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My dad is converting an EV to GAS !!!


Fat Fusion
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Guys,

 

How often do you see an EV being converted to GAS?  Well my dad is an antique car guy and he's converting this old EV to a period correct speedster.

 

It's about a 1910 vintage chassis that almost certainly had an electric motor since there were crossmembers about every 8 inches where every ICE would have a pan hanging down.  He bought the chassis for $25 out of a field near his house.  It had been converted into a wagon of sorts.  He's putting a "Wisconsin T Head" engine into it.  It's got a 4 1/4" Bore and a 5 1/2" stroke!!!  That's more than twice the displacement of the Energi.  :rockon:   He is putting in a period correct Buick transmission and a Cadillac clutch.  The car retains it's original "Timken" rear differential but he's going to have to re-gear it from 5 to 1 to something more race car like!

 

It's an "underslung" chassis, meaning the frame is under the front axle!!!  Should be perfect for a speedster.   :shift:

 

The wood members are for mockup only.  We'll figure out a way to make some new members out of steel look a hundred years old.   :idea:

 

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Here's a shot of the axle setup.  Dad and ALL HIS OLD TIMER FRIENDS cannot for the life of them figure out the OEM manufacturer of the car, despite my dad being a former National President of the Horseless Carriage Club of America!   :victory:

 

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Here's the rear half of the chassis.  Nice work forming those frame rails, eh?

 

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The engine is a work of art.  Someone put a lot of effort into that aluminum casting!   :camera:

 

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Holy combustion chambers Batman!  Dual spark plugs about ten inches apart from each other per cylinder...

 

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He's going RHD for it!  Also visible is the Buick trans and "conical" Caddy clutch.  Making linkage and throwout for the clutch is a chore.

 

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He's shooting for a look similar to this.  Open header ALWAYS sounds great on these old beasts!

 

Here's Pops checking it over, looking for ideas.   :headscratch:

 

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  • 1 month later...

Funny thing is, he's not a hot rodder AT ALL!  He's got a couple of '32's that would be great for hot rodding- a 5 window couple and a Model B woodie wagon.  Both are bone stock.

 

Interestingly, within the last couple of weeks he's determined the OEM for the chassis.  It's a "Century Electric" made in about 1913.  Interesting because it took him ten years to figure it out despite being a former national president of the Horseless Carriage Club of America.  I guess they didn't make many Century Electrics and virtually none survived.

 

Every time I see it I push him to work on it.  I can't wait to get behind the wheel! :waiting:

 

Unfortuneately he spends time now working on a '35 Phaeton he bought from an old codger a couple of years ago.  :kookie:

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