What's the ideal classic EV conversion candidate car?

What's the ideal classic EV conversion candidate car?

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Discussion

ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Tuesday 15th March 2022
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gmaz said:
Hmm I don't know about that. One of Colin Chapman's design principles was to "add lightness" so a conversion would be much heavier than the original car, unlike something like a testarossa where it can be done with the same weight (according to ECC)
Depends on how it's done and what kind of range is expected. Doesn't need to be "much" heavier.

MrB.

558 posts

185 months

Tuesday 15th March 2022
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My old Bentley T2 would have been an ideal candidate. That or a Shadow II or even a later Eight/Silver Spirit. Lots built, so not hurting the rarity value, the engine wasn't that characterful but it was torquey and silent - a bit like an electric motor - and the weight of the power unit alone would mean that the added weight of the batteries would probably have seen it not much more than the original kerb weight! Also, these old duchesses were about wafting along, and thats what an EV does very well. A bit of sound deadening, a 250 mile range and you'd have retained all that was great about the car with a modern twist.


annodomini2

6,860 posts

250 months

Tuesday 15th March 2022
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stumpage said:
037 said:
Have I seen someone doing a Testarossa or have I dreamt it?
No it's real.

The car is named after the engine. So now what, Ferrari Teslarossa? Ferrari bland grey motor?




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Part 2

037

1,315 posts

146 months

Wednesday 16th March 2022
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Brilliant, thanks for posting..

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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annodomini2 said:
now i wish i had money frown


AstonZagato

12,652 posts

209 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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MrB. said:
My old Bentley T2 would have been an ideal candidate. That or a Shadow II or even a later Eight/Silver Spirit. Lots built, so not hurting the rarity value, the engine wasn't that characterful but it was torquey and silent - a bit like an electric motor - and the weight of the power unit alone would mean that the added weight of the batteries would probably have seen it not much more than the original kerb weight! Also, these old duchesses were about wafting along, and thats what an EV does very well. A bit of sound deadening, a 250 mile range and you'd have retained all that was great about the car with a modern twist.
Johnny Cash's old Roller was converted - with enormous attention to detail:

AstonZagato

12,652 posts

209 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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Murph7355 said:
annodomini2 said:
LayZ said:
DS / ID 19/21

Never got a good engine, perennially lumbered with ancient 4 cylinder. Great wafter with space for batteries.
Main issue would be suspension, at least with a conventional setup there's usually aftermarket springs and dampers that can be adjusted for any changes in weight or balance.

With the DS that's going to be expensive.
Don't they self-sort for weight differences (ish)/are relatively easy to adjust by changing the amount of gas in the system?

I was thinking the pump might be an issue...but then an electric pump might be simpler again than the engine driven original....
That was also my assumption - that the self-levelling hydromatic suspension made it ideal.

I'd love an EV converted DS Décapotable. Silent wafting.


ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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The want is too high.
Seriously, any way to make that feasible sub 100k?

AstonZagato

12,652 posts

209 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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I don’t think you can get a decent donor car for less than £100k, so no sadly.

ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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frown

that looks epic though.

NDNDNDND

2,001 posts

182 months

Thursday 17th March 2022
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Dave Hedgehog said:
annodomini2 said:
now i wish i had money frown
I wish I had money so I could stop it from happening.

I honestly can't think of a good reason to do that, except to piss people off.

ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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NDNDNDND said:
I wish I had money so I could stop it from happening.

I honestly can't think of a good reason to do that, except to piss people off.
Need any other reason? Pissing off luddites with less money hehe.

NDNDNDND

2,001 posts

182 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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ZesPak said:
NDNDNDND said:
I wish I had money so I could stop it from happening.

I honestly can't think of a good reason to do that, except to piss people off.
Need any other reason? Pissing off luddites with less money hehe.
If your pleasure in life is pissing people off, then good luck to you.

Who's the luddite anyway? An electric DS, for instance, makes perfect sense (although you'd have to be pretty ignorant to remove the 'Maserati' from a 'Serie Maserati'). Removing the engine from a Testarossa is ruining it. Isn't this thread supposed to be about appropriate EV conversions?

Besides, given rising values, I give it five to ten years before the engine is put back in that Ferrari - and it'll never be worth the same after those cowboys have messed around with it.

Edited by NDNDNDND on Friday 18th March 08:00

ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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Again, you're thinking in terms of "need for money" if resale is that important to you.
Even so, a lot of these conversions (haven't seen the Testarossa one yet) are fully reversible. At that point he has an engine that has no extra miles on them and he has enjoyed his Ferrari a lot more than over 90% of other owners. Maybe even as a daily.

He obviously has a car that people talk about and want to know about, which was the point.

I love the fact that when I drive up in my Twizy, some guy with a 4 cyl diesel tells me you can't be a real man and drive in something like that, pushes all the right buttons for them apparently hehe. It's odd when people are getting concerned with the resale value of the car you just bought.

Edited by ZesPak on Friday 18th March 09:47

SWoll

18,206 posts

257 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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ZesPak said:
Again, you're thinking in terms of "need for money" if resale is that important to you.
Even so, a lot of these conversions (haven't seen the Testarossa one yet) are fully reversible. At that point he has an engine that has no extra miles on them and he has enjoyed his Ferrari a lot more than over 90% of other owners. Maybe even as a daily.

He obviously has a car that people talk about and want to know about, which was the point.

I love the fact that when I drive up in my Twizy, some guy with a 4 cyl diesel tells me you can't be a real man and drive in something like that, pushes all the right buttons for them apparently hehe. It's odd when people are getting concerned with the resale value of the car you just bought.

Edited by ZesPak on Friday 18th March 09:47
The raison d'être of the Testarossa is the V12, remove that and it might as well be an MR2 based copy IMHO.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should..

ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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SWoll said:
The raison d'être of the Testarossa is the V12, remove that and it might as well be an MR2 based copy IMHO.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should..
I see what you mean.

But I grew up litteraly with my wallpaper being Countachs and Testarossas (bedsheed alternated between 969 and F40) smile. I didn't have any idea they ran a V12 until after my wallpaper had changed. So I disagree with the "raison d'être". They just look great as '80s supercars. If the owners want to enjoy them this way, then good on them. I think buying them because you can and see them as a solid investment, then putting them in a garage under a cover somewhere as most would do is a much bigger sin to these wonderful machines, but apparently I stand alone in that.

SWoll

18,206 posts

257 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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ZesPak said:
SWoll said:
The raison d'être of the Testarossa is the V12, remove that and it might as well be an MR2 based copy IMHO.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should..
I see what you mean.

But I grew up litteraly with my wallpaper being Countachs and Testarossas (bedsheed alternated between 969 and F40) smile. I didn't have any idea they ran a V12 until after my wallpaper had changed. So I disagree with the "raison d'être". They just look great as '80s supercars. If the owners want to enjoy them this way, then good on them. I think buying them because you can and see them as a solid investment, then putting them in a garage under a cover somewhere as most would do is a much bigger sin to these wonderful machines, but apparently I stand alone in that.
To a child perhaps not, but even then surely hearing a supercar was a massive part of the excitement?

I appreciate everyone has a different take on this stuff but for me it's classics with rubbish ICE drivetrains or big luxo barges where refinement and comfort is king that EV makes the most sense.

ZesPak

24,421 posts

195 months

Friday 18th March 2022
quotequote all
SWoll said:
I appreciate everyone has a different take on this stuff but for me it's classics with rubbish ICE drivetrains or big luxo barges where refinement and comfort is king that EV makes the most sense.
Oh, I fully agree. And I think this thread could have ended after AstonZagato's DS Cabriolet.

While the loss of the supercar howl isn't ideal, I do prefer it over the alternative where they become just investments sitting in a climatized space somewhere.
This is something done by people who actually want to use their pride and joy (for all the reasons you can think of), rather than some banker who might not even look at it twice after he bought it.

On top of that, the engines are kept or sold to maintain other Ferrari's that might not even be running. So the only thing that might happen here (unless everyone starts converting all of them) is that there'll be more of these on the road. I hope for my kids that's the case.

SWoll

18,206 posts

257 months

Friday 18th March 2022
quotequote all
ZesPak said:
SWoll said:
I appreciate everyone has a different take on this stuff but for me it's classics with rubbish ICE drivetrains or big luxo barges where refinement and comfort is king that EV makes the most sense.
Oh, I fully agree. And I think this thread could have ended after AstonZagato's DS Cabriolet.

While the loss of the supercar howl isn't ideal, I do prefer it over the alternative where they become just investments sitting in a climatized space somewhere.
This is something done by people who actually want to use their pride and joy (for all the reasons you can think of), rather than some banker who might not even look at it twice after he bought it.

On top of that, the engines are kept or sold to maintain other Ferrari's that might not even be running. So the only thing that might happen here (unless everyone starts converting all of them) is that there'll be more of these on the road. I hope for my kids that's the case.
The things is I don't think it's likely to meet the "pride and joy" bar for most owners with the engine ripped out and has a lot less reason to bother saving it in the first place?

gmaz

Original Poster:

4,382 posts

209 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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If it were my Testarossa, I'd sell the engine to someone who had a knackered engine. That way, I get a reliable car I can use everyday and someone else gets to put their Testarossa back on the road.