Now that the heater's done, Brink's moved on to finishing up the last few remaining items.

Here's the new plug he put together:



The filler cap rotates and swings to close. When closed, it will look stock:



And here's the new emergency disconnect, which will be installed under the hood. We're going to hook up a cable so it can also be released from inside the cabin.



What's left... Install the disconnect, wire it up, replace the defective battery and module - all in one shot.

The heater is done, but we might make one change to the fan wiring re: speed and heat. Not a big deal. I just don't want the heat on w/low fan speed.

Install the charging plug, wire it in and test it out.

I've asked Brink not to completely install the EVision -- especially the display and switches. I'm going to put in a custom console and use that to house them, along with switches for power windows and locks.

I haven't decided what console to use -- or whether to just fabricate one myself. I'll deal with that this winter.

We're just about done with the EV stuff -- almost time to bring the car home and start restoring!

 

Brink got a lot done today. The plug, inertia switch, and emergency disconnect were all installed. Here's the pics:

Plugged in and charging:



...and unplugged:



Brink set it up so that the car will not start/run when it's plugged in. Nice.

Here's the disconnect installed -- you can also see the inertia switch mounted on the bay wall (near the top center of the photo):



Brink also got the heater set up so the heat will only come on when the fan is on high or medium. He's worried that there wouldn't be enough air flow on low and the heating element could overheat.

 

Sailfish, I just have to say that I really enjoy following this build, I think its awesome! Now I have to also say that with as much money and time as you have put into this car, you had better pull all of those components out and restore the body the way it should be or im going to come to NY and kick you in the teeth. You just owe it to yourself to do it right, if you know what i mean. This car is going to be gawked at, and drooled over, and admired by every passerby. Its going to get trophies at car shows and be seen in magazines all over the world and it would be just a shame to not give the bodywork and paint as much attention as you have given to the motor and drive train over all this time. From one mustang lover to another,, Keep Up the Good Work, dont settle for less because you will be sorry for it later when you are looking at your car thinking man, i really should have done this or that instead of rushing through it to get it on the road. This thing is awesome.

 

Looking good!

 

I think having the plug at the gas cap is a cool touch.

 

Awesome car!

 

Not much new happening in the past few days. Brink and I have been discussing options to secure and cover the batteries. Right now, they're secured by a zip tie, which not only looks bad, but wouldn't be too safe in an accident (batteries flying everywhere).

Some of the options we're considering are nylon ratcheting straps:



Nylon straps wouldn't be pretty, but they're cheap and effective (although I'm concerned the nylon could stretch in an accident).

Brink was also thinking of glass filled/nylon channels as a sort of hold down. We could also lay a plastic panel across the entire pack, to spread out the clamping force. That would handle the cover and hold down duties at once.

Or, a more elegant (and expensive) option, a piece of polished aluminum diamond plate. Under the d-plate, we adhere strips of high density foam. Hinges would be fastened to the Monte Carlo bar. Up front, a couple of hold downs. Like this:



There isn't a lot of room between the top of the batteries and the hood, so racing pins might stick up too far. If so, we might use dzus fasteners or something like that. Maybe we end up with a combination of some sort (nylon straps, covered by the d-plate).

Suggestions welcome!

 

Brink got a lot done over the weekend. The EVision is installed, the disconnect is wired, and the bad battery cell replaced. The only problem is with the EVision -- the speedo isn't working. I have an anolog speedo in the dash, but the EVision still needs to know speed in order to calculate efficiency ratios (e.g. watts/mile).

The speedo is not stock -- it's an electronic speedo using a hall effect sensor screwed into the transmission. The EVision needs a separate sensor which is mounted near the driveshaft, but apparently not working properly.

We're still deciding on exactly how to secure and cover the batteries. Leaning towards Dzus fasteners holding down an aluminum or diamond plate.

 

Brink did some house-cleaning this week. He took the wiring:




And put it all into nice neat looms:




The orange tape = high voltage. Previously, HV and LV were mixed together, making for a potentially dangerous situation...

Brink also got the instrument cluster back in the dash:



The electronic speedo is working now, but still needs to be calibrated. The tach is not working, but we're hoping that's a software issue (it's driven off an output from the motor controller). The fuel gauge works like a voltmeter (Full = fully charged) but also needs to be calibrated.

You can see the EVision display in the console compartment. The EVision speed sensor is not working and probably needs to be relocated (from the driveshaft to the transmission).

I still need to decide what kind of battery cover and battery hold-down I want, and also some sort of splash guard underneath to keep all the electrical stuff dry.

Next weekend, a guy from EVTV.ME is coming to Brink's shop to take some pictures and video of the car. My wife and I will be there too -- should be fun.

 

All this is so cool to see in a mustang. It's going to be so unique and stand out at shows (should you decide to take it to some). It may not be a show winner but in my opinion it is a very cool E-Stang!