Sorry if you thought this was already completed, it isn’t. I was just wondering what motor you guys think I should buy. Here is my criteria:
-It must be cheap, I am a high school student
-It must be DC
-It must be cheap, cheap, cheap, and cheaper 
(I’d say max $500)
-It is a 2000k lb car, so it needs to have enough grunt to get up to highway speeds
Any specific kind of forklift motor or cheap motor I can buy off someone? I would really appreciate any help as I am a total newbie. It is kind of obvious, yes I know :D. Also, do any of you recommend changing the gear ratios or should I just leave it stock? It is a five speed…
Thanks again guys,
-WeeDubb
Either you’d have to be the luckiest person in the world to find parts that cheap… or you’d have to push much higher than 500$ to reach highway speeds. I recommend you check out the ForkenSwift (one word) Project on Youtube where two Ontarians built an EV for only 672$!!!
It goes 65km/h (If my memory serves well) with a range of about 40km. My father thought I was a lunatic when I proposed pursuing such an endeavour for my IBO personal project despite having found loads of people that could help me as well as having gathered many EV conversion books. I even contacted Gavin to see if an EV conversion was really as simple as he claimed it was.
It wasn’t until this week that he actually read an article about it that he said “you could benefit from their (ForkenSwift) experience”… thanks… thanks alot… that would have been useful 8 months ago when I still had the time to go for my Golf-Cart Geo idea.
I have nothing but words of encouragement for you. The VW Fox is an excellent car being a very popular choice for conversions and I’m sure the guys at Electro Automotive could help you with adapters and such. As for used parts I highly recommend checking out the EVTradin’ Post and looking around flea markets. In my area at least, there’s always at least one guy with a bunch of old industrial equipment and motors. As for batteries, you can always check out stores that specialise in this trade or try out metal scrap yards (the one in front of my school has piles and piles of old batteries come in every month! :D)
A great book to read is “Build your own Electric Vehicle” by Bob Brant… GET IT!!!
Your 5-speed tranny should be perfect as it is (Manual I suppose?), the main modifications lie in whether to keep the clutch or not.
How old are you and in what State/Province do you live in? I myself am a High school student in Québec and I’d like my first conversion to feature either an old Saturn or Lada Samara.
Thanks for the input! I live in Dallas, Texas. My parents lived in Montreal when they grew up so I know where you live about too. I am 17 but I am also doing this project with a friend.
The article you mentioned is what inspired my friend and I to accomplish this project. The car is a five speed, and I do think we are going to keep the clutch because the guy we purchased it from just put a new one in. Do you think that we need to change the gearing at all or should we just leave it?
Regarding motors: I guess I am just too optimistic concerning about how fast this will go and for how long. I am having a very hard time researching what type of motor I should buy. I know there are motors for sale that are new, but I think it might be easier and better to just buy a forklift motor like that guy who built the EV Geo. For some reason I just don’t see how a forklift motor will work for an EV.
Regarding an adapter: Does anyone know who makes an adapter for the Fox? I searched but found very little to nothing useful.
Once again guys, thanks for the help! It really would be nice if this forum had more of a following. It is sad that there really isn’t much :(. I am very lucky though to be helped regardless!
Regarding an adapter: Does anyone know who makes an adapter for the Fox? I searched but found very little to nothing useful.
Once again guys, thanks for the help! It really would be nice if this forum had more of a following. It is sad that there really isn’t much . I am very lucky though to be helped regardless!
Adapter = www.electroauto.com If the one in their Voltsrabbit kit isn’t compatible, they can make one themselves for your Fox.
As hard as it is to believe, my electric car forum has even less of a following… only a guy in Belgium that comments every once in a while on my progress and that’s it. I don’t know about ratios, but I think you’re fine sticking with what you have (you should probably consult FEUS or another one of the senior members just to make sure). Just out of curiosity, what made your parents move to Texas?
My dad went to college in Boston and landed a job in Dallas after. Pretty random, but thats what happened :).
There’s someone with an old Renault Encore 
in my neighbourhood that’s had it lying in his driveway since I moved back to Canada 8 years ago… I’ll see if it’s for sale.
Imagine this but gold and a little rusty:
Chekc your PM’s
Nothing in mine.
[QUOTE=DeLorean_4;1872]Nothing in mine.[/QUOTE]
Lol i ment weedub…
[QUOTE=WeeDubb;1791]I know there are motors for sale that are new, but I think it might be easier and better to just buy a forklift motor like that guy who built the EV Geo. For some reason I just don’t see how a forklift motor will work for an EV.
[/QUOTE]
From what I’ve read there are quite a few people who are overdriving forklift motors. I am running 96V through my forklift motor with no problem. The motor hardly even gets warm.
Hey… you say your running 96V through your forklift motor… what kind of speed do you get out of it?
64mph in 5th gear