 |
| |
Attaching the belly pan was easily done with the frame on it's side. I took the opportunity to paint the frame with POR-15. This stuff is amazing.
It dries extremely hard and sticks very well to clean steel. My biggest problem has been trying to sand it off wherever I've had to weld additional
parts to the frame. I'm using sheet FRP (Fiberglass reinforced plastic) that's about 3-4 mm thick. Should prevent dirt from sticking, prevent rust
and give me good aerodynamics. I attached a length of steel channel to the floor joists above so I can position my winch wherever I need it. Our
driveway has a steep slope (around 10 degrees) and it circles around the back of the house. This gave me about 500 ft of test track for rolling
5tests on the chassis. Also great for testing the brakes!
|
|
| |
 |
| |
Thanks to the folks at Curtis for getting me a great deal on the AC motor. Its rated 18.7kW. Almost as much as the old GE motor I had in the Corvette. It only weighs 165 Lbs. With an 84V input, it will operate constant torque up to around 3000RPM and then constant HP up to 6000RPM. The plan is to use a single 62mm wide gear belt with a single reduction of around 6.3:1. |
|
 |
| |
I cut out a wooden pulley for the rear wheel to check clearances. I have to go with a shorter belt than I expected. But otherwise it should work. So custom pulleys are now on order. I started painting the chassis with POR-15, prior to attaching the fiberglass floor pan material. |
|
 |
| |
This is a side view of a picture of the chassis on its side. The front half of the belly pan is attached, but the front chassis and suspension are shown. |
|
 |
| |
Same view but with the front chassis pan fully mounted. There will be another section for batteries across the front, just ahead of the front wheels. Still needs to be framed out and covered. |
|
 |
| A skyhook came in handy to lower the chassis to the floor. It’s getting a bit to heavy to manhandle now. |
 |
| |
Wheels on floor: April 24, 2008. Suspension is riding high with very little weight on it. But it bounces and rebounds OK. Rolls very nicely with very little effort. The two rails protruding from the front will support a front mounted battery tray. |
|
 |
| We towed the car to the top of the driveway for a rolling test. I probably hit 25mph coming down the hill. |
 |
| |
Coming around the turn the chassis handled pretty well. There was no wheel hop or chirp from the rear wheels, even in a full turn. Only the front brakes were connected, but the chassis stopped pretty well, with moderate pedal pressure. |
|
