High Voltage Hot Rods

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The electric GT-40 at the Gold Coast Electric Auto Association meeting

This blog is about my quest in building and restoring a 1968 Fiberfab Valkyrie -Ford GT 40 replicar into a modern electric vehicle. The car was chosen for this project because it was lightweight, simple, and as a mid engine vehicle it would accommodate the batteries required. I was also interested in a fiberglass body which I could easily style. The site is mainly photos but I will try to add in some comments and explanations. – Andrew McClary (Designer)

Current Status – Was inspected by the DMV and issued a license.  Its been on the road and logged about 60 miles so far.

A bit about the iPhone.

Almost 90% of this blog has been written and edited on an iPhone. The iPhone has been an extremely valuable tool for documenting and recording the work I did on this car. Almost ever photo was taken on the iPhone and uploaded to this website via a WordPress app. This is often why the text is short and to the point. The phone was also very usefull in explaining to dumbfounded auto parts store salepeople what I was trying to accomplish and what kind of parts I needed. A picture is worth a thousand words.

The Electric GT40 – EVGT40 Project

The Journey Begins – by Andrew McClary In August, while sitting on the beach I was browsing through eBay on my iPhone when I came across an auction for a 1968 Fiberfab Valkyrie, a design based on a Ford GT40. I had been looking for a car that I could convert to and electric vehicle for some time. What ever it was going to be, it had to be cool. I wanted a platform that I could work off of to learn the technology involved and look at ways of improving it. I was looking for a lightweight fiberglass car that I could modify. Maybe it was the ocean air and being relaxed on vacation that made me do it, but I pushed “Place Bid”. I was buying the car from only a few photos and what turned out to be a poor description. I had Googles Fiberfab and the Valkyrie, and it looked like just what I was looking for. The next day I found out I was the highest bidder. I was about to start on my electric car.

When I went to pickup the car in Jupiter, FL I was disappointed to find out the condition of the car. The body was in good shape, but the frame and front suspension was in horrible shape. The kit car had been started but never finished. The was going to be a ground up restoration and build. That said, I could see what the car could be. I was going to bring the car to life. Most Recent Work

• The Engine Goes In – Installing the Warp 9 motor
• Designing and Fiberglassing The Dash Board
• Zilla Control Arrives
• Putting Lambo Door Hinges On
• Designing the battery holders
• Making head room
• Painting the car
• Finishing the interior

Check out coverage of the Florida Electric Auto Associations Battery Beach Burnout.

On Board Motor and Battery Monitoring System

Design for the in Dash monitoring system

After looking around at what was available in the way of gauges for monitoring electric motor, batteries and components, I decided that there was a real need for a better system. The Zilla controller can interface with a computer via a serial port and transmit a lot of data. Unfortunately there isn’t any software out there that can display this data that has style. Since this is going to be a high style sports car sitting a palm pilot in the dash or watching a terminal program just wasn’t going to cut it. Zilla View does about the best job, but its still not what I want to see in my dash. So work began on the in dash monitoring system (IDMS) . Features:

• Monitor up to 16 batteries
• Motor RPM
• Speedometer (calculated off of motor RPM and gear)
• Read AMPs and other readings provided by Zilla controller
• Contactor Indicator
• Forward and Reverse Indicator
• Monitor Doors and Trunk
• Motor alerts if beyond user set limits
• MP3 Player
• Rear Camera Display
• Links to launch GPS software

There are also plans to work with another member of the local EAA chapter who is developing a Battery Maintence System (BMS) that would allow the system to monitor and balance the battery pack. If you are interested in this system for your car, drop me an email Why an Electric Car The decision to build an electric car is about a lot of things but mostly its about the future. I am an avid auto enthusiast and love anything that goes fast from cars to airplanes. Though there is a thrill in hearing the roar of a engine as it revs up I see this as a demonstration of old ideas. The whine of an electric motor is the future and it is equally glorious.

A bit about oil. Over the last 10 years I have really been ashamed of the path that oil has taken this country on. The dependence on foreign oil has not only sold out the American dream to foreign interests but it has lead this country in to war. Though the reasons for going to war in Iraq can be debated, the core reason we have any interest in the Middle East is because of our need for oil. It could even be argued that 911 was a direct result of military bases in the region and our armed forces protecting our oil interests in the region. Our soldiers should be protecting us here at home not oil interests abroad. Our need for oil has made us many enemies. Its time to begin a change for our children. To really explore alternative energies for real.

It is my belief that electric cars are the real future. What will be powering them is still being developed. Battery technologies are advancing rapidly. Primarily driven by the cell phone and lap top technologies the capacity and charge times are improving. But what is learned in these two arenas is spilling over into EV technology. Right now most EV conversions are running on lead acid batteries because they are the most efficient for the cost. Lithium ion batteries like those used in laptops are starting to find their way into some cars but they still are very expensive. Lithium polymer batteries are showing promise. But the batteries are only the storage media. They are like the “gas tank”. The real alternative fuel is how the electricity is produced. Will it be solar, wind, water, nuclear, or some other method. This site is about my journey to make an electric vehicle or EV. It is my journey and research into looking at the issues and problems of an electrical vehicle and trying to solve them.

My Background My college degree is in architecture, but I would classify myself as a designer. I have over 15 years of experience in designing special effects and computer animation. I am not only a artistic designer but also a programmer. My hobbies include RC electric cars and electronics. I have always enjoyed tinkering with cars and have even used my artistic skill to paint one. This picture is of a 1995 Mustang that I did the paint job on. All of the flames are airbrushed by hand by me.

1995 Mustang I painted

My first fabrication project involved restoring a 1985 Kawasaki LTD. I purchased it for $900 from eBay as a basket case. It had been left in the weeds for a couple of years. I completely tore down the bike and rebuilt it. Every bolt was polished and parts repainted. The design was also altered. Here is the finished product.

Click here to see my blog on the Kawasaki 454 restoration. This project taught me how to weld and got me interested in restoration and fabrication. The next project was going to be the car I had been rolling over in my head for years. An all electric sports car.

Sponsors

A special thanks to the following sponsors who have assisted in making this project happen:

• EV Source
• Eagle Auto Parts- NAPA – Coconut Creak, Florida