Electric Conversion for 356

For those who couldn't care less how their 356 left the factory!
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Sebastian Gaeta
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#31 Post by Sebastian Gaeta »

C J Murray wrote:Just saw that Honda has determined that advances in efficiency of gasoline engines has prompted them to stop producing compressed natural gas cars and all but one hybrid model. Nobody wanted them.
During my days working at my in-laws dealerships people would flock to the showrooms anytime electric cars or hybrids made the news. Once we got done explaining to them how owning these cars actually worked and the trade offs they had to live with, most of them left feeling pretty disappointed.

I recall reading about a consortium in the 1980's between the big four (anyone remember American Motors?) trying to develop a practical electric car for everyday use on public roads. After a year or so of trying to figure it out by some pretty bright engineers, they put up a sign on the wall of the lab that read "Electric Cars: Far-Fast-Cheap Pick Any Two"
Sebastian Gaeta
www.arbormotion.com

Registry #8339

'65 C coupe
'64 C cab

-------
2014 Boxster 981
2005 997 C2 Cab
1967 Karmann Ghia Convertible
1966 VW Single Cab
1966 Ducati Cafe Racer
1964 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1963 Beetle

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Trond Vidar
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#32 Post by Trond Vidar »

Old thread but a lot of news in 6 years :)

Where I live all electric powered cars have a lot of benefits and I have been researching a little about possibly building or getting a 356 EV replica.

The EV West speedster conversion on a vintage speedster replica is interesting.
https://youtu.be/7zOeBYIeAkg

Chesil has an all new e-kit.
https://chesil.co.uk/electric-chesil-e/

Interesting approach on a real 356
http://www.speedhunters.com/2020/04/ev- ... rsche-356/
Nice story/heritage
http://www.speedhunters.com/2020/04/por ... bbot-cars/

Watt's EV "skateboard"
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/11 ... d-platform

And lots of internet resources, youtube EV bugs, speedster etc.


I had a leaf back in 2012 and the last year or so I have been thinking about getting an EV car again, Audi q-tron, the new BMW i4 or VW ID series are fine but my usual driving pattern is 20-60 km trip alone. Why spend $80K on a modern EV car that will loose most of its value in 3-5 years?

Now enter a better idea, a classic Porsche EV replica, lots of option exist but to be able to use the car frequently where I live it need be a coupe.

Of course it would be acceptable to convert a Beetle but then it better be an Oval, however a good Oval is $10-15K add to that the $15K in conversion kit and batteries and I suppose it get close to what a 356 replica coupe kit and the EV conversion kit will run into.

I like the Watt approach, looks to be professionally and EV from the ground, no price tag though.
https://www.wattelectricvehicles.com
'56A coupe & '63B coupe

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Craig Richter
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#33 Post by Craig Richter »

Electric cars are a woke joke! (I know the moderators will take this post down, but what the heck, I haven't been in trouble for a while)
 

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David Jones
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#34 Post by David Jones »

How do you get the 356 sensation, aura, experience, aroma and whatever else it is that evokes that sensation you get as you hit the apex of that country road turn just right and you push down with the right foot and that deep feeling of satisfaction courses through your veins.
If you want an EV, buy a new one with a warranty and let your significant other drive.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
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Cliff Murray
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#35 Post by Cliff Murray »

Electric cars are a boondoggle. Why should I pay thousands in taxes to support some virtue signaling moron? Child slaves are mining the materials and when the car is used up it creates a super fund site. Fossil fuel still makes most of the electricity. Solar and wind are unreliable and nuclear is hated by the woke idiots.
Last edited by Cliff Murray on Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1957 Speedster
1959 Sunroof
1960 Devin D Porsche racer
1963 GS2133 Coupe
1967 911S
2003 575M
Various vintage motorcycles

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David Jones
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#36 Post by David Jones »

Now, now Cliff, don't get your knickers in a twist. "They" said similar things about steam trains, then the first ICE powered cars (which came after electric and steam cars) then airplanes and DC power and AC power which could kill elephants. Technology marches relentlessly on but we old farts have enjoyed the best years of the "fun" technology with cars that could kill us in an instant at much lower speeds than we can survive a crash in this modern antiseptic aesthetically alien transport. Especially those of us who survived the pre seat belts age wearing leather helmets so the blood and brains did not make a mess on the windshield.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
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Craig Richter
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#37 Post by Craig Richter »

I've lived in Europe on and off for over thirty years, and the old city centers, full of tall buildings with narrow "donkey cart" streets, had disgustingly polluted air. Slowly the IC motors got cleaner, then much cleaner, and all those smokey but necessary buses got converted to natural gas. Then electric cars were introduced, and all these developments together have led to MUCH cleaner air in the old cities, so I'm not totally anti-electric. But when you add all the factors Cliff lists above, and realize the pollution has only been moved, not eliminated, it's all a woke scam.
 

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Cliff Murray
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#38 Post by Cliff Murray »

When it works I will support the concept. It doesn't work now without government intervention in the form of our tax dollars being given to companies that are not capable of standing on their own. How do you like that government mandated ethanol gasoline? This is not a left/right or Dem/GOP issue. All politicians are on the take so don't call this divisive political speech. This is good policy vs bad policy.

If you have to convert a classic to electric leave the 356s alone and convert a Yugo.
1957 Speedster
1959 Sunroof
1960 Devin D Porsche racer
1963 GS2133 Coupe
1967 911S
2003 575M
Various vintage motorcycles

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Cliff Murray
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#39 Post by Cliff Murray »

Enjoy your cross country trip in your Tesla. I hope you have a lot of vacation coming to you.
1957 Speedster
1959 Sunroof
1960 Devin D Porsche racer
1963 GS2133 Coupe
1967 911S
2003 575M
Various vintage motorcycles

Richard Colella
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#40 Post by Richard Colella »

No problem taking a cross country trip in a Tesla. Plenty of charging stations.

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David Jones
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#41 Post by David Jones »

I have driven a Tesla model 3 and if we did not already own a comparable Lexus it would be top of my list as a daily driver. The maintenance in comparison is practically non existent. Replacing a 356 would be next to impossible and to retrofit an electric drive train would remove the whole point of ownership.
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
David Jones #9715

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Trond Vidar
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#42 Post by Trond Vidar »

That is alot of hatred guys maybe it is time to catch up with science? 😉🍿

https://www.google.no/search?q=electric ... 8&oe=UTF-8
'56A coupe & '63B coupe

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Cliff Murray
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#43 Post by Cliff Murray »

I am all for your right to own an electric car even though they are "dirty" as long as my tax dollars don't subsidize you.

Here is a bit of reality. Remember that most long trips involve seeing sites, not going in straight lines through only highly populated areas.
https://turo.com/blog/gearheads/can-you ... ss-country
1957 Speedster
1959 Sunroof
1960 Devin D Porsche racer
1963 GS2133 Coupe
1967 911S
2003 575M
Various vintage motorcycles

Richard Colella
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Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#44 Post by Richard Colella »

2017. Much has changed since then, all for the better.

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Trond Vidar
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Re: Electric Conversion for 356

#45 Post by Trond Vidar »

I guess the Petrol lobby ran out of steam. Times are changing, I visited the Audi dealership last week and had a chat with the salesman. He told me they had sold 1 fossil fuel car in 2021, the rest was electric Audi's (FYI this is Southern Norway).

Cars are all about fun to me, I'd be more happy in "EV 356" than an electric Kia Creed and it may be fun to build one as well.
'56A coupe & '63B coupe

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