Electric car conversions – with a WCA twist

How about really triggering some folks and chucking a Cummins ISB in there

Probably one of the best sounding motors out there… the suspension mods to cope with the weight of the lump and transmission may prove “challenging” however… but the idea of a Nissan leaf rolling prodigious amounts of coal as it bellows past a load of environmental activists appeals to my twisted sense of humour.

Some guy has put a 4 pot Cummins in a Prius but it hasn’t got that incredible ISB 6 pot grumble so sort of damp squibs it…

Seriously I’ve been looking to try and “mild hybridise” my Discovery Td5 (I design plant with hybrid & EV tech) and reckon its more than feasible … was thinking a motor / generator in place of the alternator on a toothed belt to the crank to provide a bit of regen and power assist and electrifying parasitic loads like water pump, oil pump and power steering. Power would be a couple of 48V Li-Ion batteries and maybe a capacitor bank for instant response have also thought of a motor on the PTO of the transfer box so that I get electric drive capability…

…mind you I’ve been talking about doing this for at least 5-6 years and have done hee-haw about it yet lol.

If you wanted the novelty value for a lot less work and hassle, why not look at a complete body swap instead?

There must be some vehicles out there that have roughly the same wheelbase/width etc. lift the body off the dead Leaf and drop it onto the new chassis. no (or very little) complicated wiring/mechanical/functional issues for the same amount of curb amusement.

Or drop it onto something completely silly, like a Discovery chassis with a lift kit.

could call it a Land Ranger (i can touch the) Leaf(s)!

leaf has a 106″ wheelbase…. disco is 100″ unfortunately… however classic rangie did have a 108″ wheelbase variant in its later years.. .that would be feasible and not look too weird.

There’s a number of ls swapped V8 Tesla kicking about in the US .

I thought there was only the one, and I got the impression from watching the various build videos of it that it was an utter ballache, done solely for the socialmeeja props, sponsorship and a show deadline.

Perhaps the simpler, but still fun, activity would be looking for something appropriately lightweight, charming and analogue to put the Leaf motor in? Ideally Something that either lacks or can have PAS deleted, common enough to be cheap (or an insurance write-off).

Austin mini (good luck finding an affordable one) or something from the 90s with a blown ICE engine, a sleeper Mk1 E-Twingo would be hilarious (IMO), Smart Roadster? C1/107/Aygo? Or anyone of a thousand basic hatches from the last 30 odd years….

thought there was only the one, and I got the impression from watching the various build videos of it that it was an utter ballache, done solely for the socialmeeja props, sponsorship and a show deadline.

I’ve seen at least 3 different ones.

One is an ls3 sema showcar – it’s gold (possibly rich rebuilds?)

And there’s a jacked up “safari” ls1 – this one’s red – and it looks a rough as **** install.

And there’s a red LS1 street car that looks neat. 690bhp.

A fun thought experiment perhaps, but I don’t see the appeal of the finished vehicle. The only reason to do it would be novelty, which puts you in the same bracket as a driving garden shed or a car covered in fake grass. Probably I’m lazy, but if I put that much effort in to something I’d want it to be for more than just a weak joke.

Pretty much my thoughts now I have done a bit of research into it.

I managed to complete the To Do list I prepared at the start of lock down so was looking for a new challenge. I might just ask MrsWCA to repeat all the things she has asked me to do for the last two years instead.

Yep I think it’s got to be something you really want, as these projects planned on a shoestring can quietly eat money.

I do like the smartukis thou and there are reasonably priced parts, subframes available to do a nice job if you don’t have the fabricating skills.