| Owner | Ron Dalbero | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Montclair, New Jersey United States map | ||||||
| Web/Email | WebPage | ||||||
| Vehicle | 1967 Volkswagen Fastback Car purchased for $325. Made sure it was lightweight, had a manual transmission and reliable. Looking cute was a plus! | ||||||
| Motor | unknown Series Wound DC 10 HP aircraft starter motor purchased from a surplus supply house and delivered by 18-wheeler to my residential neighborhood. Kind of exciting. | ||||||
| Drivetrain | Motor coupled directly to manual transmission.... no clutch. Just one forward speed (1st) and reverse. | ||||||
| Controller | Ford Speed switched via ordinary Ford starter motor solenoids which tapped batteries for 3 voltage levels resulting in 3 speeds. Accelerator pedal actuated simple pushbutton. Speed changed by selector switch on dash. | ||||||
| Batteries | 6 Willard Golf Cart, 6.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded Golf cart batteries for traction Original 12V battery for accessories | ||||||
| System Voltage | 36 Volts | ||||||
| Charger | Black & Decker 7 ordinary automotive battery chargers plugged into a power strip. 6 used for the traction batteries and 1 for the accessory battery. | ||||||
| Heater | Heavy overcoat | ||||||
| DC/DC Converter | None Original 12V battery used for accessories. | ||||||
| Instrumentation | Ammeter, Voltmeter | ||||||
| Top Speed | 50 MPH (80 KPH) Top speed attained on level ground with a stiff wind behind me! | ||||||
| Acceleration | Especially good from a standstill. | ||||||
| Range | 12 Miles (19 Kilometers) | ||||||
| EV Miles |
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| Seating Capacity | 2 adults; full front trunk (frunk) | ||||||
| Curb Weight | 2,250 Pounds (1,022 Kilograms) I removed the usual suspect ICE related parts to reduce weight. This task was definitely part of the EV thrill. | ||||||
| Tires | Original (over inflated) | ||||||
| Conversion Time | 6 months | ||||||
| Conversion Cost | $1000 (1976 USD) | ||||||
| Additional Features | Original color was a dreary dark blue. I painted the green color seen using enamel paint from a can and applied with a brush. Connection between battery terminals accomplished by flattening copper plumbing pipe and drilling holes for terminals. Click photo #3 in right column. Two indicator lights on dash: 1) Green for "ready" indicating car will move if accelerator is depressed. It illuminates when "ignition" key is turned on. 2) Red indicated car was in "charge" state and connected to 120VAC house current. | ||||||
| This was a very simple conversion just to experience the thrill of an EV. Back seat removed and batteries placed in back seating and floor area. Part of the fun was removing as many parts as possible to reduce weight. A friend/neighbor welded a coupler together to mate the electric motor with the transmission shaft. Thanks to Dave A., twin brothers Ray and Rob, and Mom who named her "Sweet Pea". This project occurred 48 years ago and a feature article about it was written up in our local newspaper, the Staten Island Advance, in the Winter of 1977. My high school friend Rich interviewed me in a short film he created about "Sweet Pea" (see WebPage above). Old news: I was so excited to visit Tesla Motor showrooms in NY & Los Angeles and to test drive the original Roadster. Even more excited about their Model S & the Nissan Leaf. What do they have in common with Sweet Pea? That unmistakable Jetson-like electric motor whir! | |||||||
1967 Volkswagen Fastback
“Sweet Pea”
Last Updated 09-23-2024
Copyright © 1997-2024 by Mike Chancey