tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169091832012-02-03T00:26:58.190-08:00Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.comBlogger511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-81181516699051841672012-01-31T23:26:00.000-08:002012-01-31T23:35:32.705-08:00

Now, I've never specified a gender for the Karmann Eclectric, but with those graceful curves, consternating circuits, and ten-year meandering path towards every day realiability, could the car be anything but female? If so, it's entirely appropriate that she's featured in the new wall calendar of the National Electric Drag Racing Association! Not being a record holder, the Karmann Eclectric

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-10132851309427788722012-01-31T23:07:00.000-08:002012-02-01T00:23:37.419-08:00

I've been enjoying the little i for a month now, and have put just below 1000 miles on 'er (including one week of zero use due to an ice storm). At that rate, just running errands and commuting at an average of 47 miles per day, i'd be on track for 17,000 miles per year! Pretty impressive for a grocery-getter. That's exactly the mission i and Mitsubishi intended for the i, but i want more...

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-62832021417509458612012-01-25T20:53:00.000-08:002012-01-27T01:02:47.815-08:00

Okey dokey, there's plenty of pretty pictures of the i-car online, but nearly none of the business parts. So I'll hereby lift the lid to show what makes the car go.Here's detail of the rare rear DeDion suspension, also used on the 1990's Ford Ranger EV. I don't fully comprehend the concept yet...Next is a look at the motor and gearbox. Check out that big aluminum torque arm with vibration

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-78131653909255471062011-12-30T05:19:00.000-08:002012-01-25T20:52:59.976-08:00

i took delivery of a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiEV on 12/29/2011, an SE model in Cool Silver. The bubble is a blast to drive. Yes, with only 70 kW at about the same weight as the 170 kW Karmann Eclectric, it doesn't have the same traction issues and uncontrolled acceleration that seem to plague my yellow car, but with user-selectable regen levels, there's a whole new dimension of civilized fun. It

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-25315955837134201362011-09-08T06:16:00.000-07:002012-01-27T00:39:10.401-08:00

After a recent work session, I forgot to reconnect the 12V signal to my front contactor, which is a backup unit that disconnects the pack when the key is switched off, but bypassed with a 30 amp ATO fuse in order to allow battery charging. Well, the car will drive just fine around the neighborhood at under 30 amps, but here's what happens when you stomp the go pedal!The paint damage is permanent,

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-644416135914371492011-08-06T06:29:00.000-07:002011-08-06T08:12:23.454-07:00

The promise of plug-n-play simplicity and economical multipurpose metering led me to finally purchase the Blue Window by EV Blue Motors . Bill and Co. were a a pleasure to work with in accomodating a few custom touches to handle my high amp-high voltage nicad pack, the installation was as simple as promised, and the thing JUST WORKED right out of the box. I have a couple of bugs to sort out, such

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-52079281568125788662011-06-11T21:18:00.000-07:002011-07-08T15:20:33.777-07:00

Long-time followers of the Karmann Eclectric may be familiar with our protagonist's propensity to pursue diversionary projects well before completion of the mission at hand. Well, once again, a fortuitous turn of circumstances presented a long-desired opportunity that was too good to pass up. Being in possession of a full acre of suburban bliss, we found ourselves disturbing the peace with

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-36024562088635556162011-02-05T05:14:00.000-08:002011-02-05T05:44:32.730-08:00

The Karmann Eclectric Voltswagen has lived most of it's life without a proper badge. That's right, the fancy logos you've seen online for years were nowhere to be found on the car! But finally last summer, with the help of Bob Powell's Meadow Creature, LLC. and Vashon Image Works, I was able to transform Monk's logo adaptations into gleaming chrome automotive emblems. Just like a 'real' car, you

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-12688961450072401342010-12-11T01:23:00.000-08:002010-12-11T01:35:43.258-08:00

Those of you who have followed the long and sometimes sad tale of the Karmann Eclectric may recall that the car finally hit the dragstrip in July at the Wayland Invitationals, and produced a promising 17.4 second, 74.8 mph run with several similar backups. Nothing to write home about, but not bad for a newby driver in a 40 year old car that's carrying 800 lbs of extra weight on skinny 165 mm

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-27671740847357693802010-05-30T22:57:00.000-07:002010-05-31T09:29:38.553-07:00

At long last, serious road testing begins. I lost several more cells before a proper commissioning charge was finished- the one block that I had prematurely watered had spewed so much electrolyte, that they didn't want to wash clean, and kept developing shorts against the stainless steel battery box, burning holes right through the side of the cell, right where the top had been sonic-welded onto

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-25034525358202239312010-05-29T08:08:00.000-07:002010-05-29T09:42:34.805-07:00

Yes, all of you long-suffering readers know that the Karmann Eclectric is testing the claim that flooded nicad batteries have no "shelf life issues". But, that does not mean nothing has been going on... Thinking I'd channel Tom Sawyer and get a little work done, or at least share my pain, I invited the Tacoma Electric Vehicle Association over for a work party on March 6, 2010. An excellent

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-78367099008424665442010-02-04T22:49:00.000-08:002010-02-04T23:04:14.165-08:00

In-between my assorted mishaps, I got some useful road testing done, and the most apparent fact was that even with mighty Zilla dialed down to 500 amps at 170 volts, I was dishing out more torque than the driveline could handle. The current weak link is the clutch. I am using a clutch in this EV to provide for faster gearshifts and thereby better performance, but also to provide an extra measure

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-43967452703524379662010-01-30T00:02:00.000-08:002010-02-04T22:48:15.819-08:00

2009 was quite a year for Karmanns of all stripes. The grandaddy of them all, Karmann Gmbh in Germany filed for bankruptcy shortly after it's US spinoff, Karmann USA began offering a stupendous service to restore their classic cabriolet tops. Fortunately, VW came to Karmann's rescue in some small sense, by buying up the company's bones and announcing their intent to produce cars in the Karmann

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-71371037529165027572009-08-26T21:25:00.000-07:002010-02-04T22:34:45.612-08:00

After nearly punching a rear opening through my garage and capsizing the HOA President, what more could I fear? Over the next week in July, my test runs got braver, as did my application of the accelerator. I got temporarily stranded once when an improperly wired 12V fan relay melted a wire, but it all nearly came to a stop when I heard a loud snap, crackle and pop during a spririted takeoff, and

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-67924492731233518972009-06-03T01:21:00.000-07:002009-06-03T01:36:45.659-07:00

Into the EV Archives we go, for a little more history on Godzilla #003 and our Baby Optima coolant reservoir, who first met each other under the hood of John Wayland's White Zombie, which is the world's quickest-accelerating street legal electric conversion, having covered the standing start quarter mile in 11.466 seconds, with a best 60-foot time of 1.58 seconds!http://www.plasmaboyracing.com/

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-31690165769719681832009-06-03T00:54:00.000-07:002009-06-03T01:15:40.862-07:00

Not quite, but here's a summary of the past year's progress that lead up to the test drive.Zilla Cooling: Thanks to excellent component selection by Ryan Bohm of EV Source, I mounted a super durable and quiet pump below the custom Baby Optima Coolant Reservoir, and fabricated a inner fender wall out of 1/2" HDPE, yellow of course. In this, I cut two portholes, and mounted a double-wide PC

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-90061110299324719412009-06-03T00:03:00.000-07:002009-06-03T00:54:11.403-07:00

Sorry for a year of silence- it's been quite a ride, including the birth of baby #2; our son Jason, a corporate downsizing and unemployment, a new job and lots of associated training, and in short, not much time for the poor, neglected Karmann Eclectric. But lo, our hero returns, and his steed awaits.We got a couple of work sessions in during the break with helpful buddies (thanks Hans and Wayne

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-46619618479821882852008-05-30T22:36:00.000-07:002008-05-31T12:07:20.687-07:00

You may recall that my non-electric Ghia, the 1965 Cabriolet "Ghost Dancer", had an unfortunate encounter with a red Dodge in September of 2006. Well, after a year in the bodyshop, a new job, relocation, and a second baby, the Ghost rose again today, after only 20 months in rehab. It is pictured here next to Ruthie, my 22 month-old daughter (3 month-old son is off-camera, date stamp on photo is

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-56942028956198701912007-09-09T22:37:00.000-07:002007-09-11T20:27:52.422-07:00

THE SURGEON(note the maniacal look of glee...) THE PATIENT(already looking deceptively young)Creative retasking of salvaged components is one of the more satisfying aspects of this project for me, and the prototype Baby Optima had been bugging me for a while. The yellowtop color and tidy size that fit perfectly atop the original VW air cleaner stand were too good to pass up. Besides the prototype

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-78431262785064201102007-08-25T22:21:00.000-07:002007-09-08T00:10:40.000-07:00

Yes, dEVoted fans, Karmann Eclectric has been sorely neglected for the past year, but another burst of energy came upon the scene with the return of Roy LeMeur from his midwestern sojurn. Yes, the National Electric Drag Racing Association NW Race Director is also a travelling EV mechanic, and the departure of wife and baby for my in-laws' for a week created a window of opportunity for real

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-46335348571776213822007-04-26T01:30:00.000-07:002007-04-26T01:50:25.029-07:00

Soooo sorry it's been so long.When we last posted, Karmann Eclectric's cousin, the Ghost Dancer, had been viciously attacked by a Red Avenger. Well, time has stood still for both cars since September. The Ghost Dancer was moved to storage at my favorite bodyman's shop; Definition of Image. Like many car restorers, you have to get in line early to tap the talents of Tracy Payes, so the Ghost

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1158186418725317782006-09-13T20:24:00.000-07:002006-10-14T02:49:14.703-07:00

My wife is a Veterinarian, and says that many dogs who get hit by cars come in with a full belly. It seems that they become a bit less observant while fat and happy. Well, that might be the case with people too. (No, my insurance agent, does not have this blog address- I admit nothing!) After a particularly satisfying breakfast on a beautiful sunny day, I decided to exorcise the Ghost Dancer,

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1157431264587451532006-09-04T14:01:00.000-07:002006-10-14T02:56:34.863-07:00

Now we come to Friday, August 24, 2006- the date that I had hoped to unveil the Karmann Eclectric before the amazed masses at Portland International Raceway. You see, for the first time EVer, the National Electric Drag Racing Association was holding it's national EVent under the lights at Oregon's premier track, and alongside some nasty gassers.Well, though it's been a banner year for EV

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1156479183145429452006-08-24T21:04:00.000-07:002006-09-03T18:49:59.293-07:00

One component that is not currently available in an EV-specific form is a high voltage, high amperage circuit breaker and/or emergency disconnect. Each converter has to come up with his own solution, and they range from homebrew knife switches to springloaded Anderson connectors, to the simply effective industrial fuse holder used in White Zombie. I had the good fortune of being mentored by Dan

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1155855383933896802006-08-17T15:42:00.000-07:002006-08-17T15:56:23.956-07:00

I had originally planned to place the Manzanita Micro PFC20 battery charger up front in the car, to have it close to the charging inlet (which resides in the old fuel filler, of course!), and that would have given me a pack voltage connection up front, which allows for mounting the dc-dc converter in clean dry place, and next to most of it's loads. However, there are drawbacks to having an extra

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1155459418743290382006-08-13T01:46:00.000-07:002006-08-13T01:56:58.770-07:00

As sweet as the motor and controller looked sitting together, this union will never work without clear lines of communication. 4/0 welding cable should provide all the conduction required for a heated discussion, without letting the sparks fly! Here is the 'motor loop', all cabled up, but not cinched down, and the heat shrink tubing has yet to be heated..

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1154502912756603232006-08-02T00:02:00.000-07:002006-08-02T00:33:45.096-07:00

At last, this potent duo is joined!You may recall that the Gamera Nine started off as a homely forklift motor, welded to a saddle for support. Since we went with a face mounting, the saddle wasn't required, but while Sir Jim was in a good mood (as he invariably is when playing with copper and steel), I got him to cut away that saddle, but not before drilling and tapping a set of holes for

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1151598289863328492006-06-29T00:08:00.000-07:002006-07-03T13:05:18.253-07:00

Now that the Gamera is ready for action, it comes time to finally install the taperlock hub, lightened flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate. So, with great enthusiasm and confidence I put on the hub and then the flywheel, being careful to properly position the hub on the shaft as close in as I dare, and to slowly tighten the allen screws in a crosswise pattern. Besides, taperlock hubs are

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1151569531342442782006-06-28T23:50:00.000-07:002006-06-29T09:29:39.386-07:00

When we last saw the Gamera Nine motor, it was winging it's way back to Jim Husted's custom motor shop on the Wayland Express: a free motor delivery service courtesy of Plasma Boy's good graces. Note to self- when taking advantage of the generous services of a fellow finickey hobbyist, make sure to brief him on any pre-existing conditions present on the package. You see, I forgot to tell John

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1150879067366365142006-06-21T01:26:00.000-07:002006-06-21T01:45:59.403-07:00

No, I didn't lose my top, but we did loosen the rear.In order to greatly simplify the installation and servicing of my motor, and to leave open as many future options as possible, the Karmann Eclectric was reworked with a removable rear valence. Now, a removed rear valence is often seen on drag racing VWs, since it simplifies engine removal (which is a fairly frequent task on these ICE beasts),

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1150878405110857602006-06-21T00:43:00.000-07:002006-06-21T01:48:03.746-07:00

You may recall that the Gamera Nine motor was reborn in Zilla Green, in honor of the world's fastest DC EV controllers, the Zilla series of scorching silicon by Cafe Electric.Well, since the Karmann Eclectric is all about (revisionist) history, a simple off-the shelf model wouldn't quite fit the bill. Instead, the EV Gods saw fit to bless us with a truly historic controller, Godzilla serial #003.

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1150875784680547202006-06-21T00:19:00.000-07:002006-06-21T02:11:24.216-07:00

What a week of milestones! First, paint day, and now the blessed union of two disparate halves, each incapable of function without the other. That's correct; the body has rejoined the pan, or to those uninitiated into the Church of Volkswagenism, the chassis. Now, after three years of forced separation, it's understandable that these two may have grown apart. After all, his dirty bottom was cut

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1150144190239448312006-06-11T23:49:00.000-07:002006-06-14T16:45:22.183-07:00

That's right, the long-awaited Paint Day has come! After nearly six months of stripping, cutting, welding, filling, curing, filling, sanding, curing, waiting, sanding, priming, block sanding, re-priming, reblocking, and re-priming, the car got into color! And not just any color, but a custom pearl two-tone! Enuf said, I'll let the photos speak for themselves, with the one qualifier that these

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1150141716685188252006-06-10T21:29:00.000-07:002006-06-14T16:46:22.866-07:00

Okay, I'll admit that it took a little while to recover from the shock of my failed suspension adaptation, but not two months! Sorry for the long absence. Going back to stock appears to be more appropriate for the Karmann Eclectric. Type I trailing arms coupled with Type IV (Porsche 944) torsion bars CV joints, drive and stub axles should do just fine for handling my load, and will also leave

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1144135047187624502006-04-03T23:54:00.000-07:002006-04-04T14:06:41.823-07:00

Well, when one's research is based on surfing hobbyist web sites and electronic hearsay, errors are prone to pop up. After fitting one side of the chassis with the 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo rear trailing arm, I finally got a chance to test-fit the body and check clearances. As they (used to) say: 'Close, but no cigar!'. That's right, the aluminum arms were too wide.The stock vw arms, if you recall,

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1140837025932058782006-02-24T16:46:00.000-08:002006-02-24T19:16:39.146-08:00

Sorry to leave my throngs of adoring fans for so long (hi Mom). It's not for a lack of progress. The Karmann Eclectric is now in the capable hands of Tracy Payne, a local independent restorer. As you certainly recall from the mockup and 'before' shots, besides the rust repair, there were a few custom touches in store. Tracy has filled the front turn signals, in preparation for the early-style '

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1134975794674701602005-12-18T21:29:00.000-08:002005-12-19T00:02:54.906-08:00

With no reciprocating parts to cause vibration and plenty of mass in the rotating commutator, electric car motors need no flywheel to provide smooth power. However, if using a transmission and you want a clutch for smooth and speedy gearshifts, there must be a pressure plate and the associated hardware. Since every additional pound of rotating mass cuts into acceleration as much as almost 10 lbs

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1134785353831797402005-12-16T22:54:00.000-08:002005-12-23T08:58:59.286-08:00

(Note to Ghiaphiles, the nerf bars were NOT used for pulling, only to store loose chain!)You see, Eleanor is the name given to the 1967 Karmann Ghia coupe owned during high school by good EV buddy and KG enthusiast Ross Olson. Rosso had acquired this fickle redhead at a bargain price, owning to the fact that nearly her entire underbelly was rusted out, though sturdily braced by a stolen street

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1134441152698750862005-12-12T18:01:00.000-08:002005-12-13T18:27:48.793-08:00

Sorry it's been a while, but that's not for a lack of EV activity, but rather the opposite.Last weekend saw the arrival of the new-to-me PFC 20 Battery Charger. The Manzanita Micro PFC line offers what's by far the most powerful onboard and versatile battery chargers ever obtainable by the hobbyist, and are completely user-adjustable with regards to input and output voltage, amperage, time on,

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1131956685209720182005-11-13T23:27:00.000-08:002005-11-14T17:35:23.040-08:00

That's right, my car doesn't have a bunch of batteries, only one- but it's made up of 280 individual 1.2 volt cells. These are no ordinary lead slugs, no, but nickel-cadmium wet cells. BB-600 spec, to be exact in US military parlance, as these batteries were originally purchased by Uncle Sam as starting cells for tactical jet aircraft. These little babies are rated to deliver 1800 cold cranking

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1131953177737657772005-11-13T22:40:00.000-08:002005-12-12T18:01:38.710-08:00

Who is Gamera, you ask? Why only a fire-breating turtle, hero of Godzilla knockoff movies and Guardian of the Universe. Okay dorko, so why'd you name your electric car motor after a Japanese movie monster? Well, it's green and short for one, it means business at both ends, it breaks stereotypes about the slowness of it's species, and since I matched the color of Zilla controllers, why not

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1130830621336891302005-10-31T22:23:00.000-08:002005-10-31T23:42:56.480-08:00

My answer to this question is usually: "Then we must be doing it wrong!". Well, I hope this case is the exception. Shoehorning a souped-up Vanagon transaxle into my little Ghia was never supposed to be easy, but discovering that this particular tranny ain't compatible with the super-slick Gene Berg Bus-to-Bug transaxle adaptor kit wasn't the news I wanted. The other method that has been used

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1130043361333846392005-10-22T21:48:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:15:39.956-07:00

Well, after a few short days of electronic artistry and editing, the Karmann Eclectric can be viewed in all it's future splendor...Thank You John at www.RODVISIONS.com

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1129369865254742502005-10-15T08:34:00.000-07:002005-10-15T02:51:05.260-07:00

You never know what's lurking just around the corner. Turns out that a new coworker's brother has an innovative business; http://www.rodvisions.com/ He creates artistic renditions of hotrods to assist builders in settling on and "selling" (usually to the wife) their ultimate custom car design.It's great to mock up all options for your ride with the assistance of a professional artist! I'll post

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1128590937045876032005-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:002005-10-11T23:06:28.630-07:00

You've already read some of the exploits of our leading motor man, Jim Husted of Hi Torque Electric, but we've yet to meet the wizard. Jim's been reporting a lot of progress, so I took the opportunity to roll down to Redmond last Friday for a look see, and to sign off on some final design specs. To start off, this build began with an excellent core, a 1996 model 9" ADC motor, which lived an easy

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1128594076669125042005-10-06T05:57:00.000-07:002005-10-06T16:38:26.466-07:00

You may have gotten used to the "Karmann Eclectric" name by now, an admittedly clever creation with an altogether certain connotation. What were the other options? I started off with an obvious tribute to a rocker about which I know nearly nothing, by dubbing the project Karmann Electra. Cute, but maybe misleading...The simple "Karmann Electric" was obviously too-- simple.So what honors the car's

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1127767232388320772005-09-25T21:35:00.000-07:002005-09-26T13:49:34.916-07:00

So you've already seen that I intend to stuff a Vanagon transaxle into my little Ghia, but the bastardization is far from finished. To transmit massive torque from motor to wheel there are several links to consider. Downstream of the transmission gears are the axle half-shafts, constant velocity joints, and stub axles (in other words, the "axle" part of transaxle). The inner and outer CV joints

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1127492140885494992005-09-23T08:52:00.000-07:002005-09-23T10:26:11.433-07:00

It's hee-eere! After no fewer than 22 days of delay by UPS, the 091 Vanagon transaxle originally built for the Ghia Monster has arrived! Yes, the Ghia Monster, that most extreme of electric Ghias, outgrew it's bulletproof, locking differential, five speed overdrive with a granny first gear tranny before it even got installed. Steve Marks had this beauty built up by KCR transmissions (who

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1127323626650449352005-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:002005-10-18T19:03:18.360-07:00

I got a bit ahead of myself with that news on the motor build.When we last left our little yellow victim, it had been rescued from backyard oblivion, but we were discovering the unusual rust patterns that come from being closed up for 20 years in a humid environment. Besides a sheen of surface corrosion all over the interior, the big problem was in the floorpans. The natural jute padding used by

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1127321281392130522005-09-21T06:48:00.000-07:002005-09-21T15:22:04.663-07:00

As they say, good things come to those who.... procrastinate?After scrounging parts for two years, and showing up late for every good deal on a used Advanced DC or WarP motor that came along, I was resigned to paying retail, when out of nowhere, the nation's most imaginative DC motor rebuilder appears in my back yard! Jim Husted of High Torque electric might be found in any industrial town, a

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16909183.post-1127170186359792032005-09-19T15:44:00.000-07:002012-01-25T20:44:48.692-08:00

After almost two decades of daydreaming about electric cars, discussing their merits with friends and family, and watching fickle automakers develop promising prototypes and even launch a few kickass models, such as GM's EV-1, just to pull the rug out from under loyal leaseholders, I decided to take the plunge in the fall of 2003 and build my own electric car.Having had a long love affair with

Jay Donnawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11105352292971460402noreply@blogger.com2