Shuzo wrote:
Gray, stellar work. I think you are the only person whose build video shows the car and the builder growing at the same time. Any data you can share, specifications, especially weight, weight distribution etc and performance? Assuming you used all of the Volt battery, what kind of range do you get with normal driving?
What was the primary design decisions after deciding on battery electric, Miata based and reasonable cost?
What came to my mind was putting the electric motor at the differential, the rear battery behind and at the level of the differential and perhaps rearranging the front batteries. Also, why does the front roll bar land at bottom rail level instead of at the top? Is that standard? Another question I have is the length of the steering column. Is that also standard? It seems a bit harpoonesque.
Thank you for sharing your build. It is really great to see.
-Yes (I set a budget of $5K on the car so honestly the hardest part of the entire project was patience in purchasing parts for good deals)
-Using the stock Miata prop shaft meant I only needed to ream a custom shaft coupler. It was a simpler (more robust) solution.
-it looked fine in CAD but no reason in particular for the cage and mounting the shocks.
-steering column was extended and plug welded with a steel pin on both sides (to prevent shear failure case)
Looking back at this car I cringe because I have learned a lot (and I really mean a lot)