Austin Allegro EV conversion: prepping, acceleration and A HOUSE?!
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- In this video update, I get busy measuring and weighing my tired, old Austin Allegro in preparation to convert it to clean, fast electric power. This will help me keep the car within my desired weight range, which is ideally less than 100 kg (220 lbs) over its original weight.
But... the biggest problem I need to solve before I can even begin the conversion itself is that I need a garage to start the project! However, as you're about to see, that goal isn't in my way anymore!
So, stay tuned, as get one step closer to stopping the Allegro's filthy, expensive oil addiction and bring it one step closer to running on clean, renewable electricity.
The conversion is about to begin, but it will take time and money, so please be patient. In the meantime, feel free to offer any advice or suggestions. I'll definitely read all your comments and take all your ideas onboard.
Cheers!
Gav
Explanation for the non-Kiwis in the audience... "Wet-back" means the fireplace (in this case a Log-burner woodstove) is also connected into the Hotwater system. These tend to be very powerful and having a fire for just a few hours each Winter day or evening, will probably provide all the hotwater needed for a couple or small family. When the fire is NOT used, electricity supplements the storage hotwater system automatically. "Heat-Pump" refers to what Australians call a "Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner". So works as an Refrigerant air conditioner in Summer and a Heater in Winter. In a NZ climate, in an "all electric" house, it is considered that one third of an electric bill is for home heating, one third of electricity used is for hotwater heating, and one third of electricity use is everything else put together. Lights, Electric cooking, computers, TV, fridge, clothes washer etc. Now although we don't know EXACTLY where Mr KiwiEV is, we know he is within 3 hours drive of Auckland (either North or South). So he is in the more Northern portion of NZ which has high rainfall and high humidity for much of the year, and a very very mild Winter. The climate of NZ varies widely over it's 1,000 mile 1,600 kilometre length and climate can sometimes vary widely across even a narrow width, if tall mountains get in between. The South Island for example has a much colder Winter, with the West Coast being an area of high rainfall and humidity, whereas some Eastern areas on the other side of a tall mountain range being much hotter on Summer days with low rainfall and hot dry winds swooping down across flat plains from off the mountain slopes. Where Mr KiwiEV is, he will likely never see snow and could grow a good Orange tree outside in his garden easily. For comparison, where I am in Christchurch in the mid South Island, we twice had small dustings of snow this last Winter, and a really good gardener, with careful planning, can grow an Orange tree hereabouts... just.
Thank you for the explanation. Where I live, "wet back" is a racist insult.
@@PapiDoesIt I know my grandma's house, which dated from about 1920, had a typical "open fireplace" grate, one each in the main "living room" and one in the "Front Room" (That we only used for visitors or sometimes Sunday afternoon teas. Nowadays perhaps called a "Formal Lounge" and possibly British people might call it "The Parlour"). The grate in the main living room looked normal but apparently there was water pipes behind a layer of thin bricks at the back and they went to an adjoining linen cupboard which housed this big sealed copper tank. We had a separate electric hotwater cylinder mounted in the bathroom. During the Winter half of the year, we left the electric hotwater turned off. We had 2 hotwater taps at the kitchen sink, bathtub, and laundry sink. The fireplaces in those days were run on coal, however now "clean air" anti pollution rules have banned them. Only the newest enclosed "Log-burners" meet the government's new very strict "ultra low emission" clean air rules. After moving from Grandma's house in the 1970's,, my parents moved into a nearly new house which had a fireplace but no booster for the hotwater. This pre-dated the new clean air rules so they installed a "kitchen incinerator" This was a narrow shaped wood, coal or coke burning stove, (coke burnt longer and was cheaper, but harder to start, needed more kindling if I remember correctly) that had a waterjacket, and they had plumbers I remember seeing them modifying our electric only hotwater tank, to be boosted by the Kitchen Incinerator's wetback system. Although it didn't have an internal "oven" it had a flat steel top you could cook on or boil a kettle on etc. It could also burn up normal household rubbish like cardboard boxes cut up into pieces etc. (Pre-dated recycling bins obviously). The new low emission Log-burner fires here are rated in "kilowatts". I notice the wet-back feature is only available on the larger models of about 18kw rating and above. I am guessing that it is because if the water heating pipes sucked 2kw or 3kw heat out of a small fire, then it would be too cool to burn with the highest efficiency, that efficiency being needed to meet the clean air rules. The house shown in the video above, only has one hotwater system which is heated by electricity, the Log Burner fire would be arranged to boost that same hotwater cylinder. ften a pump is NOT needed. If the storage cylinder is very close to the fire and located higher than it, the water circulates automatically by "thermosyphon" with the hotter water rising on its own and the cooler water being drawn through the heating coil. Previously I lived for many years, in the West of Australia. Most hotwater in the main and capital city, Perth, was by gas instantaneous, or by 3 phase electric instantaneous hotwater units. Homes in rural areas often had gas instantaneous using bottled LPG (Propane), but some houses had funny cylindrical shaped indoor incinerators known as a "chip heater" which also provided hotwater. They were sorta cone shaped with a bigger space for the fire at the bottom, narrowing slowly until it turned into a chimney flue diameter by the top. A thin waterjacket surrounded the entire fire, so that it was both the waterjacket which absorbed the heat from the fire, and the storage tank for that hotwater, all in the one unit. Starting from cold with a bunch of thin wood, in less than 20 minutes I could have the water spurting boiling out the overflow pipe on the roof. Parts of NSW state Australia have similar hotwater systems to us here in much of New Zealand. A single phase electric hotwater storage tank. Is turned on and off remotely by the Power Supplier (by a signal sent through the power lines called "Ripple Control") , so it's on during off-peak times, such as from 7pm until 7am. A 2kw or 3kw electric element will heat a the watertank up overnight. As long as you don't have a big family, where the first person in the shower in the morning uses all the hotwater, the system works ok.
I've had a similar woodturner here in England. I never got around to it, but I wondered if you could get a water pump that uses the heat from the fire to pump the water, in the same way you can get fans to run on top of a wood burner. I figured that not only would it save electricity but it would also work in a power cut. Anyone had any experience of this?
The hydralastic suspension is in two separate systems - one for the left hand side and one for the right hand side. The ride height is separately adjustable and it was common for mechanics to make one side slightly higher than the other to account for vehicles which usually had a sole occupant or for couples who had a portly better half. If the EV conversion weighs a bit more, it is very easy to adjust the ride height back to original by adding or removing hydraulic fluid using the factory adjustment device that a few garages still have lying around. Harman Motors have one here in Christchurch and I'm sure there'll be one in Auckland somewhere too.
YES, confirming that. Each hemisphere also has a bleed adjuster valve to allow for different loadings and types of tires.
What a great Mid century house don’t change to much it has such a good vibe.
Congrats on the house! Even tho it needs work, it's yours! I remember that weird mix of joy and crippling anxiety when I signed the papers for my house
Congrats man you did it you have your own place and a place to work on the EV conversion. so happy for you.
Congrats Mate. The house suits the car to a tee. Can't wait for the conversion to start.
Honestly, when I park in the driveway it looks straight out of the 1970s.
Congrats Gav on the house ... really happy for you! :)
It's all coming together Gav! Best of luck on the rest of it and start that conversion!
Thanks mate! Already got a sofa, now I need to buy a bed!
Gav, proud of you! Very well-done on your new home. So many firsts’ such as your first trip to stock-up on food and loading it in your fridge and cabinets. Your first load of laundry. The first time you run the heater, parking in a garage, mowing the yard..all should bring a smile to your face. You earned this and you deserve it. May you find peace there.
Whenever measuring arch height, do not put the vehicle in gear or use the hand brake as it can cause the vehicle to crab, use chock blocks instead.
Congrats 🎉🍾 !
Congratulations! Epic Bro
Congratulations Gav.. you deserve it.. Enjoy your slice of paradise
every time I see a picture of the outside of this car I can't help but notice the Lotus Esprit door handles 🙂
Inspection every six months for classics... You're right, madness. Here in Sweden when a car is more than 30 years old it's every two years. After 50 years it is exempt from inspections totally!
Congrats!
Gav... CONGRATULATIONS, you are such as an inspiration.... I've been following you since the very very beginning!!!!! You are the man !!!! ABSOLUTELY SUCCESS !!!!!!
Ah, you're too kind. I'm just a potato with a dream. Thank you. :)
man that house looks sweet, besides maybe the carpet in that master beedroom it does not need much done (well and wallpapers, obviusly)
i hope you keep the kitchen, it looks amazing
Man, so excited for this one.
Congrats Gav
Awesome news mate! Wetbacks are brilliant (assuming you’ve got affordable access to firewood aka can cut your own). I lived in a place for seven years with a wood burning stove w/wetback for our hot water… gravity fed rainwater water too. While I don’t miss cutting firewood every few weeks, I do miss cheap power bills.
WoW! Beautiful house.
Thanks mate. I still walk around it thinking, "Wow. This is actually mine!"
I also had to get my '71 Beetle weighed - for the same purpose as you. I noticed that your Allegro was weighed as a WHOLE car. However, this figure was rejected by The Examiner. The Examiner wanted to see each individual Axle Weight. This is important in any EV Conversion, so that you do not overload any individual axle, with Batteries & Motor, in completing your conversion. Even if the NZ Compliance does not state this, it is still wise to try and keep the original mass over each axle, for reasons that are obvious. Hope that this helps. Greetings from Australia.
Hi Gav, Rick from the declining oil Capitol of the World and rising EV Capitol of the world where Tesla Superchargers are sprouting quicker than oil derricks at the old Spindletop mega well saying congratulations on the new house and the new EV conversion. Hahahaha, loved the film noire segment.
When measuring hights and getting diferences between the two sides you should turn the car and park it EXACTLY on the same spot facing the opposit direction. It's because the road might be flat but paved with a slight angle towards the sidewalk so the rain won't stay on it. And the car's flexibility causes it to park unevenly on the asfalt.
love this guys content
Well done mate 👍 I'm so pleased for you. Exciting times ahead.
Well done mate,can’t wait to see the the Austin electrified if that’s the right description.
Congrats Gav. I hope you locked in a good rate before that 0.75 OCR rise. This could easily become another channel. 'Gav's home improvement'. Week on week off (car / house) 😀
What a brilliant 2nd channel idea. 2 points for you 👍
Yep! I got 6.19% for three years locked in a week before it went up!
Not looking forward to when my rate from last year matures in two years 😢
That's a really nice house! Should fix up nicely. I'm jealous of that garage haha
Nice digs
I have heard something about the ride height being different from left to right on some vehicles for the very reason you suggested. Congratulations on the house
Sweet! A base of operations that cannot be sold out from under you mid-project by a landlord and somewhere big enough for the vehicle in many pieces an a bench to work on. Talk about sussed for the big ticket items, mate! Sure, she's a house of many colours (and check out that Axminster carpet!) and dated, but she's a diamond in the rough, that one. I love 1960s houses because they were built with the intention that they would last. All you do to the house will be adding capital value, so it's a win-win, As long as that 60-year-old corrugated iron is still in good nick, then silicon is your best friend for a temporary repair. Just remember that water finds its own level, so the leaks she has may actually start a fair way away on the rafters from where they come through the ceiling.
Glad to see the All-agro still moving under her own power - and it would not be a British car without a leaky windscreen! I have two Triumphs and a Mini that have sat outside during the past few weeks here in Takanini and now, on the first fine day in that time, I need to go out there and bail all three out.....and one still has its carpet soaking up the mess!
Looking forward to seeing the project get under way and great to see that the boxes are being ticked for that to happen. All the best
Some very fancy stuff in the kitchen - very rare in a UK kitchen.
Jeez 1970's fresh just unbottled NZ right there.
Well done mate! 👍
A renovators dream!
So happy for you cant wait ti see more!
Those older small cars were incredible light. My first car was a Fiat Uno 75i.e with a weight of about 900kg. Nowadays even smallest cars weigh more then a ton.
The Allegro's "posh" sister - the Vanden Plas - had a 1500cc engine, and there were even 1750cc engines, I believe . These cars would have been a bit heavier, with increased springing rates (ie pressure) to compensate. This would give you a bit more weight headroom for your batteries. The really great thing about some of the later 1750 cars is that they had twin circular headlamps -greatly improving their appearance.
Thats an awsome house
I actually yelled "YES!!" at the screen when you locked in the house, lol. Congrats! Hopefully once that leak is fixed it gives you many trouble-free years. Not sure if you're into it, but once the conversion's done, I'd love to see a DIY home renovation series from you. Think that would be an amazing watch.
Also, I too may or may not have bought a house just so I could have a garage in which to charge an electric car, heh.
That's awesome! Thanks for the good vibes mate!
Congratulations, so nice to see things are going your way
Avocado bathtub... not since the 70s (maybe early 80s), nice house though.
Waiting on the kindness of banks nearly broke me up!
Oh mate, you and me both. Bloody banks. Too big to fail my arse.
This is brilliant Gav, congratulations on your house! Lovely garden too, looking forward to seeing your charismatic antics turning it your home!
(I spot electrostatic speakers, sweet.)
When I weighed my Scirocco EV conversion (almost last century) on the weighbridge at work, I got three weights, front, total and rear. With more weight in the rear after conversion, it came out close to 50:50.
Good luck with the new house! Looking forward to see the conversion happening.
This is a video I am closely interested in. The Allegro would be a very awkward car to work with. Its not just the weight that has be considered but given the Hydragas®️ suspension, the balance also has to be taken into consideration. Haven't watched the video yet but because the system is interconnected front-rear you can't have one end heavier than normal otherwise it raises the opposite end too much. Hope you got the wheel scales out to find out the weight distribution. 👍👍👍
I thought it might be a good idea to weigh both ends of the car on the weigh bridge as it will help you get an idea of the original weight distribution before the conversion. Either that or a friendly local garage that can check the corner weights. You would expect the Allegro to be nose heavy with an empty fuel tank. Moving closer to 50/50 using the battery modules should help handling and ride. I think you will be surprised at how heavy the exhaust system, plumbing, fuel tank etc will weight. If you can borrow a trailer and measure it empty and when it has absolutely everything stripped off the car, I think you will have a bit more leeway than you thought for the EV components. I'm also wondering about the diameter of the smaller? standard wheel/tire set up compared to the standard leaf. It will effect the gearing if smaller ie better acceleration, but less efficient at higher speeds?
I look forward to the further videos. I don't understand why you have to buy a house to have a garage!
Please keep doing it! I hope everything will work out for you. Regards from Germany
Happy for you ,looking forward to the projects progress both house and car
I still love your kitchen. That type of layout is always brilliant. Boo hoo, major pantry envy here. Does that freezer in the garage work too? You were extremely lucky to get so many white goods included in the price. What? $3-5,000's worth if bought new?
Yeah, I'm blown away. The seller offered them and I said yes. They're used but they all work. Easily saved me $3000! Gonna leave the kitchen as is for now, but I might refresh it later, keeping that 60s vibe.
@@KiwiEVadventures Fab! Probably a combo of it costing more than they were worth to move & a lovely old lady taking pity on the 'young' whippersnapper just 'starting out' in life. 😜🤪😋 Little did she know just what a well travelled spud you actually are....
You (might) be lucky enough to get away with some specialist paint to redo the cupboards, drawers etc to freshen it up & give it a more cohesive look OR for a extra hard wearing/long lasting alternative, check out a formica supplier. You could resurface the fascias with formica in a colour scheme of choice & keep the 60's vibe in the process; might not be cheap though. Formica isn't as common as it once was. A bit of glue & a Stanley knife would allow you to cut to size without paying out for a professional.
Gee! I really do sound like a Kiwi don't I with my DIY attitude/approach? 🤣🤣🤣 You can take the Kiwi out of Kiwiland but you can't take Kiwiland out of the Kiwi.
Being a 60's kitchen there won't be a square centimetre of MDF or HDF. Our 60's kitchen on the farm was all solid wood with mortise & tenon joints; not even a HINT of anything falling apart. If I had a choice between modern soft closing drawers & cupboards & that type of 60's craftsmanship, craftsmanship would win out everytime.
Duuuude congrats about everything! The house, the wof, and the weight :D This is super exciting. Did you say 6 months to get it converted???
Thanks mate. I'm buzzing! I've got 6 months to get enough parts to get this damn thing underway. How long it'll take after that is anyone's guess!
Ride heights were measured from wheel centre to wheel arch underside. plus or minus 10mm.
That's a cool house! Congrats
Great vid!
Thanks mate! The conversion looks like it's gonna begin shortly!
Pretty cool house man. Congrats 👏 👏
you are suppoosed to let the suspension settle. you can adjust the ride height by adding suspension fluid.
Great video. Every 6 months for a test is nuts. Here in Ireland cars 30-40 years old are only tested every 2 years. All cars over 40 are completely exempt from testing.
Older cars are six months more modern cars are 12 months. The open road limit here in NZ is 100 k.m. Per hour on windy narrow roads built half a century ago for morris minors. I think the road toll would be worse if they were not as frequent.
Congrats on beeing a homeowner.
Awesome
Oh boy. Fixing the muffler would be ironic.
The house is pretty sweet though.
try measuring from the centre of the hub cap to the body. Then you remove the wheel / tyre combo from the measurements
Great videos Gav!
Does this Allegro have a choke? My first car was a Austin 1300 which needed oil more often than petrol.
A crazy thing in the UK is the classic car can apply for an exemtion from Road tax and MOT (car worthiness test)
Your garden is amazing, I can't wait to see what you do to YOUR 🏠
awesome vid mate, keep it up!
What an awesome house at a great price....hope everything pans out for you. Great outlook from the back deck too. The house warming party can be outta control. With that carpet, nobody's gonna spot the puke!
Haha, it comes pre-puked!
How was a section that large not snapped up by developers!
I’m very interested in the certification part of the process. I’ve recently bought a 1975 Citroen DS which I plan to convert to ev down in Masterton.
Congrats on the house!
Am I the only one who finds it odd that having a maximum (or any) mortgage on a house is called "owning" the house?
Measuring it on the weighbridge would have worked because weighbridges are normally quite level
The Vintage Car Club (VCC) have been trying to get the 6 month WOF rule changed for old cars for a while. That car would be club eligible as it is older than 30 years.
It's crazy, right? I might email again in a few months.
@@KiwiEVadventures I should add they are trying to change the rule for all old cars, you don't have to be a member I think. They were also talking to them about all the issues we (vintage car people) have getting rebuilt old cars on the road now. For mine I have to go through LVV as a historical replica. How hard is it to get an electric conversion through, does it go through as a scratch built or as a re-engine with LVVTA?
EV conversions are treated like it had a new/upgraded engine.
@@KiwiEVadventures I guess that works if the car is already registered and on the road. I think if starting from scratch it would be MUCH harder and they'd treat it as scratch built. I have enough vintage Riley parts to build another car and a Nissan Leaf engine is not dissimilar to a Riley 9 engine in size and shape and even though it would be a fun engineering challenge it would be nearly impossible to get something like that road legal. It's hard enough building an exact replica pre-war car and getting that legal.
Camber of the road and hydragas suspension.
Keen to see the progress as looking to do something similar in Wellington. Interested to see how you get on with the certification in NZ, is it a requirement that the overall weight and ride height remains the same? Are you going to use the Resolve EV controller, or try use all original Leaf components?
$2.63 per litre in Australian dollars, $6.80 US dollars per gallon...
Gas hardly doubled recently, but electricity in places did a quick 4x-5x?
The running cost argument seems to be diminishing.
I just want a peppier, silent car that only smells because of what's in the interior. As an astmatic, I want less smoke in cities. In the outback, it's well sorted by nature.
Chamber of road may make a difference and fuel levels
You need to wear trumpet jeans and a flower shirt in that house.
7:20 hey I know those roads!
Congrats on the house. I’m following the project with interest. Does the house location change your range goal at all? With only 100km you might need to charge even to do a round trip to the nearest metropolis or to, say, get to Auckland? Or will you just look to implement a fast charging system and bank on some stops?
Good question. For most driving it'll be doing around-town running, either in Auckland where I do most of my work, or here in my quiet country town. But I expect a top-up charge will be needed at one of the rapid chargers along the way. Watch this space!
Crikey!! $350000 in pounds is £182ooo,which is very cheap in the UK,, and for what you got !!! its just great and so matches the car... One question,, why did you fill the tank up.. just to find the weight ,,Why not find the capacity ,then the weight of a gallon of juice,then just multiple,then add that weight to the car... Another thing the leveling up maybe down to the hydraulic suspension,, Looking at the car ,its looking good ... Must admit I,m dead jealous of that house,,and its got a shit hot garage...cheers
Driver's side springs are usually longer to make up for driver's weight, as you guessed.
@@zbf5h89ftb Oh yes! Duh! Geriatric moment!😂
"Let's go measure the ride height" At this point I laughed out loud. Had two Allegros and a hydrolastic Mini. Whatever the ride height is, it's wrong. Measure it the next day and it will be different wrong.
As it has a hydro elastic suspension not sure if best conversion to do as replacing with better springs not an easy option
Could have turned car 180 and re measured on same spot for a reasonable average
Considering you tearing out the engine and petrol tank ,it would have been more sensible to fill with water or read the manual or Haynes manual
Why did he threaten to drop his trousers at the petrol station?
I am very glad he did not.
I do have an avocado bathtub.
We are the chosen few.
Im guessing north of aukland
16:17 what's that little fenced area on the deck? SCUBA tank storage?
Yep, for all the mountain diving. :D I think it was actually for plants and seedlings.
@@KiwiEVadventures looked like the right size to me lol
Gotta love non kiwi style
Happened to the Lada Niva???
The steering wheel is on the wrong side!!! This can`t work...Greetings from Germany...
When you replace the roof make it metal.
They were wonderful cars. But they were never "cool". Probably because the factories were always closed by striking workers.
So they were derided by the motoring cognoscenti.
Hydro gas frigged that’s why you have different heights
Руль похож на руль от Нивы!)))
Я думаю, что качество сборки Нивы и этого автомобиля идентично к сожалению! :D
@@KiwiEVadventures В ты видел новую Нива урбан?
When is part 3 please
Lots of bills means I can't afford to do anything at the moment. Currently got less than one dollar in my account. :(
@Kiwi EV adventures Do you have a patreon or maybe sell some t-shirts
Hows that lada going?
Last time I heard it was still running great!
Grstz
How cheap is the fuel😂. At our prices that would be $140