What unkel got next

paaaa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058253084/what-unkel-got-next

if your on the lookout for some of those valence batteries I have a few if your stuck

unkel

@paaaa - PM sent!

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119380404#Comment_119380404

No better home than Unkel too.

unkel

I got an email reply from Damien Maguire today, wishing me luck with the car and saying he's very glad the car found a good home 😃

That's very kind of him, he must be inundated with emails from all sorts of folks looking for advice / help.

Rowley Birkin QC

Nice!

I have an E46 MSport Coupe at home in a shed....what kind of costs would I be looking at to convert it to electric?

unkel

How long is a piece of string?

Damien Maguire converted this car on a budget of €1000. This dude from the Philippines converted his car on a budget I'd say of no more than about €100 using an existing battery and controller he had from one of his eBikes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8ftCb95ci4

But go to the likes of electric classic cars in Wales or EV West in the USA and you are talking €100k ballpark for a fancy conversion using a Tesla motor and batteries

E46 coupe is one of the all time great BMWs in my book 😎

Rowley Birkin QC

Thanks Unkel and yeah I suppose that's the inevitable answer! That was some idle daydreaming over coffee this morning and I thought it best to ask the question at least!

The E46 has been parked up a while now, I couldn't bring myself to sell it but notions of dropping in a 6cyl to replace the 2.0 4cyl are becoming less probable as time goes on. It'd be cool to have it as an economical classic if it was possible on a reasonable budget!

zg3409

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119380404#Comment_119380404

Unkel, I believe this is also Damien Maguire's message from his boards.ie account. He used to be active on boards.ie and Facebook but I think he has too many projects to reply to social media. He uses same username on open inverter forum.

In terms of converting a classic it's a major project with mechanical, electrical, electronic challenges, along with sourcing correct scrap parts and budget for parts alone could be prohibitive particular for decent speed and range, let alone the time and labor needed for such a project. It could be a multi year process and not for beginners. Damien is world class and not your typical DIY tinkerer. It's getting easier but not simple.

Gumbo

We have an Imola Red 2004 E46 318Ci in the family since brand new. Less than 80k miles on her now.

Lovely car, cream interior with the CF Cube trim.

That’s what I’d consider converting to EV for the fun!

Still drive everyday so maybe someday!

Thumper Long

may be of interest https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2022/0728/1312833-converting-cars-electric-emissions/

unkel

Yes I was reading it earlier. Decent, rounded, well researched article from RTE, in fairness to them. Mention of my car too. And Damien Maguire is going to be famous 😁

Thumper Long

Probably a first for RTÉ

Rowley Birkin QC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119390611#Comment_119390611

Mine's blue. Wanna go halves on the design cost and get a pair of sleepers?! :-)

Just reading that article and seeing that Damien is based in North Cork, exactly where my E46 is kept, has to be fate!

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119402322#Comment_119402322

😃

would be the job!

unkel

Bit of an update. Several jobs done on the car to fix minor issues, new washer fluid pump fitted after I made a new connector, working now. Two punctures fixed, car properly diagnosed which showed both left wheel speed sensors were faulty and that the airbag was missing

Took the steering wheel off, clock spring was missing (so no wires into horn or airbag). Sold the fancy M-sport steering wheel with the missing clock spring for €60, bought a standard E36 steering wheel for €50. As soon as I fitted it, the horn was working. Car is booked in for next Monday to switch off the airbag light, hopefully that's the end of that issue too

Got two speed sensors and got them fitted today (nasty job on a car this age - old ones had to be drilled out). As soon as the new ones were fitted, the ABS light went off. Result!

Got extra battery modules from @paaaa and also a new charger, as the old one unfortunately died on me. Sent it to an expert of these in the USA who can hopefully fix it and re-use it

Got classic insurance on the car, not an issue at all once I declared that the car is officially converted and signed off and passed an NCT previously as an electric vehicle. From €140 for just 3rd party, but went for €210 for fully comp with free tow away service

Taxed the car

Booked the car in for the NCT

ELM327

I know I've said it to you multiple times at this stage but any time this thread gets bumped I can't help but admire the idea of having a fully electric e36 and it being road legally converted to an EV. That's phenomenal!

slave1

Nice little one for the school run and weekly shop alright, great option as a second short range car, low purchase price and low insurance

jackbauer

Sounds like the guy I sold her to originally just used her as a parts car. So glad she ended up with you :) If you don't mind I'll link this thread over on openinverter for the "you can't insure a conversion in Ireland" brigade.

unkel

Absolutely, @jackbauer! And all the credit of course goes to yourself for all the work you've put into the conversions and into the community over the years. I'm merely trying to keep the car on the road and your idea alive that you can convert a car to electric for relatively very little money

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119588368#Comment_119588368

Damien Maguire has converted at least two or three E36 (including this "Red Arrow"), an E46 touring ("Grey Goose"), an E39 that he put the guts of 100k miles on post conversion ("Land Yacht"), an E65 ("Super Yacht") and an E31 ("Panzer") and a pickup truck. All officially road legal and converted and on €120 EV tax afaik. And that's just from memory, I'm sure I've missed a good few of them!

unkel

I got a rudimentary V2H system working today with the Red Arrow powering my house directly from the high voltage battery through my PV inverter 😁

Didn't cost anything either, just used a few cables and connectors I had lying about. Only planning to use it on a cold winter's night, when my 20kWh home attached battery is empty and I particularly do not feel like paying the peak electricity rate. And I like to heat my home as much as possible with electricity rather than burn stuff.

Gumbo

Some man Unkel!

Has anyone ever called you Mad Max 🤣🤣🤣

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740594#Comment_119740594

I work mostly off the ideas and experience of others way above me in terms of knowledge and experience 😀

And a lot of YT watching 😁

Redfox25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740650#Comment_119740650

Was thinking more of MacGyver myself.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740682#Comment_119740682

MacGyver, Mad Max, Water World, Robocop and a small bit of Short Circuit Johnny 5 🤣🤣🤣

Redfox25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740824#Comment_119740824

That's a pretty mad mental image there.

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119588715#Comment_119588715

I saw him down in Kilcullen one day charging one of them…. Obviously did a double take when I first saw it pulling in to use the 150kW unit!!

unkel

Yep. That's the "Grey Goose", a BMW E46 estate

Damien Maguire has done both CHAdeMO and CCS charging on several of his cars. Bit of a breakthrough as up to a few years ago, almost all EV conversions had AC slow charging only.

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119588368#Comment_119588368

I'm surprised it's even allowed, there's a real anti-fun attitude towards cars in Ireland, everything has to be a gutless, crappy diesel crossover or you're given grief for not getting public transport that doesn't exist.

This is great to see though. I don't have any real interest in BMW myself aside from liking the look of the 80/90s models. It's nice to see older cars kept on the roads, even cooler that it's an EV conversion. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this on the road!

unkel

Well that's the first cold wintery night, I ran out of home battery, so now the Red Arrow is powering and heating my house 😀

It looks like tomorrow will be a very sunny day, so I will charge the car back up from the sun.