Going Electric with my 996!

Well, after loving my first two months of ownership, I finally have to face the fact that I purchased my car ('99 cabriolet) with one real goal in mind - to try and create a no-excuses ELECTRIC daily driver that didn't cost over $100K like the Tesla Roadster. Heck, ask my wife and simply having 4 seats is more than enough to make the car better than a roadster, but I digress... My goals are to build the car so it performs as good or better in most acceleration categories than the stock vehicle and that we maintain a similar weight distribution. Ideally, I want to keep or improve handling - we'll see about this one. Range will be in excess of 70miles, however, should I want to spend more $, we might push range up further. I'll be working with a very experienced EV technician (Kirk @ shiftev.com) and so far, I'm pretty excited about the attention to detail and quality workmanship from his previous projects. He hasn't done a 996 before, so we are beginning with an initial discovery phase to determine how to best locate all the required components. If you have any ideas about hidden places where we might be able to bolt things in, I want to hear them! So far, it looks like the only areas to place equipment will be in the frunk and engine bay. Initially, the motor could be placed in the center of the engine bay, with two banks of batteries on either side. More batteries and any controllers etc could be placed in the frunk. Unfortunately, this ends up putting most of the weight toward the front and rear of the car. I believe handling will be improved if we can keep more weight toward the center of the vehicle, thus less mass has to be turned on the perimeter. We may look into solutions that would place equipment/batteries in the area of the gas tank. Of course, this wouldn't be entirely accessible. I think this will be a fun project, and hopefully a rewarding one. We already own a Nissan Leaf and have been very impressed with it. We'll be keeping a bio-diesel quad-cab for the long road trips. Man, if I still had hair, I'm sure I'd have a pony-tail with some sort of multi-colored hippie do-rag. Have suggestions? Ideas as to how I might make this vehicle more "electrifying"? I'll keep this post updated with the progress, decisions and equipment that we chose to install... just in case anyone else out there is tired of buying gas as well!

wow good luck, im going to subscribe to this thread

There was a place in Colorado doing replica 356 speedster electrics .. dukes garage I think if you google it. Might be interesting to talk to them about the prohect. P)robably best place to put battery for weight distribution is where rear seats are ... but if you need 4 seats not an option. What battery will you use? As much as it is a crime to chop up a good 996 .. if I had engine blow .. I might consider this as a commuter .. what about heat and a/c ? Can you sell your Eng and trans to cover much of the conversion cost or did you buy high mileage car with this specifically in mind?

Maybe you have seen this before? Electric 911 Good luck with the build. I have been thinking about converting some cheaper car to EV for commuting. But not my 996

You may want to look into Lithium Ion batteries, specifacally the A123 cells... very light and small. You can solder them into custom shapes so that your mounting locations option is broadened. These are the cells that the Tesla uses. Also, look into brushless electric motors. You will not be needing a transmission in the car as electric motors themselves (which rotate at about 30,000rpm) double as transmissions. Plus the gear box would probably blow apart with an electric motor spinning that fast.

We will definitely be going for a first-rate job here - Lithium Ion batteries = definitely. Not sure who the supplier will be. There are always "newer" ones that advertise great specs, but often they don't live up to their claim or they may not be as reliable as others. Exploring options here. Kirk has a supplier he likes - and he is also working to see if we can make this car charge fully in 2 hrs, so it would be easier to take a road trip - stop for lunch and go! No transmission... maybe. There are pros and cons to this and having a clutch that can slip may save other components in the system if too much torque is introduced. Also, you can burn up a motor if improperly holding the car on an incline without use of the clutch/brakes. We're considering all options and the motor choice may also determine if we do direct drive or not. That's one thing I didn't really anticipate - sure we can strap in more power or torque, but will the rest of the drive-train survive if/when we do? Speed rII - thanks for the link, can't say I've read that thread before. I've seen lots out there for folks turning older cars electric, but not much on the 996. I understand there are some, just haven't found them. That's the thing - most folks look for older vehicles. I thought about it, but most cars I found that were rollers etc would have taken so much money to refurb it was worth it to me to get a more modern car. I get ABS, airbags, a stronger chassis, and hopefully, a car much safer and enjoyable as a daily driver. We'll see! In regards to heat and AC - yes, the goal is to keep them. Also want to keep the power steering etc. Anyone know where the power steering pump is? Is it electric and in the front of the car, or is it powered by the engine somehow? If something has an electric motor/pump we can keep it without issue. If items are turned by the motor, we'll have to figure out how to keep them running. Heat leaves something to be desired in my Nissan Leaf. I don't know how/if we'll keep it here. Kirk basically said we could keep everything - it would just be a matter of complexity or expense. Not sure how much I'll want to put into this. Maybe I'll just install some electric seat heaters. Fortunately I also have the hardtop that I can put on in the winter. Of course, this does mean that I'll have lots of parts that will be for sale - including the engine. Yes, I purchased a higher mileage car with this in mind. I would have preferred a roller, but didn't find one that I wanted at the right price. The car has 120K miles on it. Unfortunately, I don't have any maintenance history as I purchased it from a dealer that bought it at auction. It drives great now. Hope I don't screw it up!

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PS pump is on top of the engine. 996 Cup (or was it RSR's) run electric PS pumps located in the frunk. Use search to find pics of it. A-class Merc's electric PS pump should do the job too, at least it costs a fraction of Cup's pump.

great advice pete - thanks!

Do you have a project cost for the conversion, and anticipated weight?

Well, the project cost at this point could vary widely depending on exactly what and how we do things. I'm guessing a low of $20K to a high of $35K if I get crazy about things, want 100+ mile range etc. Weight should end up 100-300 pounds heavier than stock, again, dependent upon batteries and range desired. I will probably work to reduce that some - may try to purchase lighter wheels and find other weight savings elsewhere. Again, both these costs and weight estimates are purely theoretical at this time... research first, price everything out, then decide where I want to be on the price/performance/range spectrum. Basically you can choose two of the three for a build. As I only drive approx 40 miles a day, I may give up range to save weight and cost while I strive for performance. We may also try to set up the system to allow an additional battery pack if/when I want one. If we are able to keep the price down, I'll have an electric Porsche for about the cost of a Nissan Leaf (but won't get the government incentives). If we go to the high end, I'll probably end up with a ridiculous performing vehicle for less than 1/2 of a Tesla Roadster. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

This is going to be awesome! Definitely going to keep my eyes on this. Whether people (read: car enthusiasts) want to admit it or not, the combustion engine as we know it is slowly but surely going to be phased out as other types of engines and energy sources advance.

So, we're getting closer and closer to the project, which should commence in September. Right now, we've made the decision to try and increase torque/acceleration over stock, so we're going to need to upgrade the clutch. Any recommendations? Also, are there other items in the car that anyone thinks might get over stressed with more power? What is typically done to a 996 when a more powerful motor is added? What needs to be beefed up? We're also starting to look at battery management system interfaces - hopefully we can come up with one that has a good video output that can be piped into a double din receiver.

I've seen a 996 setup where they used the OEM accessories off the drive shaft by mimicing the pulley system of the 996 and driving off the crankshaft. I would go with the clutch system. Unless you go AC -- you won't have enough RPMs to be gearless -- and then you will struggle with down shifting. A buddy of mine built his jeep and ended up retrofitting a clutch back into the system. Are you going AC or DC. Soloton is getting good reviews for DC. There is an outfit in San Antonio that has built a 996EV. mike

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991 & 981 have electric powered steering rack with motor mounted on the rack.

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We are going DC. We looked briefly at AC and it seemed that we could get more range for less expense with DC. Although we could do regenerative braking with AC, the overall cost of the system would have been much more than just buying additional batteries for a DC setup. Interesting thought about the crank shaft running the accessories... will consider that. Thanks for the idea. I found the San Antonio conversion here: http://www.zwheelz.com/Vehicles.html#anchor_138 (scroll down) and it looks pretty cool. It was helpful seeing where they chose to mount some batteries under the car. I was surprised that they went lead-acid.

My plan was to do a Boxster -- and by using the OEM serpentine system and stock wiring system -- then I could use the ECU/Climate Control and run ABS, already have a Power Steering and AC solution and just use my Alternator as my DC/DC solution. Was going to use the clutch Warp 11, Soliton. I was going Lithium Ion, that had dropped to an almost reasonable level by last fall. Hadn't figured out my Charger, but had a lot of stuff figured out. Mike

I posted a separate thread asking about this, but I'm hoping to replace my stock Turbo Twists with some Sport Technos, primarily because it will save 60-80lbs, but I also think they will look great. The question is this: Should I go with the 11" wide wheel in the rear or stick with a 10" wide wheel that I have now? Both were offered by Porsche. The fronts were only offered as 8" wide. I'm sticking with 18" diameter wheels.

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Why did you say WAS for all these? You should join me in the electric conversion craziness with which I am now obsessed! Honestly, I am so excited about this... Driving our Nissan Leaf is a pleasure (different than my 996, mind you). Now, put the fun into the pleasure of electric... I can't wait! OK, now that said, I have to catch my breath and realize I have to pay for all of this...

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fyi........... http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...m-a123-systems

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Well that was reason #1 the first time and reason #2 the second. The latest #1 is that the wife said I have too many projects. Mike

looks like you're just in time! 16:41 27Aug12 RTRS-Motor racing-Global electric car series to launch in 2014 By Alan Baldwin LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - A new 'Formula E' global series of city centre electric car races will start in 2014 after motor sport's governing body licensed the commercial rights to a Hong Kong-based consortium . A statement on Monday said London-based Spanish businessman Enrique Banuelos will be lead investor in Formula E Holdings Ltd, with compatriot and fellow shareholder Alejandro Agag serving as chief executive. British businessman Paul Drayson, a former Science Minister and amateur racing driver who runs Drayson Racing Technologies, is also involved in a project that will cost about 50 million euros ($62.59 million) to launch. The promoters said that the series, sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), aimed for races in at least 10 different cities - of which five will be in Europe. Proposed locations worldwide include Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing as well as Mumbai, Sydney, Cape Town , Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Mexico City, Miami and Los Angeles. Agag told Reuters that there was already an agreement in place with Rio while a race around Berlin's Brandenburg Gate would be the first choice for Germany. The plans are for a grid of 10 teams and 20 drivers in 2014, expanding to 14 teams the following year, with entrants able to use their own cars or one based on a Formulec EF01 prototype which has already achieved a top speed of 240kph. Races will be an hour in duration but because the batteries will last only 15-20 minutes, there will be two pitstops scheduled with drivers having to change cars. "This new competition at the heart of major cities is certain to attract a new audience," FIA president Jean Todt said in the statement. "The new events will provide a great way to engage the younger generation. This spectacular series will offer both entertainment and a new opportunity to share FIA values with a wide audience as clean energy, mobility and sustainability." The season-winning team will get 2.0 million euros and race winning drivers will share a 4.0 million euro prize fund. Agag expected the championship to become the framework for research and development around the electric car. "We don't expect the big carmakers to step into Formula E in the beginning. The industry is not too familiar with electric racing. But I am sure they will come in in a second stage," he told Reuters. "We are open to any partnership with a big carmaker." Agag, a son-in-law of former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Aznar, already owns teams in the Formula One support series GP2 and GP3 under his Addax investment brand. The financier also joined F1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone and former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore in buying English soccer club Queens Park Rangers, subsequently sold to Malaysian aviation entrepreneur Tony Fernandes who owns the Caterham Formula One team. ($1 = 0.7989 euros)

Seriously --having to prepare two complete cars -- I would think a quick connect battery system would be way more feasible. imagine something along the center channel. blade connector in front and rear. lift the entire car -- drop pack. wheel out the old pack, roll in new, drop car and roll. Mike

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Nice article - yeah, the problem with battery technology is that it is like computer technology... always something better promised around the corner. Unfortunately I'm building now, not next year. If I waited I'm sure there'd be another reason to wait again when that tech appears... I should have the battery manufacturer chosen shortly and will share when I've got more details.

Looking like CALB CA high capacity cells, probably an 11" Warp motor, but still some research to be done... Kirk, the guy that is doing the work, has the motor recently removed from The White Zombie, an electric drag-racer in Portland, OR. He said they could be mine if they fit (which they probably won't)... I said they'd be better off in a car that was actually going to be raced and not just a daily driver, but who knows... in any case, I'm getting excited... just a few weeks away from starting the conversion!

Your mechanic will be going to Hawaii this Christmas.

Well, finally got the full list of parts and an estimate on time involved... approx a $29K conversion! Ouch, but still, I'm convinced this will be one fun EV when done - yes, that price includes everything - parts, labor, shipping... A list of the primary parts are below: - 1000A Zilla Controller - 9" Warp Motor - $11K in Lithium batteries, giving just over 100mi range, 75mi to 20% capacity We're going to have the battery management system (BMS) output a video signal to a double-din head unit. We can switch video between the BMS and a backup camera. The controller settings will be adjustable via an iPhone connector. We're also adding a high performance clutch to handle the increase in instant torque. According to the tech/mechanic doing the work "That’s 201 horsepower into the motor, but with responsiveness and torque that gas engines dream about." I was a bit concerned about the HP number, as I know what he's spec'd out should keep us at about a 5sec 0-60 clip (better than stock) but I wasn't sure what it would do to a high speed acceleration - say 60-80mph. If I want to increase power it would take about $5K-$6K more because several parts would have to be upgraded - the motor, a 2000A controller and more batteries to make sure the voltage to the motor didn't sag under large power demands. A couple of things to note: First, this conversion will keep all power systems intact. That means I'll still have A/C, Heat, power steering, power brakes etc. Often conversions forgo these luxuries, not this "no compromise" daily driver! The heating system will actually use ceramic heaters rather than the regular water heated system, so I'll have near instant heat on cold rainy days here in Oregon. Second, although we are integrating a high performance clutch for sure, we haven't included ugrades to the suspension or brakes. Any advice if these will be required? We're guessing weight will be increased in the car by approximately 250lbs.

Goodbye resale value.

hello lots of weight - sort of like a wife in a 25 year marriage

Goodbye Gas... Hello World. Goodbye establishment... Hello to trying something a bit different. Goodbye money... Hello to a car I'd better like when done. Goodbye other 996's in a 0-60 sprint... hello again if we continue to 100+mph!

+1 on that.

Well, it's time! I dropped the car off last week to begin the conversion process! Step one, bring the car to a Porsche mechanic for a once-over so we can sell the removed parts. I'll have video of the car running shortly. Here was the Porsche mechanic's findings (copied from an e-mail from electric conversion mechanic): -------------------------------- The Porsche mechanic was very interested in our project and actually gave me > 1 hour if you include the drive. He noticed several things that were not related to the engine. For example, the fluid filled engine mounts often fail and he noticed this due to a vibration that he pointed out to me on a test drive. The left rear shock is shot as evidenced by the fluid leaking out of it -I do have a few pics I'll send you. He said the car looked very clean underneath. Never been bottomed out. He said most of them that he see's have been bottomed out at one time or another. There was an oil breather leak, but none of the little things we looked at are of concern for an engine buyer. The service work that he noticed, was done well, with European parts. Even simple things that had been replaced, like high quality hose clamps... There is no audible or external evidence of the dreaded bearing failure, however - he said anybody planning to use the engine would be nuts not to swap it out for the ceramic bearing while the engine is out. Nothing you didn't already know. ---------------------------------- SO here is a list of what I know will be removed and will be for sale... if there's something you're interested in that you think we might remove as part of the process, let me know what you're looking for! - 3.4 Engine, 122K mi - OEM 18" Turbo Look wheels, newer (2.5K mi) Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tires - OEM stock rear light housings - Parts associated with heater - All Exhaust parts - Radiator and associated parts - 4 Spoke steering wheel and airbag (grey) - OEM Stereo (cassette), hifi amp, OEM speakers, hifi sound dash unit and related parts - I'm sure there will be much more! Let me know what you might be interested in and make me an offer on price. As the car gets disemboweled over the next two weeks, I hope to have more photos and info!

Any updates on this

Hmmm. OK but hows it going to be faster than a gasoline 996?

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Electricmotor's have load's of torque thru the rev range

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Electic motors don't have a torque curve, they have a torque line. From the moment you hit the go pedal you have max torque available.

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Well if Fiero's can do 9sec 1/4 mile times than I think it's safe to say that speed issue isn't really a concern. You Tube Looks like there's a Boxster that already has a conversion: http://www.evalbum.com/4393

Thanks for checking in on this. Well, the project is taking far longer than I had hoped - but what doesn't? My partner in the project who is really doing the majority of the work was expecting to move into a new shop. So, things are a bit slower in the garage... That said, the car has been disemboweled... the motor has been removed as have several other items. We've finalized the amounts of batteries, the motor controller and other parts, many of which are on order. One fly in the ointment has been the motor/clutch/transmission adapter - we had expected to order it from someone who had it listed available online. After ordering it, they came back and said it wasn't available and none had ever been built... but they'd be happy to fabricate it if we sent them all the critical specs and dimensions... how kind! This adapter is extremely critical as it aligns features that position the motor shaft to the plate, and the plate to the transmission shaft. The better quality designs, also have a bearing installed near where the motor & transmission shafts align. They must be very concentric or damage to the motor and transmission bearings result due to vibration. Many of the manufacturers weld up steel plates and spacers, which run a miss-alignment risk unless alignment features are machined after welding. It turns out someone else is building a similar project with the same transmission and motor, and we're working with them to fabricate something which should be ideal. Time will tell. Delays provide some benefits... a new Battery Management System that is more programmable via a computer interface and with CES out of the way there will be some new stereo goodies that I'll add in that I wouldn't have if it were done earlier! I've planned on commenting and updating much more here, but with the delays, I didn't feel much was newsworthy at this point... you can expect much more... soon!

There is a electric 996 in San Antonio and I know of an EV guy using Boxster Trannys in Colorado Springs.... They might be able to hook you up on the coupler front if your current choice doesn't pan out. I've got a guy a work with who built his own electric Jeep and is a wealth of knowledge as well. Mike

Good work, keep us posted.

Rusty, what is the projected cost of the conversion and what was the reason if you dont mind?

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I was actually thinking of doing a conversion on my CRX last year. For that car's weight, I would be using a 9" motor and based on 120v system here was the rough cost breakdown: ~ $2k 9" motor ~ $1k for breaker/monitor/associated electronics ~ $2k for 15 NiH Golf Car Deep Cycle batteries ~ $500 for custom tranny adapter and modification of stock mounts. ~$500 to modify rear trunk area and weld in custom battery holder. So at least around $6k when it was all said and done assuming no other problems come up. Additional costs would be getting different suspension to handle the extra weight(estimated to be 800 lbs over the stock weight including accounting for the loss of stock engine/hvac weight) and also finding some sort of electric heater. They have Boxster kits available starting around $7k as a reference. Reason why I haven't gone this route with the CRX is the fact that I get 50mpg non hybrid already. Adding 800 lbs will make it handle worse, including braking. Won't realistically be able to drive it in the winter. Cost per mile is like $.12 including oil change and tune up VS. ~$.19 going electric. However there is a Government Conversion rebate credit up to $4k in my state so that is somewhat of an incentive. I have to see if it's been renewed for 2013.

Didn't really know what you meant by the title...so curiously I clicked on the thread and read your post. Awesome mod...please keep up posted on your progress. Good luck!

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Well, I hesitate to admit how much will be poured into this... but I'm looking at about $30K - $20K in parts and $10K in labor when all is said and done. Hopefully I can defray those costs some by selling the motor and other parts we won't need any more. (Anyone need something?) I purchased the 996 convertible with this project in mind - I wanted to build a no-compromise electric car. I didn't have the $100K+ for a Tesla Roadster, and although I know if I wait another 5-10 years there might be something high-performance in my price range I could buy new, but I wasn't willing to wait. Of course, I thought I could build something for around $30-$35K all in, but that was not to be... Somehow I had to do a 911 and a convertible to boot, so now, after including the cost of the car, all upgrades that I've done and the conversion, I'll be over $50K for sure. The battery pack will cost just over $12K - not only will this give me 100+ miles of range (if driven gently) it also allows us to pour a ton of power into the motor at one time to increase performance. We're now looking at 90 100Ah cells which should produce a conservative 1600 Motor Amps at 160 Motor Voltage... it may even be able to push 2100+ Motor Amps! Of course, with all this power, other upgrades are necessary - a new clutch to handle the additional torque, some suspension upgrades, etc. Also, I am doing my best to integrate the system with all of the cars gauges etc. I'm not just slapping a cheezy digital readout to the dash - I'm working to ensure that the fuel gauge shows battery charge level, etc. The completed car will have, hopefully, a show quality finish with battery compartments and components all neatly (and safely) wired. I can't wait to finish... but so much of life keeps getting in the way. It's been 3.5 months since a last drove the car... and I miss it!

Rustymon, don't know if you've checked with your state for any federal credit you might be able to get back for an electric conversion. In my case, my state offers to compensate 80% of any cost of labor and parts up to a $4k limit. Obviously in your case it won't make a big dent but every bit can count nonetheless.

out of curiosity, what are you doing for power steering?

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He'll also need to address the braking aspect since he won't have vacuum from the engine for the brake booster assist.

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When I was planning my Boxster conversion I had mocked up a pulley system to mimic the serpentine belt. Solved PS, AC, and 12v charger problem. Don't forget the peukert effect and IR drop when pulling all those amps out the battery. Mike

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http://www.evalbum.com/popupimg.php?16199 Here's some guys that's already done it on a 996. http://kurtsprojects.blogspot.com/ http://www.zwheelz.com/Vehicles.html#anchor_138

Alpine... awesome pic and nice job with that. I had seen the other two links, and Kurt's Project one is particularly inspiring. I'm going with so many purchased parts and he's building his own electronics... boggles my mind. At this point I believe we're going with some smaller electric pumps to satisfy all the external component needs. txhokie4life - your point about the peukert effect and IR drop are spot on - this can be all very confusing and fortunately I'm working with an engineer with lots of experience in the EV world and we've discussed all sorts of issues when pulling the amps. MOST RECENT NEWS... We finalized on a battery count and mostly finalized locations. I'll post some pics showing the foam block mock-ups and how they fit into the space vacated by the gas tank. Monday, we're focusing on the physical installation (not wiring) of the J1772 fuel inlet, under the existing fuel cap access. We've confirmed the on-board charger will fit nicely where the old 12V battery was. That part of the bonnet chamber has external air flow so the chargers heat dissipation will be good since it's not enclosed like the rest of the frunk. This location also keeps the High Voltage AC wires (between the inlet and the charger) super short and neat.

OK, so I just found out that the DMV here in Oregon denied my request for a special plate that read EVNV, EV-NV or EV NV. (All for Electric Vehicle Envy, trying to say that this car was an EV worth NV... but apparently we cannot have only 4 letters, the space and dash don't count. I was wondering if anyone can come up with another custom plate idea that might be great for this project. I was considering variations on my initial idea, such as 4EVNV, EV2NV, NVMYEV. BUT I had many other thoughts such as: OHMAGE RE-VOLT (R3VOLT) 911 EV SWITCH BL EV LFBLWR VROHM DRM EV NO GAS So... thoughts? I tend to like ones that make you have to think about it rather than just say it... Here are the DMV "rules" below: INSTRUCTIONS: You can have up to six (6) characters on a custom plate. In addition to the six characters, you are allowed one extra space or hyphen. You must have either one letter or number on the plate. You can fill each block with either a letter, number, or hyphen, or you may leave some blank. You may not use three numbers followed by three letters. You may not use three letters followed by three numbers. Be sure to write clearly, distinguishing Z’s from 2’s, S’s from 5’s, I’s from 1’s. With the exception of the hyphen, NO special characters or punctuation marks are allowed, such as # . ’ ! $ & " ? Be sure to show where you want any spacing, especially if you do not want lettering to cover the tree portion (center) of your plate. Otherwise, all characters will be centered on the plate.

ALL TRQ EV2NV

How about "NOSENSE"?

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I think you meant NOIMS :-)

Wish I could figure out how to delete this duplicate post...

NOSENSE and NOIMS - LOL

How about FCKDMV ?

I forgot if you mentioned if you were going with Lithium Ion or NmH?

STROM1 ("Strom" in Deutsch ist "Electricity").

COALPWR

The motor came in today... the motor adapter plate has shipped, and most other parts are on the way. Finally things are about to come together... The best part is that I thought the build would get pushed back further as some large fuses we wanted were going to be 6-8 weeks out... but after we ordered, they shipped in 4 days! So, hopefully I can get some actual build photos soon!

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We are going with CALB LiFePO4 Batteries - 100Ah cells and we think we can squeeze 90 of them in the car. 40 in the frunk, 18 in the space vacated by the fuel tank, and the remainder in the rear along with the motor. We don't have exact placements yet as fitting all other parts in will help determine final layout.

Which motor did you end up getting? Can't tell from the pic. CALB 100aH 7.5 x90 = ~675lbs worth of batteries. Have you weighed the total of the motor/harnesses/exhaust/etc. to see what the net gain would be?

REDY KW

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It's a NetGain Warp 9. It may seem counter-intuitive that we didn't go with a larger motor, but all of our calculations pointed to this motor... less mass should spin up faster and be a little more responsive to the throttle, it will be more efficient and adds less weight to the build yet doesn't really sacrifice much when you look at the power inputs. In fact, we're estimating close to 400 ft/lbs of torque! We'll be doing some modifications to the brushes, so the motor won't be exactly stock, so it will give us a little more on the top-end, but not too much. Being a "bigger is better" guy myself, I took some time to be convinced, as I was happy to pay more for an 11" motor, but after talking with several experts, it was confirmed that the 9" is the way to go for this build. We did consider mating 2 8" motors together, but all the added complexity and cost didn't seem to be worth it. We're estimating about 300 lbs in additional weight. That said, if you figure a full gas tank weighs about 78lbs, and some lighter wheels will shave another 25-30lbs, so we're looking at about 200lbs difference from stock. Hmm... I guess I can tell my wife that it's like she and the kids are always with me, so I should be free to cruise around any time...

Thanks for the update. It should be nice once it's done. Been thinking of going with a 9" for my CRX project if it takes off next year(pending government rebate programs if it exists in 2014). I've calculated curb weight at around 2200lbs with batteries. Not bad, if anything for the handling aspect of it.

Starting to get some content together that others can view... gave a timelapse camera to my mechanic and he's put a handful up on YouTube... http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC99Pg7eYYcYPiU4lUqD0BBw Some of the videos aren't work, but most are. You can see the little page he's started on his site about the project: http://www.shiftev.com/index.php/for...son-in-process The BIG news is that all pieces of the drive train have arrived and are going together. The motor is mounted to the stock transmission using the first adapter (for this transmission) produced from 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum (27lbs!) and using the twin radial bearing motor coupling system - About 15" across and nearly 4" deep. The clutch had to be beefed up to handle the expected torque (400ft/lbs) and we purchased a Stage I pressure plate and organic clutch from Kennedy Engineered Products. The rear motor mount gets designed next week, then once that part is complete, the reconstruction begins!

Some photos of the parts mentioned above:

Any ideas on 0-60 ? Or expected 1/4 mile time?

i'm guessing the conversion "only" will run about $30K will be interesting to see it when its done and here about the performance & drivability.

Groovezilla - you are correct, the conversion will be about $30K, including labor. The batteries are approximately $12,000 of that total but we haven't ordered them yet... I hope they go on sale! The goal of the build originally was to match stock performance, but then we added more batteries and decided to go with a 2000 Amp Zilla controller, so it will be faster than stock, just not sure how much faster yet. Trust me - I will find out when the car is complete! The car isn't being built for racing - if it were, I'd probably have picked a lighter car to begin with. It's supposed to be a no-compromise daily driver. We're doing all sorts of things, such as keeping the dash stock (converting all information from the battery/motor) to use the fuel gage and tach, instead of dropping in cheap looking digital readouts etc. We're also keeping A/C, power steering, etc. and are building in a vastly improved stereo system, as now I need something to listen to other than the engine! I'm purchasing a head-unit that is based on Android so we can wire in an OBDII reader to the Torque app to get precise data from our battery management system. Now if I can just stop staring longingly at all the people with their convertible tops down now that the weather is nice again... I miss my car!

You may find these estimates interesting. We've pulled approximately 760 lbs of engine, lead battery, and other related parts and fluids which won't be going back into the car. This considers losing the weight of a full tank of gas also. We're adding approximately 960 lbs back in, consisting of these approximations: 675 Batteries, connectors, boxes 150 Motor 30 Structural work (to support boxes and other parts) 30 Motor-to-trans adapter system 30 Controller 25 Stereo components 15 Power Steering Pump 10 Power brake pump & reservoir 10 DC-DC 25 BMS, Fuses, Contactor, & other small componenets That estimation puts the car at about 200lbs heavier than stock curb weight. The majority of this 200lb difference, will be added near the front axle, reducing the cars centripetal force and tendency to over steer in extreme cornering. More or less, as if the bonnet has cargo.

Here's an update regarding the structural layout. Electric Porsche 911, using CAD layout components and structural support - YouTube This CAD video shows a Zilla 2K controller & Hairball, 91 CALB LiFePO4 cells, a Lithiumate Pro BMS master, air conditioning compressor, two appropriately rated fuses, a Gigavac GX16BEB contactor; a small 12V auxiliary battery and proposed boxes, some lids, and mounting structure. The red structure is the Porsche uni-body tube inside the engine compartment. Several components not shown: Controller cooling fluid pump, radiator, reservoir & coolant lines; Forced air fan & tubing to motor; DC to DC; box insulation, Power Steering reservoir, wiring, etc.,.

More and more is happening with the car and I haven't been great about chronicling things here... so here are some belated updates! First, with much of the car apart, I decided it was best to do a new stereo install now rather than wait. Many thanks to Rod at Car Audio Innovations for helping with picking the best components for the job... we'll have a system similar to what many other rennlister's have done, with Focal speakers and an Audison amp. What will make the system a little different is my selection of a Parrot Asteroid Smart as the head unit. This Android based device will also allow us to use Torque, an app that will monitor/display all sorts of information from the battery management system and motor. Should be super sweet if we can get it all working... Now, about getting it working... the initial steps have been made to get the stock gauges work with the battery management system (BMS), allowing us to keep as much of the car looking stock as possible. No crappy LCD mounts here! Want to see them in action? Check here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQSlDU3gDxE The biggest job, however, has been battery fitment. The engine compartment design has been key to fitting the 90 cells on board effectively. It's coming down to a 1/8th inch tweak here and there to make it work. Many iterations have taken place on CAD, then measuring in reality to make sure it will fit elegantly. Some of the pics attached show those boxes coming together, and being fit-tested to confirm before moving on to next steps. The really cool pics, are the ones that show nothing at all... because the batteries are mounted just high enough to be out of sight from the outside views of the car. Most other conversions that I've seen show boxes hanging down below the bumper cover. These pics were taken with one box tacked together, and the other missing a back wall - so you see the blue mock-up cells.

Very fun to follow, but I want you to finish the damn thing so we can get 0-60 times and battery life. ;-) What is your estimated date of completion?

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LOL - you think YOU are ready to see this finished? How do you think I feel???? I thought it would be a 2-3 month project and I've been without my P-car for 8 full months and counting... and the weather is just perfect now for top-down drives! I like to think we're 6 weeks away... but I find myself saying that every 6 weeks...

An interesting project but this seems wrong in all sorts of ways. Then again, I just love to hear the exhaust of a nicely tubed engine vs. a silent electric vehicle. Looking forward to the results.

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I'm just wondering if you are trying to do something new and groundbreaking that hasn't been done with the dozen or so other electric 996's that are already out there?

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Well, this isn't really a ground-breaking build... it isn't meant to be the fastest track car, or even to really show off... except in one regard. It is (hopefully) going to be more refined and "stock" than most other builds. The goal was to make it the ideal every-day driver... I wanted a Tesla Roadster, at a lower cost but with four seats... figured a Porsche Convertible would be a pretty nice substitute! It will perform well, hopefully better than stock in many cases (we'll have about as much torque as a 996 Turbo), but there will be compromises as well... added weight, lower HP, range, storage space, etc. There are a handful of "firsts" that we've done, nothing super sexy... but the billet aluminum adapter plate is probably the first of its kind. We're also considering integration of a high speed (30min) charging system. We're already integrating a redundant charging system that will charge at about 6kW/h. We're also considering some unique tweaks to the brushes in the motor, but we've got to see how everything goes together. The guy doing the engineering on the build ( http://www.shiftev.com ) has done more exciting things, like design full electric vehicles for kit car builders (electric Shelby Cobra anyone?) along with some things that would kill at the track... you might take a look at his for sale page ( http://shiftev.com/index.php/for-sale ) where he has a Porshe 914 and a BMW Z3 that has a Siamese 8" engine from the White Zombie dragster! He also has an EV parts business ( http://www.destinyparts.com/ and http://shiftev.com/index.php/ev-parts ). My hope is that this will be exciting and different because it is "just" a high performance electric car, not overtly crazy, but something lots of folks might want to drive. Heck, now that you see mine... want to order one? The engineering has already been done, so I'm sure he'd cut you a deal... we can race!

I just think this whole project is awesome. As much as I love internal combustion engines, the truth of the matter is they are an unsustainable technology and it's only a matter of time before they get phased out by electric motors. It's just a matter of the energy storage technology catching up.

Thanks for the explanation. Refinement always takes time(and money). Hope to see it on the road soon.

The internal combustion engine will be shaking hands with the steam engine fairly soon.

Electric sports cars will have a big place in the market. 1- They are typically not daily drivers. 2- instant torque 3- engineering is the essence of racing 4- wasting money on gas is pointless when it can be used to buy carbon fiber body panels, excellent rubber, top shelf suspension, etc. 5- what we learn on the track is useful on the road, an all electric racing series would produce beneficial data for all road going cars.

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100% agreed. The only reason electric engines haven't taken over yet is because battery/energy storage technology hasn't kept pace with everything else.

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Uhmmm not excactly.....it's because crude oil is still fairly cheap.

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My hope is that in 5 years or so I can double the range with new batteries... just have to wait and see if new power storage tech really comes to fruition. There are several exciting technologies that are in development, but it's hard to know if any will come to market and when. I've been putting off ordering the batteries... just getting everything else in order before I do... and I had a pipe dream that the delays on getting the car to this point would have let something new and noteworthy before I purchased... no such luck, but I'll be ready for round 2 of this project when the time comes!

Too cool. Was reading about an LT1 V8 install into much the same car.

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Still waiting to see if Sridhar(founder of Bloom Energy) can make good on his prediction of consumers being able to get a Bloom Box within 3-7 years with a cost to be under $3k. Imagine a box that you can hold in the palm of your hands that is capable of powering a home, powering your car. Google, Fedex, Walmart are currently using this technology. I hope it trickles down in to the consumer market sooner than later.

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Who needs a flex capacitor when you can have a Bloom Box? Yeah, I've been following Bloom for a while... extremely interesting and amazing. Just plug one in and have tons more power, just need a small tank for some biofuel... then "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

This is the direction of hybrid/electric sports cars. 170 mph for starters. Jaguar C-X75 hypercar - LaFerrari and McLaren P1 rival - driven by autocar.co.uk - YouTube

Well, we finally have all fabricated parts/mounts ready to go to powder coat! This means once we get them back, it should mostly be putting things together and (hopefully) no more head scratching and planning. Feels great to get to this stage, admittedly a good 7 months behind where I thought I'd be... and hopefully there's just one more month left! Time will tell. I've attached a photo of the parts pre-powder coat.

Are these steel or aluminum pieces?

Went with steel, just not enough weight savings to justify the aluminum. I have a question for those following... the car is going to be about 200lbs heavier than stock. The weight distribution will also be different than stock because of the batteries in the frunk and area formerly occupied by the gas tank... What, if any, suspension adjustments or changes might I want to consider due to these changes? Keep in mind, the car is supposed to be a sporty daily driver, not a track car.

The batteries are here! With all battery boxes and other mounts already fabricated/powder coated, that means all that is left is final install... very excited. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm also going to build up a list of all the engine and other parts we've removed and will have available for sale... complete engine included, so please help spread the word if anyone needs parts.

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Nice. Make sure you wear some gloves when hooking up the mains.

I've uploaded photos of all (well, almost all) parts that I'm selling from this conversion, along with several photos of the engine. I haven't really had time to price everything out, but thought I should give members of this thread and rennlist forum members first crack at parts before I place it on the main for sale thread... CLICK HERE TO VIEW 996 PARTS FOR SALE THREAD

$$$$???

I haven't had a chance to look up all parts yet... let's call it "name your own price" for now. When I get an offer I'll try to find some samples of stuff selling online or at least figure out the new part cost. I figure most used parts sell for 1/4 to 1/3 of new. I won't be too greedy, and I'm hoping others can be reasonable on the offer price.

Save yourself the trouble of having the post locked by a Moderator and post prices.

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Will do... didn't know it was an issue!

Pricing added to the 996 Parts for Sale listing !

Sorry to have been away from posting some good updates... I got excited when I saw the embroidered roll bar cover back from the uhpolstery shop... I will work on sharing some more images and info shortly!

With things starting to go together, everying gets more exciting. I have several photos from the last 4-6 weeks of work that I need to organize, but here are the highlights: Wiring of the BMS and batteries is nearing completion. The plumbing and wiring of most equipment is almost done... here are images of the water-heaters and associated tubing: Fabrication/install of the waterproof rear fender well covers is complete. As we have chargers behind each wheel, we've got to keep things dry! The charging system will be 6.6KW provided by two 3.3KW chargers. This means I should be able to charge the batter pack in just 4 hrs or so, but also provides some redundancy so if one goes bad I can still charge and won't ever get stuck! Hopefully I'll get some more time soon to post more! Any requests?

oh oh this is taking shape seems you know what you are doing. nice, keep documenting it, I hope you keep a good list so people can follow in your steps. I am very curious of your cost expectation for the parts alone...labor I don't even want to ear it

very inspirational. awesome project some talk about the 918 batteries etc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu_GezgxQ4o&list=HL1384185648

This is so cool. Can't wait to hear all the specs, and road test results. Will it be cheaper than a 996 engine replacement, with spare parts sold? Sent from my iPad using Rennlist

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Thanks for all the kind feedback... First, I want to make clear that I have professional help with the build of this car, so I have to give Kirk Swaney from shiftEV his props. He is so detail oriented, I really believe I am lucky to have him working on the project. Of course, he's also a busy guy, so that's part of the reason this whole build (which I initially thought would take 3 months) has taken almost a year now! A couple of weeks ago, as we were discussing some of the intricacies of the build, I said, "How could anyone do this themselves?" His response was, "I don't know." He's an electric engineer that is used to building many kinds of electric vehicles (EVs) and there are so many things that we're doing that either are very complicated or different enough that there's not much information out there to assist. It all gets more complicated as you add more power, more features, etc. All instrumentation is being fed data through arduino boards, so the stock dash will remain. Rather than slap some LCD readouts or require a laptop to get detail information from the system, we're integrating an Android based head unit which will get OBDII info and battery management information onto the built-in screen. Everything has been meticulously planned, placed in CAD before fabrication, etc. So, I'm sure things would go much faster for someone else that might want the same conversion in the future, at least if they were willing to employ Kirk as well. I'm guessing I'll have spent a minimum of $35K (including labor) when all is said and done, not including the fancy stereo that is going in as well (don't get me started on that... had to re-plan much of the wiring and our whole heating system to prevent electrical noise in the stereo!) We're estimating about 400ft/lbs of instant torque, so 0-60mph should be better than stock. After that, we're not really sure how it will perform. We looked at dual motor setups and other ideas for crazy speed, but it wasn't in the budget and would have cost another $8-12K probably. That said, it would have been easy to reduce my range or give up some acceleration and save $5K or so. Again, lots of time and money has gone into the details, and there are infinite ways someone could customize things for their own vehicle. As far as making money back on parts, I'm looking at only getting around $5K back from everything once sold. I had expected more, but it is hard to sell everything without going very low to get it gone. I will post some other photos either tonight or tomorrow... try to catch everyone up with the progress.

Have you sold the engine yet?

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Funny you should ask... just recieved payment today, so yes! Now I've got to put it on a pallet with several of the other parts and ship it off.

Thanks for the updates. Seems like you are making some good progress. Although this is nothing new on a 996 as I've seen about a dozen 996 EV conversions so far, I'm excited to see one that uses top components and a very well engineered plans to come up with a more refined EV. Some I've seen seemed a little too cobbled together if you know what I mean. This 997 owner actually managed to save 75lbs from a gas version but the tradeoff is his mileage is limited to 100 which still isn't bad at all. Couple others:

Looks like Rebirth is making adapter plates now for the 996 model too for anyone looking to go this route. http://rebirthauto.com/shop/motor-ad...r/#prettyPhoto

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Good eyes, Alpine... you must be looking into this... Yeah... that is MY adapter plate that they made for my build! Of course, now they can make others like it for anyone else. They are supposedly the best at engineering adapter plates like this, so we commissioned one from them. I know I'm not the first to do a 996 - although when I started on this a little over 1.5 years ago and bought the car for this purpose, I had only heard of 2-3 others out there, and as our project has gone on, I also found more and more people out there doing this - kind of exciting! Maybe one day we can have an electric 996 rally... Mind sharing the links to those you found above? I'd love to see how that 997 guy saved so much weight... (I'll be 100-120 miles of range probably) and I don't remember seeing that 996 you photoed as well.

Some more updates... Pics of first box completely wired, lid on, and mounted in car. Also got the main contactor mounted. Controller and rear BMS is ready to go on it, but doing a bunch of fit checking with the motor in place (now) and final cable route planning first... We also put the proper stainless fasteners on the rear fender wall plates protecting the Chargers. There are 5 battery packs, this one mounts above the motor on the cabin side of the engine bay. We'll have two other "saddle bags" in the rear compartment, one on each side of the motor, and they go as low as possible without showing below the rear bumper cover. One will fit in the location of the former gas tank, and the final one mounts on the floor in the bonnet/frunk.

Not a great photo, but wanted to show the little bit that has been done this past week... The DC to DC converters have been mounted with the proper stainless-steel fasteners... we're using every inch of space in the rear compartment! These close down over the motor. Also, the stereo is done and *mostly* tuned - sounds sweet! Really liking the Parrot Asteroid Smart head unit thus far... has some eccentricity, but lets us plug in Torque to monitor everything... sweet!

Awesome thread guys - thanks for sharing and good luck with the project!!

Well, the battery boxes are nearly complete... just a few more hours of labor and hopefully ALL 5 boxes will be mounted! The tedious process of getting the BMS (Battery Management System) wired to every cell is virtually complete... photos below show the two "saddle bag" boxes that will mount on either side of the motor in the rear of the car, and the other is the box that will be placed where the fuel tank once lived. All BMS Wiring & routing is done except for 1/2 the fuel tank box and the frunk box. The wiring for those is routed, and just another 2 hours or so, they'll be done. Then final main power cable ends go on (~1 Hour) and then box lids go on (for the last time). Boxes get mounted after that, and then the final small components get mounted and onto the small wiring. This doesn't look like a lot, but there are 187 wires from the BMS units to the cells! Plus 3 in-line connectors (last photo). It has to be safe and tidy to last a long time. I'm very excited... each step seems to take longer than I expected, but that's par for the course now. Ever closer to putting everything together! Thanks for all the encouragement thus far!

Got this nice message from the engineer today... "Put 5 hours into the Porsche today. See video link for 4 hours if it. Completed frunk box BMS cell and series connection wiring." Fun to see the way he moves blankes around to protect from shock... the batteries are fully charged! Also note his rubber coated socket wrench at the end. You Tube

How's the total weight and weight distribution going to be?

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That is certainly one of the questions we're going to have to answer when it's done... that and acceration times! At this point, I think it is safe to say that we'll have more weight toward the front of the car than stock. So, I know it's nothing Porsche has strived for, but we'll be getting closer to that 50%/50% distribution... what I really want to do is corner balance the car once we're done, but I'm not sure I'll have the coin for that right away... a new adjustable suspension may have to wait.

Very cool! Looking forward to finished product!

Is the cost $35,000 plus the cost of the 1999 C2? I assume your build was just a "for fun" project and not for any type of economic reason? What are your plans for the car when completed?

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You are correct, this build is just for fun. When this project was dreamed up in early 2011, I was really trying to come up with a "no compromise" electric sports car - one that would be tons of fun to drive, have 4 seats to carry my 2 little ones, and would cost much less than a Tesla roadster. I'd always wanted a Porsche, and ended up going for a 1999 996 convertible because it was less exspensive than older models, yet still had most of the modern day conveniences and saftey features. Not much had been done with a 996 in regards to electric conversions, and so, the project began. The initial goal was to spend about $30K during the conversion process, but as we worked on things, it became clear that another $5K would provide noticibly more performance and range. Of course, the project has taken much longer than originally anticipated, partly due to the amount of attention to detail, but also due to several other "outside" factors, and I think I'll end up at $40K all in, not counting the donor car. Let me tell you this - you could definately build a car for less... you could do without A/C, power steering, brakes, etc. You don't need to have all stock gagues working, and there are definately ways to shave weight to eek out more performance (don't get a convertible for starters!), but I wanted it all. We'll even have a nice "nanny" switch that will only provide about 75% power so any valet (or wife) won't get too carried away. In any case, once complete, I fully intend to enjoy the car as a daily driver. I hope to inspire others to buy or build EVs. I'd love to send more business to the ev building community, such as the folks at www.shiftev.com that are helping me with my build. Sorry to be gone for so long... holidays will do that to you. I hope everyone is looking forward to a fast and fun new year! I've got some new photos and updates to post shortly, so will take care of that next...

Before the holidays all 3 rear battery boxes were installed and wired! Minimal bolts are used at this time, to reduce time if they unexpectedly need to come back out. The white connectors on the passenger side are taped to where the BMS master unit will bolt on. They'll plug-in right there. On the left, the green Zilla controller will mount. The air conditioner pump is temporarily resting on an aluminum plate (until the motor and shelf-mount are installed). The last box to install is the one that goes in the gas tank area. That WAS waiting on temperature sensors, its lid , and a couple other small wires... but just after the holidays, most of that got done as well! Note the installed temp sensors on the copper connectors of cell's 434 & 398 pictured - they're the two small black wires. Sensors are under the black shrink tubing on the connector. This works nicely because the battery connections conduct the temperature of the battery from its center. Also mounted were the last two temp sensors which are routed to the frunk box cells. A foam gasket was installed around the flat lip of battery box pictured... The main cables (orange) were fabricated that are mounted to the fuel tank box pictured - they'll poke through the frunk firewall & connect to frunk batteries when it is raised into position. This is all exciting, as it means the last battery box is almost ready for mounting and focus will soon shift to final motor installation and low voltage wiring! I can't wait... I can almost smell the electrons...

Looks good!

How weatherproof is the entire setup? Those "power supply" looking boxes on the rear deck lid look like they are for indoor use.

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Well, we're certainly spending a good deal of time making everything so it can be driven in all conditions. We get a good bit of rain here on the Western side of Oregon, so care is being taken to ensure proper placement of weather adverse parts. Heck, we've got several months ahead of rain, so we'll be immediately be able to make sure our efforts pay off. Those "power supplies" are the AC/DC converters which will charge the batteries. Everything above is sealed very well, and once we have motor installed below, they should be very safe.

A few more pics to share... A nice new charge connector under the gas filler flap! A close up shot of the temperature sensor - The small black wire going underneath the black heat shrink on a copper battery connector, is a temperature probe. They are scattered throughout the pack. The completed install of the front pack! Matching carpet will cover the polycarbonate panel, but will obviously be removed for show-and-tell. Normally we use rubber grommet seals. But the box replacing the fuel tank needed some flexibility on cable location/angle because it mounts against a 45 degree wall, so a coarse air-filter material was used to keep the critters out while allowing minor ventilation. Plastic under body panels will protect from any splashing water.

Are you eligible for any government rebates there? I know it was $5k here, even for conversions. What are the legalities over there in driving and registering something like this(dot, EPA, etc)? Have you checked into the insurance side of things yet?

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All very good questions, Alpine. Unfortunately, although Oregon does have state tax incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, they do not have any for do-it-yourself projects. I've already re-registered the car and have my new plates "OHM AGE" and the kind folks at the DMV really didn't know what to do, but fuel type ELECTRIC does show on the registration card now. They didn't charge me anything out of the ordinary, nor did anyone bring up concerns... and I asked! My State Farm insurance guy wasn't sure how to handle it either - and as I'm not on the road with it yet, we haven't fully figured it out. The last conversation was along the lines of using a declared value to insure it or considering the conversion "add-on equipment" that could get insured additionally. So, we shall see.

Cool. You still have more trunks space than the Macca P1. p.s. can you use one of those Tesla Superchargers with this?

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Hilarious - comparing trunk space is why I built this car! Sadly, no... Teslas are proprietary. I have looked into a CHAdeMO high-speed charger connection that would allow me to recharge in 30 min or so using the high-speed network of chargers up and down I-5... at first blush it looks like mounting it behind the rear license plate might work best (see initial test image below) but due to additional costs involved, I'm going to hold off on that for now, but we've wired in the ability to easily add this in the future!

Been a while and I'm overdue for an update... wiring and more wiring... ever read about how many miles of wire are in a new car? Believe it! Making everything as nice as can be... and almost ready to mount the motor! Main pack DC cables, one of two pack fuses & safety cover. The plumbing is coolant lines for the speed controller, which use the stock radiator. The wires are for heater system power, AC to the chargers from the J1772 connector. Note the silver powder coated metal box... that is the battery pack fit into the area vacated by the stock gas tank! Very soon, all this gets covered by the stock under-side plastic panels. Some of the cable & wire routing under the rear, where the transmission will mount up into the car. The black corrugated “wire loom” contains all small wires that needed to be routed in this area. As you can see, they all need to be figured out & loosely routed before it can be buttoned up like this. Notice the “other” big main pack fuse and it’s cover, in the lower right of the picture. And the two unused bolts in the lower right are screwed into rivet-nuts we installed. After the motor/transmission is in. These bolts, plus another bracket will secure the power steering pump. The blue line is the hydraulic clutch line. View of “wired” passenger side charger from underneath - There are 2 chargers, one mounted behind each rear wheel. This enables high-speed charging and offers redundancy in case one charger fails. A test fit of the detailed front covers, to confirm the new auxiliary 12V battery & front BMS (battery management system) fit with plenty of clearance – and they do. Finally! Here’s how she’ll look assembled in the front, with battery cover in place. There’s just a little bit of wiring left to do under these covers before screwing them down. The rear will be just as pretty soon. That's it for now... had hoped to have the motor and transmission mounted this past weekend, but that is a 2 person job and we had a huge snow storm preventing help from arriving. I hope you all are fairing better in the crazy weather. I hope to have photos of the motor/transmission in place late this week or early next!

Tremendous fun! Lots of work. Thanks for the update she's looking good.

so... much... work... Cool but it might be a while before I own an electric car (minus the new supercars if one fell inmy lap soon haha)

The motor is in! Still more mechanical connections to be made, but I'm so excited, thought I'd share a LARGE photo...! Other stuff done recently, along with more wiring... put this in the "just-in-case" category... steel shields produced this week. There are a few large wires passing under the chasis (to the inner-rear fenders) where the chargers are. The path of the wires are 5” farther inside than the inner-most part of the tire. They’re also much farther back than the tire. So not in-line with debris or water splash. But these shields add an extra layer of protection just in case. Before/After photos:

Well, once the excitement of having the motor in wore off, it was time to do some quick testing. It became apparent that something wasn't right and the motor wouldn't spin freely. Turns out one of our several custom fabricated pieces was off by less than 1/10" - fortunately all we had to do was shave down a small part, and everything was good to go. Of course, this entire process of troubleshooting meant we lost several days and in the end, had to remove the motor and new clutch assembly and put everything back together again. The positive note is that everything seems to be in order now, and the fix was a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. Now, on to the new stuff! Last week we fitted the power steering into position and found that we'll have to re-make a simple bracket, but it should be installed this week. Routed several small 12V wires necessary before the controller could go in. Mounted the Zilla controller box & connected all the high voltage –high current cables to it, and to the main contactor. Mounted the power steering reservoir (in the pic below, right behind the Zilla controller), rear cable shrouds are on, and some of the plastic trim that goes under the car was also installed… Here's a photo of the rear as it stands now...

Very awesome. Reminds me of the electric 944 dragster featured on Top Gear USA. Once complete, are you planning for this electric 996 to be a DD or a weekend car? How much would CHAdeMO add?

Daily driver all the way, hopefully one with a little extra quotient of fun added in... instant 400 ft/lbs of torque anyone? (at least, that's the plan!) We looked into CHAdeMO, and about 8 months ago there weren't any real DIY kits available yet, but we set up some wiring for one anyway... I hope to add that in the future. As this is part of the build relies on professional assistance, I was quoted about 1K or so after all parts and labor, with the unit being placed behind the licence plate which would pop-up.

OK, so more parts in... getting closer... The green box added to the trunk lid is the speed controller's HairBall. This is it's brain and its low voltage/current wiring interface to communicate with the rest of the car. High Voltage/Current connections are on the big green Zilla mounted below, at left. Note the water tubing... this Zilla motor controller is water cooled using the stock radiators! So, why use the trunk lid for installing all these parts? To quote Kirk from ShiftEV, the engineer behind all of this, "it's working out very sweet for this constrained space, is highly functional and a true eye candy design!" He pointed out that there were already 12 wire connections in the stock trunk lid for fan, light, spoiler motors, etc. and there are other 911 trunk lids with coolers and more built into them. So there's a second gas support strut partly in the design for such weighty options. We're approximately doubling the wire count to the trunk lid, but it just makes sense when all factors are considered. They'll be properly anchored and have minimal movement. The new wires will all be routed through one, possibly two tubes, seen in the center. Some are strung temporarily for now. But it will be tidy and neat when finished. A second gas shock is on order, for the left side of your trunk to make sure it holds up its weight and never slams shut. The right strut is removed in these pics,but you can see the upper and lower ***** it connects to. We just have to drill and tap a hole on the left upper tab for the new ball to attach. The lower left ball location has a threaded hole in the stock body. The other part recently mounted is the factory AC pump, which is bolted down. The aluminum Air Conditioner pump "tube" that I'm pointing at is a stock part. It sticks out toward the battery box, and prevents us from sliding the pump far-enough to align its "driven pulley" to the "drive pulley" on the motor. When the car is running, we'll drive it to an Air Conditioning shop and have it replaced with a tube that's out of the way. We could try and bend it, but it could burst since it's still pressurized. Just one more little detail to fix up...

Very exciting. Like the water cooled aspect. Bought my wife a Tesla recently and loving it. But I would really love a 4 seater manual tranny electric Porsche as my daily driver! Guess I will live vicariously through you and this thread... Thanks!

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And I shall live vicariously through you, the one already driving around in an electric car! In other news, not that anyone should dare one-up me on this project, but there's a pretty sweet 2005 with blown engine on-ebay now... who wants to have their own electric 911? http://r.ebay.com/jA1qeU

Are you sure those parts on the engine lid are meant for outdoor use? They don't look to me that they are protected from the elements at all. Those cooling fans look like the ones used in PC power supplies.

Any fail safe in case of a wreck to disconnect high voltage systems?

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Funny I was actually thinking about this the other day. Any EE can easily rig up an accelerometer to an Arduino board and relay to achieve a simple yet effective safety cutoff in case of an accident.

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Thanks for the questions! Yes, although they almost look like a power supply you pulled out of your computer, they are rated for outdoor use... but we do not want to get them wet. The entire lid has been sealed and these babies will stay dry. You bet - there are actually multiple levels of safety layered in, and like everything else in the build, I think we've gone above and beyond what is typical. First, there is an inertia switch built into the wiring system. This safety switch senses shock or vibration and is installed so if I were to get into an accident it would shut everything down to help prevent further damage or harm. Secondly, there is a large battery disconnect pull handle mounted below the rear bumper, made out of bright orange plastic. A first responder can simply pull this and it will disconnect all batteries. This is also helpful for quickly disconnecting things for service etc. We may also add a big red KILL button somewhere else, but not sure yet. Beyond that, the Battery Management System (BMS) will have some fail-safe tolerances built in that will allow the software to cut things off if extreme pack output is registered, etc. I think I have some photos of the safety disconnect... I'll try to post those later.

The rest of the engine compartment is sealed from the elements too?

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Yes - we are taking a great deal of precaution to ensure everything stays dry... of course, here in rainy Oregon, I've got no choice but to drive in the rain! This is certainly intended to be an all-weather vehicle, and we're doing what we can to ensure longevity of the build. Each battery box is sealed individually - the polycarbonate tops are sealed along all edges. We've only built a bit of custom water shrouding around the wheel wells to prevent splashing in. Much of the underside will rely on the plastic underbody panels. We shall see how it does... we plan on running with some remote cameras in the engine bay when we test to be sure!

Here are photos of the easy "first responder" disconnect that was taken when it was fabricated... it is on the left side of the left saddle-bag battery box in the back. I can't find my photo of it when installed...

Very nice!

Awesome job op, but it will be a truly sad day for me when a Porsche drives by me and I hear nothing but tires on the road

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Me too - I'll definitely get misty-eyed when I see one of these roll by in electric-only mode.

Super impressive

Some updates... not a ton of "Electric car" stuff, but good stuff none the less... The rear deck-lid was heavier with all the equipment attached, so a second strut was installed to ensure that it will not fall and will rise and close just as it should. It was nice to see that Porsche had actually designed in a location for a second strut, so it wasn't hard to add! New to me wheels were placed on the vehicle, rotors were painted to look less rusty and fit in, and new Bilstein HD struts were placed in all four corners. Initially I was considering other suspension options, however with the added weight the car already rides slightly lower than stock, and I wasn't ready to go further without significant time behind the completed car. The one bit of electric car completed was the coolant system for the motor controller - coolant added and all is ready. The next week or two should see the final wiring of the Battery Management System (BMS) and hopefully a good start on the programming that will have all the components talking to the stock gauges properly. We'll see far how we get!

Nice job my colleague :-) The water proofness is ok for your location where you are living (I can see it at the condition of your car). Here in Germany, we have a lot of rain and spray, the winter is even worse. Here in the north we are known in Germany for tough winters with lots of salt and jumping through snow barriers on the road becasue of monthly "snow storm" - if we have a strong winter as 4 times in the last 6 years. I did a conversion on a BMW Z3 and I drove it trough the winter this year, no issues, but I sealed everything against spray. I have some pictures about the car on www.evehicle4u.de Actually Im converting my 996 Coupe (bought for the conversion) to an electric drivetrain. All parts are in preparation and hopefully this summer I will be able to run some test drives on the road with the nice car. Lithium Ion battery packs >30kWhs, AC Motor 150kW, everything water cooled and sealed. Top speed will be at least 130mph, but it could be possible to get 150mph for a few minutes, let's see. The range is planned for 185miles to 250miles. Until that moment Im enjoying the Z3 convertible each day

Hey 996electric - welcome and your project sounds great. I hope you have a better time getting things together than I did... I'm 1.5 years into the project now! I actually must admit, I did come across your site a while ago... wish I knew German... Have you selected batteries? How are you planning on getting so many miles out of your pack? Are you going to sacrifice the rear seats, or keep them available for use? I'm happy to share my experience if it can be helpful. I'm sure we'll chat more!

So, I'm overdue for an update as well... finishing up the wiring, programming on the BMS and even a LOW POWER TEST! Yes, the car is ROLLING! Low powered test drive went well. We have to work through a short list of issues, most of which were expected. None are catastrophic or expensive. I may get a little video this weekend, but here are some shots of the rear showing things more buttoned up...

Hi, I have special batteries with a higher density, very expensive and they last really long, much longer than normal lithium ion batteries, which are also very fine for normal application. I will keep the the cabin as it is. From the outside you will only recognize the missing exhaust tails, as I did it on the BMW conversion.

Subscribed!

The only "conversion" that I am even remotely interested in. I really like this one!

IT IS ALIVE! You Tube I had to share this video - although not particularly interesting, you may hear two giddidy individuals as this Porsche 911 EV conversion goes on its first test drive. Some notes: - It sounds louder inside the car than it does outside, as much of it is still apart from the ongoing conversion. - Note the Parrot Asteroid Smart stereo head-unit which is android powered, allowing us to use and OBDII connecter to pull data directly from the car and battery system and place it on the screen. (best shot toward end of video) - During this test, the battery pack/system was limited to about 30% power, and we were only testing for some basic functionality. - The BMS cut out at one point when we requested more than the limit would allow. "Man down!" - Although we have a power steering system implemented, it was not turned on for this test. It works, but is currently a bit noisy, especially in a car that is otherwise silent! - Much more work needs to be completed, and we found a couple issues. Fortunately nothing horrible.

Congrats on your first drive. I bet that felt great. Seems really weird not to hear anything at low speeds. Are you planning on putting in some noise maker for around town driving so pedestrians notice you? Also are you going to be wiring up the other unused gauges to something? I bet you can't wait to rip it at 100%.

Super cool

Awesome! Love this project.

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Thanks for all the positive feedback - I'm definitely excited myself! Yeah, really want to turn up the power, but not there yet... we're moving slow to make sure we don't make any mistakes. Funny you should ask about sound... see the video below... I actually bought that app and played it in the car for a bit, only bummer is they don't have a P-car sound: You Tube But to answer your question about pedestrians, I haven't thought much about adding a noise-maker to the outside... although the electric steering pump we got from a used MR2 could certainly fit that bill - it is LOUD! We're looking for ways to quiet it down or other alternatives. So, at this point, short answer is no, hoping to keep the ride as quiet as possible. Regarding gauges, our hope is to make all fully functional. We're already 1/2 way through programming most of the dash lights to operate/communicate as they should (gas light for low batteries, engine light for system problem, etc). I think the only gauge we don't have a solid plan for is the oil pressure - but most should give feedback one way or another. The stereo interface will give more detail, show max/min values as well as averages over time. It can also show 0-60 times and other fun items. If you haven't played with the Torque app for android, I highly recommend it!

Great build! Congrats on the progress.. Put a digital gauge where the oil pressure gauge is maybe...

Congrats! Looks awesome.

Got a surprise today... the grad student I had helping do some programming just got a spring/summer internship at Tesla! Great for him... not so great for me. Although much of the harder programming is done, there is still much fine-tuning etc. to finish up. He says he can remotely continue to update things, but I'm not sold 100% on the idea. We could put the car back together and I could probably drive around just fine using the stereo head-unit for all the necessary data, but it would be a big bummer to not have everything appear stock and function in the gauge cluster... most items ARE working, speedo is good, many lights, but still don't have RPM and a few others. Just another bump in the road for this build I guess - It's taken 1.5 years... why not have it go longer? In other news, I've got the old 18" Turbo Twist wheels and new(ish) tires for sale... wheels aren't in great cosmetic shape - but if you want a commemorative collectible from this project - here's an opportunity! Link here: https://rennlist.com/forums/parts-ma...l#post11285020

OK, so it was kinda slow for the past two weeks... not much interesting when you're just trying to get things working perfectly, making small adjustments and continuing tweaks in programming... BUT the good news is we've got the power turned up to 1500 amps now, so that's 75% power and we're hoping to turn it up to 11 (ok, maybe just 10... or 9) after more testing. Performance should be impressive... One thing you'll find with instant torque is that the motor and transaxle want to twist when the throttle is snapped on quickly... photo below is the new brace that prevents rotation but still allows movement up/down/left/right without transmitting vibration into the chassis. As I replaced my old leaking struts and got the sport techno wheels on... car looks great, stanced even. When you add new clean bits, you want to pretty others up before they go back on... below is a photo of some suspension brace parts getting paint prior to reassembly. Finally, a simple 12V battery switch that can be used for service and long term storage (not that I plan on storing her when complete - gotta make up for almost 2 years of not driving!). Ah, one more thing that I don't have pictured, but makes a HUGE difference... we've isolated the vibration from the power steering pump, an electric one from an MR2. Sucker was LOUD, and now is tame. That was certainly one problem I didn't plan on from the outset. The fun part is I can easily turn power steering pressure up and down now, so it can be adjusted for different driving types. That said, my goal is to make the car drive as if it were stock, so that will be how I try to tune it now.

Getting closer to "completion"! (Is a project like this ever truly finished?) Maybe I missed it, but can you elaborate a little more on the electric power steering pump (what year MR2 it came from, where you mounted it, etc.)?

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It�s mounted beside the transaxle on the driver�s side, in a pocket directly under the rear seat. I think it�s out of a 1992 MR2, the year wasn't not provided at the time of purchase. As far as the set-up goes, we�re using the pump with the its stock controller, but not its computer. We have placed remote input controls in the form of two labeled ***** for setting it�s typical voltage and it�s typical current to a comfortable level of assist. They are tucked into the compartment under the convertible top lid. It�s not an on-the-fly adjustment, but is relatively accessible. This set-up falls between crude (just having power steering on full blast all the time) vs. complex (controlled by steering wheel position & speed inputs). I'll try to get some photos. Thanks for the question... and you are correct... we'll probably never be done, but I sure hope to get to the done enough part soon!

Well, with all the "major" things done, the little things just seem to take longer and longer... but we're making progress and I wanted to make a small update. It's been almost a month since my last! The car is now drivable, however not ready for prime-time... the gage cluster is still out as we try to get all the final bits working. Late last week, testing began with the power somewhat turned up. This testing “work” is in identifying what self-protection features are preventing the high power acceleration for more than a brief moment, then checking to see if it’s appropriate to widen up those parameters. So it’s a cyclic process of confidently identifying, adjusting and testing over and over again. So far, It’s up to about 1200 motor amps peak. That’s an intense few seconds. Looking forward to the upcoming week of testing! Outisde of this testing, some of the items yet to be completed: - Install a "valet switch" to reduce power for those that don't need everything she's got (stock defrost toggle with LED indicator, to be installed in blank spaces to the left of stereo head unit in center console) - Get Tach and Temperature gages working - Get new Air Conditioning pump plumbing completed - When air conditioning is on, cause both front radiator fans to be on “low” speed - Lots of labeling and interior reassembling Something else that has taken MUCH longer than anticipated... balancing the battery cells. Typically, the individual cells in a battery have somewhat different capacities and may be at different levels of state of charge. Without redistribution, discharging must stop when the cell with the lowest capacity is empty (even though other cells are still not empty). Without balancing, the cell of smallest capacity is a “weak point”, it can be easily overcharged or over-discharged while cells with higher capacity undergo only partial cycle. Apparently, we didn't finish balancing the batteries when first received. So by not finishing that a little over a year ago, they became more out of balance than how they were received from the factory. We're top balancing (rather than bottom balancing), which basically means we do our best to charge all batteries until some register as full, then partially discharge the full ones, and charge again. It sounds simple, but to actually get all the batteries perfectly balanced, it has taken many, many cycles. Glad to have it finished, meaning we could then turn up the power and start testing, as described above.

I'm well overdue for an update, and I finally have a few items worth reporting. Back in April I lost the grad student who was helping program the CAN bus controllers to talk to the factory gages to a Summer/Fall internship at Tesla... great for him, but not so great for my project. Now, the good news... Kirk at ShiftEV , who is heading up this project, called in the big guns. I am extremely excited and thankful to say that Otmar Ebenhoech (father of the Zilla motor controller , which we are using in this car) and Debbie Hollenback from the local EV Club (who is probably another super-star in the making) have come to the rescue! Debbie is doing the programming and Otmar is in charge of the hardware and project design. In, what he calls "typical engineer" fashion, Otmar began by ripping out all the off-the-shelf components wired in previously and opted for a new "bleeding edge" system that was far smaller and more powerful. The great thing about their participation is that it is a win-win: they haven't integrated a system like this to work the stepper motors in the dash before, so their efforts here will assist with other future projects they have planned. Speaking of other projects... if you haven't heard anything about Otmar's Stretchla project , you best watch the video below and review his amazing stretched VW Westfalia to Tesla conversion story . Wheels are Turning - YouTube Back to my project... As has been the story all along, the devil is in the details, and the details continue to take time. The latest update in regards to the programming for the dash was received as follows: "Today we spent the hours realizing that our method of zeroing the gauges was not consistently accurate. After learning some more stepper motor theory and studying the guts of the stepper motor driver libraries we came up with a way to reset the needles on startup that guarantees them starting from exactly zero. Deb wrote up the test code and we found it to be robust. It feels like we are almost done, as is has felt every day for weeks :-) We'll be on it again tomorrow." Progress is being made, slowly but surely! The beautiful summer days are well upon us here in Oregon... I think I'll have the car back before they end... here's hoping!

As much as I love the Porsche engine sound I love seeing your progress and am slightly jealous...although I would personally do a Coupe. If electrics were within my budget I'd get a rolling 944 and convert it for a daily driver. Fantastic job! Chris

Thanks for the update. Looks line someone forgot the initialize function. function initialize(){var gauge1=0}. J/K

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Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chris. I have become addicted to driving with the top down, so it had to be a convertible for me. Yes, a coupe would have weighed less and may have yielded some extra space for batteries or components, but although I am definitely into the performance side of things, I wanted something that was more of my dream car than a rational car... and imagine how pleasant driving a quiet electric car will be, flying down the road!

Some more updates... We had one heck of a problem getting the tachometer working... first issue turned out to be a blown "Hair ball" board for our Zilla motor controller. We weren't sure how that happened, however when the replacement arrived, we discovered that although the correct COLOR wire was hooked up, it was really one of TWO with that color, and the wrong one! That could have been the reason the Hair ball board got fried... so several hours were spent tracking all wires and labeling things, just to make sure we didn't make the same mistake again with another wire. Otmar and Deb have the gage cluster ready for in-car testing, however we need to add a couple of LED's before we wire it in. I'm excited about the slick way they are able to display battery temperature on the oil pressure gage with no additional wiring, just taking the CAN bus signal from our Battery Management System (BMS) data. Some more good news... Kirk measured energy consumption at 310W/h per mile at a 65 MPH cruise on the way back to the shop from Otmar's garage... this should mean VERY conservative range estimates between 83 and 93 miles... so 100 isn't out of the question on a long continuous and gentle drive. Not making any promises here, but if I can go further than my wife in her Nissan Leaf, I think we'll know which car we're taking for rides to the coast! Now, one of the little bits I'm very excited about... the valet switch! As you can see in the photo below, it is an instant push button toggle (top left button, round/silver) with a blue ring that illuminates when in high power mode. It's toggle circuit was added to the same arduino board that will control the car's heater. A little code and some final connections, then we can test this out! The idea is this... you get 100% power when on, but when off, you're limited to a calm-Sunday-drive/economy setting of about 20% power or something like that... maybe I'll call it the "wife switch!"

That's the usual spot for the stability management button so in your case it's probably the anti-stability management.

Super project! Very well done and an inspiration for high quality conversions

A mini-update... Tuesday was spent finishing the car-side wiring & connectors for the heater control circuit (also the Valet mode circuit). Most of this was under the dash, and some in the back. Otmar finished the circuit assembly and it’s code. We plugged it in and ran it all prior to mounting the enclosure box and switch panel. We had one minor connection to fix, and a code change that took less than a minute. Then it was working flawlessly. Other than mounting the box under the dash, that’s done. Today, the gage cluster is ready for in-car testing and we'll be wiring it to the car so we can get to it. I’ll keep you posted... Here is a photo of the "valet switch" (AKA the anti-stability management button - thanks tokyopav!) with the light on. Also shows an added defrost button below the silver button for something less risky if poked. We're only driving its LED to indicate the high voltage heater circuit is powered. Pushing its toggle has no result. This seemed better than an extra hole for a new LED anywhere else, as we had originally planned on inserting an LED in a vent or something - this is MUCH cleaner. TBH, I'm going back & forth on the use of the silver button for the valet switch... I was going to use another stock button but others on the build brought up the concern that it might easily be hit on accident while driving and cause an accident. It looks pretty good, but isn't stock... any comments or feedback here? Should I go with a stock button instead? I'm not sure if I described the heating system previously... but as we no longer have an ICE to generate heat, we have installed 3 high-speed electric water heaters which should do the job very nicely and may even heat up the interior faster than the engine did. See the last photo for a view of them when they were installed... 9 months ago! Ugh... getting closer... really want to drive in this great summer weather!

A few bits of progress and a major milestone... The pics show an attempt to alter an unused yellow indicator to a green with black arrow. Didn't look quite as good as hoped, so we replaced the former tach-red-line red LED with a green LED for this indicator instead. Lots of other small wiring & tidying up too... which leads to the big news... The gages are IN... and they WORK! Some arduino enclosures to finish up and various wires to tie under the dash, but basically the system is all together and we can really focus on DRIVE TESTING now! Very excited... Just noticed that this is my 200th post on the board... glad to finally (kinda) get to drive the thing. Still lots to test/tweak so we can slowly turn up the power...

Congrats again. You can do do many things with Arduino's and hence the reason why I suggested using one for the automatic emergency power cutoff but I see that you used it in other ways. It's looking like a high class ev build.

Thanks for the props, alpine... wish you were closer to go for a ride when it was done! Otmar just published a youtube video explaining how he got the gages working... also fun to see some shots of the car in his garage... You Tube

If you dont mind sharing, whats your total conversion cost up to now including initial car cost?

Good question... unfortunately it is much more than an engine rebuild... was hoping to find a way to convince more people on here to do a conversion themselves! Car: $19,000 (E-bay purchase 2 years ago, was a decent deal at the time... now I see similar cars for $15K-$17K) Conversion to date: Approximately $40,000. I'm sure I'm off on some numbers here, but the larger purchases were batteries ($11K), Zilla 2K motor controller ($4K). I'm guessing about $13K in labor thus far, and then all the other parts/pieces make up the rest. Not that it is truly part of the conversion, but I also put in about $4,500 into a new stereo system in the car which includes the Parrot Asteroid Smart, which is the Android based head-unit that lets us read information from the OBDII sensor and show lots of cool data via the Torque app. So, all-in, I'm closing on $65K... but I sold the motor and parts for about $5K, so $60K Net. Was initially planning on it being more like $45K, but you know how it goes... good thing I've had almost two years to slowly pay it out...

As we began more drive testing, we started to have a feeling that there might be a battery cell misbehaving... so we never buttoned up the rear end and finished a few things, as we'd have to undo it all if we did have to replace a bad cell. Now that we've finished the gages, we're once again focused on the drive testing. We now have data showing cell 9 is being "reported" as having the worst performance of all cells in the system by some margin. I have quotes around "reported" because it is entirely possible the cell is fine and we just have a loose wire connection. Kirk is going to trouble shoot that before any more rear assembly is done. He believes he can access the connections (to test them) without dropping the battery box - here's hoping! Other things left to be done: heater reservoir, the back-up cam (is wired, but not on since the rear bumper/body panel isn't on yet), motor cooling blower needs to be mounted and wired, wiring for the air conditioner needs to be finished and refrigerant plumbing for the air conditioning pump has to be moved (we'll have an A/C shop do this). The list is certainly getting shorter!

Just curious as to what the life expectancy of the batteries will be with your specific batteries/usage and does that company have some sort of recycle program?

The batteries are expected to have a 75%+ charge capability in 8 years, somewhat standard in the industry now. I'm actually hoping that I'll be able to upgrade for double the mileage and a little more power in 4-5 years... I think everything about this car is going to be just want I want from a long-term keeper car, with the one exception that I'm looking at 100mi range now - would love to extend that to 200 some day and maybe up the pack voltage some to get as much power into the motor controller as it can handle! Calb, the maker of the batteries, is in China. I don't know of a recycling program for them, but there are certainly a few places around me that recycle things like this. They are also very good for power storage in homes with solar panels, etc. Saw a video once of a battery like this being disassembled and virtually the entire thing is recyclable. The exterior plastic casing is recyclable and inside is just a stack of thin metal sheets which can also easily be recycled. Or at least that's what the video was trying to demonstrate...

Some good news... it took a bit of doing, but we finally figured out what was wrong with the cell... nothing! It was a loose connection and was easily solved... but this means the battery box had to get pulled out. More drive testing should help flush out any other loose battery management connections. More testing to be done... hope to have another update this weekend.

Not much sexy for this update, but as we found one connection which was slightly loose, we decided to go through all battery packs one more time and torque things up again to be sure we didn't have any surprises elsewhere. The top photo below shows the battery pack which resides in the area vacated by the gas tank... It’s lowered as little as possible to reduce the number of cable & surrounding plumbing connections to unmake and remake. The actual torque check is maybe 15 minutes. Getting to it, and putting it back… priceless. The second photo shows the right rear battery box while dropped, with lid off. Also, lowered minimally, just enough to gain access. A long time ago, Cpt. Obvious asked for more info about the electric power steering pump pulled from an MR2 - with the car back up on the lift, I can finally deliver on that request. First two images show the pump and I've circled the isolators we added after finding the initial install caused a good bit of NVH. The final photo is of the pump controller. Pump and controller were purchased used online, so I don't know the exact year of the Toyota MR2 which was its donor, but believe it was '92. These items are mounted beside the transaxle, the pump is on the driver’s side, in a pocket directly under the rear seat, controller mirror install on the opposite side.

Going over what remains to be done... - Torque final cells (battery pack across the top of the motor) - Install heater reservoir & test - finish air conditioning wiring - get air conditioning pumps "low pressure" exit modified - purchase & install A\C belt - install motor cooling fan+filter - fix pwr steering coupler slow drip - drive test... drive test some more... - adjust settings for calm & power modes (valet switch) - monitor finish battery charging & balance - put bumper body panel on - put fender flares back on - put frunk trim panels back on Some of this is quick, some not easy to predict.... here's hoping I finish before the end of the Summer (September 22nd is the official first day of Fall, so I think I have a chance...)! Funny, this whole build I keep thinking I'm 6-8 weeks away from being done... and it's no difference now, nearly two years in!

With all the hype on electric and the bad 996 engine you may be onto something selling a package to replicate your build ! Did you add up the list of parts dollar wise? Might be just as good a conversion as the la engine for a lot of people

Fun idea, philooo - but I wonder - is anyone else out there crazy enough to do this? Crazy in a good way, of course! I'll put it out there now - I'm happy to assist anyone, and Kirk, the engineer who is working on my car, is the owner of shiftev.com where he sells most of the main parts that are going into my build. As this project is coming to a close, we've been discussing ideas for new projects. Anyone else interested in a conversion like mine? Is there any one out there with the enthusiasm to buy a complete package of equipment and instructions to do this conversion yourself? Some of the parts that have been custom engineered for this car are simply amazing - and it would be nice to be able to share the knowledge gained from this project and make it easier on others. Seriously, is there a market for this kind of thing?

Those crimp connectors in the last picture are anything but weather proof. They will corrode pretty fast if you make this car a DD. Might want to reconsider using something more weather proof like for example the GM style connectors.

I built an electric car a few years back. had about a 22 miles range due to non lithium batteries. There is a market for 'kits', but its VERY small. For me, the joy of the build could not be duplicated

Imo - I'll check into maybe changing the connection - it is for a ground so it may be OK... I'll mention it to Kirk (engineer/partner on the build who is the one that actually knows his stuff) and see what he thinks about it as well. Chamilun - I agree - the build is the fun part. A kit would only take out the guesswork in the design and make the build easier without some of the more complex fabrication. I figured the market for kits would be quite small, but with all I hear is *crickets* on that post, maybe the market is slim to none. What did you build?

was a 04 mits. eclipse. 144 DC setup. At that time, AC was much less common. Fit as many batteries in trunk as possible, and had to put 3 in the engine compartment. Heres a rough implementation. Not nearly (by a mile!) as sophisticated as yours. Everything did work, down to the gauges. Used a clutchless setup, which worked really really well. Vacuum brakes. etc etc

Chamilun - very nice - thanks for sharing! It's fun to see other P-car owners have dabbled with the same thing. Although there are many good reasons for going AC now, I went with DC because we thought we'd end up with better performance... we shall see!

oops! didnt realize u went DC as well. I will read through the read, but I'd bet our setups were/are quite similar. i bought the top of the line motor at the time. Main limitiations were battery, battery, and more battery

So, after another test drive this morning, two remaining cells were found that reported lower than average voltage when loaded heavily. Turns out both include approximately 4 to 5 ft of cables length in-between sensors. Cells voltages measured with a cable of this length included, will report a more significant voltage sag (more than if measured right at the cell). This doesn’t cause any problems, but does explain why the BMS is reporting the lower voltages on these cells during heavy loads (like momentary 800A pack amps). There is a section in the BMS software that allows us to enter an appropriate compensation value for the resistance of buss bars and cables such as this situation. Kirk also spent a good bit of yesterday pulling the battery box & fuse assembly that’s mounted on the driver’s side of the motor, checking it’s connection (which was one of the two mentioned above). It, and all other connections in the box were fine. This supports the long-cable resistance theory. Now that the compensation values are in the BMS, the next test drive should prove it. Hope to have more to report soon!

Testing of the heater system went very well. The 3 water heater units produce noticeably warm heat in about 1 minute. Not bad of a wait at all, for a water system in an EV. And quicker than most gas car heaters. Together, the 3 units can produce just a little bit more heat (on full blast fan) than what the stock heater system is capable of dissipating. This is exactly what we want - no wasted “unusable” water heating capability, and not under-powered. A "defrost" switch has been added to the left of the stereo, replacing one of the place-holders... although the switch doesn't actually do anything, the yellow light here indicates when the new water heating system is on. A relatively elegant solution, if I do say so myself. Everything is still controlled by the stock temperature unit, and things ran smoothly, going on and off appropriately, during the 20 minute test.... so it looks like one more item can be checked off the list! A photo of the heaters below:

This is absolutely awesome - congrats!!! It takes guts to start this kind of project, passion and tenacity to complete it. Since I bought the Tesla, I'm tickled by the idea of an EV Porsche as well... Impressive

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dont want to toot my own horn, but I was one of the progenitors of the heated water system. At that time, everyone using ceramic heaters. I used one heater quite similar to your setup. Worked very well. Not sure why you used 3 (???), as the current drain wasnt the best with one (12 amps +-). I got flack for not including a blow-off valve at the time. heres one of the threads: http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums...heater+success edit: again, awesome setup and build. I'd love to see and drive (please!) your car! Too bad Im in TN

IrocMan - Thanks for the kind words... what Tesla are you driving, a Model S or Roadster? Either way, I'm a little envious, but I wanted a roadster with 4 seats that cost less than 50 grand... so this is my attempt at a poor man's Tesla! Chamilun - Crazy, you were well into this before I was. There certainly has been a wealth of knowledge online that we rely upon for this build. I'm not quite the pioneer you were, but still enjoying the process and trying to push the "hobby" further. Truth is, we wanted to go ceramic heat, but it was too noisy - electrical noise that is. Part of this build was putting in a high-end stereo and we were fairly certain the ceramic heater would have had some serious side effects on the audio system when both were running. Went with 3 heaters to help the system heat up fast and get as hot as a stock system would have allowed. We really were trying for an electric car that performed as well or better in all regards to the stock vehicle. TBH, I didn't realize how much extra time some of the extras were going to take when I made the list of everything we were going to put into the build! Cheekybird - thanks for following... hope to get to the point where I can finally drink the beer after this long adventure. Hard to believe it has been 21 months! I am amazed at the total amount of views this thread has received thus far. I sorted posts by views and this is on the front page, having just passed two about IMS issues and a third about 996 reliability! Can't wait to get some real footage to you guys when we start driving and fine-tuning things... 0-60 times, 1/4 mile etc! Edit: I'm probably getting a *little* ahead of myself with that last comment - I am extremely excited to see how close the build is getting, but there is definately more to be done. ALSO, to Chamilun or anyone else in or visiting the Oregon / Eugene area, happy to show you the car when finished... still waiting to show it off to myself...

Hi Rustymon I currently have a Model S P85 with all the goodies except the wider rear tires of the P+ (long story). A fantastic car, 7 seater, LOT of torque and good handling thanks to an awesomely low gravity center with the battery pack under the car. The car drifts like a go-kart! I like the Roadster too but find it too unbalanced not really in the way I like. An electric 911 with the ability to have two kids in the back and that would keep the handling characteristics of a 911 would be a awesome car. I'm sure Porsche will get there relatively soon... If you come by the Bay Area in CA let me know, I'll be happy to let you drive the Model S

There is no good way to fit the motor cooling fan unit planned for, because of size. Tried scenario’s in the plastic bumper space, in the trunk space, and no luck. It’s pretty enormous. So I’ll pick-up a new one (or two) smaller units this weekend... more to come on this, hopefully. Kirk has been monitoring and adjusting the finish charge process(s). I thought you’d be interested in that, so see the annotated a screen shot below!

Still following here too. would love to have a four seater electric sports car convertible... i'll just keep living vicariously through this thread... fyi, in my Tesla S85, the winter temps plus our heater absolutely kills our range. as much as 40% depending on conditions. When doing long trips in the winter, we very sparingly use our heater and instead use the seat warmers as much as possible.

yes, for our Volt, our Summer range is about 40 depending on terrain, but winter can go as low as 32 miles. Best feature ever is the remote start for heat or a/c. So you can heat up the vehicle while its on the charger before leaving

OK, so after lots of hemming and hawing... we had to come to the conclusion that there was no way to get a fan well placed in the engine bay. The decision was made to move the fan under the rear fender... there was just no-where else this monster blower assembly would fit (even without a filter on it)! Gotta admit, I'm kinda glad this isn't a part of the car that will be shown... so consider these photos "for your eyes only": Fan parts before assembly Fender area before fan assembly Initial fan Install Completed fan install Sweet filter... it matches the car!

Hey I got one of those in my attic! You might as well use up any space you got and I think the rear fender area is great for things like that. Are you gonna fab up some sort of shield? Make sure you don't over oil that "performance" filter. Lol

Hi Rutsy, Just wondering how loud the fan will be? That's one of the few complains I'd have about the Tesla and was wondering if some static or dynamic insulation could be used to attenuate the noise. Fan noise is really annoying on an EV at low speed!

An electric supercharger.....awesome!

Haha - yes, the electric supercharger - reminds me of this (jump to 10:45): You Tube Alpine: Yes, we are going to have some shielding in place that should prevent any splashing water from penetrating - but we obviously need to make sure there is still air flow, not only for the fan but also the battery charger mounted above it! IrocMan: Fan noise is certainly a concern, hope to be able to test it shortly. Playing with all sorts of ideas on how to minimize noise. The fan operation has lots of options to choose from. The safe bet for motor protection is always on. But so much for stealth mode… Option 2 would be to run fan=off when the car is in economy mode (valet mode) with power settings low. The high-power mode settings could default to fan=on (when ever in this mode). So, the valet button is also effectively a manual fan switch as well. This forces full cooling while in race mode, and the option for a driver controlled stealth mode. Not that I’ll be driving like crazy all the time, but I’ll probably hit the throttle more than necessary just for fun here and there… it will still be a Porsche, after all! I tend to turn off the “eco mode” in our Leaf… that button just castrates the car! So, option 3 would be to integrate a switch to manually control the fan - of course, this could lead to user error if I (or another driver) doesn't realize the temperature is climbing or know to turn on the switch. Of course, those are the two simple solutions... adding cost and complexity I'd guess we could have the fan just turn on at a given temperature in the motor bay, thus making it dummy proof yet provide silent running unless needed. Going a step further, maybe we could have the fan run at different speeds according to temperature, thus it could (maybe) run most/all the time without notice, and ramp up as the fun gets going. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? 1) Set it to run on/off with Valet Switch (no fan when low power, fan on for high power) 2) Set it to manual on/off - have to watch temperature gage 3) Invest time/money to have some sort of automated solution based on temperature In any case, maybe we can come up with a way to add some sound absorbing material in the area as well.

I'd figure out a thermost solution. The manual option leaves room for error. Would be really cool if you had could alter the fan speed with temp! edit: something like the link below. there appears to be several options and models that could work for the proper temp range http://www.zoro.com/g/00080624/k-G38...FSdk7AoduloA-A edit2: just a quick search, but there are several options for DC as well http://www.orientalmotor.com/product...-cooling-fans/

Yeah, a thermostat control would be ideal. Thanks for the links... I will spend some time searching! (or if you find anything else that you think would be ideal, don't hesitate to share). I'm guessing we just set the motor controller to "fan on" all the time, then put the thermostat switch in-between that and the fan... could be easier than I initially thought and not take additional programming!

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exactly. Its actually not too difficult and I dont think it would add too much time/effort/money/etc. From memory, it seems a super strong fan is not necessary, so thats something to keep in mind re airflow and noise If I can, I'll try and find a good example.

Im not too keen on the temperature range, but here is an option. You can wire in an alarm off it as well. http://www.apogeekits.com/thermostat_vm137.htm

Tested the fan, and it is audibly undetectable unless at a complete stop. Its not obnoxious. For "best" motor protection fan=on anytime its core temp is warm (about 120F or above). This errs on the safe side and prepares it for potential for potential upcoming bursts of heat (joy). Yet a full stealth mode option would be nice to have too. Obviously it could possibly put adequate cooling at risk, since it disables the fan and a driver may not notice temp rising and re-enable. The engineer on the job, Kirk from ShiftEV, said that he's not terribly worried about damage from this, because there is a "I'm too hot" snap switch inside the motor which will be wired to disable power until it cools and re-enables itself. That could be annoying, but at least there wouldn't be any damage. I appreciate the suggestions, chamilun - Kirk is looking into a couple others that I sent him as well. We'll find a good solution!

IIRC, you're already using an Arduino board. IMO, tapping into Arduino and buying a $10 temp sensor from Napa and $5 relay to control the fan would be the most elegant solution. Also using the output signal going into the relay to provide some visual led light indicator up front so you know you're relay is working would also be icing on the cake imo. You could also send a separate output from the Arduino to a temp gauge... Many possiblities but I'm against the manual option. You wanna be able to enjoy the drive and not have to worry about stuff like that. I think that is what the current F1 drivers are doing, right?

Alpine, you're right - we're going to figure out something! In the process of continually drive testing, got a txt from Kirk... he's finally starting to get everything dialed in power-wise. Here's what he had to say, "Just drove it for 30 miles or so without any ahotmated safety restructions or faults. Throttle response is amazing. Verycomfortable and nice to drive. By the way, it kicks ***!" He had given me the opportunity to test it, but I wasn't able to make it and told him to go ahead... Neither of us will be able to work on it this week for various reasons... hope to get back to it next weekend! Won't have much to post until then.

I just got home from spending almost 5 hours with the car... and not just hours of fiddling with things, but actually DRIVING. Please forgive the length of this wordy post - consider it residual from adrenaline rush and more than a week away from posting. Technically, it was still a test drive, but this was my first time driving with the power turned up and all systems running (though we left power steering off) - exhilarating to say the least! The instant torque was phenomenal, instant throttle response, and man, the handling... the car now has less of a weight bias in the rear and a lower center of gravity. It handles beautifully... although so did the original car. The majority of my our 50 mile drive was spent adjusting parameters within the Zilla motor controller, slowly tweaking hard limits on battery pack Amperage and motor RPM. We were tuning programming for both enthusiastic (standard) driving and valet mode. It was particularly fun deciding how to distribute power when in reverse... need enough to go backwards up a hill, but you definitely don't want an instant 400ft/lbs of torque with a gear that small! The last few miles, however, were the most fun... doing multiple 0-60 runs and adjusting parameters to see if we would trigger any internal "cut-off" errors. I have no idea what I'm doing at the wheel, but we were at or below 6 seconds every time, even with my terrible take-offs. I was doing the driving because, hey, it's my car... but I probably should have let Kirk try and see what he could do! Instant torque means 1st gear is irrelevant. Under typical driving conditions, one will start in 3rd, and there will never be a need to go below 3rd gear. My attempts to launch via 2nd gear, were consistently poor - I couldn't keep traction to the rear wheels - too much power! I'd never really spun wheels like that before - I'm a relatively conservative driver, and no matter what I did, in my 4 or so attempts I lost traction and / or had horrible shift timing getting to 3rd and 4th. Basically when starting in 2nd you have less than a second before you need to go into 3rd. I got the best times starting in 3rd as we steadily increased the maximum battery amperage in the system... at least here I only needed to shift once and wasn't slipping the tires. So, I think a true 0-60 time matching (beating?) the original 5.3 seconds is well within our sights (yes, I plan on doing a dyno and "official" time-tests later), but it will take more time behind the wheel or maybe a better driver... any volunteers? Seriously - I'm looking for a volunteer! I would love to find someone in the area who could bring their stock 996 and help test the two cars back-to-back! It has been more than 21 months since I last drove my 996. During this conversion I've replaced the struts, changed wheels for wider ones, and to be truthful, it is hard for me to make an apples-to-apples comparison with a stock car. I can't remember what it was like to drive before the conversion! So, if you are, or if you know someone that is in the Northwest who doesn't mind driving to Eugene or Albany, Oregon, PM me and let's work something out. To make it apples-to-apples, I'd prefer someone with a 3.4L engine, and, if I'm getting picky, a cabriolet as well... but if there's not a cab driver out there, a coupe will suffice. There's still a punch list of items to finish up that is nearly a page long... Well down from the 3 pages we had 3-4 weeks ago. Nothing major with ONE glaring exception. During our week away from the project, it became clear that one of the 90 battery cells is slowly discharging. This is bad... very bad, because the battery management system is constantly attempting to balance all cells in the system. To make matters worse, this battery is in the most difficult of all 5 battery backs to get to - the one in the rear engine compartment that sits above the motor closest to the rear seats. Kirk estimates it is nearly a 3 day process to remove and replace this pack. Ugh. Next week we hope to have some other EV engineers look at the project and make sure there isn't something else that we're missing that could cause the problem... but needless to say, this is something we need to fix! Other fears were put to rest. The motor cooling fan is pretty quiet - not unnoticable, but hardly an issue even with the top down. Think of it as a low woosh, and supposedly this is quieter than the fan in a Tesla Model S. Kirk thinks he's found an adjustable thermostat switch that will go low enough to automatically run the fan when required, so consider that problem solved. The car isn't silent when you turn it on - there is a slight hum coming from the Prius water pump which circulates fluid for the Zilla motor controller. You audibly hear the "click" as the main contactor closes allowing the high voltage current to course through the system... Also, when you first turn on the car, you hear the power braking system run for 2-3 seconds, and I can't say I noticed it again throughout our drive. Keep in mind, this is all with the top down. It will be interesting to test again with the top up or the hard-top in place! The power steering was off - I wanted to see what it would be like, and it was fun, but I think we have to turn it on. This will cause another periodic noise within the system, and one that could sap a very small bit of range. The implementation allows for adjustment to personal taste, so we'll have to mess with that next time. Until then!

Great thread! Here's another electric 911 thread folks might be interested in. http://kurtsprojects.blogspot.com/

oh, the memories. I used mainly 2nd gear and 3rd in my EV. Of course I just had torque, not horsepower. I cant imagine having both! I think a modified 2 speed transmission could work very well. or a cvt of course

Garth - Kurt's project has been one of the few 911 projects that are well documented out there - as I began this journey we actually had a short e-mail dialogue as well. He started about a year before I did and had just completed his first drives when I was getting going. His project is particularly astounding as he's building everything from scratch. Most of his electronics, chargers, etc he's designed and built himself. Super impressive! Chamilun - I did have a big grin on my face! Obviously the HP is down while the torque is up. The car was LOTS of fun and felt like a Porsche should (which was the goal all along - trying to have a "stock" Porsche EV) - the question is really just how different / improved / handicapped it is. It would be awesome to be able to do some back-to-back test drives with someone else... hoping someone will take me up on the offer! It would be interesting to come up with some sort of modified transmission. Haven't thought much about it... wondering how much that would cost... found this place that does custom gear sets ( http://www.retro-sport.com/products/...gear-sets.html ). Anybody have an idea about a shop or individual that might be a good place to research the possibilities?

can't believe this... rolled into the parking garage today, and before me sat another '99 cabriolet! I'm searching down the co-worker to see if we can do some cab-to-cab testing when I'm fully ready for the road... hoping it will be three weeks or less! (yeah, after almost two years, I'm daring to think I'm almost done...)

Well, this week I have some good news and some not-so-good news... The good news is that it looks like the issue with one battery "leaking" may be fixed. It seems that by making a small adjustment to the overall finished battery voltage, everything is happy. We'll keep monitoring to see if this is a permanent fix. The not-so-good news is that the new stage 1 clutch is slipping! Pretty much only when you hit the throttle hard at a stand-still, but I'll have to look at a higher performance clutch - any recommendations? Now that we know the drivetrain has to be pulled again, I'm also considering replacing the flywheel with a lightweight one. Not only would this probably enhance performance, we currently have a vibration between 800 and 1200 rpm, which we think is due to the flywheel. Worried about all the cash outlay at the end here, but trying to make it perform as it should!

Wanting to estimate the top speed of my car... anyone with a 3.4 Carrera: what is your engine RPM in 6th gear at 100MPH? I'll be able to take this info and compare it to my electronically limited RPM in 6th.

Well, turns out that you might see some of the battery boxes etc through the spaces in the rear bumper cover formerly occupied by the exhaust... we're going to build some stainless steel cover plates and I designed this little EV logo we'll cut out in them... maybe put a subtle light behind them that comes on at night! You like? Other ideas?

I started another thread asking about engine RPM at 100 MPH ( https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...at-100mph.html ) because I figured my earlier request here wasn't going to reach a large enough audience to get the answer... and I wanted to share the results here. Fortunately Kalashnikov came up with a way to estimate it... and figured RPM at 100 in 6th gear should be about 3950, and with my motor limited to 5500 RPM the car should top out at 140MPH. Of course, there's always more than one opinion here on RL, and Hurdi suggested that his '99 cab has a lower RPM at speeds than what was estimated above... I guess these will have to truly remain estimates and not taken for hard truth. At this point, using the info above, I can just estimate that my car will easily surpass 120MPH - and could go up to 140MPH... the electric motor doesn't have lots of HP, and gets weaker at the high RPM. I shared this info with Kirk, the engineer leading the build, here's what he had to say: "I really don't know if it will get up to that speed. The engineer in my head wants to get the coefficient of drag for your car's aerodynamic shape at that speed, a the estimated rolling resistance of the tires, and the estimated drag your transmission experiences at that load, and that RPM... but you can see the accuracy of the sum of these estimates is far more challenging than just driving it to find out. So we'll default to that! Hopefully on a track somewhere without ditches and telephone poles. Not to mention police cars lurking in the shadows..." Love it... and can't wait to see!

I'm overdue for some updates... First, after allowing the car to sit for a week to see if the misbehaving battery was now operating in-line with others, it is clear that we'll have to pull it out for replacement. Bummer. 1 in 90 cells was bad. It will take at least a full day if not multiple days to get this done, but it's the right thing to do. As I reported earlier, the clutch (which supposedly was rated for 550ft/lbs of torque) was slipping on a hard take-off. I'd like to share an account of the conversation and ordering process as told to me by Kirk, the engineer on the project... I thought it was a bit funny. ------------------ I purchased the clutch and it is on it’s way. We’re now going with the most aggressive clutch available from Kennedy Engineering that is compatible with the stage I pressure plate in the car now. A 6 puck/pad (all copper) solid (unsprung) clutch. Since your new flywheel is also unspring (stock flywheel was sprung), this should give a solid connection without any possible compression+bottoming out of springs at the beginning of a launch. It’s interesting because the clutch guys I talk to all keep falling back to gas engine issues in our discussions. Like “without the springs you’ll feel vibraton from the engine”. Well if we don’t have pistons popping, and our electric moor is quite smooth on the torque acceleration - we don’t have those vibrations. Another one that comes up repeatedly is “when you release the clutch, this copper clutch will grab so hard it will feel sort of choppy”. To which I re-explain that “after a minimal break-in period, we don’t feather the clutch on a launch,, and minimally on shift after that”. The clutch I ordered offers the best connection we can get without going to a more stiff pressure plate. It is two levels better (for holding torque) than the first one we tried (which was rated for 550ft/lbs of torque). I don’t think we’re generating quite that much torque. But who knows how these things are rated? ------------------ As you may have noticed above, as we're dropping the drivetrain, I figured we should try to get rid of the small vibration between 800 and 1200 RPM. We believe it was the flywheel, so I'm taking this opportunity to replace it with a lightweight one which should not only balance things out, but also add a bit of performance! Another funny story... one of the other remaining items is to move/replace an aluminum hose on the A/C compressor which is preventing it from being perfectly aligned. Of course, you have to drain and then recharge the system... here was Kirk's adventure: ---------------- Yes, I first took it to a hot-rod shop who was too busy, but told me what they’d do. It was as easy as I’d hoped. Have system drained, remove fitting and cut off the undesired aluminum hose. Weld it shut. Drill hole at desired location and TIG weld aluminum hose on new hole… He also recommended which A/C shop to get the discharge (&recharge) done at. So I drove it to the A/C shop. They had a huge line of cars parked and being serviced, and started giving me a “get in line” response. They asked, how long can you keep it here… I said I didn’t bring a ride home, and wouldn’t leave the car unattended. Followed with, “if someone else is going to drive or move this car, I have to explain a few things first”. That got their interest. I opened the frunk and motor compartment. They got someone on it immediately, drained the A/C system. I gave him (Mark, I think) a less than impressive ride down the street and back since I didn’t want to slip the clutch any more. But to him it was the fastest experience he’s ever had. He’s probably still grinning about it. Anyway, they didn’t charge for the quick service of discharging the system. He said the re-charge is $100 when I bring it back. -------------------- I suggested we make this standard operating procedure... you help us, you get a ride! In any case, those are the 3 major items left (clutch, AC, and bad battery) along with some tidying up we are getting VERY close... just a matter of a few weeks now! There are a few cosmetic things I hope we can address before it leaves Kirk's shop, namely the stainless steel exhaust hole covers I designed and pictured a couple of posts up, and also we're hoping to create some sort of stainless steel shield/cover for the motor cooling fan ducting that lies below the bumper.

One step further... the AC system is almost done! You'll see the new polished tube and my finger pointing to how it's original configuration prevented the compressor from sitting in as we had hoped. The base for the black tensioner pully was also turned to size on the lathe, so now just need the belt and A/C will be finished! FIXED: ORIGINAL: The new clutch has arrived and the lightweight flywheel should be here by Friday, so hopefully we can get those in next week. Too bad I missed "Drive Electric Week" which has most national events this weekend... if you want to go test an electric car, maybe there is an event in your neighborhood! ( https://driveelectricweek.org/events.php )

Well, with life getting in the way, it's been a while since an update. As mentioned two posts ago, there were 4 major items left to complete: 1) Get A/C working (done, per previous post) 2) Fix slipping clutch 3) Troubleshoot one "leaking" battery 4) Button up the aesthetic items So, I'll focus on number 2 at this point... as we were pulling the transmission, I figured it would be a good opportunity to replace the flywheel. We suspected the original was causing some vibration at low RPM so a new lightweight flywheel would make sense at this time. We went with an Aasco lightweight, and modified it to create even more weight savings. In our application, there is no need to worry about vibration from the combustion engine, nor do we need the startup gear ring... so parts removed and then the flywheel was taken to the lathe to cut off what was deemed unnecessary... and a further 32% weight savings! The new clutch is here as well, so hopefully I'll have this and the new clutch installed this weekend or early next week!

I think this is a great project. Is it possible to do this with a automatic?

The purpose of a flywheel is not to reduce engine pulse vibrations but to keep the RPM drop to a controllable rate between shifting. You put a too light of a flywheel on there and the RPMs will drop like a stone when the clutch in engages and will make shifting interesting. Also, taking of from a stop will be challenging too.

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YES! Although doing this with a manual is traditionally considered easier, there's another intrepid soul that has performed a similar transformation on his 996 automatic. You can read about his car here: http://kurtsprojects.blogspot.com/ - and specifically about his efforts with the automatic here: http://kurtsprojects.blogspot.com/20...efinement.html

Are you planning on converting your transmission to either a 2 or 3 speed by chance?

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Well, yes and no is the short answer to this. They flywheel does keep the RPM drop controllable, however it is also designed to create stability in the output of the engine. It uses inertia to dampen vibration - rather than feeling thousands of small bursts of power from the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), it is returned to the car in a smooth and linear fashion thanks to the flywheel. Also, the flywheel helps keep your ICE going when the clutch is released. When you let out the clutch you are connecting a stationary bit of drive train to a moving bit of drive train, the engine is loaded and if there is not enough momentum in the fly wheel it will not get to the next power point and stall. Now, with the electric motor, the game is changed and the flywheel essentially is only adds additional rotational mass to the system. There is no vibration from the motor, the power output is truly linear and constant. There is no need to keep the motor moving or worry about stalling when starting up from a standstill or during a shift. Secondly, with an electric conversion, the car should now be considered semi-automatic. Take-off is done with the clutch fully engaged, no feathering required. Take your foot off the throttle and the car coasts as if it were in neutral, no drag from an ICE... AND you also don't put the clutch in during braking - essentially the car has become an automatic - that is unless you want a more spirited drive. The beauty the electric is its low RPM torque - for fastest acceleration you shift to keep the motor in the low RPM range. Speaking of torque, with 100% at 0 RPM, unless you want a burnout, 3rd gear will be the typical one to start in, and as that can easily take the car above 60MPH, very little shifting needs to be done. I did read many recommendations about minimum flywheel weights, however I believe the conventional wisdom goes out the door with this conversion. The car was essentially having to spin 5 wheels, now we've reduced it to 4... dropping 20+ pounds of rotational mass should give a similar performance enhancement of dropping 60+ pounds of weight from the car. Of course, I'll report back once things are in place!

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Rusty, do you generally keep it in 3rd most of the time around town? I would imagine the lighter flywheel would also increase your range as well. Have you done any range measurements prior to the lightweight flywheel? I'd be curious as to how much more increase in range this would net.

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Great question... and it is something I've wondered about. It would be great to gear the car differently for optimum acceleration and also improved efficiency. Let's say this is solidly in the upgrade want list. I'm guessing I'll want to enjoy the car for a while before I go tinkering further, but you never know!

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I appreciate your thought that I'm driving around a lot - but I'm not! Almost all drives have been to test various elements and then back to the shop for adjustments... the rear bumper cover is still off, interior not back together, etc. That also means we haven't done range measurements but I'd agree - the lightweight flywheel should increase range, however I doubt it will be significant. Every 3% or so counts! We are estimating a range of 100 miles or more, but we'd have to drive pretty gently to get that. As soon as the car is DONE we will be doing all sorts of testing - range, dyno, 0-60 etc. Will be very rewarding to put some actual numbers to the project. The driving that has been done is mostly on back country roads with speed-limits between 35 and 55. For much of the drive, especially when cruising, we are in 3rd. But when accelerating hard and going faster, we've gone all the way up into 6th. The catch is that yes, there is much more torque at low RPM, but the motor is SIGNIFICANTLY more efficient up toward 3500-4000 RPM. It would make sense, generating less power takes less energy. It will be interesting to see how much shifting is truly done during my commute - I have a feeling I won't be worried about saving energy and will drive the car like a Porsche was meat to be driven. But back to the flywheel discussion, even shifting while driving shouldn't require much feathering of the clutch or worry about the flywheel mass... we shall see!

Just figured I'd post this for inspiration. RUF Electric - 3638 lbs - 31 Kilowatts RUF saved 198 lbs by deleting the 6spd and adding single ratio with mechanical dif

I certainly wouldn't mind dropping 200 lbs! Any idea who might make custom transmission? I guess it couldn't hurt to look into and start figuring what it would take to accomplish. In other news, when preparing to put the new clutch and flywheel in, it was apparent that the pressure plate had warped as well... ugh, now waiting on a new one... hope to have the drivetrain back together this coming weekend.

Sorry for the belated update (I know everyone is waiting on the edge of their seats)... but the car is getting VERY close to being done. There are many small electrical / cosmetic items to be completed, and they will all take some time, but we're to the point that it is ready to really drive and do more in-depth testing! With the new ultra-lightweight flywheel, the car is more predictable and dare I say, easier to drive. The electric motor doesn't have friction to slow it down like a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), and the heavier flywheel stored so much rotational energy you would hear the motor spinning at high RPM even though you put in the clutch, and it took a while for it to slow down. Not only does the new flywheel reduce rotational mass and make for a more entertaining launch, it also allows to motor to drop more quickly/traditionally in RPM similar to an ICE. What can I say, other than it just feels right! To anyone considering an EV conversion, this is a change I HIGHLY recommend. All upside, and the car feels more "stock" or as it should be. As the car is basically done, it was time to check on the weight... Kirk drove out to a truck scale and saw some pretty eye-popping numbers shout out at him... with both axles on the scale it showed 3650! That's about 100 -150 lbs more than we hoped. Trying a rudimentary front/rear weight distribution, he found this: 2250 = rear axle only 1450 = front axle only ----------------- 3700 = total of above So, the scale isn't exactly accurate and it measures in 50 lb increments... I wouldn't mind trying to get better measurements. Unfortunately, I didn't weigh the car prior to the conversion, and it seems a little difficult to get an accurate weight. The closest one I can find is from a C&D review stating their car weighed 3239 lbs. Add in a full tank of gas (103 lbs) and we get 3,342 total. We've added about 300 lbs! Now, did the test car have 18" wheels? It certainly didn't have the weight of the stereo I added... Showing a 61% rear weight bias is also not as significant a change as I'd have guessed, only a 1% or so off the supposed 62% stock, however I could venture to guess that the added cabriolet top increases rear weight and base numbers wouldn't account for this. If anyone can find more definitive weight numbers for a 1999 Cab C2, as well as front/rear weight distribution, feel free to share. Maybe I really need to find a way to get a single-speed transmission! The plan is to get the car an alignment then go on a long-range test drive this weekend. I'll update, hopefully with video! Here's hoping for 100+ miles! If it all works out, I'll also be visiting a dyno soon!

Isnt there a weight figure on the door label? I've always heard 39:61 weight distribution. I *assume* that means 1200+- front and 1890+1 rear..

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When I read this I had a *DOAH* moment... but then I looked. Here's all I found: 3957=GVWR -which I believe is max legal carrying capacity. 1709/2524= GAWR FRONT/REAR -Gross Axle Weight Rating. Again, max legal carrying capacity. Interesting that 2524+1709=4233 (not the GVWR). I think the GAWR is to prevent road damage. Where the 3957 has more to do with suspension & braking safety. No actual weight.

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Interesting. So most cars can hold 5 americans or 10 europeans

Sunday was a good day to go for a ride... and Kirk and I set out on a long-range test. We were both pretty excited to see the result. Porsche EV Long Range Test Drive - 996 Electric Conversion - YouTube

Well done!!

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Zaptastic! tino

Very nice, and 100 miles in mixed conditions is pretty good!

Because I'm lazy and your thread is now enormous, are you switching to lower rolling-resistance tires? I'm sure you don't want to go ultra-hard and narrow since the weight distribution still makes oversteer a potential issue...otoh, there's a lot of potential energy savings in the tires...

thats so awesome

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First, thanks for the comments - it was great to see how far we could go. The one nice thing about trying to build a fun electric car is that you need more batteries so you can feed more power to the motor... which means if you are gentle, you'll also get more range. That said, this was not an econo build. The long-distance test is really for general benchmarking, and we were pleased with the overall the system efficiency. This is to be a fun electric Porsche - and unless I'm going a long way, I'm sure my lead foot will find a way to deplete the batteries in 50 miles or less! The car is lots of fun, just as it should be, and that is the main priority. The plan is to get my car on a dyno late this week, so we'll see what kinds of numbers we're putting out. To answer your question, when I purchase tires I will use low rolling-resistance as a serious factor, but the 18" sport technos which are much wider than the turbo twists they replaced will stay on the car. We need some serious rubber to put an estimated 400 fl/lbs of torque on the road! I plan on sharing some video from the dyno test, then hopefully some more of the car in a more spirited setting, hopefully all which will happen within the next two or three weeks, as the car is almost finished and will soon be coming home from the shop!

Congrats in your long range test. I would like to see a road course test driven above 8/10 to see how long your batteries can last and whether any heat related issues occur.

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I've never done autocross before, but would love to give it a go sometime. Did a search for local clubs, and it looks like they take a break from now through March, so you might have to wait for some course feedback. I can tell you that when we horse around pretty hard for 30 minutes or so, the batteries do get warm, up to about 115 degrees. The motor, with the current fan setup, seems to do fairly well. The battery packs are not actively cooled, and we have put a little insulation on them where the motor blows hot air onto them. After the long range test, we did some examination of pack temperatures and found that where we were reading a 4 out of five on the gauge cluster (oil pressure sensor, set to measure in C) one sensor may be incorrectly skewing the reading or the programming may be off for that one. We'll examine and fix as necessary. If the packs do get hot, we'll have to add some active airflow over the tops of them. We're hoping this won't be required. So, autocross capability to be determined... We're trying to schedule a dyno on Friday!

That's double the battery-only range of my DD: a Chevy Volt. Onboard generator would make you 100% plug independent... but packaging is a challenge.

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Hmmmm. This will be interesting to say the least as I don't know the effects of having instant torque vs. ramp up torque and how it will either affect the drivetrain or the dyno equipment. Keep us updated.

We've got a Chevy Volt also I would be more concerned about warming the batteries in the winter than the summer temps

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I think the shop is curious as well - they haven't had an electric car on their dyno yet, so we shall see! This is something that I'll have to monitor while I drive. In general, we didn't want to add cooling/heating to the boxes until we really knew if it was needed. Also, it's not like I'm an average consumer and am going to complain about lower mileage during one season or another, as long as it all works! To make things even more interesting, I don't have a garage... just a carport. Now, it is a nice carport, but still open to humidity and temperature fluctuations, and as such the quality of the build will be put to the test!

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If I only wanted to add more weight... you might get a kick out of this one... just add a portable generator to your EV! http://green.autoblog.com/2014/09/13...-with-a-honda/

I would consider adding some type of warming system that 'pre-heats' the batteries in winter. the volt loses about 15-20% of capacity in the winter, and the car I built lost probably 25% in certain situations. But I think its awesome how well you've done with the car. I really hope to make it to Oregon one day to see it

How cold does it get in Oregon?

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I have a Nissan Leaf and we notice the lower capacity in the winter, but that is typically only when we're running the heater, etc. I didn't think it was just from the temperature outside, but maybe it is. Most of the complaints about lower battery capacity (or so I thought) were coming out of Arizona or other very warm areas. I will be happy to show/drive the car with any fellow RennListers that come to Eugene to visit - come for an Oregon Duck game and have some fun in an electric Porsche! Fortunately the weather here is fairly temperate. It will freeze in the evenings for a month or so, but typically the average lows are just above freezing in the middle of winter. Summers are the same, average highs in the mid to upper 80's with only a few days each year reaching 100. The biggest problem here is the rain... lots of it! It's nice.... come visit!

Please go to a 1/4 mile drag strip and see what the car can do. I'm glad to see video of you driving after all the work.

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Today we were hoping to get to a dyno but it wasn't in the cards. Although we had made tentative plans with the shop, it turned out that when we were ready to go they couldn't accommodate us... so next week we'll get it done! Spent time installing/fixing some misc. items - 997 SSK, new shift cables (ends were shot), console hinge repair, and the big one that took lots of pondering: install of some super sweet new to me seats out of a 2012 Cayman. Although there are several good DIYs for adding heated seats, let me just say, it ain't easy. Got most of the wiring done today, but the seats aren't quite in... Thanks... can't wait to take it home and be done with it! It is great to drive when I get the chance... This hasn't been designed as a 1/4 mile car, but I certainly want to test it out and see what it can do. I'll put this on the agenda. I wish there were a closer track to me... have to drive a ways to get there and of course the car is faster with a fully charged pack!

If after all this someone else is considering a Porsche EV conversion of their own... Kirk at ShiftEV.com (where my car is being converted) found a '97 Boxster for only $3K (without engine) that is just begging for some batteries! I only mention this as my char will soon move out of the shop... (one week, two?) Ready for the finished product!

Got the seats installed - heaters working! Turns out you really need to study the wiring diagrams to make these new seats work... I had no idea it would be so time-intensive. Very glad to have help on this one! Seat heaters are working as well - so I'll never be cold in this car... hopefully even with the top down! Also have backup camera installed and working and then Kirk and Staci spent 2+ hours looking for a parasitic drain on the battery with no results... I did some searching here and it looks like this could be the "normal" alarm drain when not locked... we shall see! Need to get the car out in the sun for better photos... so close to knocking out the final items before I can take the car home!

Beautiful seats! What kind of paint is that?

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Very kind... I'm pretty excited about them myself... should thank the fellow rennlister that sold them to me as well! The color of the car is Arena Red. Looks about identical to the Carmon/Carmona Red I've seen on some later models. It is a tad darker in color from the Ruby Red.

Parasitic drain found and resolved! Kirk Confirmed the frunk light wasn't going out when the frunk lid was closed... He then took apart the latch to inspect the micro switch mechanism and added a simple grommet Now it seems to work fine. The frunk bulb was pulling close to 1 amp. There's still a small load (.3A or so), .05 of that is the Blue Tooth OBDII sensor, another smaller bit of it is the BMS units in sleep mode. The remainder probably is the security system. One more issue of the list. It's a little frustrating thinking that we caused a problem during the conversion and check that over and over... then it turns out to be just a worn out part that we didn't mess with. I guess I didn't drive the car enough while it was a gasser to find out all the small issues! Only a handful of things remain to cross off the list...

So, with the car about 95% complete (is it ever done?) I had the opportunity to take it home for some real-world testing this weekend! IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND - drove home from the shop on Saturday night, just a little over an hour down country back roads. It was strange driving it again, remembering the little noises and shakes from the convertible top, feeling so well planted to the ground, etc. Looked good with the matching Nissan Leaf in the carport. Got to drive it 3 times on Sunday, each time feeling better and more confident with the car and conversion, really starting to love driving it again. The instant throttle response and bursts of power really make the car still feel like a proper P-car. The intial OMG "I've got my car back, after 2 years!" awe disappearing and being replaced with just the pure joy of driving, as it should be in a car like this. MONDAYS SUCK - Got up, ready to put the car into it's first Daily Driver type test, and of course, wanting to show it off to the friends at work. Started right up, drove my youngest to school, parked and got him into the classroom. Not wanting to muck up the floormats, I was careful to avoid the mud and hopped in, ready for some "show and tell" at work. The motor wouldn't spin. Pulled the key out, try again... no luck. I got another parent to help me push the car across the street and out of the way, where I tried several things to get it going. No luck. The automated systems didn't seem to be throwing any error codes, so not sure what's going on... had to call the wife and take the truck to work, leaving the electric Porsche parked in front of somebody's house. Apparently this happened at the shop once, and time seemed to heal it. I'll head back at my lunch break and see if I can get the car moving. If that doesn't work, I'll give it one more shot after work before I call for a tow. Ugh. Very disappointing. I guess that's why we're still in the testing phase.

Better check the IMS. Your Leaf looks similar in color to your 996. Was that on purpose? Slightly off topic but do you have 2 stories above your car port? Those laminated beams look really beefy.

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Ha! Maybe it was deep rooted longing or desire for my car... replaced our 2011 blue Leaf with the merlot 2013 about 5 months into the Porsche project. Somehow really liked the color. Will get a different color Leaf next year when the lease runs out. Maybe I can get something boring to make the Porsche stand out! Good observation... nothing but transparent roofing up above. That said our house is in the middle of the forest and we're surrounded by some pretty huge trees - the hope was that if one came down on the carport it wouldn't crush the cars! (still might, be we can try!)

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Great thinking(assuming the trees don't fall parallel and in between your beams). I'm thinking those should be able to hold up at least 2-3 stories easily. Just make sure your posts and footings can handle it.

Whew - got it going during my lunch break. Was able to purposefully cause an error on startup that gets checked before some other items, and when resetting after that, everything seemed good to go... so I'm driving again but will have to do some research and see what caused the problem!

sounds like a controller problem of some sort

Hi, first of all, very well done project! Let me introduce myself - I am a Brazilian physics professor, running a converted Gurgel Supermini car (an old Brazilian projected and produced car) since 2 years ago, and also owner of a Carrera Black Edition (not converted yet ...). The same thing you described happened to me, and the conclusion at the end of the analysis I did indicated an intemitent failure in the current controller. After some time it restarted to work as if nothing has happened.. for about 2 months and fail again. Without any alarm on the supervisory data from the controller. That is probably what is happening to you to. So at the end I decided to change it by a Curtis non-microprocessed controller to replace the Alltrax one I had. If you have curiosity about my project, it may be found at http://www.faiscas.com.br/GURGEL/index.html (unfortunately only in portuguese).

My apologies for not posting my research sooner... it turns out that the motor controller was not seeing 0 throttle input, and thus decided it wasn't safe to spin the motor at startup. About a week before I took the car home for testing, we tightened the cable to the throttle some to get rid of "extra play" in the throttle and tighten up the response. Apparently we went a hair too tight. I can get the motor running by repeatedly clicking the throttle on/off until it finally decides it got to 0, and thus with the next press of the throttle the motor would spin up and everything operates normally. I return the car to the shop this weekend with lots of notes regarding issues I had while driving and other small fixes. The cold (below freezing, as low as 22 degrees F overnight) has affected things as well, and the current BMS settings are probably too cautious, thus they won't allow me much power when going up hills or the like when the battery pack is cold. Under periods of stress (longer uphill climbs) or longer accelerations while cold, the car will periodically "die" and I have to coast to a stop on the side of the road/hill, then I just reset by removing the key and restarting... then all goes well. The problem with cold is exacerbated as I don't have a garage for the car, only a carport. If we'd start the car at a higher temperature we wouldn't be having these issues... although this is good so I don't get stuck somewhere after parking in below freezing temperatures. I love driving the car - it is WAY too easy to spin the tires with all that torque, but I also really hope we can dial it in so it will be a 100% bullet-proof daily driver. Maybe now I can convince my wife that we need a garage...

Well, the car is DONE! It was brought home just before Christmas so I could entertain all the family arriving for the holidays - and it performed in spades! I love driving my Porsche again... I still haven't run it on a dyno and have a few small interior bits to fix up, but here is a photo album! https://rennlist.com/g/album/2783515 Some teasers here:

Amazing work, congrats!

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Now you need to go into production. Where do I send my deposit? tino

Very cool. It was a long project and it was interesting following the progress on this thread. Maybe you can have it featured in a magazine (either digital or print). Let us know how it performs as you go along.

Love the filler piece for the exhaust cutout! Watching this transformation was amazing.

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so how did you come out in the cost estimate and what is the cost and service life of the more expensive parts? Trying to see how the cost of owning the 'electric Porsche 911' would compare with other ones that have the gasoline diet...

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I appreciate all the feedback that forum members have given during the process - it certainly was helpful and helped me make better decisions throughout the build. That'd be awesome - I think everything is just about ready to do a sweet video EXCEPT I have some paint blemishes and failing clear-coat spots. A repaint is probably coming in the near future and then it will be pretty enough for a full spread! Designing that logo was one of my favorite parts as well. Need to get some lighting worked out behind the EV to make it glow at night. Fun to add some relatively subtle touches while keeping everything looking stock. Ha! Well, Kirk and I have talked about doing more, it certainly would be easier with all the CAD work done and the general build foundation behind us. We can certainly build the next one much faster. If anyone is seriously interested, I'd be more than happy to have the conversation - wouldn't do it as a business to make tons of money, more to just get the electric drive experience to others that want it! If anyone is very curious, feel free to PM me and we can chat. Total cost... need to calculate everything out. Here are the ballpark numbers (just from memory): $20K donor vehicle, -$5K for sold motor/parts, $25K in parts, $15K labor, $8K refurbishing/upgrading car (seats, brakes, struts, wheels, interior bits, etc) $5K stereo install... totals to $68K - sheesh, I hope my wife isn't reading this. And now I still want to paint it and get new tires... A few things to keep in mind about the total cost - due to the length of the process, labor was well above what I had planned. If I had also purchased a car that was in excellent shape (not rough off of e-bay) I could have saved a good bit (in retrospect, this is the one thing I would do differently). I think if I were to do it again, it could be completed for about $35K plus the donor vehicle, so about $55K all in should be realistic. Although the stereo and some of the upgrades I put into this vehicle aren't necessary, I do love them. Another note on the cost - much of the time an energy of this build went into making things "factory" and a very clean final product. One could probably do it for much less if fit and finish weren't quite as important. We haven't heard about anyone programming all the gauges in a 996 as we have done, and the number of fail-safes built into the vehicle is truly staggering. I was very happy to have the professional assistance from shiftev.com on the build, so much of the little details are the result of Kirk's experience. Maintenance costs should be minimal. Right now it looks like I'll spend less than $30/mo on electricity to drive 1K miles. No oil changes and most of the electric car parts are maintenance free. The batteries should have at minimum 50% capacity after 10 years - they may do better. I'd love to swap them out in 5 years or so to double range, but you never know what future battery tech will materialize. The brushes in the motor will need to be replaced at some point, however it should be many years between those and it should only cost a couple of hundred bucks, including labor. I fear I may need to replace the tires more often, as the instant torque makes it too easy (and fun) to spin the wheels! That's about it. I'll report back as things progress... and hopefully I'll find time to make a proper video about the car. Keep the questions coming. I'll try to work up a basic build parts list and hopefully I'll get some real performance testing done before the end of the month! I also have a friend with a 996 Cab and he's promised to go on a comparo drive with me as well.

What a GREAT story - especially for those who ever look to a formidable project and say "it cant' be done". Thank you for the inspiration!

Congrats again and It must feel great to consider it DONE. One thing I'd be curious is how that setup would fair in other states with extremes like AZ or MI. I guess we won't really know until someone tries(my hands are down )

Well done! I have been following your thread since it started. Great job!! I sent an email to Excellence magazine about your car and the project... hopefully, they will feature your car. Make you famous!

You guys are way too kind - Excellence Magazine - I guess I better get the car painted fast! Ha! That would be fun. I do plan on trying to put a nice video piece together on it, with more detail, shots of burnouts, etc. After two years of family asking "is your car done yet?" over and over, I am certainly in the mood to show it off. Happy to share with anyone coming through the area (Eugene, OR). Alpine - To answer your question regarding temperature extremes, that is a good question. We are not actively heating/cooling the battery pack, but here's the thought on that: Cold shouldn't make much of a difference, as the packs heat up as they are used. That said, I did get some very cold days evenings - close to 10 degrees F, and the car performed well. We found that the cabin heater can drain 10-12% of the pack in about an hour, so I will definitely keep to the seat heaters on long trips! Hot days could be more of an issue - it could limit the amount of "fun" you have at times. The batteries have an operating temperature range from -20�C up to 55�C, and in weather in the 70s, the batteries approached 50�C during "heavy" testing, many 0-60 attempts, etc. Adding some sort of active cooling - fans, for example, to the battery packs should help this. Although the car will see a handful of days over 100�F every year, in general our thought was that we didn't want to add a complex heating/cooling system to the pack if it wasn't needed. I've now put on nearly 200 miles with the "done" car... I have found two small items to repair - we have one battery management connection that we're guessing is loose... it registers a battery voltage well below others, especially when cold. The thought is that this connection gets worse when things "shrink" in the cold. Hope to have this repaired next week. Of course, it is in the hardest battery back to get to, the one in the rear above the motor with all components mounted to it, so we're hoping to be able to slide it out just enough to get to the connection without having to remove everything... keep your fingers crossed! I also have a slow coolant leak, so that will have to be resolved as well when we get it on the lift. Pretty awesome thus far - I just want to drive all day! Really looking forward to doing some testing/dyno as well - have tentative plans to do that toward the end of next week!

I feel like an idiot, but what is the "coolant" used for that you say is leaking?

Congratulations! You've brought back memories from my own experience. I finished my e car in the beginning of winter, and was annoyed at how the cold affected the batteries at the time - heater etc. Once the weather improved, range was so much better. Re: paint. if you watch the jay lenos garage on the porsche 918, they discuss the paint in great detail. It would be AWESOME if you could get the "liquid" paint or whatever they call it. Would truly look 'electric'! congrats again. My brother lives in Idaho. If I ever visit, I'm coming to eugene

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I'm assuming it's for his voltage controller. I also definitely think your car should be in at least one or two porsche mags. As for your bum battery, it sounds like it's the AOS battery.

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Good question - I have two water systems in the car - one is the Zilla motor controller, the part that converts / pulls power from the batteries and feeds it to the electric motor. The second is for the cabin air heating system, and this is the one that is leaking in the front of the car... a very slow drip. I experience the same thing in our Leaf, but the issue I'm having isn't one of range - in very cold weather the system shuts down during very moderate accelerations in excess of 5 seconds in length because one of the batteries is signaling low voltage. It should be fixed relatively easily... if we can just get to the sensor and fix it! I had to look up some photos... that does look awesome! As a $65K option on the 918, that would double the value of my car! It would be fun to do something special... however I have to temper that desire with the reality that this is a daily driver in which I ferry kids to school... can't make it too perfect or I'll be freaking out the whole time! Would be fun to be in some mags or get something posted online... I think once I have made a nice video or the like we may attract some eyeballs... you never know! Thanks for the kudos. I really enjoy driving it every day. Feel guilty not putting it in a garage...

You should send an email to the guys at /drive or @thesmokingtire or Chris Harris. Those guys are always doing features on interesting cars and yours qualifies.

Excited for two reasons... the car was just dropped off at a paint shop ( CuttingEdgeIllusions.com ) and if they finish in time, I'll be attending my first car show - Issaqua, WA on Mother's Day - Any of you fellow Rennlisters out there, I'd be happy to give you a ride! More info on the car show: https://driveelectricweek.org/event.php?eventid=312 Some pics of the car in the shop: Just arrived... those are plane parts on the left and motorcycle parts on the right. Parts coming off!

I'm not far from there. Will try to stop by!

Wow - amazing build. Congrats!

I'm not going to say the obvious and tell you how amazing your car is... But where the heck do you find a paint shop like this? It looks spotless and I bet they do outstanding work. Around here you're lucky if you can find a paint shop that even has a spray booth. Most 'painters' spray in an open garage around here.

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Hope to see you there, bal! Very kind... loving it as my DD. Funny how I feel withdrawal as it is stuck at the painter! I feel a bit fortunate to have stumbled onto them. Gave up waiting for a guy that had a single booth in a small warehouse... and I think he did me a favor by not getting to me in time! This shop has 6 booths, one of which is HUGE for large RVs, an infrared oven for paint and one for fiberglass work. Their bread and butter is motorcycle paint and custom bags - check out the CuttingEdgeIllusions.com website and be prepared to get blown away. Their artwork and airbrush is drop-dead gorgeous. Keeping the car relatively classy (hopefully) - the paint color will be similar to what I have now but a candy finish. The Carrera badge on the rear will be removed and they'll put "Electric" in black below the candy - should look cool. Still considering some subtle lightning bolts or electric sparks flying along the lower rockers, but you know, want more of a porsche than a low-rider bling machine!

I forgot if you mentioned or not if you're doing anything for noise generation so pedestrians can be aware that you're coming around crowded cities. It be cool if you hook up an app like xlr8 to an external speaker. Lol.

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Nope - not setting anything up to make additional noise. There is a little sound from the forced air cooling and a mild whine from the motor, neither of which you hear driving but you can hear a little when the car drives by. I'll have to get an audio clip of that. As far as hooking up xlr8 and the like - done it and got a pretty good laugh out of some folks! Seems like you and are on the same wavelength!

She's gone silver! Not done with paint yet - this is just the base-coat over which translucent layers of a burgundy candy will be laid. Note the custom script on the back that will be hidden below the candy... should be sweet! (pun intended)

If you were going to come to the EV Car show in Issaquah, WA... I'm not going to make it. BUMMER - the candy coat went on fine yesterday, but a couple tiny repair spots from chips are slightly showing through. This means the repairs have to be redone and this will put the paint job finish two days further out. The color looks great, just wish the few spots weren't there. ugh. At least it was caught before the clear went on.

That's a shame but there will be plenty of others. What kind of silver did you go with?

that silver looks nice! congrats

The silver is just the BASE - the car will be a deep red/wine color, not too far off from its original, however there will be significant color change/depth depending on angle at which you view the car. It should accentuate the curves of the body more. I should have snapped a couple photos of the car with the color on this morning, but I think I was too depressed when they told me it wouldn't be ready in time :-(

Absolutely awesome!

I just read the complete post and I am really excited for you!

bump for update...

Thanks for the nudge... I can't believe I didn't keep going on this thread. I've been enjoying the car for a while now... I have some video and photos from completion and will get them together and post more after the long weekend!