[epicstruggle]

Anyone start a project they knew was too big to finish? The only reason to even try was because it was too cool to pass?

[ERP]

You talking about as an individual or as a company?

[digitalwanderer]

Yeah, you forming a mega-corporation or trying to complete a 100,000 piece puzzle of a polar bear in a snow storm eating marshmallows?

[epicstruggle]

Originally Posted by ERP

You talking about as an individual or as a company?

Individual type project (may be even as a small group friends).

[Freak'n Big Panda]

I do that all the time. Most of them are making progress though.. just painfully slowly.

[catisfit]

Originally Posted by epicstruggle

Anyone start a project they knew was too big to finish? The only reason to even try was because it was too cool to pass?

If you already know it's too big to finish, I'd question the point in starting.

Then again, you username suggests you like that kind of thing

If not, figure out how much time you can devote to it, and scope the different parts of it, and you'll get some rough estimates of where you're likely to be within 3, 6, 12 months. Then you'll just have to decide whether that time investment vs progress is worth it.

[pocketmoon66]

Originally Posted by epicstruggle

Individual type project (may be even as a small group friends).

I bought and built a diy fitted wardrobe - runs 3 meters wide floor to ceiling and tooks 2 weeks of evenings and weekends to build. I thought it would kill me! The last evening when I drilled the holes for the door handles and thought that I'd ruined all of 6 doors - aaaaargh!

But now it looks great.

Now to start my milion dollar screenplay...

[epicstruggle]

Im thinking of working on converting a car into a ev one. This for someone who has never been a car guy.

[Ty]

Great project.

If you have the money, then you can get the expertise to help you.

[epicstruggle]

Originally Posted by Ty

Great project.

If you have the money, then you can get the expertise to help you.

Not planning on spending crazy amounts of money on parts or help. Im not looking at doing anything overly crazy. Just taking a cheap car, and working on it. I already found someone doing something similar:
http://civic-ev.blogspot.com/
Turning a honda civic into a civic ev. I believe there are other people working on the same goal, just need to tap into that pool of knowledge.

[Ty]

Good luck to you. Very commendable project IMO. Take lots of pics/vids if you go for it.

[ERP]

IMO you'll want to be able to write the money off if you can't finish it. Other than that go for it.

Cars aren't actually all that complicated, but if your doing something that isn't well understood, you can end up with useless parts. I have a growing collection of parts for my car project (which is going on 3 years now), that I just couldn't use. But if you're patient and willing to walk away from it for periods when it becomes frustrating you'll probably be fine.

[Sxotty]

Originally Posted by epicstruggle

Im thinking of working on converting a car into a ev one. This for someone who has never been a car guy.

That is freaking awesome.

I thought about doing this off and on.

I personally don't find it worthwhile to do it unless I was going to go all out with four motors, and a decent battery instead of golf cart batteries, but I don't have the $, time, expertise for that so there is no hope for me.

Just a sort of generic one would be ok though.

[epicstruggle]

May be I should start here. 400 dollars to get a car going 90 mpg.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/12...um-stunning-l/

[Frank]

Great project, epic!

A few pointers:

1. It'll cost you at least $ 3000 for the very basic package.

2. Your batteries are the most important part, bar none. You want a high amperage and lots of cycle times. For a first DIY job, deep-discharging 6-9 V lead-acid is best.

3. Buy an oversized motor, or at least one that can do at least twice whatever you calculated.

4. Buy GOOD motor control electronics, and (if you can afford it) give each battery it's own charger.

5. Before you start, try to figure out which parts of the car won't work anymore when you remove the ICE. The brakes are the first things to check.

6. On average, a higher voltage is better, but requires more batteries or a DC-DC converter in the regulator.

7. On average, AC motors are better but (much) more expensive (including the regulator).


And if you want to experiment a bit up front: buy some batteries, a charger and a second-hand motor and put them on a simple cart.

[epicstruggle]

thanks for the tips frank. Im currently debating where I want to go with this project. Do i want to work on converting to an ev car, or make it a car extremely efficient car.

[DAVID GUIVANT]

Originally Posted by epicstruggle

Individual type project (may be even as a small group friends).

I have been trying to shoot a pilot but I lack the budget and I am on my own for that. I did try to make a demo that shows the opening credits for my show but not many companies wanted to sponsor it.

Have moved on to another project now.

Hoping the next one will get me a gig in the bizz.
Good luck to whatever you have in mind and keep my contacts if you want, you never know if you need someone with my skills?