My co-conspirator in this project, Peter, has sent me the link of another kiwi converter, Gavin; Gavin's a lot further ahead than me - in fact, he's almost on the road - and his site is a treasure trove of useful information. Thanks, Gavin! It makes the whole idea seem much more doable, knowing that there's someone else out there who's already done it. It's daunting to see how much it's cost, but also good to be prepared; donations are welcome!
Gavin imported his motor (and various other bits) from the USA; I wonder whether there is a manufacturer in New Zealand who is considering building electric vehicle motors?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
The Valiant
In 1993, I bought a 1964 AP5 Chrysler Valiant for NZ$1200. It was rust free, mechanically sound, and I was to be the fourth owner. The seller had used it to tow his boat, but he'd had to sell the boat to pay for his daughter's wedding, so now he had no use for the car.
Fourteen years later, I still own Lucy the Valiant, and in that time we've shared numerous road trips that have taken us just about all over the country. We've had some mishaps but we've never been stranded and often the mishaps have led to more adventures. When I've been overseas, she's sat patiently in the garage under her blanket for months, ready to roar into life the first time I start her on my return. I've had her engine reconditioned and over the years replaced whatever needed replacing, removed rust as it's appeared and given her a fresh coat of paint.
She's a stylish and reliable vehicle and to drive her is a real pleasure - but she's also a fossil-fuel-consuming pollution-emitting dinosaur. As the negative consequences of our dependency on oil have become impossible to ignore, owning and driving this beautiful machine is increasingly problematic. But I'm not ready to let her go.
Hence this project: The Valiant Electric. I'm going to transform her into an electric powered vehicle. I know it won't be easy - she's no lightweight - and it probably won't be cheap. But when the average life of a modern car is only 5 years and mine's done 43 and still going strong, it makes sense to keep her on the road.
Fourteen years later, I still own Lucy the Valiant, and in that time we've shared numerous road trips that have taken us just about all over the country. We've had some mishaps but we've never been stranded and often the mishaps have led to more adventures. When I've been overseas, she's sat patiently in the garage under her blanket for months, ready to roar into life the first time I start her on my return. I've had her engine reconditioned and over the years replaced whatever needed replacing, removed rust as it's appeared and given her a fresh coat of paint.
She's a stylish and reliable vehicle and to drive her is a real pleasure - but she's also a fossil-fuel-consuming pollution-emitting dinosaur. As the negative consequences of our dependency on oil have become impossible to ignore, owning and driving this beautiful machine is increasingly problematic. But I'm not ready to let her go.
Hence this project: The Valiant Electric. I'm going to transform her into an electric powered vehicle. I know it won't be easy - she's no lightweight - and it probably won't be cheap. But when the average life of a modern car is only 5 years and mine's done 43 and still going strong, it makes sense to keep her on the road.
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