More Parts Have Arrived!

I have some parts!  This week I received some great deliveries.  I have my front and rear disk brake kits along with new bearings to go all the way around the car.  These disks will look great under the EMPI 8 spoke wheels. I decided to wrap the wheels in a set of General Altimax HP tires (195/60/15).  Although these are not low rolling resistance tires they are rated an 8 out of 10 for rolling resistance making them only slightly less efficient then the highest rated low rolling resistance tires.  I'll run a bit higher pressure in the tires to make them a bit more efficient.

General Altimax HP 195/60/15

EMPI Wheels with mounted General Tires

I also got in my new Corbeau sport seats with brackets designed to mount directly into the Beetle factory seat mounts.  No drilling or welding needed to get them solidly in place!

Corbeau seat mount brackets with slider

Corbeau reclining seats

I also picked up a Warn Winch to mount on the Harvey Trailer I brought home a week or so ago.   With the design of the trailer having sides that are above the door sills I will not be able to open the doors of the car once it is on the trailer.  This will make it challenging to drive the car onto the trailer and get out.

Warn winch 1700 DC

This Warn winch offers exceptional value from a reputable company.  For right around $100 I purchased a Warn 1700 which thanks to Amazon.com was delivered in two days. Along with this winch I have a little side project I am working on to mount a 15 watt solar panal and charge controller to the trailer on a folding system.  This will allow me to charge an auxiliary battery that will run the winch.  Furthermore I will not have to load and unload the battery to charge it on a wall charger or use booster cables to run the winch off the towing vehicle.

I also have the shipping information for the motor and controller from RebirthAuto.  The setup should arrive with most of the remaining components for for the engine bay by next Friday!  I was informed that I will be receiving the charger in a separate shipment.  It’s coming together now!  

Parts Update

More Parts on the Way

It's time for another update!  Earlier this week a large order of parts shipped out from Arizona and should be arriving on Monday.  Early Beetles where not known for there incredible stopping ability as the cars came equipped with standard drum brakes all the way around.  Since this car is going to become my daily driver (in the summer at least) I decided it was best to upgrade the brakes.  I will be getting in a full set of disk brakes for both the front and back wheels.  I realize that I could have done just as well with only front disks and left the backs to the drums but for the added piece of mind the cost was minimal and it will be that much safer.  Along with the new brakes I'll be running a new 20.6mm brake master cylinder to keep up with the added pressure required for the 4 disks.  I don't think stopping will be an issue!

With all those shiny new brakes in there I figured I'd need to add some improved tires as the stock tires leave a lot to be desired.  The stock wheals are so narrow I also put a set of EMPI style 8 spoke two tone wheels to improve the look and feel of the car.  I'll start my selection process for the tires shortly.

http://www.chircoestore.com is a great source for classic VW Beetle parts

For a long time I debated on what I was going to do for the interior.  I went back and forth with myself on whether to keep it looking classic and original or to freshen it up with more modern appointments.  I looked for original seats that would have fit the classic look (the current seats are beyond showing their age) but they just didn't seem to fit an electric car.  With a modern drive system I decided I needed modern seats to match.  I would have liked to go with a set of Recaro but I felt as though I had spent quite enough on the other components so far and went with a nice set of reclining Corbeau seats instead.  These seats will add a level of comfort and convenience not found in the stock Beetle seats.  The added benefit of going with these seats is that Corbeau also fashions seat brackets that clip right into the stock mounting mechanism.  No cutting or welding custom seat brackets in!

Corbeau A4 Series reclining Seat in black cloth

Hopefully I'll have a motor and controller next week to share!  Please leave your comments below!

Battery arrival

Batteries have arrived!

It's been a month or so since I ordered my batteries but they have finally come in.  For this build I wanted to go with a reputable battery manufacture that is known for there consistent battery performance and reliability.  For this reason I selected the China Aviation Lithium Battery Company (or CALB) as my battery manufacturer of choice.  The next decision that had to be made was how much was I willing to spend and how far did I want to go.  I reviewed my average daily commute and then mapped out the furthest point which I would typically go with any regularity and determined that a 40 mile range would meet my needs sufficiently for 90+ percent of the time.

Two crates from China with thirty 100Ah Cells totaling 96volts

I quickly removed the strapping with the claw end of the hammer and pried the top off (I would not recommend using a hammer for strap removal normally but it's what I had handy).  I pulled each cell out visually inspecting each one (I will check the voltage on each cell later this week).

The first three cells out of the box!

All 30 cells lined up sequentially by serial number

Weight reduced flywheel

I also got back the flywheel from the original engine (which has been sold!).  The flywheel gear has been machined off (thanks to my advisor Lowell) as well as some additional material around the outside to lighten it up a bit.  Unfortunately I didn't weigh the wheel before it was machined however it was estimated that about a pound of material was removed.  Every little bit helps.  I'll have the clutch and clutch plate mounted up and take it for balancing shortly.

Lightened flywheel ready for balancing with the clutch

More Parts on the Way

Now I am back to waiting for more deliveries.  For the remaining drive train components I ordered the RebirthAuto Classic VW Performance/Mileage Kit.  I spoke to Steve at Rebirth Auto who was very helpful in setting me up with my kit.  I upgraded to the Netgain Warp9 rather then sticking with the standard Kostov.  I did stay with the Evnetics Soliton Jr. for this build as I am only running 96 volts right now and couldn't justify the extra cost associated with putting a Soliton1 in there.  Steve was gracious enough to give me a EVCCON discount as I will be bringing the car to Missouri this fall to show and drive during the event.

In addition to the drive components which are very important I also have ordered disk brake conversion kits for the front and rear wheels of the beetle.  With all this new power behind my little super beetle I am not so confident in the original drum brakes having the necessary stopping power.

Lastly for this week I have a slight deviation from the Beetle to the new towing package and trailer purchased for the drive to Missouri.  A new hitch and wiring system have been installed on my girlfriends trusty Chevy Equinox and I purchased a Beetle sized trailer from Harvey Trailer in Bangor.  Now the trick is to keep the weight of the Beetle and Trailer under 3500 pounds so as not to max out the Equinox!

Parking the trailer next to the shed until a more permanent home is created

Wood mounted on the front and sides to protect against road debris

Look for new parts deliveries in my next update!  If you have any comments or question please leave them below.