One thing in the tuning world I’m excited about in the coming years is more electric vehicle powertrain swaps. My take is that there’s a lot of exciting stuff there we’ve barely scratched the surface on yet. Plus, what if you have a cool old car that always had kind of a garbage engine, like my old BMW 325e? The low-revving inline-six was the least-good thing about that car. I would’ve dumped it for batteries and instant torque in a heartbeat.
Check out this video our friends at The Drive did some years ago if you don’t believe me:
Watch it smoke those tires! You had better believe my E30 didn’t do that shit.
Now, one Autopian reader named Jordan is thinking of doing something similar. Plus, he’s figured out a way to make Uncle Sam pay for at least some of it. Smart! Favorable tax incentives and loopholes are how you really get ahead in life, kids.
But Jordan needs our help to figure out what to EV-swap. He wants it to be a convertible because he has good taste, but from there he needs an assist from The Autopian Hive Mind:
I’m all-in on EVs and love the idea of converting a cool-looking older car to electric to have something fun and unique for short trips around town and just for fun. I feel like a 20-ish-year-old car that looked great but had lackluster power and/or a problematic engine could be a sweet spot to buy it for cheap and then bring out the best by ditching the ICE entirely.ÂI happen to live in Washington DC, where until 2026 there is a 50% tax credit for all costs associated with an EV conversion, which means I could afford a professional job. This is good because I know I don’t have the skills or time to do this myself. With less than 3 years left on the tax credit, I’d want to buy the car sometime in the next year, to give me plenty of time to figure out the rest. This means you all don’t need to find any cars actually for sale right now, but instead, identify the ideal model I should keep an eye out for.
My wish list includes, but is not strictly limited to:
- Convertible–targa and t-top suggestions also encouraged!
- 4 seater and booster-seat compatible to bring the whole family along
- Looks cool
- Good color (or boring color but cheap enough to add a wrap to the project)
- Good candidate for EV conversion
- In running condition (needs to be already registered in DC to qualify for tax credit)
- Roughly late 1990s through early 2000s
- Under $10k
I’m definitely biased toward European cars and so I’ve come close to pulling the trigger on a Saab 9-3 (in Gatorade yellow) or a nice, red BMW 325ci, but I’ve hesitated, not knowing if these would actually be a nightmare to try to convert. I’m slightly flexible on my list, but I’m pretty sold on a drop-top unless it is extremely cool or otherwise the perfect candidate for this sort of thing.
Since I sent this out I’ve had a few other conversations. I’ve learned if I’m paying for a pro conversion, that’s really more like a $40k+ price tag, double what I had thought. So with the tax credit (which is capped at a $19k credit) it would be more of a $35k project on the low end, or a lot of DIY, which is just a much bigger project than I had in mind. Also I’ve learned pre-OBD II cars are much easier to convert–probably for the best I didn’t get that Saab! So unfortunately I’m a little doubtful if I can really pull this off, but I still love the idea and would be fascinated to read the suggestions and comments, or inspire another DC resident to take advantage of this tax incentive to do something cool!
This stuff isn’t cheap! Not yet, anyway. But I still want us to talk about it. I know that out in California, shops like EV West offer some amazing conversion kits and outfits like Zelectric specialize in certain cars—in their case, old air-cooled Volkswagens and Porsches. So it takes some doing, but it can be done.
I do see this sort of thing becoming more common as EVs do. After all, tons of Teslas get totaled out after just minor damage even though their batteries are still good. There’s about to be a bigger supply of these things soon enough. The bigger question will be how to do the conversions, on what cars, and both safely and cheaply.
We’re in the Wild West stages of EV conversions, so let’s help this young gunslinger pick his next electric steed. Share your thoughts with Jordan below—and expect more in the way of project car advice from us soon.
David Tracy’s Thoughts:
If I had to convert a car to an EV, there are two ways I’d go about it. (I’m going to ignore the convertible part here and keep it general). If I wanted a long-range cruiser, I’d look for:
- Space for batteries
- Body-on-frame construction (to make chassis modification easier)
- Reasonably small frontal area to keep vehicle demand energy down
I might go with something cushy on Ford’s Panther platform like a Grand Marquis wagon:
It’s not too huge frontal area-wise, it’s body-on-frame (so you can add crossmembers/tabs for batteries and other EV components), and it got plenty of length to package everything.Â
If I didn’t want a long-range cruiser, but just a commuter for ’round town activities, I might just snag something small. Maybe a VW Type III Squareback. It’s not body-on-frame, and it’s quite compact, but it should fit enough batteries in the cabin and engine bay get you at least 100 miles without breaking the bank.
There are quite a few other great options for a ’round town commuter. Even an AMC Pacer wagon would get it done; maybe even a Corvair sedan? -DT]
So much engineering goes into protecting the batteries in a crash. Because of this I would never convert an ICE car to an EV.
Hear me out, the market for prewar cars is dying. My choice would be a 1940 Lasalle series 52. It’s got class, style, plenty of room for batteries and no computers whatsoever to deal with.
Any Mercedes would work, planty of after market parts to take care of the change of weight in the suspension.
What about a Lexus SC430 for an electric conversion? Rear wheel drive, technically seats 4, space for batteries where current V8 engine sits under hood, best hard top convertible for reliability, etc. You can find high mile running examples from $6,000 and up.
Thinking second gen rx7 ‘vert NA. The 13b rotary is super easy to yank and you would have a decent amount of room for some batteries in the front and possibly back. Can’t really tell you if the ‘vert version has space for 4 people. I had a 88 coupe and back seats were passable for kids/dwarves/hobbits.
Miata is always the answer
Murano CrossCabriolet.
Don’t be silly. He’s better off with a PT Cruiser convertible.
Well great cheap roomy 2 seater a jensen healey. A 4 seater well a convertible sebring might work. To keep cost down a wrecked body EV with the same size body/,wheel dimensions so just slap an older body on a newer ev platform. If it is allowed.
Me personally, I’d go for a dead Fiat Spider. They’re dirt cheap and plentiful.
Not very roomy though.
If you just HAD to have a four seater, then I’d go for a VW Eos. Also plentiful and undervalued. With a really easy design to modify.
I have a converted Karmann Ghia. It is a great choice for me because adding range and adding power add weight, lots of it. Putting a motor in that has about twice the original power and 100 mile range gives me a car that has the feel of a Karmann Ghia. Also the brakes and suspension are up for it. If I was to do it again and the car I would choose would be a second gen Corvair convertible. Has most of the plusses of the KG and is a little bigger so 4 people fit comfortably.
Avanti II.
A fellow put an Avanti onto a Leaf. Want to see how well it worked. Love the Avanti
The cost is in the batteries, and there are distinct cut points on the amount you have to pay for power with respects to the motor and inverter, so small and light wins the day. As recently well documented by a certain Jason T (thankfully written before the reduced mental capacity kicked in due to the Lead Battery Dust Incident) something the size of an OG Beetle or a Pao runs just fine with 50-ish horsepower. My rule of thumb is that 30 lbs/hp is slow but manageable, 20 lbs/hp will give you all the performance of a contemporary economy car. So a 50 hp motor in a 1500 lb vehicle would do the trick nicely.
I recently ran across some 48v 100A battery packs being sold in a lot of 40, for 12.6 kWh total. If you wired them 10 in series by 4 in parallel you could theoretically have a 480v / 400A peak capable battery, for 192 kW / 257 hp! Not for very long, though… If we derate it down to 100A to keep the inverter cheap, you’d still have 48 kW / 65 hp on tap, which would push your vehicle weight allowance up to just shy of 2000 lbs – now we’re getting someplace.
An 80’s fox body Mustang weighs in at something like 2600 lbs, but if you yank the v8, transmission, and fuel tank, that’ll go sub-2000 lbs in a hurry. The 40 pack of batteries weigh 300 lbs, so you’d still have to look for some other part of the car to put on a diet, but at least then you’d have the option of a 4 seat convertible in the ballpark of what you’re trying to do.
A mustang hatchback has a drag coefficient around 0.36, and a projected frontal area of around 1.8 m^2. If we assume it weighs 2000 lbs and has a rolling resistance coefficient of 0.1 (typical value for a radial tire on asphalt), the car would require 10 kW constant power to cruise 60 mph steady, flat, no headwind. with a 12.6 kWh battery pack that gives a max highway cruise range of 75 miles. Not bad for a DIY conversion!
Great post!
As I read the brief, I was thinking Fox-body (or SN95) Mustang. Fortunately, you made the same point MUCH better than I would have. Bravo.
Chrysler TC by Maserati.
Or one of those Chrysler LeBarons with the fake wood trim.
Basically do a weird K-Car.
Convertible body-on-frame and DT didn’t suggest a Jeep?
In all fairness, this is front of mind for me, because I have a TJ that I’m hoping to convert one day (once this sort of thing gets easier and cheaper). I do have the advantage that I don’t care about range.
Mid-eighties Buick Riviera. They still look sexy to my old eyes, and fit the brief pretty well.
I wouldn’t rule out a Saab conversion. A guy on the DIY Electric Car forum converted a 1999 Saab 9-3 convertible using a Nissan Leaf drivetrain: https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/saab-ev-conversion-mountain-style.94355/#post-1089887
60’s midsize/compact is the sweet spot. Comet. Falcon. Dart. Tempest. Jetfire. Any convertible with a 6.
If you put an electric drivetrain in a Triumph Stag…
— It will overheat
— The equivalent of the cam chains with stretch and break
— Whatever fluids are in the car will leak out
But the car will look great as it spontaneously combusts, and you’ll go out and buy another and do it all over again.
Because Triumph Stag.
Our Triumph Stag managed to survive on its original engine. Well. It did have a beefier fan installed. Oh. The oil cooler. Um, and the Lucas electrics were replaced by a Piranha Ignition. It was last put out of service by a failed water pump, which, surprisingly, was caught soon enough that it didn’t crack the block. I’ll miss that car. A little.
There is a British company which swapped a Miata enging our for Electric, and I believe that they offer a kit. they also have a classic Mini swap availabe too
https://youtu.be/K8SCsjql6Fk
https://fellten.com/
I would like to suggest something that has recently been bouncing around inside my head. Taking the batteries and drivetrain out of my VW e-Golf and swapping it into my VR6 MK1 cabriolet and converting it from wookie power to electrons.
This is personal due to family history; there is a beautiful 1968 Dodge Dart convertible in my family that I would love to own and would seriously consider EV-swapping if I ever get my hands on it. My main hesitation is that it would take a lovely “leaning tower of power” 225ci slant-six out of service but engine issues would make it a no-brainer.
No need for high performance or huge range (150 miles would do nicely). I’d just be looking for a cruiser.
My other alternatives would be something like a Spitfire, TR6, Fiat Spider, Datsun 1600, etc. I’d be a little more inclined toward hooning such a rig.
From the 90s or 00s? I can’t really think of anything I’d like to do that to.
That Tesla/E30 pic is really annoying. What makes people think burning rubber is somehow better than burning dino juice to propel you? This is the most moronic wasteful behaviour in the so called ‘car culture’. Stop with this crap already, just get yourself some lotion and go masturbate in your parents basement.
You’re a dumbass
Well Anduhy in an EV you can burn rubber tires but you are using electrons, with an ICE you are burning rubber tires using dino juice gasoline. Dont feel bad if you have to ask questions to understand that is respected here. Saying something just flat out stupid and wrong? Yeah hard feel you are an unreliable source. But heck if you are here to learn welcome aboard if you are a tree hugging troll? I hear Jalopnik is hiring.
“Dude, you’re harshing my mello…”
Congrats for the dumbest take of the day.
Volvo c90. Reasonably priced, well built, should have plenty of space for some batteries and I BELIEVE it could be had as awd, so the logistics of hanging a Tesla rear drive unit shouldn’t be too crazy
Oh, 4 seats from the get go as well
My initial thought as well, though I will likely add something else.
I would go Kharmann Ghia. https://www.evwest.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=220&osCsid=e5d9f3c0501a005778500ad9611b9487
Make David Drive it from LA for you. https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/91074277
I think you have to go old school for EV conversions, there is not a modern car that I think would be worth it. Way to much integration with electronics etc. If I was doing an EV conversion with his list, ignoring the 10 year old part, it would be a Karmann Ghia. The VW platform is probably has been done the most widely at this point, so I bet it would be on the cheaper end of the scale.