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Electric motor conversion on a 93 - Anyone seen this?
Was randomly Googling around to see if anyone had been crazy enough to try this. Saw a few things about FBs but nothing with an FD until...https://twitter.com/TeslaEV. Looks like they had an INDIEGOGO page at some point for the project too. Interesting, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Looks like they completely destroyed that otherwise good 93 (especially when they cut a giant hole in the rear for a battery box). Doesn't look like there have been any updates for over 3 years so I'm assuming this was never finished.
Curious what everyone thinks about this? Honestly, if it can be done tastefully and somehow made to look OEMish, I'd be down. Thing is, I don't know how you'd manage to fit the motor and battery banks without seriously screwing up the weight (not to mention the 50/50 distribution). One of the rotaries benefits after all is just how compact it is (although it does resemble an electric motor with its keg-like appearance).
I've been following EV conversions a little, from what I gather they are still expensive and heavy for the amount of power they make. I'd like to think it should be possible to mount batteries in the hatch & spare tire well without cutting anything, and/or mount a pack where the fuel tank originally went. If you don't want to cut things, sounds like it would be easier on cars that were originally mid-engine, like fitting the Tesla differential/motor combinations in a Porsche.
Well, I saw this car on Craigslist about a year ago. I know the batteries were removed, can't remember if the motor was there or not. It lasted on Craigslist only a couple of hours before disappearing into the abyss!
A long time ago there was a silver one on Ebay. The guy had put in the description that he received death threats for doing it to something as rare as a RX-7.
It was a really interesting conversation in that it was mated to the original transmission and may have had a clutch. The batteries were put in place of the fuel tank and "maybe" the muffler. I don't remember exactly because it was a long time ago.
Vince
The only way I could see this as 'cool thing' would be if/when someone releases reliable and powerful hub mounted motors for fully independent and torque vectoring AWD, cut out the floor in the back/tank and store batteries there if possible then section off/close out the under hood area for a 'frunk' that also houses a few more batteries and control logic but is mainly storage. Then I wouldn't be angry.
Yamaha Motor Begins Accepting Orders for High-performance Electric Motor Prototype —Customized units to be produced rapidly for cars and other vehicles
The electric conversion FD I linked above is 300hp, 3,000lbs and 200 mile range on charge while preserving stock weight balance F/R.
Pretty cool for 10 years ago.
could be done much cheaper now and with stronger performance as well as lighter weight.
Heres to hoping the EV swap will be the LS swap of the future.
Maybe I'm reading the wrong blurb but I see it as roughly 300 lbs heavier than stock (3174 lbs), biased towards the front at 51.5:48.5 versus 50:50, and a range of 75 miles. Its very neat but not what you're describing, though with newer(ish) Lithium Phosphate cells maybe it could be? I dunno, I'd need to do more research.
Hopefully in another 10 years we will have e-rod coversions where its as easy as replacing engine trans with a motor/integrated controler and the batteries are nearly as simple as adding dynamat.
I've changed my mind, now I want a rotary powered FD with torque vectoring and regenerative braking, rather than a fully independent AWD setup. Just give me that sweet sweet juice for 10 second bursts under full throttle and a little help pulling out of corners.
