Hi all!
Welcome to the new site, we’ve been working hard to put this thing together and give you many new features.
You’ll notice the parts section of the site. We have a selection of components and other EV pieces for you to check out. This will be updated from time to time so stay tuned.
Also you can check out my blogs and comment. I’ll be talking about a whole range of EV topics including shows we attend and product reviews.
I’d firstly like to thank my other half Linda for putting up with me while I’ve been working on this site. I’d also like to thank Tim, my site designer for helping me tame word press and making this new site a reality. Lastly thanks to every one else who have helped me along the way.
So please, take a look around, make a comment or two and if you have any suggestions let me know.
Kind regards
Nathan Bolton
A little while back we were in Armidale showing off sparky and helping promote the “Electric Vehicles New England” (EVNE) branch of AEVA. We met to guys (martin and Tony) who were interested in electric transport and all things green. Turned out they were two of the chief organizers of the Bellingen renewable energy fair. They invited us to attend the fair which we accepted gratefully. Not only that they invited Christie and Ray from EVNE to attend as well.
Months later we were on our way with Sparky in tow. I love driving around the countryside. Linda and I can stop every now and then to check out the towns and interesting places you see along the way. For example, the stalls you find along the princess highway not only have really good fresh produce you can find other things like home made cookies and preserves that have no equal in the supermarket at a fair price.
We arrived at Bellingen on Friday night at around 7pm. The committee had arranged accommodation for us with two wonderful and generous people, Richard and Trish. We were given a really nice dinner and taken to a huge room with an onsweet. In the morning we were given breakfast and a thermos of coffee for the day.
We saw the fairground for the first time and were amazed to learn that it had been underwater a week before. It was still a little boggy in places but it sure held up to the 4000 or so that attended. 7am Saturday, the morning was a little chilly but the sun was out. We were there only a few minutes looking for our tent so we could set up when we were ushered over to the ABC radio tent for an interview I couldn’t believe it. We told them about sparky and our conversion business.
After the interview we found Christie and Ray at our tent and set up for they day. We proudly displayed the Australian electric vehicle association banner out in front and had a board selection of vehicles to show every one. Gary Neal had a display of bikes that he sells and builds and Kevin Hughes from Tevcco with his charade.
Like all shows we attend there were many interesting people we spoke to. I had a lengthy conversation with a physics teacher and was invited to show sparky at a school on the way back to Sydney. Linda spoke to many people and looking around the found the others to be surrounded and answering many interested parties as well.
Unbeknownst to us we were being watched, filmed and shortly we were interviewed by NBN news! They not only showed the electric vehicles they showed many other renewable and green technologies that the Bellingen fair hosts. Such as solar arrays capable of recharging an electric vehicle. Here’s the link!
So what next? There was an after party of course! We were invited to a really cool house designed and owned by the same architect. Music was herd, beverage was drunk and much pizza was consumed. We were truly honored, as it was mostly organizers and fair workforce that attended. We were happy to engage in the talks that followed that included plans for the next fair, which by my reckoning will be bigger and better than the last.
The next day we said our goodbyes and were off home. Linda and I would firstly like to thank Richard and Trish for having is stay with them during the fair. We would also like to thank Martin, Tony and the rest of the organizers for inviting us along and congratulations on a really great event!
Convert UR Car has been invited to participate in this wonderful event. if you can make it please come along!
Sparkey at the Kenthurst fair
When I first had the idea to build an EV I started by looking for a car that had a light frame and was cheap. In essence if the idea was a waste of time in the end I could cut my losses and sell it for scrap. After looking around for virtually no time I came across an ad in the trading post for a 92’ Hyundai excel sprint for $500. It was close by so I went for a look with my next-door neighbour for a second opinion. What the owner showed me was a perfect for the job.
The paintwork was a little faded, but we concluded that the body was around 95% with one or two minor dents and no rust. The engine was ok but needed minor work and blew smoke. The interior needed a little love but it wasn’t bad for a 15-year-old car. When took my friend aside for a chat he said, “Your not going to do any better than that mate” we decided I’d buy it then and there.
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The doner car
The Mitsubishi Starion is an interesting vehicle indeed. You can find a detailed history on wikipedia by clicking here.
We had been in talks with the owner for a while about the specs of the vehicle. They decided that a 144v 9 inch advanced DC was the way to go until this came up.
It’s a 10.7 inch Kostov capable of 90kw or 130hp at 144v. It may not look like much now but cleaned up and re-sprayed it’s going to be nice. Amazingly enough we were told the motor was hardly used and a quick
10.7 inch Kostov
check of the brushes confirmed this, they hadn’t even been warn in. Were hooking it up to a 144v Curtis controller at the moment and leaving room for a possible upgrade in controller and batteries later. Rumor has it that the Kostov is capable of much more power at higher voltages. Information about this is hard to come by so if we do up the voltage later we’ll take the Starion to the dyno for testing and post the results.
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The Doner Car
I’ve got to admit we’ve pushed it to a new level. I’ve worked day and night to make this EV a reality. I would like to thank Mr. Mark Taylor and my electronics wizard Mr. JD for the time and effort they have put in, pure magic boys.
The weigh in.
The clients dropped off the Echo. They drove her down all the way from Qld. Quite a drive which I’ll tell you about later. It was a clean 2002 echo witch I checked out from stem to stern and found a present “boxy type” sub frame with tones of potential. Its so simple when you have a square sub frame. You can see where everything will go and as for room! There’s lots to be had in a vehicle such as this.
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Hi all!
Uncategorized | nathan | 
July 5, 2009 11:26 pm | 
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