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Topic: Pub Chat (Read 1073 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Pub Chat

Reply #3 –
Now I have time to respond properly; spent half the day under the MK2 and in all honesty I can't see space for the batteries.  Yes you could chop out everything under the boot floor pan but that is a major mod and would reduce the boot space.  Once converted it would have to be a daily to justify the cost.  Then it would rust and in all honesty they don't look great.  The joy of a MK2 is being behind the wheel, they don't have a visual impact.
I do however have the perfect candidate, it won't rust, the way it looks we can debate, it is crap to drive and others have converted them packing batteries into double skinned floor pans etc:

Re: Pub Chat

Reply #4 –
Good call the A2 is a bit of an oddity but nice in their own way, we looked at them (many years back now) when choosing a family car. It was at the time the kids were young, but no longer needed prams and pushchairs or travel cots etc, so were downsizing from an Omega Estate. We ended up with a 1.6 Fiesta Ghia, which I have to say was excellent and we kept for a good few years, till the kids got more grown up and we got a dog, so went back to a bigger car.

The cost at the moment is the biggest factor, and defo a big part of what we ended up discussing in the pub.

I don't think I'm ready for an EV Mk2, especially not to convert a GTI anyway, as it would take away the nature of what a GTI is supposed to be about. Maybe a base-spec 1.1/1.3 would be more viable.

I'm excited about the prospect of an electric motorbike, which goes against a lot of the biker community, but again cost at the moment is a blocker.

In terms of classic though, I think it's good to see this area being explored (buy people with the money). It was a good few years ago now that I became aware of a company in California converting Beetles and VW busses. Beetles certainly seem perfect for the conversion as the engine is so separate to the rest of the car, if you know what I mean?

Re: Pub Chat

Reply #5 –
While I think it would be interesting from an engineering point of view, I certainly wouldn't be doing one unless there was no other way to drive a mk2 (all fuel gone etc).
Mk2 Driver
Mk2 Silver 8v
Corrado G60 Turbo
Mk2 Red 8v
Mk2 Grey 16v
Mk2 BBM ABF
Bora 20vt
Mk2 Green VR6
Mk2 Green ABF
Mk2 BBM 20vt
3.2 TT Roadster
Mk2 Red 16v
225 TT Coup
3.2 TT Coup
Mk4 Anniversary
Mk7 Red GTI Performance
Mk2 Red GTI Restoration
Mk2 BBM R32
911 Carrera 4S

Re: Pub Chat

Reply #6 –
I would not convert any car to electric. I like cars that remain faithful to the car that left the factory. I think if you want a porsche then buy a porsche. I understand the reason cars get modified its just not for me.

Re: Pub Chat

Reply #7 –
What I dislike about EVs, and I suppose any modern car, is how integrated they are with the tech. Cars are put together well enough these days but what seems to end their life early is the integrated tech, random electrical issues that are more expensive to track down than the value of the car.

Even as far back as the late 90s I had a Mk5 Escort, where the control module failed, meaning the car wouldn't lock and the horn would sound if you put the windows down. A few years back I picked up a Polo for £100 that I thought would be an ideal car to get the kids learning to drive - It was a perfect, low mileage example but power steering had failed. A new PAS motor and steering position sensors didn't fix it. I never did get it sorted, passed it onto a mate that ended up replacing most of the loom.

New cars now with their touch screen displays and digital/electric everything, like keyless entry and pop up proximity handles etc... I just can't see this stuff lasting. You know how glitchy a computer or mobile phone gets once it's a few years old. It'll be the tech that'll kill off a perfectly mechanically sound vehicle.

The idea of a conversion, especially into something like a Beetle, means you're only putting in the part that gives the power everything else is simple.

I know people want all the bells and whistles these days, but I'd love the idea of a modern no-frills, 'peoples car' ... a cheap affordable modular EV.
 

Re: Pub Chat

Reply #8 –
Thanks for starting this post!

I'm not a convert, but interested in the concept in general and trying to get my head round the technology.

An interesting idea I've come across is taking the ICE out of a Gen 3 Prius and modifying the control software to run both motors (Mag1 & Mag2) in tandem: https://priuschat.com/threads/converting-prius-g3-to-all-electric-removing-ice.211099/

Damien McGuire in Ireland has been working at all sorts of EV projects, mainly BMWs, and is closely associated with https://openinverter.org/docs/index.html%3Fen_home,3.html  (Damien is 'Jack Bauer' on openinverter.org)

See also https://www.evbmw.com/index.php/about