EcoClassic Electric Mk1 Austin Mini

[Bitsilly]

As I said, the car has gone up to nicks Workshop to have the high voltage wiring done.
He has posted a well produced video of the car on YouTube.
It is called ‘down at the barns ecoclassics classic mini. He does these videos to promote his company.
I should stress that this build has been a personal project and is my personal car. I am not an employee of ecoclassics, I was simply working with them to make their kit fit in to my mini, BUT when nick says ‘we’ did this and ‘we’ discussed that, I would like to think he included me in the ‘we’!!
The car looks great on the video!
I however don’t get much credit! Apart from allowing a squeaky door and unfinished wiring, and as inner circle folk you lot will know the white mini in the background at the beginning is but a prop!
I am still waiting for him to get the car moving! In the meantime you can search for the video, I would post a link but I’m on my phone.

[GraemeC]

Not watched it yet but the video is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqeCELzqh_s

[Bitsilly]

Cheers Graeme
Good to know you are watching!
Your drive shafts are part of the awesomeness!

[111Robin]

Watched the video, looks fantastic.

[GraemeC]

Cheers Graeme
Good to know you are watching!
Your drive shafts are part of the awesomeness!

Definitely watching, and almost annoyed I didn't snap up AlexM's Elf - I think they'd make a great conversion and keep a little boot space.

[Bitsilly]

The car has now had the high voltage stuff done and is moving under it's own steam, yea!
I will post a link to a video if Nick makes one or just make my own.
The weight came is at a smige over 800Kg which is a bit higher than I had hoped for but much lower than I had feared!
I guesstimate it is as per a normal 850 with a couple of 'mature' gents like me on the back seat!
I once had an RSP Cooper which weighed in at 715Kg with a small amount of petrol so I am still expecting Mini like handling although I will have to set it up properly.
Corner weights at the mo are:

LF 190 RF 200

LR 200 RR 210

Any comment on what balance may be best would be welcomed.

[Tim]

Looking forward to the video.

The weight is ueful to know. I wonder whether there is a way to find out the GVW of a Mk1 Mini? In Australia, if you end up too far overweight they take your passenger seats away. They reckon that they are already occupied by the battery, so therefore there is no room for two more of those 'mature' gents.

Tim

[Bitsilly]

The guy who developed this package, Nick from Ecoclassics is going to reduce the number of batteries for the next mini, as he says, who wants to drive over 300 miles in a mk1 in one go!
I would guess that might go down better with your authorities!

[roger mcnab]

hi
well we had a mk 1 and went on lots of outings and covered more than 300 miles with our 4 kids and luggage on one trip it was a good days drive also the wife and myself drove to melbourne from north of sydney and back in it was only 850 motor used as much oil as petrol those usless o rings on the valves kept breaking the smoke screen would put a battleship to shame
cheers roger mcnab

[Tim]

Makes sense. I'm thinking (its a fantasy if I'm honest) about converting my Moke. Potentially, there's space for the batteries in the side panniers and under the rear floor, but I'd like to retain 4 seats if I can. I have been on a few long trips (>1000km) but these days I rarely travel more than 100km.

Tim

[hanlminiman]

The guy who developed this package, Nick from Ecoclassics is going to reduce the number of batteries for the next mini, as he says, who wants to drive over 300 miles in a mk1 in one go!
I would guess that might go down better with your authorities!

Should be Very good for a Mini Cooper Register daily mileage run on a Minis to Monte event across France if they ensure the hotels they use have suitable charging points and enough capacity for the number on the entry list. Might include MINI electric vehicles.
Seriously we do need to plan for the future of our hobby.

Cliff
Ps sing - "The Esso sign means "less happy but more expensive motoring!"

[Bitsilly]

Nick had offered to reduce the number of batteries I have which I must admit I thought about.
I decided to try it out as it is first and range anxiety is a real phenomenon so it probably is important!
Plus, as I am lazy I don’t want the faff of having to charge it every time I use it.
Cliff, I couldn’t agree more!
My very first post was that I will cry more than most when watered down petrol is phased out. The current situation with despot suppliers of crude also sucks.

[Bitsilly]

A tiny update.
Nick has the car to fine tune the software but also swopped out the LSD for an open one, and that has completely sorted the steering kick back.
Just need to re set the geometry and she is good to go.

[DUF2 ‘65 Elf]

41DB53A8-FAB1-43AE-BC02-FF368DEF5CB6.jpeg

Here is my solution to the problem? Some may say I cheated!!!

[Bitsilly]

Well as most of you know by now, this project fell foul of the DVLA.
No problem with the electrification but they 'discovered' that I had drilled holes in the boot. they wouldn't confirm where.
They started a policy, during the build, of processing projects like this as kit cars rather than engine changes, and as they could treat a drilled hole as a modification, they did!
They removed the registration from their data base because I refused to modify the car, this time seriously, in order to pass an IVA and get a Q plate..
All the electrical components will be stripped out and the car will be scrapped/recycled.

The moral of this is that if you ever fancy electrifying a classic car, make a very accurate visual record of all the holes that were in the car beforehand, if the DVLA declare that you were the one who drilled said holes then the onus is on you to prove you didn't. Thus it is best to start with a completely mod free car and do not drill it or modify it in any way during the conversion, only use pre-existing holes..

Perhaps in the future new rules will come in to allow minor modifications during conversions to allow them to be safer and easier.
To that end there is a Parliamentary Petition on the go asking the DVLA to do so.
Watch this space!

Thanks again for all the support and help from the members and moderators of this great forum.
Kind Regards
Ed.

[Nick W]

Would it not make an interesting hillclimber or track day car?. Surely you could stuff the dvla and sell it as such a thing.?