EV conversion subject.

[mbartell]

I think I have a good car for an electric conversion, mostly because of it's price and lack of style. It's a K-car convertible, with a bad motor.

Is there a list of motor and conversion suppliers, somewhere out on the web you could help me find?

Thanks for any help,
Mike.

[Sharkey]

Hi Mike good to see someone else interested in EV's.

Err, you'll have to remind me what a "K" car is, Dodge Omni? Horizon??

In general, convertibles weigh more than sedans, so take that into consideration. Also watch out for automatic transmissions, they cause a big waste of power in an EV, if they work at all.

The major supplier of conversion kits is Electro Automotive in Felton, California. Don't know if they have anything specific to the car you are thinking about, but it would be a good place to start.

Also check out EV Parts.com, they have a pretty impressive FAQ section in addition to offering components.

Some of those Mopar econo-boxes used VW engine and transmissions. If yours is one of those, you might find it pretty easy to get a conversion kit for it. Of course, the VW Rabbit is probably the world's easiest car to convert, since there are a variety of complete kits designed for the job.

In any event, good luck with it, let us know how it goes...

[Tim Clevenger]

If you're talking about the Imperial/Dynasty/New Yorker, it might be an intriguing conversion. I owned a '90 Imperial. It was pretty efficient for a large car (25 mpg freeway, 20-21 city), very roomy and comfortable. It also had hydraulic power brakes, so no need for a vacuum pump. It had a ton of room for batteries in the engine compartment and under the spacious trunk.

You would need to convert to a manual transmission (fairly easy) and get rid of some weight, but I think it would be a nice conversion.