12/11/17 More progress on the systems, and now we have finally fired up the engine in the car for the first time - video here. Still a few things to do before it's drivable as a car but it's getting ever closer.

After getting the steering shaft to toe clearance sorted we installed much of the shifter mechanism, the engine electricals, brake and clutch lines, tested steering at full lock, and so on.

Of course first drive will happen without bodywork and it's been really cold and windy lately. Even more so at ORP where the drive will most likely take place (other than a parking lot shakedown). 17F currently as I type this, according to the internet. Gonna have to bring a coat.

1/22/18 Detail work always drags out a bit but now just a few final tweaks remain. We had to sort out the throttle linkage and after a few iterations Jay and Tristan came up with something that works well for this installation. Valerie helped prototype it and Jay 3D printed the pieces.

The radiator brackets were made and attached as well, and the coolant plumbing completed. Testing the system revealed the need for a couple more tweaks which are now being done.

Another item was CV spacers to adapt VW halfshafts to the Porsche G50 gearbox. Again Jay 3D printed prototypes and I machined the final parts. The space is tight and our usual 1/4" clearances are down to 1/8" in spots, but clearance is clearance.

And finally we've had a chance to weigh the rolling-and-almost-drivable chassis with engine, gearbox and fluids.

Bodywork and glass will likely add about 300 lbs so we'll be right around the same weight as a stock Europa, but obviously much sturdier with a much stronger drivetrain. Pretty pleased so far. Next post will be about the first drive.

2/16/18 We've been waiting for the weather at ORP to get a bit more friendly. Our last outing was on December 17 in 35F weather and wind. So low temps are not necessarily a problem. As long as there's no snow or rain. While waiting, a few things got done.

We mounted the bodywork. No doors or lids or glass yet, but all the mounting points are welded, aluminum inserts bonded to the fiberglass, and the whole thing bolted together.

Since the body is on, a muffler and a few other things are now needed so we did that. Also made a temporary 'dash' by moving the oil pressure gage where the driver can see it, and adding a digital temp gage. And radiator shroud, more pedal tweaks, seat belts and so on.

I may have mentioned that we have the next chassis tube kit ready to go, so when a decrepid '71 S2 came up for sale nearby I grabbed it. The first D47 now has a sibling on the way.

After all the waiting, we finally found a day with a balmy 45F for a high, mild 20mph winds and no rain - it's a GO! So we loaded up (driven on the trailer under its own power) and the following day headed East.

Arriving at the track it actually looks better than expected. Yes, it IS cold and windy. But wearing the appropriate number of layers makes it work. Jay came along as crew and Valerie brought her R8 V10 as chase car.

Now it's time for the parking lot test. It goes well and we're then ready to head out on the racetrack. Mike, the car's owner, does the honors.

I'll have the GoPro footage processed later and will add it.

Mike drove the car for quite a few laps, and came in happy :) Then I took it out for a few more. Yes, this is exactly what I envisioned - it is solid, planted, composed. Ride is compliant and cornering limits are high enough, even on street tires, that none of us approached them today (once you watch the GoPro footage from last session you'll see that's saying something). From what I recall of my Europa 25 years ago, this has the spirit, the instant response, the near-telepathic connection between car and driver, but way more composure and refinement. Which was the goal. And the shifter actually works :) That, and you can drive the car with regular shoes on.

After a break, Mike headed out again and kept going progressively faster. Then we saw a puff of smoke and flagged him in. Just some gear oil coming out of the vent in the gearbox and getting flung on the exhaust. Some D2s have done this also, so we know what's happening. This is a Porsche G50 gearbox but mounted upside-down, so the oil level is a bit finicky. The solution is to fit a catch can and let it find its own level. Which is what we do by default on D2s now, but somehow - this being the very first D47 - we neglected it on this car. We'll take care of it next week.

In the meantime, we decided to call it a (very good) day and return to make some tweaks. Mike is happy. I'm happy. I feel mostly redeemed for my unfinished Europa way back when :)

More to come.

08/04/18 About six months since the last post here but much has taken place. The first D47 has gotten a few more tweaks like parking brakes and is now with the customer getting things like interior, glazing, trim and other non-chassis bits.

When all is done it will be back here for disassembly, final details, powdercoat and then reassembly.

In the meantime, the next car has seen a fair bit of progress. The new chassis got started while the old got removed.

Old chassis is for sale, in case anybody wants one. Rust is surface only, there doesn't seem to be any deep rot.

The body was trimmed down to just the outer shell and new chassis was fully welded.

Now it will sit for a while because we have some higher priority projects to attend to, and I have to figure out what I'm going to use for engine and transmission in this one. Thinking Motus V4 and Hewland JFR....

10/13/20 More than two years since the last post on this blog - time flies! The first D47 is in ower's hands getting bodywork and interior done, hopefully will see the finished result soon.

The next D47 will be electric - the specs are pretty fun. Using Cascadia SS250-115 motor and PM250 inverter, with a custom battery pack. We should be able to keep it below 1,500 lbs total. Peak power is 450hp, battery capacity 30KWh. 800V system with 600A peak current. It's geared for 180 mph top speed and should be able to hit it. Yeah, will need some aero :)

The base chassis is already built, we have the Casdadia motor and are getting the rest of the bits together. Layout has started on the custom battery pack. Modifications to the chassis will be necessary to accommodate it, that's why in the pictures below some tubes are going through the pack.

A lot more fun electric stuff is in the works.

7/13/21 Lots of progress since the last post. The D47 family is evolving again. The first car was gas powered and has been running for a few years now. It was down for major interior and exterior work and we will hopefully see it fully completed soon.

The second car, currently in progress, is electric (D47EV1) and is powered by a Cascadia SS250 motor, PM250 inverter and a 30KWh high performance battery from EVDrive. It's an 800V, 333KW system and the car is projected to weigh around 1,500 lbs. Should be fun. Theoretical (and likely practical) top end is 200 mph.

The frame required some changes from the gas powered car to accommodate the electric drivetrain and battery. That has all been completed now and the frame is off to powdercoat. The battery has been fabricated, as has the coupler to connect the motor to a Mazda Miata differential.

While we wait for the frame to come back, we've started getting our feet wet with the AEM VCU-200 that will operate the whole thing. It's a learning curve though we can use a lot of the D2EV experience for this.

Technology marches on and even while we work to complete the EV1, the EV2 version is already in progress. It will use the upcoming Modbatt modular battery system and Cascadia integral IM375 motor/inverter combo. Like EV1, it will be an 800V system with slightly more power (375KW) and similar weight with 1,500 lb target.

Significant changes were needed to the frame from EV1, which have now been designed and are almost finished welding.

The modular batteries and integral motor/inverters won't be ready until the end of the year which is just as well since we have so much more going on in parallel. These are all steps along the way. Even more progress on D8 and soon the D9. More updates as that happens.

3/7/22 Time flies, but progress is being made on many fronts. The D47EV has been waiting for some parts, but now that the battery pack is nearly done and the chassis is on wheels, it was time for the customer to bring up the body shell and do an initial fit.

This car is powered by a Cascadia motor and inverter capable of 500hp and a 30KWh battery pack built by EVDrive. Basically 1/3 of the D2EV powertrain. Target weight is 1,500 lbs - less than half of D2EV, so performance should be pretty decent.

Starting to look like a car :)

7/26/2023 Ok, yes, it's been almost a year and a half since the last update. Part of it is that everyone involved (us and EVDrive) have a lot of other things going on. The other part is that there is a LOT to it - the systems, the custom components, the engineering, the code. Not a trivial thing.

But, the main reason for the post is that yesterday the D47EV finally took its first drive! Video here. And it's a monster! :) Well, with 500hp driving 1,500 lbs, it ought to be. The battery is in two halves, totalling 800V and 30KWh, with 300KW continous output capacity (water cooled).

Doing some reality checks comparing to the Nissan Leaf, which with 30KWh battery has a range of 155 miles: Nissan is 3,900 lbs and is 62" tall. D47EV is 1,500 lbs and 41" tall, with both cars having roughly the same width. So less than half the weight, and 2/3 the frontal area, we ought to be a lot more efficient. Therefore I would expect ~250 mile road range, when driven responsibly. Track pace would be a different matter of course.

A few pix below to show off the parts. Much work still remains, but there is tangible progress.

There are two separate cooling circuits, each with its own radiator, and three cooling pumps.

In the back are motor, inverter, drive coupler, limited slip differential, charger/dc-dc converter, batteries with BMS and power distribution circuitry, VCU, charge controller, and a few other bits.

Shooting for mid-August for its first ORP shakedown. We may or may not mount the body for that. Pros and cons both ways, so decision hasn't been made yet on that.