MadaboutKitcars

Further comment on ZRoadster has pointed to known failures caused by oil or water contamination.

Later examination showed a broken wire inside the rubber boot on the sensor plug. That's now fixed.
The pic shows yesterday's ZRoadster get together in Newbury. Mine was the only Tribute present but it did attract some serious interest.

I've just MOTed the Z300S for the 8th time. Just like the TFS last week, failed on emissions until the test rig was reset, then- no problem.
Afterwards I went to a mate's business just round the corner- he "electrifies" cars usually retaining all of the original chassis, etc but substituting motor(s) and battery packs. He had a nice selection in- E-Types, Beetles, a Porsche 365 cabrio, a 911, DeLorean, Stag, etc. Also a nice early Mini with a 150bhp motor- goes well apparently. Also working on a TVR track day car aiming for 0-60 in <4 seconds.

He has a silver Z3 2.2 with 200k, not intending to convert it, "some" lights on the dashboard and no MOT which he'd like to move on...

There's a Sammio body in the yard round the back as well.

Slight hijack - back to the electric Z300S, Tom has been in contact about his build. He is pretty advanced and was asking about the boot fitting. The mix of motor, battery etc don't, IMHO, make it a sporty alternative to ICE but rather a fun project for him with his daughter.

The whole fear and ignorance around electric cars is mildly amusing. Yes, it can be dangerous and you can kill yourself if you do the wrong thing. Very similar to petrol cars where you shouldn't use a match to check if the fuel tank is empty etc. Once you know your way around electricity and the danger points it is actually fairly simple to work with and a lot easier to get working than a retro-fit petrol engine would be as most stuff is making the brackets and then plugging the components together.

Having said that, as soon as I sell my Z300S, my DS911 project will still be ICE for the joy of the complexity and drive experience.

As soon as a list of used plug and play parts are available this whole electric thing will become viable ( for me anyway! ). At the moment purchasing new components is just too much money. It shouldn't be the case imo, all you need is a motor, speed controller and a battery, how simple is that ?

For a basic low-ish power, short range conversion that would be OK. A mate in the Jago club just replaced the engine in his Fiat 850 with a fork-lift truck motor and added a few lead-acid type batteries and a basic speed controller.

To do a professional job, there are a few more things to consider. There's cooling for various components and the small matter of balancing the cells if using Li-Ion batteries. Smooth speed control is not simple as it is dependent on the spec of the motor used. I'm told that Tesla motors, whilst powerful are a bit on or off!!!

Another hobby I'm into is flying RC aeroplanes, RC jets to be precise. Whilst the proper gas turbine are available, the electric powered options are far more popular and affordable. There are so many plug and play options with regard to motors, speed controllers and batteries as well as fast balance chargers etc. Shame this technology hasn't moved into the car world , yet !

Here is an example of a current product that is simply plug and play. The Viper Jet, a 90mm diameter electric ducted fan ( EDF ) model with a 6 cell lithium polymer battery, plus a great pilot !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns0FYGQvCJw

To do a professional job, there are a few more things to consider. There's cooling for various components and the small matter of balancing the cells if using Li-Ion batteries. Smooth speed control is not simple as it is dependent on the spec of the motor used. I'm told that Tesla motors, whilst powerful are a bit on or off!!!


...but a bit like with ICE cars, you can get groups of components already lumped together so it isn't as hard as it might first seem. When you do a normal engine swap, you don't start buying the pistons , block, cylinder head etc separately.
I think for the electric Z300S it is something like a Leaf motor, Mitsubishi controller and something else for the batteries.

I am sure we will be playing with this stuff 2nd hand in the not too distant future. I have a crap Nissan Leaf which I might nick the motors and controllers from, get a new battery and see what is around to stick that lot into. Not yet, but not too far away.

Here is a more automotive related video using RC components in a gokart application. Whilst no where near enough power for a full size car like a Z3, it might open up options in the ultra light kit car scene , maybe ! Perhaps one motor per corner in something like a Raw Striker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG7sEFBNiSQ

Malvern Show Tickets 3-4 June 2023

[url]nationalkitcarshow.co.uk/tickets/[/url]

Advance Tickets
FREE daily entry for kit car drivers
Kit Car Passenger (Day) ukp10
Adult (Day) ukp12
Child (Day) 12-16 yrs ukp5
Camping Kit Car Driver ukp10
Camping Kit Car Passenger ukp20
Camping Non Kit Car Adult ukp35
Camping Child (12-16 yrs) ukp5

On The Door Tickets
FREE daily entry for kit car drivers
Kit Car Passenger (Day) ukp15
Adult (Day) ukp15
Child (Day) 12-16 yrs ukp5
Camping Kit Car Driver ukp15
Camping Kit Car Passenger ukp30
Camping Non Kit Car Adult ukp45
Camping Child (12-16 yrs) ukp5

+ukp1 shipping fee

Saw this Z300S at Malvern. It's number 6 and lives in Shropshire.

That's a Bertini behind it.

Newark Festival.....
Entry for kitcar drivers is free both days.
When I 'phoned to enquire about camping....... CAMPING IS ALSO FREE FOR KITCAR DRIVERS So NO excuses Guys and Gals!

I've just MOTed the Z300S for the 9th time after a measly 300 miles in the year.
No problems with the emissions test rig like last year.

50s Specials Show 2024

Down to the 50s Specials Show at Cotswold Wildlife Park yesterday.

Hot day yesterday brought them out- The banner names the makes now affiliated to the Fairthorpe Club who arrange the show. Also present were examples of Mirage (the show "winner"), Dellow, Gilbern, Lotus and Berkeley.

Lamp Rat

I drove about 18 miles after dark earlier this week.

The score:
1 headlight bulb (dip beam failed)
1 failed/shorted sidelight bulb holder leading to
1 blown 10A fuse
1 blown rear sidelight bulb

To be fair, the car is now approaching 10 years old and it is stored outside.

Getting ready for Malvern.