New Ammeter and Voltmeter installed!Nice, clean interiorDash before EV gaugesEngine bay ready to receive motor...11-inch Hitachi motorPlanned addition to "SE" logo
OwnerDennis
LocationGreensboro, North Carolina United States map
Email email image
Vehicle1996 Ford Probe SE
I'm an NCIS fan, and the above nickname
fits on so many levels! ;-)

I bought the car on 6/10/08, and I'm
having a ball watching the progress --
even if it's way slower than I'd like.

June 2010 Update:
Finally have accumulated the missing
funds to finish the project, but now am
struggling to find the TIME to get it
complete. I have received the first
installment of my Belktronix package,
with the charger, etc expected sometime
soon... Now, to get the yard projects
out of the way so I can get this thing
DONE! :-D
MotorHitachi Model MT4100-11B Series Wound DC
11-inch from a Nissan forklift -- 10kw
at 48 volts...
DrivetrainThe greasy 2.0L four-banger that it
came with has finally been removed!! I
received my 11-inch Hitachi motor on 7-
22-08, and will now be working on
having the mounting pieces fabricated
to mate it up with the stock 5-speed
transaxle -- minus the clutch.
ControllerBelktronix 144V
Batteries18, 8.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
I'm pleased to be able to return to my
original idea of more batteries for
more range now that Belktronix has
unveiled a system for them. I am
trying to strike a useful balance
between weight/spaces considerations
and range, and I'm currently thinking
8-volt batteries should be a good
compromise. I know they won't yield as
much range as 6-volt batts, but they
should be quite a bit better than the
12-volt AGMs I had been planning on...
System Voltage144 Volts
ChargerBelktronix
I like the simplicity of a fully
integrated system.
HeaterPlanning ceramic.
DC/DC ConverterBelktronix
InstrumentationHave added LDC volt-meter and ammeter.
Planning to use the stock speedometer and
tach. Will probably eventually add a
PakTrakr.
Top SpeedWe'll see!! With the 11-inch motor and
144 Volts, speed and acceleration
should be pretty impressive. I know
the 500-amp limit on the Belktronix
controller will limit acceleration
some, but speed really isn't my
objective.

I'm striving for a range a bit in
excess of my 21-mile commute (each way
-- but I can charge while at work). I
care about this baseline of range more
than I care about speed. We'll see
what evolves...
RangeUsing 8-volt batteries (probably US
8VGC's), based on what I read of other
folks' experience, I think I should see
a range of about 40 miles at 50% DOD.
Hope so!

I HAVE to have a USEFUL range of at
least 22 miles to cover my commute.
I'm pretty sure I'll do a lot better
than my minimum requirement. That
means I should be able to run an errand
or two on the way to work! ;-)
EV Miles
Start:124,789 Miles (200,785 Kilometers)
Current:124,789 Miles (200,785 Kilometers)
Total:0 Miles (0 Kilometers)
 
    As of 9/30/2019
Seating Capacity4 1/2

Currently has seat belts for four, but
we have three kids, so I'll add a lap-
belt for the middle rear position. Our
youngest is small enough to fit there
comfortably, and the seat-design is
safe for doing this... The whole
family riding in this car will happen
VERY seldom, but it will be nice to be
legal in those rare instances when we
want to all go to Burger King or
something...
Curb Weight2,894 Pounds (1,315 Kilograms)
(According to Wikipedia stats.) This,
of course, is pre-conversion weight.
TiresStock
Conversion TimeAs of 7-22-08, I have the ICE
completely out, along with all of its
"stuff". I have also acquired the
motor. Additionally, I think I have
settled on the
controller/charger/converter system.
Unless I discover something
discouraging about Belktronix in the
meantime, I will probably order that
within a month or so.

9-11-08 -- I've been stuck for a couple
of months waiting for more funding...
I've been expecting a check to arrive
for many weeks now which keeps getting
delayed for one reason or another. I
am now promised it should arrive within
a couple of weeks, so perhaps I can
order the Belktronix system then, if
that promise is finally kept... I
can't wait to get moving forward again
-- waiting is really frustrating!

I did manage to get new gauges in
today. I guess one little ant-sized
step forward is better than nothing,
eh? ;-)

June 2010, Not much done since last
entry except I have acquired the rest
of my funding and have ordered my
Belktronix package. To date, I have
received the controller, pot-box, integrator
and contactor. Next steps:
Hang motor, mount controller, etc, and
start building battery box and racks.
Conversion CostCost of car: $450. 11-inch Hitachi
motor: $500. Ammeter (with shunt) and
Voltmeter: $85.

The cost is being whittled away just a
little here and there by what I'm
getting for some of the ICE-related
parts I'm peddling on eBay. So far (9-
11-08), I've recovered about $150 from
these sales. Therefore, my cost to
date is about $885.

I expect the total cost to come in
somewhere around $4,000. I'm patient
enough to wait/search for bargains...

code by jerry