Hello from Canada. My first vehicle was a 1972 GMC pickup truck. Still have the old girl, lots of work been done to her. Was looking into going electric. Just need to win the lottery.
Great seeing the electric car conversion for such a classic. My first car was a 1965 Mustang convertible but my parents, brother and later myself all had VW Beetles. Father had a 1967, my brother had a 1967 also and I had a 1969 a few years later as a second car. From 1970 to 1974 my parents also had a 1970 VW camper at the same time as their 1967 Beetle. Both were red so they got personalized license plates for them. The Beetle's plate read, "RED BUG" and the camper's was "BED BUG". They were pretty cute parked next to each other in our carport.
As many people drive them to car shows in the summer 150 miles isnt going to get you to many and if you are parked in the show you armt going to be charging for the return journey
@@wadewilson6628 but an ice has way more moving parts… definitely opposite of … simple. The tank failed because of the weight causing crossing issues and logistic issues, but having the advantage of being quite and getting into enemy territory quietly. I don’t think weight would be an issue with a Beetle, considering the battery is small. The body is light.
@@wadewilson6628 the bldc motors used are dead simple: two bearings and a single gear reduction if more torque is needed. How many bearings alone does an internal combustion engine have? The controls and wiring are dead simple, no relay logic here.
I bought my first car when I was about 21 and living in Luxembourg. I'd got my license when I was 17 but couldn't afford a car up until this point. My dream cars were either a 2CV, a Mercedes 230SL or a Beetle Convertible (I have odd dreams). I couldn't afford the Mercedes which made it simpler. I was about to buy a 2CV when I saw a 1972 Beetle Cabrio for sale. It was metallic blue with a white roof and interior. It looked like it should of been parked on a beach in California. I'm 60 now but that Beetle is still sitting in my garage.
In 1972 I bought a 1971 Super Beetle and drove it until 1992. At the end it was a Flintstone car and it really deserved much better than it got from me. It took me all over Texas and then to North Carolina, and then out to Idaho and Montana, and finally back to South Carolina. The first engine was good for 200k on the odometer but that was in the first 10 years. Really would love to get another beetle and electrify it. Great video and I look forward to more.
First car was a beetle paid £50 and completely restored it, started with removing the rusted body off the chassis and restored the chassis gearbox and Engine before sourcing a rust free body and bolted that to the now pristine chassis! Body worked the “new” shell and resprayed the entire car myself, new wiring and interior a big job for 16/17 year old but boy did I learn a thing or two! Now in my fifties and never forgotten my first car
Fantastic! I'm about 10 years older than you and my first car was a 1964 Beetle that I bought for $100 in 1977. I too loved that car but where I lived in Maine they salted the roads heavily in winter and the car was a rust bucket. You could see the road going by underneath. I had no access to welding equipment so I riveted and bolted patches on to patches to keep from falling through. I used to keep an ice scraper handy to scrape the INSIDE of the windshield and oh lord did I have to dress warmly. That "hot air" heater didn't do much at -20F/-29C. That said, that car could plow through any snow and I even took it off roading a few times. Sadly, it finally broke apart and got turned into tuna cans or something. Videos like this make me crave a restored electric one but for now my Ford Ranger conversion is far more practical. Keep up the good work!
My mom had a 67 bug that I learned to drive on. Then I went over to England for a couple years and drove a 76 BMW 320i. Then after coming back, I bough my 66 bug and drove it from Washington State down to Southern California. Put in a brand new motor and transaxle and then ran out of money. Drove it back to Washington State and took it to college. Was at the bottom of a snowy hill and was sitting still and ended up getting hit by three cars in a row. Pulled the rear fender out, kicked out the big dent in the door and kept driving it for a while. Sold it to a person who really just wanted the motor and cashed the three insurance checks and basically broke even. Will always have VWs in my veins and love that people are bringing them into the present with electrification. Hope you put in brighter lights than the 6 volt ones my car had. Put a 12 volt system in with the new motor because the original lights were like driving with two Zippo lighters stuck out in front of the car.
My first car: 1969 Fiat Spyder. Nice looking small convertible. I bought it for $250 USD at 16 and proceeded to waste most of my hard-earned income until 18. We did a frame off restoration with a crash course in Italian automotive vocabulary. No matter what carburetor we installed on that small engine, it never ran correctly. For me, I’d love to have an electric conversion of that car, speeding around the mountains in Montana during the summer. Thank you for your video. I visit your website once a month to see what’s happening at ECC. Maybe a classic conversion is in my future!
I owned a 1963 Beetle in 1971 when stationed in Furth Germany. Loved that car. So good in the snow and mud. Wonderful gas mileage. Don't remember the number now, but we were limited to the number of liters we could buy per month. Had a book of coupons to buy gas. Fun car and beautiful country.
Dude, that’s pretty amazing you kept your car, that’s OG stuff. My 1st car was a 76 mustang, cobra. Made me cry more than once. That’s a sweet ride right there.
my first car was also a 1968 VW Beetle, actually belonged to my mother, was lowered with four stabilizers and belted tires, but only 40 hp, yes, that saved my life
I love the electric beetle! If i had the money i would buy one from you this second. My first car was a Mazda 323 coupé. Later i had the Alfa Romeo 145.
Passed my driving test on a triumph toledo, and my first car was an ex police panda Morris 1000, which I had to change the whole car from positive earth to negative earth to install a new car radio.
I remeber my mothers old 1960's beetle. 6 volt.. lights dimmer than glow worms! Lol. Mum loved it's heartbeat the tick it made at every in take. My 1st vehicle was a blue Morris Minor Van! 1100cc it had broken all its piston rings so did 4gallons of fuel to 1 gallon of oil! The smoking on the motorway was horrendous. I hope I did not cause any accidents with the fog behind me. Liturally no cars passed me. It was so bad. Hence I did not have it long.
@@ElectricClassicCars I remember the 6 volt cars. Those electric systems were indeed pathetic. Now, today in the future, a 400 volt 1020hp Plaid upgrade is something worthy of your excellent skills! I can fund this for you, if you would like to do it! :-) let me know
I have had 6 Beetles in my 20s after building a beech buggy from one when I was 23. In 2016 I bought a 1978 VW Type 2 camper which I refitted. In 2020 I bought a Beetle 1302S like my favourite from my past and did a restoration. I think an electric conversion would make a lot of sense on that one but I would like to do it myself as I rebuilt the car. The kit looks great.
Thanks for the run through on your EV conversion. Answering your poll question: First car, bought as a 16 year old know-nothing was a 1965 180 hp Corvair with a blown engine. I replaced that with a junk yard 110 hp unit (I think). Ran that until it blew up, then got a '67 type 1 with a bus engine, finding out the push rod tube seals in a VW held up much better than the Chevrolet counterpart. That said, if I were to EV convert a vehicle I would choose a second gen Corvair. Nothing compares to one's first love.
My first car was a '65 beetle. Never left me stranded. It came to me from my new sister in law in 1972. She had entered it in the "Herbie the Love Bug" contest Walt Disney held to pick the car used in the movie. She had photos of her driving it through Disneyland in Anaheim in the parade Disney held for all the contestants who could/would come to it. I had nothing but air cooled VWs for the first 40 years I drove, worked at a machine shop that had specialized in them for 30 years. I rebuilt a couple dozen engines, did everything except the insides of the transmissions. Including paint, upholstery, glass, electrical, you name it, I did it! Almost everything stock.
Thank you, for the video. In Brazil it was produced untill 1986, and then again between 1993-1996 (curiously known as "Itamar", after the president Itamar Franco). Greetings from Brazil.
Thank you, very well presented and full of fascinating info about one of my favourite cars. I learned to drive and passed my test in a Beetle. Soon after that I bought my first car, brand new, in 1967 - a Fiat 500F for £417. That is still my all time favourite and I hid FIAMM air horns behind the front bumper! Most excellent!!
Hi. Great video. My first car I bought two months after getting my drivers license at 16 was a blue 1964 Beetle. That car eventually died on my way back from university piled to the gills with 3-4 suitcases, 13 boxes, skis, a bicycle and my guitar. I sold it to a garage for CAD50 which was enough to pay for a Greyhound Bus to take me home which was 350 miles further down the road. But in 1978 I bought a 1962 Cabriolet owned by a little old lady who only drove it in the summer. That car was fully restored in 1995-1999 and I still have it. It is mostly original including the rebuilt engine and transmission and is stored in a house I bought in 2000 to store the car (since I have not lived in Canada since 1992). It sits in a Carcoon and I fire it up every time I get a chance to visit my home town - every 2-3 years. The electric conversion is interesting for the future but maybe a bit early for this car that still runs great. Regards.
I took my drivers test in a VW. I acquired an VW '57 with a sun roof in '77 for cheap ($50) and used it when I as doing a teachers training. Had to hold in the third gear on the climb over Vancouver Island. It got pulled off the road due to rust and sold for $50. I kept it alive with "VW Repair for the Complete Idiot". I think that was what the book was called.. With these electrification kits now available I have casually been trying to source one. Interestingly the vans seem to be easier to find then the bugs. The old buds have become collector items. Thanks, I really enjoyed your video.
Only $50?! What a sucker. I got a whole $75 for my '73 Bug. I was putting on el cheapo tires so I could sell it. The guy at Firestone put it on the lift - body went up, floor pan stayed down.
My first car was a 1973 super beetle. I wish I 'd never given it away. I have a 1970 beetle based Manta Montage kit car I would love to convert to electric. Your conversion kit looks comprehensive and amazing!
First car was a 1964 VW Beetle and I loved every bit of it! Seems I had a flair for getting it up on two wheels every so often. For real tight parking spots I would get the rear end into the spot and go up front to pick it up and scoot it over into place!
I had a Beetle for my first car. My Mum bought it brand new in 1974. She gave it to me when I was 15 and I've owned it until just a few months ago... When I gave it to my daughter for her 21st birthday 🙂❤️
My first car was a 65 Beetle. I drove it many places in the woods where 4x4's feared to tread! On one occasion a wheel came off while I was driving on the free way - it did give some warning , however , so I was almost stopped when it dropped. ( had to use one lug- bolt from each of the other wheels to drive to home!)
The little guys were bullet proof and with a copy of The Idiots Guide anyone could do anything from an oil change to a complete rebuild. I somehow slept through the years and when I got up, the price for an unrusted bug had risen from $500 to $12,000. Bummer.
My first car was a 1964 Beetle....wheel gas pedal, a 1600 cc that popped a spark plug out on the highway, all the trimmings. I upgraded to a 2165cc with dual Weber 40s and a Scat C5 cam. That thing was a blast to drive but I broke clutches every few months. Thinking about picking up another 1964 in a few years for a project with my kids, and by then, an electric conversion will nearly be necessary.
ECC, you and I are the same age (about a month apart). My first 'car' (early '90's) was a '68....ford F100 with a three-on-the-tree standard transmission. A school friend had a vw bug/beetle from the (?)....I don't know when, but I do remember it had no clutch pedal, but it had a manual transmission. You had to wait for the (auto clutch) to engage/disengage at a certain RPM before switching gears. I had not seen of one of these types of beetles before or since.
This was in Oregon, USA in '1991/92. My truck had a straight 'inline' 6 (I6). rear wheel only. I have been watching your videos and congratulations on your business. Currently, I have to Honda bikes '98 vfr800 (the beloved 5th gen) and an '07 ST1300. I also had a '77 Toyota Celica with a 20R engine. Loved that car. @@ElectricClassicCars
First car was a '76 Firebird, last of the 2 headlight ones until the '82 pop-up headlight models. Then I had a '72 Triumph Spitfire and a '80 Porsche 924. The Spitfire was the one I loved and lived with the most... in fact I am restoring another one right now!
@@ElectricClassicCars Yep. I had it tuned and tweaked and could keep up with more powerful sports cars in "spirited" driving... once we hit a straight though the 2 Liter Audi engine just couldn`t keep up...
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I had my Beetle when I was 19 and I still own it. I’m 50 now. It’s a 1971 1302s model.
My first car is a 1973 Super Beetle; I say "is" because I don't yet have my license, but my dad and I are fixing it up and hopefully it'll be ready to drive by the time I am too! Just started putting in new headliner the other day, it's such a cool project and I intend to keep it as long as I can!
Great video. My first car was a 1975 BMW 2002 in Alpine White with the round ‘pie chart’ rear lights. My Uncle bought it new in Cyprus when he was with RAF. He had a company car when he returned to the UK and I bought it from him when I was 16... Loved that car. So many good memories and lots of adventures. Fast, comfy and not bad on fuel. Girls liked it too.
my first car was a 72 super beetle, blue with a white stripe on the door. loved that car... got rear ended and put the motor in the back seat.. had a few more over the years, beetles and busses
Great video and conversion. My first car was a '63 Beetle when I was 15 bought for 45 quid with some crash damage. I spent a couple of years converting it to a GP Speedshop LDV beach buggy in metalflake red. Wish I still had now (50 years later) to convert to electric with one of your kits. That would be so cool.
My first car was a used 1966 Karmen Ghia. Loved it, but it was fairly high maintenance. I saw an electric conversion of a Ghia on TH-cam some time ago. That would be a great fun car!
@@ElectricClassicCars My first conversion back in 2009 was a 64 Ghia with a 9" GE Series Motor and 96 volts with lead acid golf cart batteries before we had access to affordable lithium. Range sucked but loved that it was electric.
I drove my dad's car, both of which i crashed for the two years I was in Mauritius after getting my license. :( But my first car in uk after getting my uk license was a 2000 megan 1.4.. which had a timing belt failure within 4 days of buying it. It was so comfortable and I loved it. The best however was a 911 997 that I had many years later that I bought when the car market crashed. I wished i kept it. It was the one that made me smile driving it. Can't afford to get one anymore (or perhaps, "yet")
oh, the megan was bought at auction for 900 in 2007, with 60k miles on the clock. I think it was a bargain at that time. Bought a bmw 316i e36 the week after for ... £900 at the same auction. It survived me hanging on a tree on little cliff a week after getting it.
My first car was a 1964 VW Bug that I bought for $300 dollars in 1989 at the age of 15 . . . I still have that car! I could never get rid of it! I love that thing!
Thanks for doing these videos. I love the old air cooled VW's, about 30 years ago my wife and I had a white 69 beetle that we loved, unfortunately we had to get rid of it due to rust and essentially being unsafe to drive anymore :(. We lived in Colorado back then and I used to take that car on Jeep trails up in the mountains, that car would go everywhere! I'm so happy to see companies like yours bringing them back to life again! Cheers!
Great video! I too have owned several VW Beetles and found this video quite intriguing. Watching this video got my mind to thinking what other cars could be converted. Suddenly it hit me, the Chevrolet Corvair. I also owned two of these. The Corvair had a very large and very square front trunk area and engine compartment. Granted there aren't as many survivors out there which is too bad and they received an ill-gotten bad rap from mister Nader.
First thanks for the vid, worked on a slew of old bugs and 1954 porshes back in the 70's. I drove a new 72 bug with a 36 ford front end fiberglass. I used to keep my old laundry bag full of my camping gear tucked in behind the fake grill . It helped hold down the front end and I figured it for a little more cush before the gas tank got pushed into my lap in a crash. My next car was a used 72' super bug with air conditioning. That was a trip (the A/C).
My first car was a 71 Citroen GS. I’ve recently acquired an ‘86 GSA for restoration. I have a Nissan Leaf power train sat on the bench next to it. Following your mantra of converting a low weight, aerodynamic classic, it seems like a good choice. Drawing inspiration from your builds.
My first car was a Citroën GS Pallas semi automatic , I bought it off my brother in laws father for £300 in 1981. It was a lovely car to drive, very comfortable and disc brakes all round, wish I had kept it.
My very first car was a 1972 Opel Manta Rallye. It was orange with a black hood and black interior. I bought it in 1982 for $50. I really would love to find another one.
I crushed a Beetle once, '57 that was rusted through everywhere. My brother bought it and robbed all the parts and left it in a field. I got dad's Caterpillar and drove over it just before we cut it up for scrap. Had another that was held together with fiberglass due to rust. It was orange and had been entered in a parade, so the owner had painted black spots and added some antenae above the wind screen. Oh, BTW, the Porsche 912E and 914-4 were both type 4 powered. It was the Porcshe engineers that hotted up the original 1.7L to make the 2L engine, which was detuned for Transporter duty.
These kits are so awsome i live in the states and see alot of bugs for sale for 2-4k with straight bodies but weak or non running motors this would be a fun way to make a great daily i also love pontiac sunbirds the final gen specifically (80-94) i had a 90 2.0 opel motor and now have a 93 with a 3.1 v6 its a vert this would be a fun conversion on it if the motor ever failed
My first car was a 77' 2.0s V6 Ford Capri fitted with a 2.8 carb engine from a Granada. Was also wearing sating black paint and 8x13" Slot Mag wheels and Recaro interior. Sadly scrapped as it was a rust bucket. My next 4 cars were also Capri fitted with V6 (not fond of the 4pot Pinto engine). So I learned pretty much to drive fast and sideways lol. My late old man was a VW guy, so I grew up in Split screen bus, 68' Beetle, Baywindow bus and T3 Transporter which was the last car he owned before he passed. Between the beetle and the Baywindow bus we had a 75' Toyota Corona Mark 2 estate and a 76' Toyota Coralla KE36 (estate) which I really liked. I still have soft spot for old VW's, but never owned one.
First vehicle was a 1982 CJ7 in 1992. I have owned a CJ7 ever since. My latest one I built from scratch using an aluminum body. Would love to build another with an Electric Classic Cars conversion :)
What a great and informative video. My first car was also rear engined and air cooled, but it only had two cylinders - it was a 1972 NSU Prinz 4L. It was totally gutless, but I still think of it fondly, and seeing how you have converted a number of beetles makes me think that maybe a NSU would be a great conversion candidate. Maybe a pipe dream, but a little more possible now.
The first car I bought was a 1960 Beetle and it cost me $600 at the time. As I recall that was in 1970. I drove it from Boulder, CO USA to Provo, UT USA during the winter of 1971 up through Wyoming. The roads were icy and there was a lot of snow. I actually slid off the freeway at one point and fortunately just got into soft snow. A couple of people stopped to help push me out of the snow and back onto the freeway and off I went. I was only able to go about 35 mph due to head wind but I did make it to my destination unharmed. That was also my first “make out” car. I ended up giving the car to my girlfriend about a month later because I had to go into the Army. She didn’t have it long because my dad went out there and reposed it from her. Then, during my leave before going to Vietnam I traded it in for a Pontiac. So that’s the story of the first car I purchased which just happened to be a 1960 VW Beetle.
My first car was a 1951 deluxe beetle (hydraulic brakes and aluminum trim). My second car was another 1951, but the standard trim - mechanical brakes and no trim. Both came with the 1100cc 25HP engine and NO synchromest 4 speed transaxle. Soon replaced by a hopped up 1200cc engine and a synchro transaxle.
Hi Richard, great video and info as always! My first car was a 1983 MkI Fiest 1.1L I drove it around until I finished college and then bought a 1990 MkII XR2. That XR2 is a car that I would love to still have and drop a small tesla unit into it. At the time I didn't think it was underpowerd and given the brakes and suspension it was probably about right but after 5 years with a MS P100D, I think I'd like a bit more out of the old thing if I still had it :) Keep up the content, always a pleasure to watch. Thank you.
Hey! My first car was a 1969 Beetle and I still have it. Had it at my wedding and all that. I have a 1960 I'm working on now and I'll be 50 this year too. Someday I'll do an electric conversion to one of these.
Awesome content. My first car was a 1964 beetle with a Baja kit. It was still on a 6V system. Would love to re-create it with one of these kits. Great stuff.
My first car was given to me by my Dad in 1973-74 (3rd year in college). It was a 1964 Chevy II Nova, 194cu inline 6, single barrel Rochester. Back then regular gasoline as ~94 octane and I got it up over 90 mph following a faster car back up to college. Three on the tree, converted to a Hurst shifter on the floor. Bench seats front and back. Seatbelts added after my Dad bought it. Finally sold it after I got married when we converted to a station wagon with an automatic. I wish I still had it because it had tons of room and felt good on the road. It'd be a perfect conversion car with tons of room under the hood and plenty in the trunk (rear boot). I imagine it would need a lot of frame conversion along with brakes. If I remember correctly, the rear used leaf springs (could be wrong). The car I really wanted was a late 60's Austin Healey, the incline 6cyl, triple carb version. Back then I could have gotten one for $3-4K but now they're going for around $60-$90K restored. As for your installation kits, I really like them and can't wait for the DIY kits although even then they would be too expensive. I really want the EV industry to put some money into EV conversion kits for older American cars and trucks along with select Japanese cars and truck (mainly the early 2010's Tacoma). The older American cars and trucks had classic lines while the earlier Japanese cars were smaller than the big pigs they are now. My 2013 double cab Tacoma is almost a mini-truck in todays truck market but it's the perfect size. Pull the underpowered 6cyl engine, transmission and transfer case plus differential and drop in two Tesla motors with plenty of batteries under the bed and it would be perfect.
@@ElectricClassicCars I watched again today. I pumped gas in college (early '70s) when gas was right around 50-cents/gallon. We were just starting to do self-serve so most of the time I was pumping gas, cleaning windshields, checking oil--something that's almost never done anymore. Converting that car would have been very easy. It had a ton of room in the front even with the engine in there. I'd put in two motors (front and back) and would have plenty of room for batteries. It handled six passengers just fine. I'd end up having to totally replace all the suspension and brakes but it would be a great car, just like it was back in the 70's and early 80's.
I still have my first car; a 1967 Mustang Coupe, bought in when I was 21, 22 years ago. I am now converting it from a straight six to 302 V8. Good stuff 🛠👍
It was only a year or so ago, that at a local car show I saw that there even existed such a thing as a 6 cylinder Ford Mustang. Given Mustangs are rare here anyway, and the 6 cylinder ones super-rare, I would keep a 6 cylinder model as it was, if I had one. Having a 50 or 55 year old classic car, you don't own and drive one of them aiming to get the best ride or handling, or engine power or fuel economy. I'd have thought you had such a classic car to enjoy it as a classic car. Keeping changes to the minimum required for safe comfortable operation (perhaps brake upgrades, or electric charging system and lighting upgrades, especially for folks that live in extreme cold climates like Canada etc.
Lovely kit! I like how it all bolts together, very neat. I'd try to tweak the control panel to fit the interior, maybe a metal shell painted in body color, some retro style switches, and maybe one of those round LCD panels with chrome bezel?
My first one was a Subaru J-10 from 1994. There was also the J-12 which had 4 x 4, which sadly were a very limited number in Malta, so I couldn't get my hands on one of them. Nonetheless, the J10 was so solid and robust, that when I flipped it on its side, it only caused a dent on the door and broke one of the indicator housings - the mirror simply folded forwards. It was very easy to fix, and despite its tiny size, certainly quite spacious inside ;)
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Still got my beetle is got when I was 16.. 2 years till I'm 50 😂❤❤
Cool. Keep it. 👍👍👍
Hello from Canada. My first vehicle was a 1972 GMC pickup truck. Still have the old girl, lots of work been done to her. Was looking into going electric. Just need to win the lottery.
Great seeing the electric car conversion for such a classic. My first car was a 1965 Mustang convertible but my parents, brother and later myself all had VW Beetles. Father had a 1967, my brother had a 1967 also and I had a 1969 a few years later as a second car. From 1970 to 1974 my parents also had a 1970 VW camper at the same time as their 1967 Beetle. Both were red so they got personalized license plates for them. The Beetle's plate read, "RED BUG" and the camper's was "BED BUG". They were pretty cute parked next to each other in our carport.
No it's not. You take a nice beetle with range and turn it into a golf cart that will barely take you 18 holes and back? It's a crime.
@@FreemonSandlewould , So you have owned an electric beetle?
Good to know old cars don't die they EVolve.
The Beetle is a perfect choice for an EV conversion. Having a bolt in system is amazing.
I think it would be cool in an original Fiat 500 or even an original Mini also.
As many people drive them to car shows in the summer 150 miles isnt going to get you to many and if you are parked in the show you armt going to be charging for the return journey
Datsun tripple S ;-) love your content- based in south africa, we are so far behind the curve on tech this side of the world....
Ferdinand Porsche would have loved this, he had a passion for electric tanks and vehicles so this would be a very sympathetic evolution .
Yep. The first car he built was electric. 😁👍
@@wadewilson6628 Electric motors are mechanically far more simple than combustion engines.
@@wadewilson6628 but an ice has way more moving parts… definitely opposite of … simple. The tank failed because of the weight causing crossing issues and logistic issues, but having the advantage of being quite and getting into enemy territory quietly.
I don’t think weight would be an issue with a Beetle, considering the battery is small. The body is light.
The VK 45.01(P) Porsche Tiger
@@wadewilson6628 the bldc motors used are dead simple: two bearings and a single gear reduction if more torque is needed. How many bearings alone does an internal combustion engine have? The controls and wiring are dead simple, no relay logic here.
Awesome! I used to watch when you had a tv show, which I think we only got one season of. So, good to know that I can find you on You Tube!
My brother was given a '68 VW Beetle at 18 and amazingly still has it. He's, now, 60. His first car.
So he was like 4 years old when they gave it
I want one! My 73 thing would be so happy with that conversion
My very first car was a 1972 Chevelle, bought it in 1986 when I was 17. I’m 54 now and still have it!
At 17???... bro??!!
Back then life was simpler and easier@@marycherotich1495
@@marycherotich1495 Americans start driving at 16. I thought everyone knew that...
I bought my first car when I was about 21 and living in Luxembourg. I'd got my license when I was 17 but couldn't afford a car up until this point. My dream cars were either a 2CV, a Mercedes 230SL or a Beetle Convertible (I have odd dreams). I couldn't afford the Mercedes which made it simpler. I was about to buy a 2CV when I saw a 1972 Beetle Cabrio for sale. It was metallic blue with a white roof and interior. It looked like it should of been parked on a beach in California. I'm 60 now but that Beetle is still sitting in my garage.
Look forward to hearing about conversions here in Sydney Australia. Well done.
Carl
In 1972 I bought a 1971 Super Beetle and drove it until 1992.
At the end it was a Flintstone car and it really deserved much
better than it got from me. It took me all over Texas and then
to North Carolina, and then out to Idaho and Montana, and finally
back to South Carolina. The first engine was good for 200k on
the odometer but that was in the first 10 years. Really would
love to get another beetle and electrify it. Great video and I look
forward to more.
I have watched most of your videos and the one thing that really stands out for me is the absolute attention to detail.
Thanks 👍😀
My first car was a 1968 Beetle. Wish I still had it as I now work for a company that produces classic car interiors, Beetles included!!!!!!!
Bought my first car 1969 beetle when I was 16 and still have her, I’m 44 now 😊
Cool 👍😀
Good lad. 😁👍
They seem to become 'part of the family', and I know what you mean!
Have you electrified it yet?
44 😂 not 69 😁😂😎
First car was a beetle paid £50 and completely restored it, started with removing the rusted body off the chassis and restored the chassis gearbox and Engine before sourcing a rust free body and bolted that to the now pristine chassis! Body worked the “new” shell and resprayed the entire car myself, new wiring and interior a big job for 16/17 year old but boy did I learn a thing or two! Now in my fifties and never forgotten my first car
Good one 👍😀
I'm in Australia and sat here patiently waiting (and saving) for a self-install kit for my 1976 bay window camper, so you know - hurry up lol
I'm in Brazil and would like to know more about costs and delivery time for a kit to a 1968 Karmann Ghia.
Fantastic! I'm about 10 years older than you and my first car was a 1964 Beetle that I bought for $100 in 1977. I too loved that car but where I lived in Maine they salted the roads heavily in winter and the car was a rust bucket. You could see the road going by underneath. I had no access to welding equipment so I riveted and bolted patches on to patches to keep from falling through. I used to keep an ice scraper handy to scrape the INSIDE of the windshield and oh lord did I have to dress warmly. That "hot air" heater didn't do much at -20F/-29C. That said, that car could plow through any snow and I even took it off roading a few times. Sadly, it finally broke apart and got turned into tuna cans or something. Videos like this make me crave a restored electric one but for now my Ford Ranger conversion is far more practical. Keep up the good work!
VW Beetle has that special place for me, one of my first vehicles and like you restored, modified many
My mom had a 67 bug that I learned to drive on. Then I went over to England for a couple years and drove a 76 BMW 320i. Then after coming back, I bough my 66 bug and drove it from Washington State down to Southern California. Put in a brand new motor and transaxle and then ran out of money. Drove it back to Washington State and took it to college. Was at the bottom of a snowy hill and was sitting still and ended up getting hit by three cars in a row. Pulled the rear fender out, kicked out the big dent in the door and kept driving it for a while. Sold it to a person who really just wanted the motor and cashed the three insurance checks and basically broke even. Will always have VWs in my veins and love that people are bringing them into the present with electrification. Hope you put in brighter lights than the 6 volt ones my car had. Put a 12 volt system in with the new motor because the original lights were like driving with two Zippo lighters stuck out in front of the car.
I still have my 1960 beetle since I was 14 and am now 52. This kit interests me, very much.
Wow, I think you win. 😁👍
@@ElectricClassicCars I have my second beetle, 79 convertible, bought when I was 18, almost 42 years of ownership.
My first car: 1969 Fiat Spyder. Nice looking small convertible. I bought it for $250 USD at 16 and proceeded to waste most of my hard-earned income until 18. We did a frame off restoration with a crash course in Italian automotive vocabulary. No matter what carburetor we installed on that small engine, it never ran correctly. For me, I’d love to have an electric conversion of that car, speeding around the mountains in Montana during the summer.
Thank you for your video. I visit your website once a month to see what’s happening at ECC. Maybe a classic conversion is in my future!
Once a month???????? You need to make that once a week 👍👍👍😀😀😀😂😂😂
My wife and I have been talking about Beetle conversions as a very cool project. Great video!
Love the Bug. So want one. Mom had 2 of them when I was A kid. My first car was A 1963 Chevy Impala Super Sport Convertible
I owned a 1963 Beetle in 1971 when stationed in Furth Germany. Loved that car. So good in the snow and mud. Wonderful gas mileage. Don't remember the number now, but we were limited to the number of liters we could buy per month. Had a book of coupons to buy gas. Fun car and beautiful country.
Dude, that’s pretty amazing you kept your car, that’s OG stuff. My 1st car was a 76 mustang, cobra. Made me cry more than once. That’s a sweet ride right there.
my first car was also a 1968 VW Beetle, actually belonged to my mother, was lowered with four stabilizers and belted tires, but only 40 hp, yes, that saved my life
Love a lowered '68 Bug. 😎👌
I love the electric beetle! If i had the money i would buy one from you this second. My first car was a Mazda 323 coupé. Later i had the Alfa Romeo 145.
Thanks 👍😀
Passed my driving test on a triumph toledo, and my first car was an ex police panda Morris 1000, which I had to change the whole car from positive earth to negative earth to install a new car radio.
I remeber my mothers old 1960's beetle. 6 volt.. lights dimmer than glow worms! Lol.
Mum loved it's heartbeat the tick it made at every in take. My 1st vehicle was a blue Morris Minor Van! 1100cc it had broken all its piston rings so did 4gallons of fuel to 1 gallon of oil! The smoking on the motorway was horrendous. I hope I did not cause any accidents with the fog behind me. Liturally no cars passed me. It was so bad. Hence I did not have it long.
6 volt electrics were woeful. First thing I did when we got a '61 Beetle back in the day was upgrade it to 12v. 👍
@@ElectricClassicCars I remember the 6 volt cars. Those electric systems were indeed pathetic. Now, today in the future, a 400 volt 1020hp Plaid upgrade is something worthy of your excellent skills! I can fund this for you, if you would like to do it! :-) let me know
I have had 6 Beetles in my 20s after building a beech buggy from one when I was 23. In 2016 I bought a 1978 VW Type 2 camper which I refitted. In 2020 I bought a Beetle 1302S like my favourite from my past and did a restoration. I think an electric conversion would make a lot of sense on that one but I would like to do it myself as I rebuilt the car. The kit looks great.
still have my 1962 ragtop... holding on in plans to electrify... thanks!
Thanks for the run through on your EV conversion. Answering your poll question:
First car, bought as a 16 year old know-nothing was a 1965 180 hp Corvair with a blown engine. I replaced that with a junk yard 110 hp unit (I think). Ran that until it blew up, then got a '67 type 1 with a bus engine, finding out the push rod tube seals in a VW held up much better than the Chevrolet counterpart. That said, if I were to EV convert a vehicle I would choose a second gen Corvair. Nothing compares to one's first love.
My first car was a '65 beetle. Never left me stranded. It came to me from my new sister in law in 1972. She had entered it in the "Herbie the Love Bug" contest Walt Disney held to pick the car used in the movie. She had photos of her driving it through Disneyland in Anaheim in the parade Disney held for all the contestants who could/would come to it. I had nothing but air cooled VWs for the first 40 years I drove, worked at a machine shop that had specialized in them for 30 years. I rebuilt a couple dozen engines, did everything except the insides of the transmissions. Including paint, upholstery, glass, electrical, you name it, I did it! Almost everything stock.
Wow, what a well designed system! Please hurry with the DIY version!
It's coming. 👍
@@ElectricClassicCars xe này có bán về Việt Nam không?
@@ElectricClassicCars Waiting for the DIY kit for a beetle for my wife!
Thank you, for the video. In Brazil it was produced untill 1986, and then again between 1993-1996 (curiously known as "Itamar", after the president Itamar Franco). Greetings from Brazil.
Thank you, very well presented and full of fascinating info about one of my favourite cars. I learned to drive and passed my test in a Beetle. Soon after that I bought my first car, brand new, in 1967 - a Fiat 500F for £417. That is still my all time favourite and I hid FIAMM air horns behind the front bumper! Most excellent!!
Thanks. Like the air horns. 👍😀
My mom had a ‘69 Beetle, baby blue color. I was a lil kid at the time. I do remember riding to school.
Cool mom😎👍
1st car 1970 bug, 1959 ghia, 1964 steel sunroof bug, 1975 bug, 1971 Westfilia, 1971 911 Targa, 1964 Crew cab, and since 1995 currently owned 1963 sunroof bug. Love them.
Hi. Great video. My first car I bought two months after getting my drivers license at 16 was a blue 1964 Beetle. That car eventually died on my way back from university piled to the gills with 3-4 suitcases, 13 boxes, skis, a bicycle and my guitar. I sold it to a garage for CAD50 which was enough to pay for a Greyhound Bus to take me home which was 350 miles further down the road. But in 1978 I bought a 1962 Cabriolet owned by a little old lady who only drove it in the summer. That car was fully restored in 1995-1999 and I still have it. It is mostly original including the rebuilt engine and transmission and is stored in a house I bought in 2000 to store the car (since I have not lived in Canada since 1992). It sits in a Carcoon and I fire it up every time I get a chance to visit my home town - every 2-3 years. The electric conversion is interesting for the future but maybe a bit early for this car that still runs great. Regards.
Thank you for a well thought out unit, my first Beetle was a 66, engine was modified to a 1600 with two Weber's.
I took my drivers test in a VW. I acquired an VW '57 with a sun roof in '77 for cheap ($50) and used it when I as doing a teachers training. Had to hold in the third gear on the climb over Vancouver Island. It got pulled off the road due to rust and sold for $50. I kept it alive with "VW Repair for the Complete Idiot". I think that was what the book was called.. With these electrification kits now available I have casually been trying to source one. Interestingly the vans seem to be easier to find then the bugs. The old buds have become collector items. Thanks, I really enjoyed your video.
Only $50?! What a sucker. I got a whole $75 for my '73 Bug. I was putting on el cheapo tires so I could sell it. The guy at Firestone put it on the lift - body went up, floor pan stayed down.
@@MrSteve280 🤣
awesome conversion kit. I still have my ' 74 I haven't driven it in about 3 years and am totally hyped on the thought of a vw bug KITTT!!!
Nice, my first car when I turned 18y in ‘92 was a VW 1303 from ‘72. When I was a kid my parrents had a VW K70L
My first car was a 1973 super beetle. I wish I 'd never given it away. I have a 1970 beetle based Manta Montage kit car I would love to convert to electric. Your conversion kit looks comprehensive and amazing!
What the... ?
I've never seen someone who's so very British. You should be in history films bro!
First car was a 1964 VW Beetle and I loved every bit of it! Seems I had a flair for getting it up on two wheels every so often. For real tight parking spots I would get the rear end into the spot and go up front to pick it up and scoot it over into place!
I had a Beetle for my first car. My Mum bought it brand new in 1974. She gave it to me when I was 15 and I've owned it until just a few months ago... When I gave it to my daughter for her 21st birthday 🙂❤️
Nice story 😎😎👍👍
My first car was a 65 Beetle. I drove it many places in the woods where 4x4's feared to tread! On one occasion a wheel came off while I was driving on the free way - it did give some warning , however , so I was almost stopped when it dropped. ( had to use one lug- bolt from each of the other wheels to drive to home!)
The little guys were bullet proof and with a copy of The Idiots Guide anyone could do anything from an oil change to a complete rebuild. I somehow slept through the years and when I got up, the price for an unrusted bug had risen from $500 to $12,000. Bummer.
Love your channel, my first car was also a 68 bug. Wish I could say I still had it. I’m just a few years old than you.
Thanks 👍😀
Cool vid guys. my first car in 1974 was like you have in screen shot a fiat 500 bambina. Thought i was so cool haha. Until it caught fire!
My first car was a 1964 Beetle....wheel gas pedal, a 1600 cc that popped a spark plug out on the highway, all the trimmings. I upgraded to a 2165cc with dual Weber 40s and a Scat C5 cam. That thing was a blast to drive but I broke clutches every few months. Thinking about picking up another 1964 in a few years for a project with my kids, and by then, an electric conversion will nearly be necessary.
Breaking clutches is great fun! That's how I learned to dry-shrift, what with necessity being the mother of all motivations...
ECC, you and I are the same age (about a month apart). My first 'car' (early '90's) was a '68....ford F100 with a three-on-the-tree standard transmission. A school friend had a vw bug/beetle from the (?)....I don't know when, but I do remember it had no clutch pedal, but it had a manual transmission. You had to wait for the (auto clutch) to engage/disengage at a certain RPM before switching gears. I had not seen of one of these types of beetles before or since.
Sounds like your mate had a semi-auto Beetle. Quite rare. 👍
This was in Oregon, USA in '1991/92. My truck had a straight 'inline' 6 (I6). rear wheel only. I have been watching your videos and congratulations on your business. Currently, I have to Honda bikes '98 vfr800 (the beloved 5th gen) and an '07 ST1300. I also had a '77 Toyota Celica with a 20R engine. Loved that car. @@ElectricClassicCars
First car was a '76 Firebird, last of the 2 headlight ones until the '82 pop-up headlight models. Then I had a '72 Triumph Spitfire and a '80 Porsche 924. The Spitfire was the one I loved and lived with the most... in fact I am restoring another one right now!
I bet the 924 was the best handling? 😁👍
@@ElectricClassicCars Yep. I had it tuned and tweaked and could keep up with more powerful sports cars in "spirited" driving... once we hit a straight though the 2 Liter Audi engine just couldn`t keep up...
I had my Beetle when I was 19 and I still own it. I’m 50 now.
It’s a 1971 1302s model.
My first car is a 1973 Super Beetle; I say "is" because I don't yet have my license, but my dad and I are fixing it up and hopefully it'll be ready to drive by the time I am too! Just started putting in new headliner the other day, it's such a cool project and I intend to keep it as long as I can!
That is awesome!
My suggestion is: Don't EVER get rid of it! Try as hard as you can to always keep it. You won't regret it.
I’m 42, and I’ve had my 1958 since 2001 (my second car). Keep it as long as possible!
Great video. My first car was a 1975 BMW 2002 in Alpine White with the round ‘pie chart’ rear lights. My Uncle bought it new in Cyprus when he was with RAF. He had a company car when he returned to the UK and I bought it from him when I was 16... Loved that car. So many good memories and lots of adventures. Fast, comfy and not bad on fuel. Girls liked it too.
Very cool car. The '02 was one of my favourite conversions we've ever done. 😎👌 th-cam.com/video/TwihH9NxOEI/w-d-xo.html
Nicely engineered Gents, I would have loved to see that car finished and running with a test drive. 👍
Here you go. 👍. th-cam.com/video/H-5I4oRDVHA/w-d-xo.html
my first car was a 72 super beetle, blue with a white stripe on the door. loved that car... got rear ended and put the motor in the back seat.. had a few more over the years, beetles and busses
Great video and conversion. My first car was a '63 Beetle when I was 15 bought for 45 quid with some crash damage. I spent a couple of years converting it to a GP Speedshop LDV beach buggy in metalflake red. Wish I still had now (50 years later) to convert to electric with one of your kits. That would be so cool.
Those GP Beach Buggies were very cool. 😎👌
49 here, still have my ‘74 that I got when I was 17. Have had it for 32 years now. Needs restored.
My first car was a used 1966 Karmen Ghia. Loved it, but it was fairly high maintenance. I saw an electric conversion of a Ghia on TH-cam some time ago. That would be a great fun car!
Yep, we've done a few Karmann Ghia's now. Lovely cars. 😎👍
@@ElectricClassicCars My first conversion back in 2009 was a 64 Ghia with a 9" GE Series Motor and 96 volts with lead acid golf cart batteries before we had access to affordable lithium. Range sucked but loved that it was electric.
All VWs were high maintenance cars. One writer said they were worse that R/R
I drove my dad's car, both of which i crashed for the two years I was in Mauritius after getting my license. :( But my first car in uk after getting my uk license was a 2000 megan 1.4.. which had a timing belt failure within 4 days of buying it. It was so comfortable and I loved it. The best however was a 911 997 that I had many years later that I bought when the car market crashed. I wished i kept it. It was the one that made me smile driving it. Can't afford to get one anymore (or perhaps, "yet")
oh, the megan was bought at auction for 900 in 2007, with 60k miles on the clock. I think it was a bargain at that time. Bought a bmw 316i e36 the week after for ... £900 at the same auction. It survived me hanging on a tree on little cliff a week after getting it.
Probably the best car for electric conversion. The engines were never the most reliable on long trips, but great for urban driving.
would love to see an episode on your beetle like you mentioned in the video
I assume you mean my own Beetle and not the customers oval Beetle? If so, here you go th-cam.com/video/ZELO3SAzwcY/w-d-xo.html
I spent a lot of time in a hot rod beetle in high school,a perfect electric conversion, i would love to see this done on a mini cooper.
My first car was a 1964 VW Bug that I bought for $300 dollars in 1989 at the age of 15 . . . I still have that car! I could never get rid of it! I love that thing!
Thanks for doing these videos. I love the old air cooled VW's, about 30 years ago my wife and I had a white 69 beetle that we loved, unfortunately we had to get rid of it due to rust and essentially being unsafe to drive anymore :(. We lived in Colorado back then and I used to take that car on Jeep trails up in the mountains, that car would go everywhere! I'm so happy to see companies like yours bringing them back to life again! Cheers!
Very good video and has great narration. My first car was a 64 bug. I did the Cal look, partly because I lived in So-Cal HaHa.
Thanks 👍😀
Great video! I too have owned several VW Beetles and found this video quite intriguing. Watching this video got my mind to thinking what other cars could be converted. Suddenly it hit me, the Chevrolet Corvair. I also owned two of these. The Corvair had a very large and very square front trunk area and engine compartment. Granted there aren't as many survivors out there which is too bad and they received an ill-gotten bad rap from mister Nader.
First thanks for the vid, worked on a slew of old bugs and 1954 porshes back in the 70's. I drove a new 72 bug with a 36 ford front end fiberglass. I used to keep my old laundry bag full of my camping gear tucked in behind the fake grill . It helped hold down the front end and I figured it for a little more cush before the gas tank got pushed into my lap in a crash. My next car was a used 72' super bug with air conditioning. That was a trip (the A/C).
My first car was a 71 Citroen GS. I’ve recently acquired an ‘86 GSA for restoration. I have a Nissan Leaf power train sat on the bench next to it. Following your mantra of converting a low weight, aerodynamic classic, it seems like a good choice. Drawing inspiration from your builds.
Very cool!
My first car was a Citroën GS Pallas semi automatic , I bought it off my brother in laws father for £300 in 1981. It was a lovely car to drive, very comfortable and disc brakes all round, wish I had kept it.
My very first car was a 1972 Opel Manta Rallye. It was orange with a black hood and black interior. I bought it in 1982 for $50. I really would love to find another one.
Lovely paint job on that car.
My first _gallon_ of petrol cost me 40p. I could fill my bike's tank for a quid.
I crushed a Beetle once, '57 that was rusted through everywhere. My brother bought it and robbed all the parts and left it in a field. I got dad's Caterpillar and drove over it just before we cut it up for scrap. Had another that was held together with fiberglass due to rust. It was orange and had been entered in a parade, so the owner had painted black spots and added some antenae above the wind screen.
Oh, BTW, the Porsche 912E and 914-4 were both type 4 powered. It was the Porcshe engineers that hotted up the original 1.7L to make the 2L engine, which was detuned for Transporter duty.
Can't wait to watch an install video on these new components!!
Bought my first Beetle from 1969 in 1981 and still have her, I’m 60 now 😁✌️😊👌
These kits are so awsome i live in the states and see alot of bugs for sale for 2-4k with straight bodies but weak or non running motors this would be a fun way to make a great daily i also love pontiac sunbirds the final gen specifically (80-94) i had a 90 2.0 opel motor and now have a 93 with a 3.1 v6 its a vert this would be a fun conversion on it if the motor ever failed
First car was a 1979 VW Rabbit Diesel... My grandfather didn't want me getting anywhere in a hurry! haha
What a beaut of a beetle! You and your team are doing great work. First car I bought was a 1978 Alfa Alfetta.
my first car was a 1971 vw beetle. Got it a few years ago (im 21) and don't plan on selling it!
Well done video presentation - clear + precise information. Nice looking Oval as well.
Thank you kindly!
My first car was a 77' 2.0s V6 Ford Capri fitted with a 2.8 carb engine from a Granada. Was also wearing sating black paint and 8x13" Slot Mag wheels and Recaro interior. Sadly scrapped as it was a rust bucket.
My next 4 cars were also Capri fitted with V6 (not fond of the 4pot Pinto engine).
So I learned pretty much to drive fast and sideways lol.
My late old man was a VW guy, so I grew up in Split screen bus, 68' Beetle, Baywindow bus and T3 Transporter which was the last car he owned before he passed.
Between the beetle and the Baywindow bus we had a 75' Toyota Corona Mark 2 estate and a 76' Toyota Coralla KE36 (estate) which I really liked.
I still have soft spot for old VW's, but never owned one.
That’s an interesting list. 👍😀
First vehicle was a 1982 CJ7 in 1992. I have owned a CJ7 ever since. My latest one I built from scratch using an aluminum body. Would love to build another with an Electric Classic Cars conversion :)
First car was a Fiat 128. I wanted a Beetle, but you must have had them all!
Really enjoyed the video. Thanks for the effort in putting it together.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a great and informative video. My first car was also rear engined and air cooled, but it only had two cylinders - it was a 1972 NSU Prinz 4L. It was totally gutless, but I still think of it fondly, and seeing how you have converted a number of beetles makes me think that maybe a NSU would be a great conversion candidate. Maybe a pipe dream, but a little more possible now.
The first car I bought was a 1960 Beetle and it cost me $600 at the time. As I recall that was in 1970. I drove it from Boulder, CO USA to Provo, UT USA during the winter of 1971 up through Wyoming. The roads were icy and there was a lot of snow. I actually slid off the freeway at one point and fortunately just got into soft snow. A couple of people stopped to help push me out of the snow and back onto the freeway and off I went. I was only able to go about 35 mph due to head wind but I did make it to my destination unharmed. That was also my first “make out” car. I ended up giving the car to my girlfriend about a month later because I had to go into the Army. She didn’t have it long because my dad went out there and reposed it from her. Then, during my leave before going to Vietnam I traded it in for a Pontiac. So that’s the story of the first car I purchased which just happened to be a 1960 VW Beetle.
My first car was a 1951 deluxe beetle (hydraulic brakes and aluminum trim). My second car was another 1951, but the standard trim - mechanical brakes and no trim. Both came with the 1100cc 25HP engine and NO synchromest 4 speed transaxle. Soon replaced by a hopped up 1200cc engine and a synchro transaxle.
I have a 1987 CJ7 I would love to do this too, I need to look for parts. Great work on the VW.
Hi Richard, great video and info as always! My first car was a 1983 MkI Fiest 1.1L I drove it around until I finished college and then bought a 1990 MkII XR2. That XR2 is a car that I would love to still have and drop a small tesla unit into it. At the time I didn't think it was underpowerd and given the brakes and suspension it was probably about right but after 5 years with a MS P100D, I think I'd like a bit more out of the old thing if I still had it :) Keep up the content, always a pleasure to watch. Thank you.
Hey! My first car was a 1969 Beetle and I still have it. Had it at my wedding and all that. I have a 1960 I'm working on now and I'll be 50 this year too. Someday I'll do an electric conversion to one of these.
Awesome content. My first car was a 1964 beetle with a Baja kit. It was still on a 6V system. Would love to re-create it with one of these kits. Great stuff.
Your first car was a Baja? Wow, very cool. 😎👌
My buddy had a baja bug. Cool stuff. 👍
My first car was given to me by my Dad in 1973-74 (3rd year in college). It was a 1964 Chevy II Nova, 194cu inline 6, single barrel Rochester. Back then regular gasoline as ~94 octane and I got it up over 90 mph following a faster car back up to college. Three on the tree, converted to a Hurst shifter on the floor. Bench seats front and back. Seatbelts added after my Dad bought it. Finally sold it after I got married when we converted to a station wagon with an automatic. I wish I still had it because it had tons of room and felt good on the road. It'd be a perfect conversion car with tons of room under the hood and plenty in the trunk (rear boot). I imagine it would need a lot of frame conversion along with brakes. If I remember correctly, the rear used leaf springs (could be wrong). The car I really wanted was a late 60's Austin Healey, the incline 6cyl, triple carb version. Back then I could have gotten one for $3-4K but now they're going for around $60-$90K restored.
As for your installation kits, I really like them and can't wait for the DIY kits although even then they would be too expensive. I really want the EV industry to put some money into EV conversion kits for older American cars and trucks along with select Japanese cars and truck (mainly the early 2010's Tacoma). The older American cars and trucks had classic lines while the earlier Japanese cars were smaller than the big pigs they are now. My 2013 double cab Tacoma is almost a mini-truck in todays truck market but it's the perfect size. Pull the underpowered 6cyl engine, transmission and transfer case plus differential and drop in two Tesla motors with plenty of batteries under the bed and it would be perfect.
Have you watched this episode?
th-cam.com/video/ZvQlX2iAXk4/w-d-xo.html
I wish I was given a '60s Chevy Nova back then. But then again I probably wouldn't have been able to afford the fuel. 😆😎👍
@@ElectricClassicCars I watched again today. I pumped gas in college (early '70s) when gas was right around 50-cents/gallon. We were just starting to do self-serve so most of the time I was pumping gas, cleaning windshields, checking oil--something that's almost never done anymore. Converting that car would have been very easy. It had a ton of room in the front even with the engine in there. I'd put in two motors (front and back) and would have plenty of room for batteries. It handled six passengers just fine. I'd end up having to totally replace all the suspension and brakes but it would be a great car, just like it was back in the 70's and early 80's.
I still have my first car; a 1967 Mustang Coupe, bought in when I was 21, 22 years ago. I am now converting it from a straight six to 302 V8. Good stuff 🛠👍
Cool car. 😁👍
It was only a year or so ago, that at a local car show I saw that there even existed such a thing as a 6 cylinder Ford Mustang. Given Mustangs are rare here anyway, and the 6 cylinder ones super-rare, I would keep a 6 cylinder model as it was, if I had one. Having a 50 or 55 year old classic car, you don't own and drive one of them aiming to get the best ride or handling, or engine power or fuel economy. I'd have thought you had such a classic car to enjoy it as a classic car. Keeping changes to the minimum required for safe comfortable operation (perhaps brake upgrades, or electric charging system and lighting upgrades, especially for folks that live in extreme cold climates like Canada etc.
That's some shinny paint.
Don't scratch it.
Also its very cool that you still have your first VW Beatle.
Lovely kit! I like how it all bolts together, very neat. I'd try to tweak the control panel to fit the interior, maybe a metal shell painted in body color, some retro style switches, and maybe one of those round LCD panels with chrome bezel?
Cool idea
I want this car. So very cool. Good job!
My first one was a Subaru J-10 from 1994. There was also the J-12 which had 4 x 4, which sadly were a very limited number in Malta, so I couldn't get my hands on one of them. Nonetheless, the J10 was so solid and robust, that when I flipped it on its side, it only caused a dent on the door and broke one of the indicator housings - the mirror simply folded forwards. It was very easy to fix, and despite its tiny size, certainly quite spacious inside ;)