Electrified Model T?

[Rick Potter]

I have often wondered if my Model T Touring could be converted. For you old timers, it now has a V8-60 (since the mid 50's). It looks to me like a battery pack would fit underneath.

I have checked various sites, but most seem to be interested in going fast, or are very expensive. Anybody know a low budget way to do it? I only need to go about 40 miles max, round trip, and 50 mph is about it for this chassis.

I know it's a pipe dream, but I am still curious.

Rick Potter

[Justin Leiwig]

I have often wondered if my Model T Touring could be converted. For you old timers, it now has a V8-60 (since the mid 50's). It looks to me like a battery pack would fit underneath.

I have checked various sites, but most seem to be interested in going fast, or are very expensive. Anybody know a low budget way to do it? I only need to go about 40 miles max, round trip, and 50 mph is about it for this chassis.

I know it's a pipe dream, but I am still curious.

Rick Potter

Not a pipe dream per se, but you would loose a lot of the originality of the model T, and I don't see how it would be worth it.

IF you look at most electric powered vehicles the motors are directly in line with the wheels. The simplest method in your instance would be a motor with a variable speed controller that spins a rubber wheel against another steel disc bolted to the hub of the rear wheel.

[Frank Hagan]

Check out the diyelectriccar.com site ... I didn't see any Model Ts in the "Garage" section (where DIYers have their cars featured).

These guys make bolt on adapters for transfer cases, have links to "kits" for converting various cars, etc. With a 48v system you could expect maybe 25 mile range at 25 MPH, but they will know better.

[Rick Potter]

Thanks Frank, I will check it out.

Rick Potter

[Mitchell Andrus]

Repeat after me: Google is our friend.

http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1285

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixEDBCZcnRQ

[Randal Stevenson]

Not a pipe dream per se, but you would loose a lot of the originality of the model T, and I don't see how it would be worth it.




The model T, is really past the point of being "hot rodded" as the generation who would have been doing that as kids, are a lot older. It also is one of the most available vehicles, to build from scratch new (saw an article that said you could still buy something like 85% or higher of all its parts new, STILL).
I looked into buying or building one a few years ago, and several of my friends (20+ years older then me), kept trying to talk me out of it, as it doesn't hold its resale value, and they are a smaller car (can't get larger people side by side easily). People never seem to understand that your not doing things for them.