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A gas motor is about the same price. There's no exhaust system for this, and it's smaller than Ford's monstrous modular V8's, so it seems like it'd be an easy r

A gas motor is about the same price. There's no exhaust system for this, and it's smaller than Ford's monstrous modular V8's, so it seems like it'd be an easy retrofit. But if you were to actually do a conversion: How does the heating/AC work? How does your power steering work? How do the brakes work? Many things in a standard car work off vacuum. There's no vacuum on an electric engine. Other things run off the serpentine belt. These things also make running a newer engine in an older car a pain. Sure, the engine from a newer Mustang you find in the junkyard might only be $4,000 but you're going to spend at least another $10-15,000 getting it to run in your older Mustang or F150.

antisthenes 5y ago
> But if you were to actually do a conversion: How does the heating/AC work? How does your power steering work? How do the brakes work? Those are the easy parts because all 3 run off of hydraulics and electricity. As long as they get power supplied to them, they all just work. Brakes don't even need power, I believe, and can work purely mechanically. Of course you won't have regenerative braking in a retrofit. > Sure, the engine from a newer Mustang you find in the junkyard might only be $4,000 but you're going to spend at least another $10-15,000 getting it to run in your older Mustang or F150 That's generally an issue with high labor costs and not the car industry in particular.
- bluedino 5y ago
  >> Those are the easy parts because all 3 run off of hydraulics and electricity. As long as they get power supplied to them, they all just work. Except the heat in your car is transferred from the coolant running through your engine. Which is why the 'heat' in your car doesn't work until you've been driving it for a little bit. >> Brakes don't even need power, I believe, and can work purely mechanically. Brakes definitely need power. Have you even driven an older car without power brakes or steering? There's a reason they used to have much larger steering wheels in cars. And most of your brakes are hydraulic with vacuum assist. Turn your ignition off (in a large parking lot) and try to steer or brake your car! The brakes will work once or twice... You would need to add electric power steering to an older car. You can convert over a Volvo system, get an electric pump, or do it a few other ways. >> That's generally an issue with high labor costs and not the car industry in particular. I'm talking just parts. For example, you need a control pack from Ford which contains the ECU and wiring harness which is nearly two thousand dollars, and aftermarket systems aren't even cheaper. https://www.jegs.com/i/Ford+Performance/397/M-6017A504VB/10002/-1?gclid=CjwKCAjwiY6MBhBqEiwARFSCPlUefVYyyKqP9N61R6cohkjKNyFo_f1PqBCPV5El1cLN-kpLx0FmvhoCGskQAvD_BwE https://www.jegs.com/i/Ford+Performance/397/M-6017A504VB/100...
- sbierwagen 5y ago
  >Brakes don't even need power, I believe, and can work purely mechanically. Yow. Power brakes have been standard equipment since at least 1950. Disconnect the vacuum line on your brake booster and go for a drive to the grocery store and you will very quickly discover their importance.
skrbjc 5y ago
In regards to vacuum, diesels don't produce vacuum since they don't have a throttle, and so they use a vacuum pump. They run off the engine, but I imagine you can get an electric driven one. Also many vehicles use electric driven pumps for power steering. I think the big thing, as others have pointed out, is buying the batteries and putting them somewhere in an old car.
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
Electric AC has been available for a while to retrofit old cars.

antisthenes 5y ago

> But if you were to actually do a conversion: How does the heating/AC work? How does your power steering work? How do the brakes work? Those are the easy parts because all 3 run off of hydraulics and electricity. As long as they get power supplied to them, they all just work. Brakes don't even need power, I believe, and can work purely mechanically. Of course you won't have regenerative braking in a retrofit. > Sure, the engine from a newer Mustang you find in the junkyard might only be $4,000 but you're going to spend at least another $10-15,000 getting it to run in your older Mustang or F150 That's generally an issue with high labor costs and not the car industry in particular.

bluedino 5y ago
>> Those are the easy parts because all 3 run off of hydraulics and electricity. As long as they get power supplied to them, they all just work. Except the heat in your car is transferred from the coolant running through your engine. Which is why the 'heat' in your car doesn't work until you've been driving it for a little bit. >> Brakes don't even need power, I believe, and can work purely mechanically. Brakes definitely need power. Have you even driven an older car without power brakes or steering? There's a reason they used to have much larger steering wheels in cars. And most of your brakes are hydraulic with vacuum assist. Turn your ignition off (in a large parking lot) and try to steer or brake your car! The brakes will work once or twice... You would need to add electric power steering to an older car. You can convert over a Volvo system, get an electric pump, or do it a few other ways. >> That's generally an issue with high labor costs and not the car industry in particular. I'm talking just parts. For example, you need a control pack from Ford which contains the ECU and wiring harness which is nearly two thousand dollars, and aftermarket systems aren't even cheaper. https://www.jegs.com/i/Ford+Performance/397/M-6017A504VB/10002/-1?gclid=CjwKCAjwiY6MBhBqEiwARFSCPlUefVYyyKqP9N61R6cohkjKNyFo_f1PqBCPV5El1cLN-kpLx0FmvhoCGskQAvD_BwE https://www.jegs.com/i/Ford+Performance/397/M-6017A504VB/100...
sbierwagen 5y ago
>Brakes don't even need power, I believe, and can work purely mechanically. Yow. Power brakes have been standard equipment since at least 1950. Disconnect the vacuum line on your brake booster and go for a drive to the grocery store and you will very quickly discover their importance.

skrbjc 5y ago

In regards to vacuum, diesels don't produce vacuum since they don't have a throttle, and so they use a vacuum pump. They run off the engine, but I imagine you can get an electric driven one. Also many vehicles use electric driven pumps for power steering. I think the big thing, as others have pointed out, is buying the batteries and putting them somewhere in an old car.

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago

Electric AC has been available for a while to retrofit old cars.