EcoClassic Electric Mk1 Austin Mini

[nick@dunsdale]

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[nick@dunsdale]

...... sorry triple post somehow



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[nick@dunsdale]

Hi

What are you using for warmth in the cabin??

Have I missed how you’re going to keep warm...

A lot of modern cars now have auxiliary heaters that dont work of the coolant, in fact they have been on the go for years i had a seat van back in 1995 that had one

They are the best things ever freezing cold morning and you have instant heat

Example in the link below this is the first one that came up on search and not sure on the dimensions. And if it would fit inside a mini heater, but they are pretty common and i am sure there will be more compact ones available.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2015-Volvo-V ... %3A2047675




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[Bitsilly]

Yep, I nearly used a Seat one on a Cobra I built a few years ago, but as I said, the electric motor actually needs cooling, I need heating, so two birds with one stone!


When I removed the base plate and cleaned the internals up, I noticed a ready made tapped hole on the other side to the reverse switch, and lo and behold, the switch screws straight in!
By screwing it in a bit further than the reverse, it is triggered by the gearstick in the front and middle position, this is good news!
The switches are about £6.50 on Ebay.

Here is a photo of the base plate now with two rails, shown with the end of the gear stick part that slides between them.
I got in the correct place with a couple of self tappers and the popped a couple blobs of weld to fix it.

rsz_img_4280.jpg

[GraemeC]

You could probably also rig up a switch trigged by the short rod at the rear of the housing - when you push the stick forward, this moves backwards in a bush - should be quite easy to get it to make/break a switch.

Or, if you adjust what you've made so you have to lift and go for 'first' you could adjust that second switch position you've found to only make then - ie the exact opposite to reverse. Use those switches to drive a couple of change over relays, which in turn can operate a single relay, and you have a NOR gate that will check for the neutral position.

[Bitsilly]

I did look at the idea of using the shaft at the back but the other threaded hole worked really well.

I was also playing around with a magnet I have to make it feel better.

The NOR gate is an excellent idea. If the reverse isn't activated, and the central one (neutral) isn't either then it could output the NOR gate to select drive.
I will have a word with Nick about that as he is the electronic boffin.

Here is the further forward position on the other side with the white blanking pig removed:

rsz_img_4284.jpg

[Bitsilly]

The magnet thing is based on one of these strong magnetic hooks shown here holding up a stool just to demo:

rsz_img_4285.jpg

[Bitsilly]

Replace the threaded hook with a machine screw, a couple of washers and a spring to provide a little compliance/error/feel, then remove the top static bar from the shifter assembly leaving behind a handy hole:

[Bitsilly]

Because I wanted the mechanism lock into 'drive' and not fall out, I put the magnet with the spring on the hole for the top static rod:

rsz_img_4287.jpg

[Bitsilly]

You'll have guessed the last bit!
With the gear stick pushed forward to the drive position, I marked the shaft and welded on a tab. In retrospect it would have been an idea to have an adjustable bolt to adjust the catch point, but if needed it isn't really too late.
Cut off the redundant shaft and paint:

rsz_img_4289.jpg

[Bitsilly]

So anyway, i'm very happy with the result.
It snaps and locks very nicely into drive in the forward position.
It has a lock out for reverse and a switch already there with a healthy click provided by the lift and rail.
A £6.50 switch (part number GAE191) fits into the provided additional hole and can be adjusted to be activated when the stick is central and/or rearward (edit: but unfortunately following testing could foul in use so I'll be moving it to a bracket on the rear activated by the shaft that GraemeC referred to). As a simple extension of that bracket forward could hold a 3rd switch I may do that at the same time (if it turns out to be redundant thanks to the NOR gate it will be cut off!). Final photo much later

In the meantime see the photo, the bracket will simply be a bar running front to back held by the bottom plate screws with an upturn at the ends each holding a switch.:

rsz_img_4288.jpg

[Bitsilly]

The mounting bracket for the post 1979 car came with the casing, and it is straightforward to have a bracket at the front too, however I can't finish this until I have my front subframe back.

The last hurdle then is to fix on the magic wand stick.
I actually fits and works as is, but because the ball at the end is smaller it rattles about in the socket, so next step will probably be a nylon bush to increase the size and take up the slack.

Total cost £51.50 which I can live with!

[InnoCooperExport]

This shifter idea is brilliant! Enjoying watching this develop.

[Bitsilly]

Thank you, the support is what keeps it going!
I couldn't do it without this forum.

[Bitsilly]

The accelerator pedal that works with the motor and electronics arrived yesterday in the post.
It is very large and modern looking, and designed to be floor mounted:

rsz_img_4290.jpg

[Bitsilly]

I had a look at fitting it in where the original accelerator pedal is but it really is too large and did not fit well in the correct place. It would also mean losing the original pedal.
Luckily the travel of the original pedal where the cable attaches was extremely close to the travel of the roller arm under the new pedal (which is attached to a rotary switch).
I am sure there are more suitable pedals or other alternatives, but I decided if I could operate the new pedal with the old cable then I could fit somewhere out of sight under the bonnet.
This was the result!
It has the same travel min to max, provides a return spring for the pedal and allows the flexibility in positioning. I have yet to cut down the excess of the black plastic, but I will wait until I know where it will be attached and in what orientation. It should end up less than half the size shown and will probably sit next to the brake master cylinder with the cable fitting pointing downward:

[InnoCooperExport]

Yours might be a touch bulkier, but these floor mounted pedals were also used on Italian market Innocentis.



So not entirely unseen in Minis.

[Bitsilly]

Well you learn something every day!
I should have taken a photo, but my pedal really would have been an eyesore and would have had to have the carpet cut around it..
The layout on a left hand drive looks more suitable if you fancy having a go, it's just I love my teeny weeny original one!

[MiNiKiN]

Yours might be a touch bulkier, but these floor mounted pedals were also used on Italian market Innocentis.



So not entirely unseen in Minis.

I spy with my likkle eye....a lovely Pre-Export ♥. With the wrong heel mats from Newton though
Is it yours Daniel?

ONTopic: keep on your good work Bitsilly

[InnoCooperExport]

I spy with my likkle eye....a lovely Pre-Export ♥. With the wrong heel mats from Newton though
Is it yours Daniel?

ONTopic: keep on your good work Bitsilly

I wish Marcus! I just pulled the picture from the internet for the pedals. They are great aren't they, but so hard to find outside of Italy.