Saturn From SC2 to a EV 120 Volts DC

Conversion Kits
1

Hi, I am doing a conversion on a SC2 Saturn 2 door coupe, this will be a log of my progress, documented with pictures. Here is my story:

I became interested in doing a conversion in the early 90’s, but it was only a dream at the time. I was a HiLo driver for one of the big three and had plenty of time to think about it. I decided if I was giong to do it I would do it right. But time passed and I found myself retired and on a limited income about 1 & 1/2 years ago. I was plenty busythe last year and a half, I don’t know how I ever found time to go to work as busy as I have been. :slight_smile:

But a couple of months ago a cusin who is also interested in doing a conversion and had many long talks on the subject, loaned me the video of Who Killed The Electric Car. It sparked a desire to do that long ago dreamed of progect to fruition.

I started looking on Ebay for parts and lo and behold a motor was available for sale with many other items to do a conversion. So I sent the guy and asked him a few questions about the motor and other items. Then I went online and looked up the place where he bought the items from EV of America he made his purchases back in 1997 and Bob Batsun and I talked for about 45 minutes on the parts that were for sale, he assured me that I couldn’t go wrong at that price and it would be a good buy. He was right I just got done pricing out the items new and I saved about 2000 dollars doing it that way.

The next thing I needed was a “DONER CAR” I started in the junkyards looking but they were too bad for me, I wanted something I didn’t have to work on cosmetically too much with a nice interior a easier progect than the junkyards could provide. So guess what Ebay again :slight_smile: , I bought a car in Pensylvania with a bad transmission but it included a extra 5 speed tranny with it, it looked good on the net, it looked good in person at night in the dark. There is only so much you can look at in the dark in the mud, you get the picture. It still looked good on the ground till I got it up in the air on my hoist. well the sub frame was rotted on the drivers side by the lower control arm.

So I started looking again, there were some promising cars on the net but noone could tell me what their GVWR’s were. So I went cruising on craigslist.com and after lots of cruising I found two candidate cars. I went about 80 miles to look at one and I fell in love at first sight. But I had to be cautious and it was on concrete in the daylight in the bitter cold of Michigan. So I looked at the subframe and it looked good minimal rust, nothing a little welding won’t fix. I towed it home, it was another tranny problem. sound familiar? LOL

I got it home and tore it down took the exhaust off with a little help with the torches I was able to save it to sell. Then I took the subframe down engine trans and radaitor condenser and all, what a neat little package to do it that way the car was on the hoist and I put jack stands down under the subframe lowered the car down onto the jack stands, dropped the bolts off the subframe and raised the car off the subframe. the next things to come off was the Gas tank and gas lines. I noticed the brake lines are rusty and I am going to replace them before I get it going.

Last Friday I went in for surgery on my right wrist, I had a broken tendon and had three bones taken out. my hand is in a cast and won’t be going again for about three months, but that is ok cause I still have allot of research to do on my progect car. Please excuse my mistakes writing this as I am writing with one fat fingered hand. LOL:eek:

There will be more as I go along the road to EVness. Talk to ya soon

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EV of America

http://www.eng.upm.edu.my/staffnew/norman/EVAmerCat.html

A conversion done overseas

http://www.geocities.com/s_medhus/evlife.htm

I hope you enjoy

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EV of America

A conversion done overseas

I hope you enjoy

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:slight_smile: I found another place on the net to go full of informatation.:slight_smile:

EV technical page

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Here are some of the pics that I took on my progect car. 1-5

#1 Front
#2Front
#3Drivers side up view
#4Perspective
#5 Side

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I looked to find the car pics before teardown. I had taken out the battery and the air filter assy. to the throttle body. Here they are just to compare to the other ones.

#1 Hood Up
#2 Engine Compartment Left
#3 Engine Compartment Right
#4 Hood Up Drivers Side
#5 Hood Down

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I wish I could put theese altogether but I am maxing the attachments out.

#1 Drivers Side Interior
#2 Rear Drivers Quarter
#3 Rear Passenger Quarter
#4 Interior Passenger Side
#5 Passenger Front

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You can see why I chose this car, very little cosmetic work.

#11 Fromt Up With Engine
#12 Rear Up With Gastank Exhaust and Gas Lines

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Here are some of the pics that I took on my progect car.

#1 Front
#2Front
#3Drivers side up view
#4Perspective
#5 Side

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Here are some of the pics that I took on my progect car.

#1 Rear Quarter
#2 Rear
#3 Rear w/cradle, gas tank exhaust gas lines removed
#4 Cradle assy from back
#5 The reason the car was for sale blown trans.

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Here are some of the pics that I took on my progect car.
I made a logo for my ev saturn I believe it will go on my Drivers door and Passenger door.
My next set is of some of the components I have to work with.

#1 Rear Quarter passenger
#2 Front up view
#3 Cradle on floor passenger side
#4 Brake line rust

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Here are some of the major components I have purchased so far. if you are interested in model # let me know.

#1 K&W Battery Charger #2 BC 20 Programing Resistorsto go with the
charger #3 CURTIS On Road Controller #4 CURTIS 12 Volt DC to DC Converter #5 The Motor

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#1 CURTIS Voltmeter Gas Gauge so to speak with a Audible Alarm
#2 PB-6 Potbox Connects to gas pedal #3 Quick Disconnect #4 8-Amp Vacuum Pump #5 Vacuum Manifold, Gauge and Regulator

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#1 CURTIS Primary, Secondary and 12 Volt Contactors and some Heat Shrink Tube with Sealant
#2 A Couple of Rolls Of Wire For Onboard Wiring
#3 2 Rolls of 50 Foot 2/0 1330 Strand Copper Wire for High Voltage
#4 Another View of the Primary and Secondary Contactors
#5 Another View of the 12 Volt Contactor

I had the wire marked for 144 Volts Dc bot for now it will run at 120 Volts until I can afford another bigger battery charger, maybe I don’t need the extra battery power for more distance only time will tell. and I will be able to recoup some of the cost by selling the old one.

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I talked to Bob Batsun of EV America and we decided to go with a 144 volt system I only have a charger that will charge to 108 volts and I needed a step up transformer to do the extra work and charge the batteries correctly. With the change to 120 volts I had to buy the transformer anaways so it only made sense to go with the 144 volt system it calls for 12 12 volt batteries to make the 144 volts only 2 more than the 10 I needed to do the 120 volt system, it will give me more distance at less cost oer mile. I called KTA the maker of the charger I bought and they told me Signal Transformers made the needed transformer for my progect, I talked to Ken there. Ken also fixed me up with the wiring diagram I needed to make it work, I never thought you could make a 120 volt ac system put out 144 volts, they can make majic happen in the electrical world!!!

I started cutting out the battery box in the back end of the Saturn, I took out the spare tire and cut it out I have just enough room for eight of the 12 batteries there the other four go in the front with the motor and trans.

I ordered custom springs for the rear struts with Bob"s guidance as to where to go to get them, for the added weight in the rear. It will ride like our Mustang, stiff, but handle the extra weight.

I have to see about the front strut springs if they will need to be replaced or not, I think the end weight will be about the same, or close to what it was before I started removing things. When I take it in for it"s allignment I will know for sure.

The spare might fit on the firewall in the front or under the motor. I have to work it out still.

I have all major components except the batteries now and the cast came off Wednesday. I have a little work to do before I can devote my time to the electric car (there is another car on the hoist), but I am itching to get going on it. Maybe this weekend I will be back on it. I will post more pics tomorrow.

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I cut out the area where the spare tire went and am using it for my battery compartment there will be 8 batteries back there. weighing 82 lbs each. I thought the frame needed reinforcing so I cut the rear from another sc2 off and salvaged the frame from it. I cut the exess metal from it turned it upside down and am in the process of welding it to the car frame. The mesh is for the bottom and will be welded to the frame also with a steel floor for the batteries. The first two pics are of the donor car, there wasn’t much left of it the rest is going to the scrap yard. The third picture is of the frame before I cleaned it of excess metal. The fourth picture is of the wire mesh it was a parts rack that was laying around. Ane the fifth pic is of the trunk with the spare tire well cut out.

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The first 2 pictures are of the mesh sitting in position, I have not welded it in yet. the third pic is from underneath with the frame sitting in position, and the last picture is from the top sith the frame sitting in position, All I need to do is weld it in.

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This is fascinating. Keep going!

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I hit a snag yesterday, I planned to put four of the batteries up front I had just sized the area up by eyeballing it and a few rudimentary measurements. I felt confident they would fit until I mocked the batteries with cardboard boxes. They wouldn’t fit I can only put two of thoose monsters there. So I started looking for spots to put the other two and came up with the trunk area again. I have to build two sliding trays to sit on top of the extra frame that is being welded in and they will slide forward for servicing with the rear seats down.
I welded the front tray together this morning and it looks good. I will weld it to the frame in the morning as I am out of argon gas for my mig welder and the arc welder would just make holes. I might have to eliminate the rear seat as I have lots of things to place and not much room to do it. I hope to be driving the car by the end of the month.
I need a Flux capicator and a Mr Fusion container for the trunk and some time circuts. LOL :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

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Bob and I talked and he said the idea about the sliding trays wasn’t a good one. I decided to put them over the motor on the left side of the engine compartment. I welded the tray together and it looked possible. That is until I installed the motor. LOL The motor raised the tray up too high. While I was pondering this and making a motor mount my son came home. He made a few smart comments which put me in a mood, so I said you figure it out. He went throuugh the process that I went through and I had to explain why every way he came up with wouldn’t work, it is amazing how our minds work alike. then he had a brilliant idea. A new tray that would fit three batteries on the firewall one at a 90 degree angle, and the fourth up front and lower than the other three. We mocked it up and it worked perfictly. Later I will weld it together and bolt it in. The frome is 50% welded in in the rear.