1979 Subaru Other

EV Coupe

Electric

5 speed

A26L970199

Clear

Electric

Welcome! Up for auction is my 1979 Subaru FE Coupe that I converted 5 years ago to operate as a fully electric vehicle. This is a beautiful collectible antique Subaru that is in amazing condition and runs and drives very well (except for limited range because of older batteries). Everything associated with internal combustion: engine, fuel tank, exhaust, radiator, etc. has been removed. In its place are components mostly purchased through Electro Automotive as a partial kit. I opted for the larger controller (Curtis 1231) and the larger 9" DC motor which is capable of even more power with a higher amperage controller and or higher voltage battery pack. A custom adapter plate was fabricated to mate the 5 speed transmission with the electric motor. As it is, the car is very quick, though never raced or abused. I chose 10 12volt AGM deep cycle batteries wired in series, for their zero maintenance, ability to give up their energy more quickly (see peukerts equation) and ability to be mounted on their sides to fit under the hood. I designed the vehicle to be a lightweight (as evs go, many use 20 6 volt batteries for more range but slower acceleration and worse handling) around town commuter. The max range with fresh batteries is about 40 miles. Top speed is at least 100mph (as fast as I ever went) The car has period correct gold honeycomb Enkei racing rims with excellent LRR Sumitomo HTR 200 tires with about 800miles on them. Also included are a set of Cooper 205 white letter tires in excellent low mileage condition mounted on original rims and with the original spare. I have made only minor modifications to the vehicle for the conversion and have kept it as original appearing as possible except for the door decals which are removable. It has a mirrored sunroof, rear louvered window cover, side wing coupe windows, and a good sounding cd player with aftermarket speakers. The exterior is in great condtion. The person I bought it from was a professional auto painter and resprayed it (5 years ago) in the original brick red color. he said there was no body work done only that the paint had faded. It looks original and holds a nice shine. The interior is in good shape. There is no carpet in the drivers foot well. I had planned to spray truck bed liner there for sound deadening and durability but Ill leave it up to the new owner to do as they like. The driver seat has a cover, underneath the vinyl is cracked. Some other small details need attention like the door latch trim has degraded over time. There is a small water leak in the drivers foot well after heavy rains. I keep a small tub there to collect it if the car doesnt have a cover on. Please remember this is a 34 year old vehicle and though well cared for it is not in strict "Concours" condition. I chose this particular vehicle to do a conversion on for many reasons. I grew up with Subarus so was familiar with their reliability and quality. This model to me is the best older Subaru built, the rare FE coupe model which stood for fuel efficiency, it was a green car back in 1979 and rated at close to 50mpg. It has a sporty old Celica or Datsun Japanese muscle car look. Also it is an extremely simple car, with no power robbing accessories like power steering, ac etc which make ev conversions more difficult. Also it is a small lightweight vehicle- ideal for an EV. Parts have not been a problem to find and indeed many are eliminated. No more filters, plugs, rotors, oil, radiators, exhaust etc. Just occasional brake and suspension work remain for maintenance. The Electric Motor is permanently sealed and requires only replacing the brushes every 80,000 or so a simple and inexpensive task. The vehicle is from Oregon so never has seen salted roads. It is in Maine now, but not used during the winter and is stored correctly and under cover. There is no rust that I know of except for two small (dime) bubbles on the trunk lid where a rack might have been installed at one point. There are no dents or dings. The included pictures are pretty self explanatory. The ones at the ends show original parts that I removed and have kept with the vehicle. The shocks are new and go with the car. The red shocks are adjustable and the rear torsion bar of the car can be "turned up" as well. Ill spare you all the small details of the electric conversion. It is a fairly standard conversion and uses most of the methods outlined by Electro Automotive. I included an electric air pump to give the brake booster the pressure it needs to operate (since there is no longer an engine to produce manifold pressure.) The batteries are routed through the controller which is activated by the original throttle cable. There is a dc converter which takes over the job of the alternator, sending 12volt current to the accessories (lights, horn, radio etc) The battery pack is charged through a charger in the trunk that operates on regular 110volt current and takes 6 or so hours to charge depending upon the state of depletion, though you can top off for a half an hour at an outlet and get a decent amount of juice if you happen to run low. Ive added voltage and amperage gauges to help you monitor power consumption. It costs about 50 or 60 cents for a full charge, making it extremely inexpensive and green to operate. I made use of white oak for the motor support beams as it is very strong, non conductive and wont rust. I used a salvaged tropical wood (ipea?) for the controller support beams. It works very well and looks super cool. Driving the car is easy. Turn the key to on. You'll here the growl of the brake pump for a few seconds as it builds up pressure. Put the car in 2nd gear. Press on the pedal and youre off. You can drive the car as an automatic around town leaving it in second or third gear and not using the clutch. Or you can make use of the clutch and gears for added smoothness and efficiency. Five batteries and charger in trunk area with room for groceries and possibly two more batteries to increase power and range if so desired. Why Im Selling (some people ask this) I live in Portland Maine which is a fairly small bikeable city. Due to a knee problem I found myself unable to ride my bicycle and was forced to drive around. Trying to minimize my carbon footprint I sold my 2000 Honda Insight (an awesome if small car) to help fund this project. After a femoral osteotomy I have been able to return to cycling and though the design and build were extremely successful I have found myself not using the car very often. I wont drive it in the winter because of the salt used on the roads, so I have to maintain another vehicle for that purpose. Though I did move it once in my snowy driveway (no salt) and was amazed at the traction even with the summer tires on it. So even though this is my dream car and truly my Magnus Opus and very hard to part with, in my current financial situation I need to find it another home. Please consider the cost of the original vehicle, the electric components ($6000+ 5 years ago) wheels and tires, and my hundreds of hours of research and construction to build this vehicle when you bid. The old pack could be re-purposed for solar or wind power storage but its life as a traction pack seems to be ending. Thanks for reading! I may have left something out. Please ask any and all questions. I value honesty in all my dealings and want to give a full disclosure so please ask. Inspections are more then welcome too. Its a really great vehicle that generates a lot of excitement. When you arrive to pick it up it will be washed, hand waxed, and detailed. Good luck and thanks! Adam PLEASE NOTE: It is time to replace the battery pack which cost me around $1600 5 years ago. If you win the auction and want me to install batteries I will do it for you for free if you buy the batteries. It does run and drive around the block or on to a car hauler. Also.. 800 miles since EV conversion On Aug-13-12 at 11:45:14 PDT, seller added the following information: I have had a few questions about expected battery life. Please dont think that a new battery pack is only good for 800 miles. You should be able to get many thousands of miles out of a properly cared for battery pack. This pack is getting tired more because of time and lack of use then from wearing out from charging and discharging. The lifespan is variable and depends on depth of discharge and proper charging amongst other factors. Also I forgot to mention that the car comes with an extra 5spd transmission. (the original) Thanks!- Adam