the flow of lubricant (gear oil or whatever fluid they use) so that it goes where it is needed.



Nuts&Volts said:


> What about running the motor in reverse? Buddy mentioned the gears may be directional


Gears are not really directional when they are made, but there are still directional considerations.

They do "wear in" in response to the direction of applied torque, and may not wear properly if run all the time in the opposite to the established direction of torque, and since they are helical they thrust axially in response to torque; these ones do run with the torque direction reversed (but the rotation direction still forward) during regenerative braking, but that's a small portion of running time.

The direction of rotation is typically important to lubricating oil flow. These ones run in reverse to the normal direction every time the car backs up, but don't sustain that for long.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Kevin Sharpe said:


> Tesla use splash lubrication so you'll have to use pumped lubrication.
> 
> 
> 
> Have you looked at both the 'small' Tesla drive units? The front DU stands a lot more upright than the rear if you're trying to save space front to back.



Darn I thought it was pumped/pressurized. That’s what I was worried about. Putting too much fluid in a splash system sounds like it’ll add a bit of drag 

Haven’t placed the smaller units yet, but the large unit fits decently well in front of the axle. I’ll model l those up soon. 

So reverse might be a better option. 


Only image I have on my phone. More to come 











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Haven’t placed the smaller units yet, but the large unit fits decently well in front of the axle. I’ll model l those up soon.


If the Tesla 'large' drive unit fits then I'd use that to ensure you're never underpowered 

Don't be afraid of changing the suspension... lots of professionals can help or you can just watch Damien's videos for inspiration


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

So been quiet but busy lately. Doing lots of research (my favorite part of the project) and also some heart surgery. That’s my buddy John who graciously helped out. 









Took us all day to pull the full exhaust, intake, motor and trans. Ended up cutting a decent bit of the exhaust to make life easier. And the hardest part was trying to disconnect the trans from the motor. After 3hrs of that not working we just pulled it as one unit. So much easier. Only damaged one or two connectors and a power steering hose so I’d say it’s a win. First motor pull for us both so it was a fun time. 










Will post more detail soon, overall pulled about 900lbs from the car last weekend. Plenty of measurements to take, but it’s all moving forward




















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

More on the motor pull. 

Pretty much every bolt up front came off smoothly which says a lot about the overall lack of body rust. Left the AC system in the car still. Need to figure out the best way to drain that, it’s old R12 stuff I believe. Hopefully I can do myself. 

Using the hoist and a crane scale I got on eBay for $25 I was able to weigh everything I took out

Engine 516lbs
Trans 165lbs
Oil/ATF/Coolant 47lbs
Full exhaust 105lbs 
Driveshaft 23lbs
12V battery 35lbs




















Big things left and my estimates 
AC system - 35lbs
Differential - 110lbs
Air Intake - 20lbs
Fuel tank w/ gas - 160lbs
Engine Harness - 15lbs 

Overall about 1200lbs out of the car which gives me plenty to add a large battery system back in. 

Next I’ll outline my motor decisions 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Motor Choices;

So i think the Tesla drive unit is out. I can just save a bunch of money if I go with another production motor. $5k minimum for a complete working Tesla unit vs $1k minimum for another option. I want to follow the route of Arlo and beef up the power with a custom controller. Just ordered myself some Lebowski control chips and PCBs to start out down that path. 

Overall I am aiming for north of 300HP. I am looking through options of having a motor up front and in the rear if needed to hit that target. The journey to this power level will be slow, but I like the challenge. Have always wanted to build/hack a controller.

The main contenders right now are the Nissan Leaf Motor, Chevy Spark Motor and the RDX Hybrid TMU setup. With whatever I choose I think I will be utilizing a Chevy Volt Inverter unit as the power stage. This lets me have two controllers if I go the TMU route OR parallel the IGBTs for a single motor options. These can be had very cheap online.

Overall I think I like the Chevy Spark the most due to its concentric output shaft, lighter weight and smaller package compared to the Nissan Leaf motor. It's a high torque vs high speed motor so the main concern is whether I can get the RPM range out of it to >100mph. Which if I'm being honest isn't needed. Both high 97% peak efficiency. The Chevy Spark Motor has the package advantage in the rear. The Leaf's offset output shaft and integrated case hurts packaging. In general more Leaf motors are available and can be had cheaper. 

Anyone have any input on the Leaf vs Spark motor for the rear?


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

Nuts&Volts said:


> $5k minimum for a complete working Tesla unit


For the benefit of anyone reading this thread, a quick look on eBay has a ~300HP 'small' Tesla Drive Unit looking for offers at $4500 (here). This will require an inverter controller and iirc Damien's design has a BOM cost of $200 (here).

I'm not criticising Nuts&Volts decisions just trying to ensure people understand what a bargain OEM Drive Units are today


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Overall I think I like the Chevy Spark the most due to its concentric output shaft, lighter weight and smaller package compared to the Nissan Leaf motor. It's a high torque vs high speed motor so the main concern is whether I can get the RPM range out of it to >100mph. Which if I'm being honest isn't needed. Both high 97% peak efficiency. The Chevy Spark Motor has the package advantage in the rear. The Leaf's offset output shaft and integrated case hurts packaging. In general more Leaf motors are available and can be had cheaper.
> 
> Anyone have any input on the Leaf vs Spark motor for the rear?


The Leaf only has an offset output if you use it complete with transaxle.

*Motor in the front*

If you use one of these motors in the front _complete with transaxle_, lock the integrated differential, and take the output from one axle output to the stock driveshaft, you will have too much gear reduction: your final drive (differential) in the rear will be adding about 3:1 reduction that you don't need and can't have if you want to go more than about 30 mph.

If you use the Leaf motors in the front _without the transaxle_ and connect the output to the stock driveshaft, you will not have enough gear reduction: the Leaf (like most current EVs) uses about 8:1 reduction from motor to wheels, so with only your final drive for reduction, you will only be using the lower half of the motor's speed range and you will have half the torque that you should.

The Spark is a very special case, because of that high-torque / low-speed design. It uses about 4:1 overall reduction from motor to wheels in the stock vehicle, so among recent production EVs it is probably unique in being compatible with direct connection to a common final drive, without any other gearing.

I am assuming that you don't want to use a separate transmission - the stock 300ZX or otherwise.

*Motor in the back*

If you mount the motor longitudinally, driving the 300ZX's stock final drive, everything is the same as in the front (and that offset is an issue for the Leaf), with the added problem of finding enough space for any motor with transaxle.

If you mount the motor transversely, with its matching transaxle, driving the axle shafts - replacing the stock 300ZX final drive - then you have the challenge of packaging a wide unit in a narrow space, on the axle line (for the Spark) or ahead of the axle line (Leaf and most others except for Tesla). Gearing will be suitable as-is with the matching transaxle, but it will have an open differential (no limited-slip).


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Kevin Sharpe said:


> For the benefit of anyone reading this thread, a quick look on eBay has a ~300HP 'small' Tesla Drive Unit looking for offers at $4500 (here). This will require an inverter controller and iirc Damien's design has a BOM cost of $200 (here).
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not criticising Nuts&Volts decisions just trying to ensure people understand what a bargain OEM Drive Units are today



Exactly! It’s a bargain for sure and presents an excellent option. And that same small unit has been listed for $3k in the past. 

To give a little more context. My timeline for the car simply gets pushed back further because of the that one purchase (something like 5months to save what I’d need). With a Leaf motor I can buy one for $500 and spend $300 on a control board/salvage powerstage. Spend a couple months and have a running car. That route satisfies my timing and my level of satisfaction...Not to mention it was much easier to sell the wife one


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

brian_ said:


> The Leaf only has an offset output if you use it complete with transaxle.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Sorry I have no plans to run any of the stock powertrain (no trans, no driveshaft, no diff). All that weight is better spent in more copper and magnet . 

When I say motor in the front I mean driving the front wheels too. Long term I think I’ll go this route just for the challenge. 

What’s the issue of an open differential in the rear? Very limited knowledge on differentials.

I’ll share some more CAD images soon. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Sorry I have no plans to run any of the stock powertrain (no trans, no driveshaft, no diff). ...
> 
> When I say motor in the front I mean driving the front wheels too. Long term I think I’ll go this route just for the challenge.


I was assuming the transmission would not be used, but it simply did not occur to me that anyone would take a 300ZX and make a front-wheel-drive car out of it.  It would be especially unfortunate with a rear weight bias due to battery weight (like the Leaf and similar production EVs, which have zero pretensions of sporty handling).

The offset of the Leaf unit isn't much of an issue - it just shifts the motor forward. While not ideal for mass distribution, you would probably want the extra space behind it for battery, anyway. Not that I would even momentarily consider this for a 300ZX. 



Nuts&Volts said:


> What’s the issue of an open differential in the rear? Very limited knowledge on differentials.


Traction. If you have enough power for high performance, you risk spinning one driven tire. Even "hot hatches" (front wheel drive 200 hp sporty versions of compact hatchbacks) pretty commonly have some sort of limited-slip diff. A traction control system which applies the brake at just the spinning wheel is the modern work-around to this, but has anyone implemented a DIY conversion with working traction control?



Nuts&Volts said:


> I’ll share some more CAD images soon.


I'm looking forward to that.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Sorry I’ll clarify further. There will be a rear motor no matter what. If that motor can not give me the performance I want or I just want to go the next extreme I will add a second motor to the front to make the car AWD. 

Edit: Tesla does have an open diff and I’ve learned that that is advantageous with vehicle handling so I’ll use as is

So if one tire slips I’m gonna start to lose control or get a bit of torque steer with an open diff. All these front drives have a open diff so it sounds like welding/locking it might be a decent option. I’ll have to see what Arlo did for his. I could also put a wheel speed sensor on both wheels to monitor that the wheels are within X% of each other otherwise reduce throttle command. 

Does the Tesla have this open diff system? I’ll google it too
Edit: good explanation here 
https://www.teslarati.com/how-tesla-model-s-traction-control-system-works/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Sorry I’ll clarify further. There will be a rear motor no matter what. If that motor can not give me the performance I want or I just want to go the next extreme I will add a second motor to the front to make the car AWD.


Ah, AWD, not just front wheel drive. Thanks. 



Nuts&Volts said:


> Edit: Tesla does have an open diff and I’ve learned that that is advantageous with vehicle handling so I’ll use as is
> 
> So if one tire slips I’m gonna start to lose control or get a bit of torque steer with an open diff. All these front drives have a open diff so it sounds like welding/locking it might be a decent option. I’ll have to see what Arlo did for his. I could also put a wheel speed sensor on both wheels to monitor that the wheels are within X% of each other otherwise reduce throttle command.
> 
> ...


Yes, Tesla uses open diffs on current models. The coming "Roadster" uses separate left and right motors at the rear, instead of any kind of differential. I have seen a project to adapt a limited-slip to a Tesla on a web page linked in a discussion here.

That article is a huge pile of crap, typical of the babbling of Tesla fanatics.  Keep in mind this was written by someone who had not heard of a differential before, and still has no ideal how limited-slip differentials work. The traction and stability control by brake application with an open diff as used by Tesla is exactly the same as this method as used by the cheapest cars sold today... all of which have been required by federal law in Canada and the United States to have stability control since 2011. Even commercial trucks and buses require it now (note to those who think the coming Tesla Semi is special because it has this). Limited slip diffs for Tesla-scale power are not unreliable or unavailable. Tesla Motors may be "about disrupting the norm and re-thinking how things should be done", but in this case they are absolutely conventional and even cheap.

Using only the brakes for traction control in high-power cars during extended severe use (such as on a track) doesn't work well, because this approach uses the brakes too much, so limited-slip systems are still valuable. But this is about Tesla parts, and Teslas are not race cars.

A truly advanced design when Tesla created their Model S would have been to use two motors, each driving a wheel so there is no differential required and torque to each wheel can be precisely controlled... without using brakes. That's what the Tesla Roadster will do, but other companies have already done it so it's not "disruptive" any more. Even forklift motors and Curtis controllers can do this.

At the other extreme, welding or otherwise completely locking a differential - at either end but especially at the front - isn't practical for street use. When you try to turn, the two tires on the same axle fight each other. As far as torque steer is concerned, you're better off with an open diff than a limited-slip, since the open diff only allows the same torque to each side.


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Edit: Tesla does have an open diff and I’ve learned that that is advantageous with vehicle handling so I’ll use as is


I think many Tesla based DIY conversions will end up installing a LSD because it's a lot easier than replicating the Tesla traction control software.

Doug Yip and EVTV worked with Quaife to produce an LSD for the 'large' drive unit. I understand Quaife will soon release one for the 'small' drive unit


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

You can see some of the traction control challenges here


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Kevin Sharpe said:


> Doug Yip and EVTV worked with Quaife to produce an LSD for the 'large' drive unit. I understand Quaife will soon release one for the 'small' drive unit


That's the example that I was thinking of. Thanks for the details, Kevin. 

For those not into automotive mechanical designs... the Quaife LSD design is an example of the helical gear type of limited-slip differential first popularized by Gleason (now JTEKT Torsen North America) as the Torsen. It has no clutches, no hydraulic control system, and only a few more gears than a traditional bevel-gear differential. Like any LSD (even the computer-controlled type such as in the Corvette), it can only shift torque from the faster-turning output to the slower-turning output... but at least it does that without dragging the brakes.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Chris has changed from a 350Z to an R32 Skyline, which means that his conversion is now in the same chassis design (including rear suspension and thus rear drive unit packaging) as the 300ZX:
Tesla Powered Nissan r32 skyline


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Thanks for resources guys. I’ll dig in a little more once I get some wheels spinning and even then I’ll find a solution when I start breaking traction!! 

Had another busy weekend tearing into the car. Amazing how complex a car is. This week involved pulling the AC system out of the car. Eventually AC may be worked back in, but for now I want the simplicity without it. Besides I’ve got Ttops that can be pulled to cool me down  I got lucky and the system had already leaked out all the refrigerant. Unluckily that’s bad for the environment. 

Next system to come out was the fuel system. This was accomplished with a partial tear down of the trunk. This let me access the fuel pump and pull it out and from there I drained the 5 gallons or so of remaining gas using a harbor freight $7 hand pump. Dropping the tank and such was quite straight forward from there. Still have the fuel lines to pull, but need the rear subframe to do that. Which is what happened next. 

Pulling the subframe was not too bad either until I go to the shock mounts. These are tucked under some body panels attach under the rear seats and the other body panels. What this means is I ended up tearing down the car from the front doors back. I did get the shocks unbolted and the rear end dropped before I had to call it quits. 




























More to come


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

In other news I have purchased a complete front end assembly from a 2013 Nissan Leaf. $750 shipped to my door for the motor, diff, inverter, DC/DC and charger with inlet plugs. Just too good of deal to pass up. First step is to fit the motor in the rear. That may require me chopping the controller mounts on the motor face plates. I wont be mounting the controller on top of the motor anyways and I need the height clearance. I may or may not use the other components long term. 

On the controller side of things I have purchased a 2013 Chevy Volt Inverter unit and will have the 2013 Nissan Leaf Inverter unit as well to play with. I have also purchased some Lebowski PCBs to start diving into the controller world more. I will probably start with a 150V 100/200A powerstage for initial testing. The should be enough to spin the motor/wheels in the air. Then move over to the automotive OEM powerstage. 

Check out some good pictures here of the Leaf motor. 
http://isopack.blogspot.com/2017/10/2013-second-generation-nissan-leaf.html

I also bought a Leaf gear selector that I will retrofit for drive mode selections, etc. And a Leaf brake master cylinder that I am going to investigate for use. 

I'll have an updated weight summary tonight.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> In other news I have purchased a complete front end assembly from a 2013 Nissan Leaf. $750 shipped to my door for the motor, diff, inverter, DC/DC and charger with inlet plugs. Just too good of deal to pass up. First step is to fit the motor in the rear...


Interesting. 

Speaking of that fit, what's the thinking on this issue:


brian_ said:


> If you mount the motor transversely, with its matching transaxle, driving the axle shafts - replacing the stock 300ZX final drive - then you have the challenge of packaging a wide unit in a narrow space
> ...
> ahead of the axle line


How much space is there between the lower control arms of the rear suspension, ahead of the axle line? Perhaps the Leaf unit can be mounted with the diff even further left of centre than in the Leaf, using an even longer right-side axle shaft, to reduce the problem of interference with the right-hand side of the suspension and subframe.

Then there's the floor in the way, but assuming that the car is becoming a 2-seater, that seems like manageable sheet metal work.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

brian_ said:


> Interesting.
> 
> Speaking of that fit, what's the thinking on this issue:
> 
> ...













Pulled the diff out last night and go some good pictures of the rear. Diff weighed 83lbs. My tape measure is on the rear subframe for reference. There is plenty of room from left to right between the suspension. 

My plan is to rotate the motor 180deg from its position in the Leaf. It will sit behind he axle line. The motor will run in reverse. The framing between these two rear frame mounting points will get cut out and modified into a motor mount. I will maybe also push the axle line 2-4” forward to position it over the subframe more. I’ll upload a crude CAD image of the situation. 

Once I get the motor (today) I will improve the CAD model and determine if I can flip the motor around in front of the axle line. I’d prefer that. I am also going to get some drive axles to help with original left to right position. I may get lucky and the original axles work...until I break them haha

Either way I plan to keep the car as a 2+2. I’ll have kids in a year or two and I’d like to be able to pick them up in this car if necessary. That was the reason for a 2+2 in the first place. I’d prefer to drive this thing everyday so I planned ahead

Some more pictures for reference if the subframe and the space it occupies 





























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

The blue is a very crude representation of the 2013 Leaf motor/reducer based on images I could find. The rest is the lower body/frame rails, the suspension mount points and the axle center line.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

*Leaf motor behind rear axle line*



Nuts&Volts said:


> My plan is to rotate the motor 180deg from its position in the Leaf. It will sit behind [the] axle line. The motor will run in reverse. The framing between these two rear frame mounting points will get cut out and modified into a motor mount.


That makes sense to me, but has anyone confirmed that the Leaf gearbox will be reliable if run continuously in reverse? I'm thinking of both lubrication and axial loads on shaft bearings.



Nuts&Volts said:


> There is plenty of room from left to right between the suspension.


Does that include the toe control links (rods, arms) which we discussed at the very beginning of this thread, when the plan was to use a Tesla drive unit?


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

*Leaf motor ahead of rear axle line*



Nuts&Volts said:


> Once I get the motor (today) I will improve the CAD model and determine if I can flip the motor around in front of the axle line. I’d prefer that.
> ...
> Either way I plan to keep the car as a 2+2.


The forward crossmembers of the subframe wouldn't work with the Leaf unit, but would still be needed both to support the drive unit, and also to tie the sides of the suspension together. I assume that the plan is to cut them out (there appears to a be lower piece as well as the major upper part) and replace them with a more box-like structure.

The photo from below of the floor forward of the axle line shows now the floor is moulded down over the front of the final drive, forming left and right "pockets" which presumably held the rear seat base cushions. The photo from the side then shows space for a motor before hitting the sloping floor. It looks like the hope is that's enough space... but it's not so clear to me that there is enough. In the side view of the model, it looks like the motor would hit the floor if flipped forward, but I realize that this is only a preliminary model.

Logically it would be surprising to have enough empty space for the Leaf motor ahead of the axle... unless perhaps a shaped fuel tank was originally there. I looked online for the tank for this car, but the 2+2 and the shorter two-seater apparently have entirely different tanks and rear floors. Until doing that search, I didn't realize that the 2+2 is significantly longer than the two-seater.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Yea true, running in reverse could cause concern. If needed I could add a pump or modify something to circulate the fluid in reverse.  The motor should be fine. It’s cooled with a cooling jacket. 

The rear toe links mounting points on the subframe are about 18” apart so it would be close. I’ve determined that the Leaf axles/diff center is about 2.3125” off vehicle center. I’ll look closer into this, but I want to look at the motor in front of the axle shafts first. 

Yes the forward crossmember is has a loop to hold the original diff will be chopped and reinforcement will be added forward and lower to give the motor clearance. Should be fairly straightforward and I have a buddy I trust with the welding. 

I’ll attach some CAD pictures shortly, but I got some better measurements and updated the model to match. I’ll get even better dimensions once I tear down the motor this week. Adding a slight tilt (10-15deg) to the setup I should be able to fit things. The biggest problem is the original controller supports on the motor case casting. I will be chopping these off as much as I can to save weight and space. From there the motor terminal wires will be the tricky bit. I may be fabricating a newer terminals connection block. 

Yea 2+2 is about 8” longer with a smaller increase in wheelbase. The gas tank is a rectangle that is rear of the axle under the trunk and between the mufflers. I’ll be putting batteries here or adding space to the trunk. 








Bottom View - black is the existing subframe, red is body, gray is leaf motor/gearbox version 2







Side View a little off center

This shows the Nissan Leaf controller castings cut down 1.5". I'm hoping the body is modeled a little tighter than actual and I gain a little more clearance. As you can see in the second image the nearest controller mount will need cut more, but I'm being conservative here. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Nuts&Volts said:


> I’ll attach some CAD pictures shortly, but I got some better measurements and updated the model to match. I’ll get even better dimensions once I tear down the motor this week. Adding a slight tilt (10-15deg) to the setup I should be able to fit things...


This is looking good  Thanks for sharing the model images.
If you're set up to do it, 3D modelling beats jamming stuff toward the destination and hacking at sheet metal until it fits! 



Nuts&Volts said:


> Yea 2+2 is about 8” longer with a smaller increase in wheelbase. The gas tank is a rectangle that is rear of the axle under the trunk and between the mufflers. I’ll be putting batteries here or adding space to the trunk.


Rear-mounted fuel tanks were rare even back in 1993 - this was a last resort for Nissan. Too bad there's no tank space to be used under the seat, but this is a low car, so I guess they needed all the height they could get to give the kids in the back any headroom at all.


----------



## Kevin Sharpe (Jul 4, 2011)

Nuts&Volts said:


> Yea true, running in reverse could cause concern.


Lots of speculation that the gears in the Leaf transmission are not designed for long term operation in 'reverse'. It might be worth asking skooler for his opinion because he's used the motor in a number of EVs and is close to Nissan


----------



## Spacemaster (Aug 18, 2013)

So I assuming 370Z have the same problem with rear frame and big Tesla unit?


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Spacemaster said:


> So I assuming same problem with rear frame and big Tesla unit have 370Z?



??
Same problem with the Leaf Motor fitting in the rear? Is that what you’re asking? It’ll be tight, but I still have a chance things will fit. Been working other bits of the car to help keep the project going. 

I’ll have some more updates soon hopefully 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Spacemaster said:


> So I assuming same problem with rear frame and big Tesla unit have 370Z?


The second-generation 300ZX (like this one) and the 370Z have the same design of suspension, although as the 370Z project builder (who is now doing a Skyline instead) has pointed out, the 370Z has an aluminum subframe which is more difficult to modify (for most fabricators) than the steel subframe of the 300ZX (and R32 Skyline).

Aside from the subframe, as far as I know the ability to fit a Tesla drive unit suitably placed relative to the axle line without interfering with the suspension has yet to be confirmed.

And then there's clearance to the car's body... the issue being worked on for the Leaf motor in the 3D models. Note that the Leaf motor would normally go ahead of the axle, while the Tesla motor goes behind the axle, but Nuts&Volts has been exploring the possibility of flipping the Leaf motor to the back.


----------



## Spacemaster (Aug 18, 2013)

So there is no chance to fit big Tesla unit on 370Z, right? 

P.S

350Z have alu rear frame, 370Z have metal rear frame. And comparing to dimensions are you shore all those frames are the same?


----------



## Spacemaster (Aug 18, 2013)

Nuts&Volts said:


> ??
> Same problem with the Leaf Motor fitting in the rear? Is that what you’re asking? It’ll be tight, but I still have a chance things will fit. Been working other bits of the car to help keep the project going.
> 
> I’ll have some more updates soon hopefully
> ...


Sorry, my question was is it possible to fit big Tesla unit on the 370Z rear suspension?

Below is picture, and base on couple last post, I think it is not possible.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Yes I do not think you will be successful fitting the large drive unit. The rear mount points become an issue with the normal Tesla install. Putting the motor forward or the axle becomes a major concern for floor clearance and axle clearances. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Spacemaster (Aug 18, 2013)

That was my major concerns.  So, to make brand new custom frame, from the budget point of view, it make no sense.


----------



## Spacemaster (Aug 18, 2013)

Stupid question, but what about if Tesla drive unit is fixed in the trunk, so differential is going through custom made hole in the trunk floor?

like this one below:


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Spacemaster said:


> 350Z have alu rear frame, 370Z have metal rear frame.


Sorry, I was going from memory of chrishazell's comments, and I had his original model wrong  (he had been planning to convert a 350Z, not a 370Z).



Spacemaster said:


> And comparing to dimensions are you shore all those frames are the same?


No. They have the same suspension design, but details of the suspension arms can change, and certainly details of the subframe will change between generations.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Spacemaster said:


> Stupid question, but what about if Tesla drive unit is fixed in the trunk, so differential is going through custom made hole in the trunk floor?
> 
> like this one below...


That photo does not show the drive unit in a hole in the trunk floor - it is a Porsche with the Tesla drive unit in the normal engine and transaxle location for that model. It also appears to be a test-fit of the drive unit, rather than an actual installation - there is nothing visible supporting the drive unit at the rear mount; EV West posted the photo in Twitter to promote their Tesla drive unit package, but I don't think that they have installed one. Rear-engine cars are good candidates for conversion to the Tesla drive unit, especially those with the old semi-trailing arm rear suspension (up to 1994, but the one in the photo appears to be much older).

Forum member mfor1000 has one of these projects (Tesla into 911) underway now: 911 RSR with Tesla Motor.... He shows how the Tesla drive unit will fit in the car in post #17 in that thread.

Without serious modification of the Tesla drive unit, it must mount behind the axle line like that. If in a particular other car - one which originally had a front or mid engine and so has a trunk where the Tesla drive unit would need to go such as any of the Nissans being discussed - floor panels can possibly be modified to fit the entire drive unit under the floor.


I certainly wouldn't want part of the drive unit in the interior, with the final drive portion of the transaxle case extending through a hole to the outside, because it would not be possible to make any reasonable seal around the hole, and the motor and transaxle don't belong in the interior.


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

Been up to a lot all over the car. 

First thing is mounted a Brake Booster from a Nissan Leaf. It was a solid choice as the bolt patterned matched. I used the original brake pedal and attachment joint. I did need some coupling nuts to extend fully through the firewall and a small bit of dremeling was required. No work has been done on making it actually work, but I got the whole unit for $50



















Next action plan was the motor. I was very close to switching to a Chevy Spark or Bolt motor and even an earlier Gen Leaf motor. In the end I decided to make the 2013 motor work. So the angle grinder was busted out. The gearbox side controller tower was fully removed. Then I fully assembled the motor and pulled the rotor before cutting anything else. Wasn’t terrible difficult with the help of my engine hoist. Once apart I cut the resolver side controller tower. This took a little more care as the HV terminals are on this side. Last I decided to remove the parking brake motor on the gearbox. Plan is to add a manual linkage in its place. This would have interfered with the back seat frame area. The finished product is very similar to the 1st Gen motor except the cooling ports are on the side instead of the top which I think is better overall. More later. 















































And yes pink duct tape does stick better


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Kevin Sharpe said:


> Tesla use splash lubrication so you'll have to use pumped lubrication.





Nuts&Volts said:


> Darn I thought it was pumped/pressurized.


This project has moved on from Tesla to Leaf hardware, but in case anyone else is referring to it later...
As later discussions have shown, both small and large Tesla drive units include an oil pump in the gearcase which is driven by the ring gear, so lubrication is pumped. In the small drive units, the gear oil is also the coolant; in the large drive units it is apparently only for the gears and bearings.


----------



## Dameon (Sep 19, 2011)

brian_ said:


> both small and large Tesla drive units include an oil pump in the gearcase which is driven by the ring gear, so lubrication is pumped.


Presumably for the same reason that air brake vehicles drive the air compressor mechanically and not by belt or electric motor... reliability. If a belt breaks, you would lose your air brakes. Tesla wants to ensure, as much as possible, that that drive unit will have lubrication. 

I'm using as many "factory" Toyota parts in my MR2 conversion as I can simply because they work without a lot of modifications. I admire the tenacity of you who practically rebuild a car to convert it, but I don't simply don't have enough time to take on a project like that... not if I want to finish it before I die. The one project that may put me in the grave is my Corvolt™. Half Corvette, half Volt (likely some other EV though).

Build on!


----------



## rickpalen (Apr 13, 2018)

What is the status of your project? Still working on it? I have a 300ZX and would like to do a conversion so I had been watching yours closely. ....


----------



## Nuts&Volts (Dec 20, 2011)

rickpalen said:


> What is the status of your project? Still working on it? I have a 300ZX and would like to do a conversion so I had been watching yours closely. ....




Yes this very much alive. Been a combination of lazy and busy so have not posted at all. 

The car is 95% stripped down (ie interior gut) I’ve spent the last month removing wire/plus that are obsolete. A royal pain for the most part but I’ll be satisfied when it’s done. Should save something like 15-20lbs. 

Waiting on my motor side case to be welded up by a buddy of mine. My heavy modification (cutting mainly) means I need to modify the side case where the wires comes out. Have to seal both against the liquid cooling and to the inside of the rotor/stator. From there the rear end will go in and things will spiral from there. 

Lots more, I’ll try to get some pictures and updates soon. Pretty much working on every aspect slowly at the same time. 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jthiani (Apr 13, 2019)

looks awesome ... I have specialized in the 300zx for the past 12 years and i have several of them and will be starting a build soon to convert one. Nice to see someone else doing the same


----------



## neci2020 (May 14, 2020)

Hey man, any update on this build? I have a 88 z31 and have been thinking about doing an ev conversion for a while and just started looking into the Leaf as an option. Have you seen this 1958 Audi Leaf conversion?

youtube.com/watch?v=hSHTNqiQlWc


----------



## jthiani (Apr 13, 2019)

How is this build coming along??


----------



## Tremelune (Dec 8, 2009)

My guess is that redesigning the rear suspension proved insurmountable. If I were converting a Z, I'd keep the transmission and mate a motor to it. More weight and complexity, but also a $1000 solution, leaving the rest of the conversion project to be pretty standard. You'd also get variable gearing for lighting up the tires or highway speeds, which would mean you don't need a Tesla motor or giant batteries for good acceleration.

With regard to the Leaf motor running backwards: Thunderstruck told me RPM is limited by the Nissan inverter (to what, I do not know), so you wouldn't be able to use that bit to drive the motor.


----------



## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Tremelune said:


> My guess is that redesigning the rear suspension proved insurmountable.


The work of fitting the Leaf drive unit into the 300ZX suspension started around post #44, and at that point the plan was to reverse the Leaf unit so it would sit behind the axle line, with normal orientation as an alternative.

It is not clear to me what the final configuration decision was. In either case the subframe would need substantial modification, but I have not seen any final conclusion of whether suspension components would require modification or not.



Tremelune said:


> If I were converting a Z, I'd keep the transmission and mate a motor to it. More weight and complexity, but also a $1000 solution, leaving the rest of the conversion project to be pretty standard. You'd also get variable gearing for lighting up the tires or highway speeds, which would mean you don't need a Tesla motor or giant batteries for good acceleration.


The intermediate solution between this and the drive-unit-in-the-rear approach would be to put the motor and simple reduction gearbox in the transmission tunnel. This wouldn't have the ability to change between gear ratios, but would leave the engine compartment for needed battery space. Nuts & Volts seemed pretty clear that he would not consider using any of the original driveline, especially the transmission.


----------

