Prepping VW Beetle Electric Donor Car
An old [tag-tec]Volkswagen VW Beetle[/tag-tec] is a great donor car if you are planning a Do It Yourself (DIY) electric vehicle conversion. It is inexpensive and has ample space to store the lead acid batteries.
To save cost, most people will get a busted VW Bug. If its faulty, you can always negotiate with the seller for a lower price.
When you get the donor car, there are a few prepping works that you have to do. The idea of an [tag-tec]electric car conversion[/tag-tec] is to remove the internal combustion engine (ICE) and replace it with a DC electric motor.
To propel the car forward, the motor will be connected directly to the existing transmission unit. When the engine is taken out, all its associated component such a exhaust pipe, fuel pumps, gas tank, radiator etc are removed as well.
Here is the dangerous part. When removing the gas tank and fuel lines, make sure you drain them dry.
Even with a damaged VW Beetle donor car, there might be some gasoline residue in the system. As you know, gasoline is highly flammable and you should put extra precaution when handling the component.
This is important because in the later part of the electric car retrofitting, you my have to do some welding work. Welding sparks and gasoline fume is not a good combination.
Using an electric VW Beetle can save you a lot of money. However, if you are not familiar with car components, it is better for you to outsource the conversion work to a professional mechanic.
To be prudent, you should know some basic information on electric vehicle. At least you will know you are being charged of unnecessary parts or work done on you car.
For information on homemade electric car, check out VW EV conversion guides review.