Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Batteries - EV Conversion
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:00:17 -0700
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On 2/26/2025 4:38 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
> Back Story:  About 3-1/2 to 4 years ago my dad had a brain tumor 
> removed, and it came to my attention that he was not managing their 
> affairs very well.  He and my mom were receiving social security, and he 
> was doing various handyman type work.  He had some other assets, but he 
> was hoarding them instead of using them.  I stepped in and took over for 
> a little while, but out of respect I kept him in the loop.  When he 
> would tell me something, I'd put in my time and work to make it happen 
> and find out how it would work out and he would try to horse trade with 
> me I quit.
> 
> Example:  He said he would like to sell a fifth wheel trailer he owned. 
> I looked it, up checked the market, found how much others selling the 
> exact same trailer were asking, and how long theirs had been on the 
> market I knew for a fact what they wouldn't sell for, and what I would 
> have to settle for in order to sell it.  He tried to negotiate with me. 
> He literally burned my time without regard.  I'd have been ahead if I 
> had just made stuff in the shop and given him money.  That was the 
> proverbial straw.  I'm not faulting him.  He literally had a hole in his 
> head.  Not his fault.  He just wouldn't let me do what I needed to do 
> without throwing my time in the fire.
> 
> One thing I did do was line up a renter for a commercial property he 
> owned.  I was working out the deal at the same time as my peeve, and 
> then turned the renter over to him because I wasn't going to have my 
> time wasted again.
> 
> My dad passed away a year ago, and I wound up taking over everything 
> again.  I'm actually a bit overwhelmed, but that's beside the point.  At 
> least because of the time my dad was recovering from his brain surgery I 
> had all his account names, passwords, and I have his cell phone.  I was 
> able to just step in and make short term decisions quickly.
> 
> Among other things I took over working with the renter until they moved 
> out at the end of last year.  They were from out of the region, using 
> the property as their local base of operations for a solar generating 
> station they were working on.  While they were here (for three years) 
> they accumulated some stuff.  Trying to get out before the end of the 
> year they had a truck sitting in the yard with a blown engine they 
> wanted to just get rid of.  I told them if they couldn't rid of it they 
> could leave it behind, but they would have to provide the title or I 
> would charge them what it cost me to have it hauled away.  I figured 
> worst case scenario with the title I could load the truck on one of my 
> trailers and get a few hundred bucks from a salvage yard with the title. 
>   Enough to make up for my time to do it.  A few weeks later the title 
> arrived in the mail.
> 
> I got to looking at the truck and its better, and worse than I thought. 
> The motor is not rebuildable.  They already had it out of the truck 
> laying on the ground half apart.  All of the front trim, radiator, grill 
> parts are all out laying in the bed of the truck.  Probably made it 
> easier to pull the motor.  They had told me "The motor is completely 
> blown up, but the transmission is good."  I got to looking at it and the 
> body is straight.  All the trim is there.  The interior is full of 
> desert dust as any vehicle that sets around here gets, but its intact 
> and in good shape. If it had a good motor (less than 3 grand for a reman 
> (4.7L) long block, and a couple grand in additional parts to do it 
> right), it could be made into a decent truck again.  The only real 
> cosmetic negative is for some reason beyond my understanding one end of 
> the front bumper is bent up and out.  Not impact or wreck damage.  Maybe 
> getting pulled out the sand or something by somebody who doesn't know ho 
> to do a pull.  The sheet metal behind it is all perfect for its age. 
> 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 Extended Cab.  Its a Dodge.  I am sure there is 
> stuff that doesn't work, but cosmetically it could be a nice truck.
> 
> The thing is I don't need a truck for serious truck things right now.  I 
> bought the new F250 FX4 back around the end of August last year for 
> truck things.  With its 6.8L engine it develops more horsepower and 
> torque than the 6.6L turbo diesel in the 07 Silverado I sold last year. 
> There is one thing though.  The F250 only averages about 11.8 mpg.
> 
> Finally getting to the point:
> 
> I got it in my mind to do AN EV conversion on that Dodge.  Not for heavy 
> hauling or road trips, but for going to the hardware store.  A few 
> sheets of plywood.  A couple bags of ready mix.  That sort of thing.
> 
> I kinda had a plan.  I was going to use LiFePo batteries instead of 
> lithium Ion because they are safer.  Since its short range it wouldn't 
> matter.  100 miles range would be fantastic.  50 miles range would be 
> more than adequate.  This lets out the obviously killer deal in EV 
> motors.  Ford released the Mach-E crate motor dirt cheap.  I mean cheap. 
>   I think the original OEM price was around $3-4K, but you can buy them 
> from a number of reputable sources including the big name racing stores 
> for $1.5K or less.  Power and torque are very good.  It also requires a 
> 400V battery.  That lets out cheap battery options.  It doesn't come 
> with a controller, inverter, charger, etc.  I could make any gear train 
> parts, but the rest adds up, and the companies that have proven gear to 
> work with it aren't even selling any of it to the unannointed. Basically 
> if you buy that motor hoping to do an EV conversion you will be bread 
> boarding everything from scratch or you will have to turn your vehicle 
> and motor over to one of the CABAL and pay them to do everything.  
> Pricing is very closed mouth, but those who have dared to defy the 
> priesthood have said the minimum cost is around 20 grand and it goes up 
> very quickly from there.  Basically it makes it all pointless. Might as 
> well drop a remanufactured 4.7L gasser in it be out 6 grand including 
> all new front/top of the engine stuff.
> 
> The thing is I don't necessarily need the 285 true horsepower of the 
> Ford Mach-E.  A Hyper-9 is only 144 volts nominal 90ish horsepower.  It 
> would work just fine for a local only surface street pickup truck with a 
> gear box instead of a transmission, and its only about 5 times the price 
> of the Ford Mach-E crate motor.  Still needs controller/inverter/ 
> charger/batteries, etc.
> 
> I really want to do something with this truck.  Its to nice to throw 
> away, but in the end I may just haul it to a salvage yard.

I had a guy touch base with me with a complete package for a 1/2 ton 
Dodge truck that he wasn't going to use.  $58,000.00  At the risk of 
offending your sensitive natures.  F__K THAT.  Okay, at that price it 
did include a new battery.

I actually found a "package" sans battery for $6500.  96HP (72Kw), 144 
volt, controller, inverter, & charger.  A rough calculator estimates the 
0-60mph (0-96kph) at around 18 seconds with a single 96HP motor with a 
5000lb (2267kg) vehicle.  Pretty darn slow.

They make an adapter for that motor to tie two of them together, so 6500 
+ 6500 + 500 + battery and I'm close to the minimum of 20 grand.

I could put the truck back together with a remanufactured (not repaired) 
engine that is a match to the OEM with all new parts on top and in front 
of the motor for 6 grand.  I just don't have the time for that.

I still think I am looking at putting it on a trailer and hauling it to 
a salvage yard.

EV just doesn't make any sense financially at all.  I don't have the 
knowledge to boot strap a wrecked EV into it.  That is the ONLY way I've 
seen anybody do an EV conversion even half affordable.

To be fair that 90HP package would be fine for a small light car like a 
first gen Miata or an old Chevy Luv, but for anything substantial it 
would just incite road rage in other drivers.

That being said, I keep an eye out for a first gen Miata with a blown 
motor and good chassis at a deal.  I passed a couple years ago, but now 
I wish I'd snatched them up.  I like the old pop-up head lights with the 
bug eye conversion.  There was also an outfit in California with that 
made a fastback hard top for them.  Extreme aerodynamic improvement and 
it already wasn't bad with the top up.

-- 
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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