I thought the whole idea of owning a classic car was its originality and therefore its desirable value. Mucking about with them does not make economic sense
Agreed - might as well buy an "old" Nissan Leaf and rebody it as a replica of something nostalgic.
|
|
|
I thought the whole idea of owning a classic car was its originality and therefore its desirable value. Mucking about with them does not make economic sense
I agree, as elaborated in my post above.
But I could see a case for converting a stately old Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud lll to electric. Its engine was just about silent anyway - even quieter than its successor, the Silver Shadow. Same might apply to Daimler Limousines.
|
|
Can't see any point converting an R-R unless it's used5 days a week.
|
Can't see any point converting an R-R unless it's used5 days a week.
Well, no. I wouldn't do it and generally I can't see the point in converting classics to electric unless it's maybe someone's own project. I was just musing on which conversions might be less pointless than others and why!
Incidentally, going in the opposite direction, someone has converted a Tesla Model S to Chevrolet V8 power! I think he did it as a challenge, as he already had an electric Model S and the donor car for the conversion was some sort of insurance write-off. Note: not to be confused with images of that fake mock-up of a Model S with a V8 resting in the frunk space!
Edited by Sofa Spud on 28/02/2022 at 13:02
|
I watched Vintage Voltage earlier which was an EV conversion of a splitty VW van. For a vehicle such as that it made perfect sense as it was poor when new, terrible now, but EV means you can actually drive it in modern traffic 250 bhp v 35.
VW Type 2's have been being uprated for many, many years now. It is hard to imagine there are that many still on their original power output. For the well to do, an air cooled Porsche flat 6 of some description will fit the bill nicely (Jamie Oliver's Porsche engined camper featured on Top Gear many moons ago being driven at speed round the track while Jamie attempted to put together a salad in the back), but a Subaru Boxer engine is much more likely these days.
I thought the whole idea of owning a classic car was its originality and therefore its desirable value. Mucking about with them does not make economic sense
For the vast majority of classic car owners, the value (as far as making money from it) of the car is never a factor, originality (within reason) isn't that important either. What is important is enjoying their car, and as such, 'mucking about with them' is very common indeed. That can include having more power (which could be from an engine swap, but not necessarily) to keep up with modern traffic conditions, being able to stop better with uprated brakes, being able to manoeuvre better with an electric power steering kit, being able to see and be seen better with uprated lights (often along with uprated electrics), being safer with uprated seatbelts (assuming the original car had any) and more modern tyres.
Originality and the investment value is certainly important for a the very small percentage of folk who can afford to shell out several million pounds for an exotic or historically important classic car. But for those few, electric conversions can be engineered to be completely reversible, with the original running gear kept in storage to be refitted for special occasions/events.
|
|
I suspect some will try it, but unless and until ICE (not just car new sales) vehicles are banned outright (or at least limited to a relatively low annual mileage), vintage car owners will more likely want to bring their car up to a great condition exactly as per the original specs.
A former colleague spent well over £100k doing up an Aston-Martin DB5 (now worth many, many multiples of that), but would never (even today) have thought about ditching the engine and running gear in favour of converting it to an EV. I suspect doing so would also have ruined its value.
Now, if someone owning a 'classic' older (1980s onwards) car that wasn't (potentially) worth so much and was in reasonable order, say a Mazda MX-5 mk1 or 2, Fiat Barchetta / Coupe, Alfa GTV / Spider and the like, then maybe.
I wouldn't be at all surprised when the full changeover finally happens and battery (or whatever alternative) energy storage tech fully matures to more than rival ICE, lots of generic underpinnings but with interchangeable bodyshells and interiors will become available. Some way off for the average Joe at this point.
|
|
Besides the practical side of changing the main running gear of a car there is the DVLA side of changing the basic car and having it tested and registered by the DVLA to a determined conformity which I would imagine is not an easy process?
|
|
There is a well established regime usually associated with kit cars which determines the level of inspection required, and whether they are able to keep their original registration.
With electric conversions I suspect they can generally keep the original registration as they keep the original body shell, often most of the suspension and steering components, sometimes existing gearbox and transmission.
Effectively the only change may be the "engine" - the rest is just upgraded slightly to cope with the better performance.
|
vintage car owners will more likely want to bring their car up to a great condition exactly as per the original specs.
Not necessarily, there is a growing movement in preservation rather than restoration, particularly in 'oily rag' cars, who's battle scars tell their stories and histories (check out this fantastically scruffy looking though mechanically spot on Vauxhall 30/98 as perhaps the ultimate example! vauxhall_special.jpg). Owners of cars like this are (understandably) much more relaxed about taking the car out and can enjoy them more.
A former colleague spent well over £100k doing up an Aston-Martin DB5 (now worth many, many multiples of that), but would never (even today) have thought about ditching the engine and running gear in favour of converting it to an EV. I suspect doing so would also have ruined its value.
As I said before, on cars with the value of a DB5, the EV conversion would be fully (and relatively easily) reversible. An example with both sets of running gear would definitely be worth more (though maybe not enough to cover the cost of the conversion). Aston Martin do it themselves (ev-conversion.html) and I doubt it will be long before other manufacturers jump on to this very lucrative sideline.
Just looked at the original video clip and have to say, a Smart Roadster seems an odd choice for conversion. It is tiny, doesn't have a huge power output and doesn't weigh much. Upshot is that they don't emit much emissions of any kind as standard, so there seems little logic to me (unless to simply show how little space the conversion takes up). Now an early Range Rover with it's thirsty and dirty carb fed V8 and ample kerb weight?, that makes much more sense as a conversion subject to me!.
|
|
|
But I could see a case for converting a stately old Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud lll to electric. Its engine was just about silent anyway - even quieter than its successor, the Silver Shadow. Same might apply to Daimler Limousines.
Agreed, another candidate would be a Rover P5, retaining the classic profile and leather-and-wood interior but with smooth, silent electric power . The body is big enough for a battery pack that would give decent range, too.
|
Agreed, another candidate would be a Rover P5, retaining the classic profile and leather-and-wood interior but with smooth, silent electric power . The body is big enough for a battery pack that would give decent range, too.
At what cost?
|
Agreed, another candidate would be a Rover P5, retaining the classic profile and leather-and-wood interior but with smooth, silent electric power . The body is big enough for a battery pack that would give decent range, too.
At what cost?
That would be missing the point.
For the vast majority, owning and running a classic car makes little or no financial sense. You do it because you love the car. But for someone who lives in the centre of a big city, having something like a P5 converted to electric surely makes no less sense than dropping £100k + on a new Range Rover?. Also worth pointing out that the best P5B's can be more than £40k these days.
|
|
Missing the point? The point is the vast majority of classic car owners can't afford to have their car converted. It's going to be an option only for the few, not the many.
|
The point is the vast majority of classic car owners can't afford to have their car converted.
So the question to them is irrelevant. The question is only relevant to classic car owners who can afford to have the work done. And for them, it won't be down to whether having the conversion done makes financial sense, it will be down to whether they want it done.
Also, the cost of the conversion will come down, just as the cost for EV's will.
|
|
An electrical conversion for my now classic TR7 (which actually makes perfect financial sense as a second car for two pensioners; no tax, MoT or depreciation and cheap insurance) would make about as much sense as stripping out the works of my (very) late uncle's Omega calibre 265 and inserting a more accurate quartz movement. A good piece of engineering will, if looked after, easily outlast the functionality of its owner.
|
Also, the cost of the conversion will come down, just as the cost for EV's will.
Not as much. Better off just buying an EV if you're classic's mileage is just fine days and Sundays.
|
|
|
|
