DIYEV on the BBC
Got a phone call from one of the producers I’ve long worked with at the BBC yesterday (I’ve been doing various bits of radio and telly for the last 15 years over in my made-up day job). Would I come on Stephen Nolan’s late night show on BBC Radio 5Live and talk about my project? It was past my bedtime, but I thought sure, why … Continue reading DIYEV on the BBC
Fail! But in a good way
So, as predicted, the car failed its MOT. But not on what I was expecting. Or rather, the stuff I was most worried about (the conversion, my welding) absolutely sailed through. In fact, Jimmy the mechanic called the conversion “impressive”. The smile hasn’t left my face since. Big issues: Tracking is massively out (not surprising since I don’t have the tools for alignment) and you … Continue reading Fail! But in a good way
MOT Time
So, the time has come when I must let a professional examine my work and tell me what a mess I’ve made of it. I know this professional. His name is Jimmy, and I have been taking our cars to him for about the last 9 years. He is as honest and forthright as any mechanic I’ve met. But also prone to taking the piss … Continue reading MOT Time
Movement
Yesterday, I drove the DIY EV project for the first time. Only off the drive and back on again, but it moves. And it does so comfortably and relatively quietly. It was a huge moment. Yes, I will do a video soon. I’ve bun running through a huge checklist of things to get the car ready for MOT. It is now insured (more on this … Continue reading Movement
DIY EV Charging: a guide for an idiot (me)
I have a charge point. I have a charger. I have a battery. You would think I could hook these three things up and charge my battery from the charge port, via my charger. Not so fast. Charging an EV requires a little more than that because there is signalling that goes alongside the AC between the charge point and the car. And my charger … Continue reading DIY EV Charging: a guide for an idiot (me)
BUZZING!
It works. It bloody works. After a frustrating few days with it sort of working, and some minor mishaps (I shorted something on an unshielded 12v connection – but everything seems to have survived). A firmware downgrade (5.05 to 4.96 if you’re interested) has fixed everything. The wheels spin like a dervish now and the motor makes an absolutely wicked noise. My homebrew coupler seems … Continue reading BUZZING!
Wiring up
Progress has continued apace since my last update. Mostly on the wiring and plumbing, including for the vacuum pump and power steering. 12V Wiring Somewhere in my workshop are two fuse boxes. Where they are, I have no idea. So I’ve ordered yet another one. The way I sell it to myself is that I’m just stocking up on parts for the next project… I … Continue reading Wiring up
Adding new batteries to old power tools
One of mine and my daughter’s favourite YouTube channels is The Post Apocalyptic Inventor. On a recent episode he used a cheap adaptor to restore a load of old power tools to life with modern batteries from a different brand. I’ve been sat on an old drill for ages, unwilling to throw it out because it was still perfectly good apart from its Ni-Cad batteries. … Continue reading Adding new batteries to old power tools
Monster update
You know how it is with big projects: life gets in the way. So I won’t bore you with the details. But, things are flying again on the Z300 EV project. In bullets first just give me an agenda for my own post: All the welding on the rear quarters is done All the remaining mounts and brackets are finished The motor cooling loop is … Continue reading Monster update
Heating up
Time for another monster update as it has been over a month since the last one. What have I done? Rear axle assembly Getting this apart proved a ballache. Lots of rusted nuts & bolts – was glad of new impact wrench. Brake lines were the worst. I ended up cutting most of these off. The calipers were pretty shot too. One was maybe rescuable … Continue reading Heating up