Someone who is really looking at buying a used car for EV conversion project needs to look out for the model and make of the car, its cost and present condition apart from the mode of payment and other things involved in your purchase plan.

There are actually a lot of other important things which also need to be considered regarding the car itself prior to the purchase of the vehicle. Some of the key points are highlighted as follows.

1) The mileage.

The most important thing to be considered is the date of registration of the car to evaluate its age. In the second-hand car sales market, a car which has run for about 15,000 to 20,0000 km and which is around 3 to 5 years old is considered to be worthy for buying. This number kilometers run by the vehicle can be determined by taking the reading on the odometer of the car.

There is a high chance of this odometer value being false, because the odometer reading could be easily modified and tampered by the owner whether it is a mechanical or electrical odometer. But nevertheless, it gives you a rough idea about the current condition of the vehicle.

But since the vehicle is meant to be the donor car of your homemade electric car project, you can opt for a car which is much older. Reason being, you will be replacing the internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Therefore, even though the engine has considerable wear and tear, it is still a good candidate.

2) Tire condition.

The tires should have no wear and tear, because changing the tires will cost a ton. Also the health of the ball, bearings and bushes are to be noticed so that one does not end up spending on them unnecessarily.

3) Car battery.

The next thing to be in proper working condition is the battery in the car. It should be properly charged with no acidic leaks detected. This battery will be used to power auxiliary system such as electrical devices in your EV.

4) External appearance.

For anything the outside appearance matters a lot, likewise for the car also the paint on the external surface should look new, without any scratches, fading or peeling. Try to stay away from car which has excessive paint peeling or rust.

5) Internal system.

If the car has an audio system installed that also needs to be checked. Lastly, one has to ensure that the headlights, rear lights, dippers, reversing lights, and the cabin lights of the car are all in working condition. After considering all the above mentioned factors, you can decide upon the car which needs to be purchased finally.

In addition to the above list, it is always a wise idea to also look out for the special features of the model and the general output of the model and make a comparative analysis with one’s driving conditions, frequency of driving, needs and budget and then make a choice.

Also another set of comparative study could be made with respect to the other cars which came around the same time frame or which one can get for the same budget and analyze the pros and cons of your current selection based on the technical specifications. During this search there is a high possibility of hitting something which far superior than your current selection.

Now considering the payment options for the purchase of the car, there are several finance companies which offer loans at considerably low interest rates. So even before finalizing the finance company a comparative study is necessary to determine the best company which will suit your specific needs like discounts, repayment options, and monthly installments and so on.

As a matter of fact, at times one might not be able to find a good car in your own locality but there is a better alternative for the problem. One can take the help of a car dealer.

The purchase of cars from the car dealers will ensure that the quality of the car we purchase is actually good, as they generally make a thorough checkup before they purchase it from the owner and they also tend to maintain it properly.

The World Wide Web is another useful place to search for the different types of cars which are available for sale and it also makes your life easier for the comparative study as mentioned earlier.

Last but not the least, it is always better to test drive a car for at least 4 to 5 miles before deciding how good the present condition of the car is. It gives you the confidence before the purchase, and will also help reveal any malfunctions in the vehicle.

The safety of your car is very important, whatever model you have a Mercedes or a Mazda – the safest cars can also have a brake failure. And if the brakes of your car go down, the results might be extremely disastrous. The same issue with a conventional car will plague a homemade electric car also.

Obviously, brakes are the most crucial parts of your car. So acquaintances with a car brake system’s know how is always handy because you hardly know when your car brakes will let you down and it can happen when you are miles away from the nearest garage and who knows in midst of a dessert.

If you know how the brake system works you can:

- Inspect the brakes and find out what the problem is.

- Fully understand what will be required to repair the brakes.

- You can repair the brakes yourself if possible or explain exactly the situation to the person who is going to repair your car brakes.

To become proficient in performing the above functions, first of all you need a clear understanding regarding a car brake system.

A drum system uses a hydraulic pressure to push a pad against the brake drum to slow down and stop the car. The mechanism is like this:

- When brake pedals are pressed, the pistons in the master cylinder exert pressure through brake lines held by the brake shoe to the wheel cylinders inside the break drum.

- The brake shoe tightens against the drum and friction stops the wheel from moving. A brake drum is a flat-topped heavy cylinder generally placed in between the wheel rim and the drive wheel.

- When the brakes are pressed, the friction pad attached to the brake shoe is jammed against the brake drum. This slows down and stops the wheel.

- A wheel cylinder might have pistons that use hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder to exert tremendous pressure forcing the pad against the brake drum.

- The other system that’s called disk brake system uses the same hydraulic pressure to press the brake pads against the rotor to slow down the automobile.

The modes-operandi is as follows:

- When brake pedal is pressed, the master cylinder exerts pressure through break lines to the caliper forcing the friction pads to press against the rotor. The generated friction stops the vehicle.

- A rotor is just a circular plate attached to the wheel which is gripped by the brake pads.

- A brake pad is made with friction materials. When the brake pads are jammed against the rotor plate, the wheel stops turning.

- The brake pads are attached to the calipers and when pressed using hydraulic pressure these pads straddle the rotor.

- The brake pads are pressed using internal pistons to jam the rotor.

- To perform this process the braking system needs a brake fluid. The master cylinder is filled with such brake fluid and distributes the fluid under pressure to the braking system of the vehicle.

The above explanation provides a brief understanding regarding the two car braking systems. This is the basic knowledge you need to know for any troubleshooting and repair works for your car brake system.

Brake problem can occur in any model whether it’s a VW Beetle, a Ford pickup or the safest vehicle of the world. The internet is filled with huge resources that provide detailed explanation of all your needs regarding brake system problems in very vivid and systematic manner. I would advise you to go online and search for ‘car auto brake repair’. You will certainly be surprised by huge resources that will be displayed in no time.

It is a common belief with car owners that buying new auto parts from the manufacture dealers is the best buy. They probably have a wrong notion that buying used auto parts is not a good deal.

It is a truth that most of the car servicing companies and even the auto parts manufacturers recommend and use, used original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This is a fact that used auto parts are equally genuine as that of new.

Most of the used auto parts are from the cars which have met with an accident, the parts which are totally damaged are destroyed but other parts which are in good conditions are used.

However in some cases repairing may require removing the parts which are absolutely good and can be reused. These used auto parts are sold to the people who deal with second hand auto part market.

Since these used auto parts are genuine as originals, there is no reason why these parts cannot be used. All these parts are tested before selling to the potential customer. If you are converting a conventional automobile into a pure electric car and you are on a tight budget, sourcing for used car parts for your donor car may be the right option.

There are other reasons also to use these auto parts whenever you get your car repaired, the main advantage is saving as these auto parts are cost effective. Since the fuel costs are increasing every day and so are the auto parts, you save a lot of money, in these hard days money saved is money earned. You are assured to save 50 % cost on the maintenance of your car.

The positive aspect is that you are not compromising with the quality or the functionality of the used auto part, hence buying a used auto part is a sensible decision for your EV conversion project.

Manufacturer’s warranty.

By using genuine used auto part does not affect the warranty of your car. But if you use the parts using aftermarkets in your car, the warranty gets compromised and the manufacturer will immediately seize the warranty. Aftermarkets are the parts which are not manufactured and marketed by the original car manufacturer.

High quality tested car parts.

Used auto parts are approved as being good as new, since these parts have already been tested and passed, you are assured to get the best services using these auto parts. These parts are removed from the same car and are perfect blend for your car.

Some of the experts are of the opinion that these parts are even better as compared to new parts, since these parts were already functioning in the other car.

Limitation of used OEM parts.

The biggest limitation is that finding these auto parts for your electric car is not that easy, you may not be able to find the particular part which suits the specification of your car. Used car auto parts largely depend on the availability of the similar model and specification; it may take you long time before you can spot the one you require.

This happens with the rare car models but thanks to internet you can browse the websites of car dealers so that you can easily find one.

Where to buy used auto parts.

The most trustworthy search can be done online, by visiting the websites of online dealers. There are many OEM search engines which can help you to find parts from the pool of dealers. You just have to enter the car model, year of manufacturing and the specific name to find the desired OEM.

Searching online will also help you to find the OEM’s with lowest prices; you must use your wisdom to identify the genuine dealer.

EV conversion cost saving.

Looking for more tips and tricks on saving money for your first electric car conversion project? If you are, check out the Convert2EV ebook by Les and Jane Oke. The Okes are from Canada and they have been using homemade pure electric cars for more than 15 years. Click on the link below to visit their web site.

==> Click here to visit Convert2EV now!