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Micks EV conversion

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wayneL said:
Yes, my mistake, 356. That doesn't change anything, it's still a classic that people will pay a motza for in original condition.
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Not all classic's can be rebuilt to original condition. Sometimes an owner has a donor vehicle that has had critical parts removed so as to complete one original rebuild, leaving a a shell that in the past was cut up and either sold off for parts for crashed vehicles or scrap yards.

With prices ridiculously high for classic cars, some rolling chassis's can be re-assembled using parts from similar models, or cheap copy parts which China do very well. However, once the mechanical parts have been taken it is sometimes impossible to find replacement parts, so people put in engines, gearboxes and differentials from different models.

Some restorers want to or need to 'comply with emissions standards, incorporate safety features such as airbags, brakes'.

If you get a chance to go to a classic car show, talk to the owners of restored models.

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I wonder if the EV lovers, would have a similar opinion, if someone shoehorned an LS3 into an early model Tesla S, would it be still classed as a classic Tesla in years to come or just someones butchered Tesla S ?
If someone puts a different movement in a classic watch, it loses a huge amount of value, as it isn't original and is classed as a Frankenstein watch.
It is fine to modify an object for personal pleasure, but to think it will make a classic more valuable than one that is completely original isn't correct.
But the thread is about Mick's journey and it is his business and his alone, I'm doing up an old 1955 BMW R25/3 and I've put a modern electrical system on it and an LED headlight, it will make it a better bike to live with but it will de value it.
So be it, it is my bike my business. Lol
 
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It's an interesting conversation about restoration to original specs vs sympathetic/practical upgrades for classic cars.

The big movement in classic car restoration in UK is around upgrades that make the car more reliable and more driveable. Electronic ignition ditching the Lucas electrics, upgrading brakes, suspension, Air Con (never existed) power steering.

At the more extreme level there are are the restorations that replace ICE drive trains with EV for reliability, quietness and ongoing maintenance costs.

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just a quick update.
Started work on the front suspension before Christmas.
Pulled the Ibeam off, the steering linkages torque tubes etc, and found a lot of worn out and rusted stuff.
Cleaned up the stub axles ok, the front disks were fine, indeed hardly used.
Unfortunately, the the pistons were siezed and the calipers rusted, although the pads looked like they were hardly worn.
The stub axles cleaned up ok as did the tie rods, but the rod ends were shot as were the ball joints and the steering damper.
Most of the stuff I could source locally, however after ordering the parts, i decided to sandblast the beam itself
Here I ran into trouble. After cleaning all the dirt grease and surface rust off, I found a number of spots that the rust had gone through.
I started to grind and weld on some patches, but the more I ground it down the worse it got, so in the end I decided to scrap it.
Unfortunately, mine is a standard beam, nether lowered nor shortened.
Most volkswagons get lowered, and shortened so as the owners can put fatter wheels and low profile tyres.
As this car is wider than a beetle, and already accomodating wider and larger wheels and tyres, it did not need to be shortened.
I could not find one in the country, so had to order a LHD one from the states, that I will need to convert to RHD, not a big Job.
While I was at it, I ordered a rear disk brake kit as well, something that I had not been able to obtain here in OZ for a 67 beetle pan.
These arrived today, so its back to work.
So, we have not progressed a great deal, but spent a lot of money so far.
Mick
 
The rest of the electric Kit arrived the other day.
Its bloody heavy, Struggeld to carry the Battery boxes into the shed.
Have welded all the new sections into the pan, seam sealed it all, and I have just sprayed every thing black.
Front Ibeam and control arms all in place, now to start on the rear suspension.
Mick
 
Thought it was worth checking out how the build is going . How is it looking Mick ?
Cheers
 
Have laid out all the electric components onto a flat sheet and connected them up to see if they all work, and apart from a faulty cooling pump, everything worked.
It has gone on the back burner while I deal with a few health issues.
About to get my other shoulder reconstructed, which will put me out of action for the next two months.
Mick
 

My neighbour just went through the same thing.

Arm in a sling for 6 weeks.

Bummer, sorry to hear that, all the best.
 
Ouch..Other shoulder as well... Hope they come up well.

Makes one reflect on the (relative) blessings we have today. Many friends have had hip and knee jobs that just wouldn't have been possible 25-35 years ago. We have access to medical interventions that can enable a better quality of life than our parents and certainly grandparents could never have received.
 
Once this is done, I will have had both shoulders recod, replacement left knee, and both hips replaced, plus had the tendons in my right hand cut and stretched to relieve 'trigger Finger".
Kids calling me S eve Austin. (only old people will get the relevance).
Mick
 
If you hadn't mentioned Steve Austin, I would have.
 
mullokintyre said:
About to get my other shoulder reconstructed, which will put me out of action for the next two months.
Mick
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Bugger! Hope all goes well with it mate.

Despite several serious attempts to break bits of my body, the worst I've done is a grade 5 AC joint separation when I was 20 which required surgery.

The rotator cuff on that side is starting to give me 5h1t, so maybe sooner or later I might be in the same boat.

Treating with ignore at the moment.
 

Can't believe that. I've ridden horses for just 100 days or so. You should have far more broken bones.

I was told by Charlie Lovick that if you hadn't fallen off a horse 100 times, you don't know how to ride.

@mullokintyre I am planning for an EV. What's your pick?
 
Is this thread really about the car or is it an allegory for your body? ?
 
I had some absolute speccies, but my bones refuse to break. eg Went head first through a running rail at racing pace, the horse going straight over the top of me.

Apart from some concussive delirium and missus briefly thinking she had been widowed, quite okay. Horse was fine too.

Just one of a litany of spectacular busters.
 
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