Electrifying Classic Cars
Discussion
Blib said:
JohnBRG said:
May I ask how much this is going to cost? Thinking of doing my MGB GT (non-original engine, on its last legs).
Between £17k and £20k. The car already has front disk brakes, a 126 engine, uprated drive shafts and suspension. So, hopefully towards the lower end of that estimate. They've done several 500s so they're well versed in the conversion.
We'll know the exact figure by next weekend. Then Mrs B. will decide whether to go for it or not. Judging by her excitement, I think she'll get it done asap.
Blib said:
DonkeyApple said:
Will be great if you could run a thread on this. As an aside, why not just go direct to Electric Classic Cars in Wales for the conversion?
We live up the road from CC. They are agents for ECC and Mrs B drove their demonstrator. I was looking at this the other day thinking it might be fun to send it down to Wales: https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1188278
Blib said:
eccles said:
Why does the fact it already has a 126 engine matter? Is it going to be a hybrid?
We wont be molesting an unrestored "survivor" and the 126 engine requires uprated driveshafts and clutch, as does the conversion. 
Edited by Blib on Sunday 5th January 07:19
lowdrag said:
Anyone else noticed the Jaguar have cancelled the E-type Zero project and returned deposits? Real or false, from what I am hearing the cars would need to be re-registered under IVA rules. Or could it because there wasn't enough interest given the price they were charging?
They picked the wrong car from their back catalogue. No one is going to spend money on an urban toy that instead of getting nods of appeal as they park up in West London would instead get grunts and comments of vandalism from the more religious. I think if EV conversions persist it will mostly be into much more ubiquitous, cheap and probably quite unusual classics.
A bit like the fad a few years back of people wrapping old bangers to mock the craze of new money wrapping anything German, London has a sense of humour and I can envisage some strange stuff getting electrified and parked up on London streets.
Once conversion kits become more affordable you’d expect the scene to follow more the rules of the ratrod or other similar scenes in its choice of old and cheap starting points.
With regards to JLR they probably would have had a bigger response in terms of actual customers if they’d picked something that was more urban and more suited to electrification. Maybe converting old diesel Range Rovers. Very popular classics in central London but the diesel is a no no.
You can imagine that the Etype was really chosen for PR purposes and maybe they never truly expected a lot of customers to rush forward and pay big bucks to have an iconic s6 junked and a car that turns heads into one that would trigger rage among religious loons?
The cambelt in my diesel Escort van snapped last month. If I didn't have a spare cylinder head in the shed ready and waiting, I'd have looked at putting an electric motor in it.
My project time and ramp space is already booked for this year, but hopefully I can arrange for the cambelt to snap around December 2020 .
My project time and ramp space is already booked for this year, but hopefully I can arrange for the cambelt to snap around December 2020
.pingu393 said:
The cambelt in my diesel Escort van snapped last month. If I didn't have a spare cylinder head in the shed ready and waiting, I'd have looked at putting an electric motor in it.
My project time and ramp space is already booked for this year, but hopefully I can arrange for the cambelt to snap around December 2020 .
Converting a van (as there is lots of space) is quite easy. FWD just dump the LEAF system in there. The question is how much do you plan on spending. 24KWh of batteries plus motor and call controllers is not that cheep. What is your experience with computers and electronics? My project time and ramp space is already booked for this year, but hopefully I can arrange for the cambelt to snap around December 2020
.Blib said:
Does anyone know the legalities of a conversion? Where does the DVLA stand? Will a car need to go through single vehicle approval, or an enhanced MOT?
It’s quite a cloudy area. One thing that that appears clarified is that if the vehicle isn’t exempt from ULEZ prior to conversion then it isn’t post. I think that might catch some people out. You’d need a CVRAS certificate for the conversion and these are not done on a conversion by conversion basis for private vehicles. The company doing the conversion would need to apply for compliance approval for each type of conversion. A cost that can be amortised when selling kit to convert a thousand transit vans but not likely for a handful of mini conversions, then some fiat ones then some Beetle ones etc. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/low-emission-zone...
I think there are some firms out there who are potentially misleading people at present.
So if you’re converting a vehicle which has attained historic status and the various exemptions then, I am certainly not sure on this at all, but I would assume the 8 point rule applies when it comes to retaining that exemption? You’re retaining the chassis, body, steering, gearbox, axles and only really replacing the engine which is the least pertinent at 1 point.
Personally, I’d expect the firm located within the ULEZ and who will be doing the conversion to supply me with their legal opinion on the matter. It’s not hard for a business to procure an opinion which can then be used with the usual caveats to reassure customers.
Blib said:
Thank you. The conversion will take place in Wales and the car will not be driven in the ULEZ.
But in the event of selling at any point in the future you can imagine that the bulk of buyers will be. But isn’t yours already exempt under Historic status, so should be a non issue anyway?Edited by Blib on Tuesday 7th January 09:36
DonkeyApple said:
But in the event of selling at any point in the future you can imagine that the bulk of buyers will be. But isn’t yours already exempt under Historic status, so should be a non issue anyway?
The car will not be driven anywhere near the ULEZ. If we sell the car - and Mrs B would far rather part with me than it - ULEZ will be the purchaser's look out.I'm far more interested in how legal the actual conversion is? Are we breaking any laws? Do we just fit the new motor and drive? Will the DVLA come knocking? Will we need a SVA?
That kind of thing.
Blib said:
DonkeyApple said:
But in the event of selling at any point in the future you can imagine that the bulk of buyers will be. But isn’t yours already exempt under Historic status, so should be a non issue anyway?
The car will not be driven anywhere near the ULEZ. If we sell the car - and Mrs B would far rather part with me than it - ULEZ will be the purchaser's look out.I'm far more interested in how legal the actual conversion is? Are we breaking any laws? Do we just fit the new motor and drive? Will the DVLA come knocking? Will we need a SVA?
That kind of thing.
They don’t seem to cover this in their FAQs but they have to know as it’s arguably an intracate aspect of their business.
My guess would be that it would be of no concern to the DVLA if the vehicle retains its 8 point minimum and the engine only accounts for 1 point, its the least relevant part.
FIVA have said they won’t treat converted cars as classics but they are a typical self serving European organisation that’s about as honest as Philip Green and will say whatever anyone pays them enough to say. According to those loons, who exist solely to further investment values and to bolster their own Luxembourg savings, your car ceases to be a classic if you change anything or dare to use it as a car. They’re the puritans, the Taliban of cars and I suspect the DVLA pays them no heed.
Most people don’t bother informing the DVLA when they make changes to the engine but this would be quite a significant change as opposed to the more common, increase in cc or replacement with a later version etc.
I’ve always found the DVLA actually very good so I would be tempted to talk to them if it transpires that the company has strangely not bothered to find out.
Thanks, DA.
Here's the company's reply.
"If you are converting a registered vehicle then you must inform DVLA and update the details on your registration certificate (V5C) about changes to the engine and DVLA will tell you if they need to inspect the change. We will provide you with a letter once the conversion is complete to give to them. You would need to inform your insurance company.
The car doesn’t need to go through a special MOT."
Here's the company's reply.
"If you are converting a registered vehicle then you must inform DVLA and update the details on your registration certificate (V5C) about changes to the engine and DVLA will tell you if they need to inspect the change. We will provide you with a letter once the conversion is complete to give to them. You would need to inform your insurance company.
The car doesn’t need to go through a special MOT."
mgv8 said:
pingu393 said:
The cambelt in my diesel Escort van snapped last month. If I didn't have a spare cylinder head in the shed ready and waiting, I'd have looked at putting an electric motor in it.
My project time and ramp space is already booked for this year, but hopefully I can arrange for the cambelt to snap around December 2020 .
Converting a van (as there is lots of space) is quite easy. FWD just dump the LEAF system in there. The question is how much do you plan on spending. 24KWh of batteries plus motor and call controllers is not that cheep. What is your experience with computers and electronics? My project time and ramp space is already booked for this year, but hopefully I can arrange for the cambelt to snap around December 2020
.
I've got a kit car to build first
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