EcoClassic Electric Mk1 Austin Mini

[Bitsilly]

Things are moving a bit now at last!
The back section is all wired in and sorted. Cables have been sorted and run to the front.
To protect the cables from mud etc, I have run them in conduit. However to keep the water out the conduit has to be the type which is not slit. Having tried in vain to get a string through the conduit around corners etc, I came up with a solution which greatly helped. It is probably well know and I have just reinvented the wheel, but if you have compressed air, just knot the end of the string and pop a bit of loom ape around it, then blast it down the pipe with the air blower!

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[Bitsilly]

Still looking pretty stock, the giveaway charger is behind the reg plate.

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[Bitsilly]

Two days earlier!!

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[mk1]

Brilliant!

[Tim]

Mini is looking great.

There's a similar trick with cocktail umbrellas. You tie a light string to the stem of the umbrella and blow it through. The umbrella tries to open up and forms a bit of a seal inside the conduit.

Tim

[Bitsilly]

Cheers gents!

[Bitsilly]

Not much of an update I’m afraid due to Christmas and nick catching Covid for a second time.

The reason for this post is because I know a few of you at least don’t explore these forums eg. fans of electric cars rather than minis. If you are enjoying this build, please could you check out General Chat a moment and find the charity auction thread, appreciate what people do to raise money and buy a few tickets?

Many thanks

Ed

[nick@dunsdale]

I forgot to say,
Nick actually reckons the range of the car will be more like 200 if driven wisely, and around 160 if not.
So that’s a range of 160 then!!

That's a pretty decent range

Great thread great skills you make me feel rather dim !

[Bitsilly]

I've been trying to finish off the loom, and the good news is that having worked through back to front with all the separate bits on various sheets, there was only a single wire that did not turn up at the front for the main connector to the VCU.
Luckily after a panicked phone call to Nick, it turned out that it had been removed upstream but the notes hadn't been updated! Thank gawd!
All that remained was to attach pins to each wire....

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And it is easy to later spot any imperfections, as the blasted things only fit the plug if they are perfect!

[Bitsilly]

So following a little to and fro-ing and down sizing the four or so 1mm square wires to 0.5mm, last plug is complete!
Yea!

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[Bitsilly]

Which meant for the first time since starting, I was able to put the grille back, and check everything fitted still by resting on the bonnet. It now looks like a real car!

All that is left now is to fill the brakes, and the coolant system and Ship the car to Nicks workshop for him to do the high voltage wiring and do any software tweeks that may be needed. And of course adjust the bonnet!

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[111Robin]

Great stuff, looking forward to seeing you on the first test drive.

[Bitsilly]

Me too!
Only problem is Nick still hasn't sent me the letter for the DVLA yet and I think they are still going slow.
Apparently there is no inspection or anything once Nick signs it off!
I wouldn't have relished an IVA or whatever it is these days!

[mk1]

That's a lot of wires & pins.

All my recent looms have been on pre war stuff which have minimal electrics on board. They twisted my mellon enough. Sounds like you have a decent drawing to work from though

[Bitsilly]

Actually, no drawings yet, just comprehensive lists of from and where to which isn’t as bad as it sounds.
I think nick will be using my notes as aids for any subsequent minis. Another problem is that you run out of unique colours!
If I was doing it again I’d get a collection of wires with stripes too.
That is of course presuming he doesn’t take one look at it and makes me start again!
He is due to to pick the car up from me feb 1st, I will then get it back and know someone local to set up all the new adjustable suspension and suspension geometry as I have no idea and don’t have the patience for trial and error!
Can’t wait!

[mk1]

I'm sure I'm not the only person on here who can't wait either

[63Traveller]

Well, what a read - thanks so much for sharing it. Inspiring work and lovely to see the subtle tweaks - this Mini is going to surprise so many people!

I'm only a newbie here, so slowly working through threads as time & other commitments allow. If they're only half as interesting as yours, I'm in for a real treat here.
Steve

[Bitsilly]

Thanks Steve
I am sure you will find this little part of the interweb a friendly and welcoming place, as well inspiring enough to enable projects like mine and others!
It is a very nice place to hang out!

[Bitsilly]

Car has been picked up and taken to EcoClassics workshop to have the high voltage wires put in place, and also to upgrade the software (they have improved it since the beginning of the build). They will also set the driving modes, eco, sports, wife (sedate) etc.
And when they bring it back to me we will together decide the best regen braking set up. apparently the car can easily be set up for one foot operation where fully releasing the accelerator fully incurs the regen braking and can stop the car dead!
The plan is to try a few modes and see which 'maps' we will keep for my wife and for I.
I am holding Nick to the 4.9 seconds to 60, which to put it in perspective is the same as an Impreza WRX STi 1995!
As I mentioned before, the suspension I fitted is adjustable in many ways, both front and back, so before the car is driven in mild irritation these will need to be set up as is best for the weight distribution and handling.
All this should be done in 3 or 4 weeks.
Watch this space!

[Fanfaniracing]

Looking forward to see the finished Mini! Sounds very interesting.