(WIP)Classic Mini, outlander rdu

[tom91]

Doing that many battery locations/boxes is a nightmare for wiring up a BMS to monitor all the cells.

Also leaf cells are not the best.

Best to decide if you care about your rear bench seat or will put your battery box there, it is the easiest place to put it. also the best weight location wise. You could always do the Opto route and put a BMW PHEV pack repackaged in the boot.

It is you first build so best to try and keep thing simple.

[Jacobsmess]

I agree with Tom, as a serial over complicator myself I've talked myself out of multiple battery boxes and may well just end up getting an OEM pack and mounting the whole thing. Battery boxes are probably the most complicated part of a conversion and also the highest risk, keeping them simple is key. You can also swap a less than ideal battery pack for something batter in the future, and given the rate of innovation and drive in pack technology it might also prove easier in the future.

[PEDR0]

Doing that many battery locations/boxes is a nightmare for wiring up a BMS to monitor all the cells.

Also leaf cells are not the best.

Best to decide if you care about your rear bench seat or will put your battery box there, it is the easiest place to put it. also the best weight location wise. You could always do the Opto route and put a BMW PHEV pack repackaged in the boot.

It is you first build so best to try and keep thing simple.

thanks tom, would a 530e battery pack be good enough to get me up and running, i guess once its up and running and through dvla i could look at other options

[Jacobsmess]

would a 530e battery pack be good enough to get me up and running,

Yes and for a mini will probably get you about 50-60 miles relatively comfortably.

[Turbopete]

Any welding or drilling done to the mini body will invalidate your V5 if the DVLA check your vehicle. This had happened to @turbopete

Was that the opto mini, what did they fail it on, did they allow it to be corrected??

It was the Opto Mini (My mini) - they failed it on "allegedly" having 6 8mm holes in the floor of the spare wheel well. I didn't get any pre warning or explanation, they just deleted the reg from the DVLA database - no MOT record no Tax record nothing.

I wasnt allowed to see the report or officially be told why it had failed. Eventually the guy on the end of the phone implied what the problem might be.

I told them that there were no holes in the boot floor - i had merely glued the plates and bolt heads in place. It went off to a higher level and eventually (i believe) because they had no evidence of actual holes it was re-inspected. The same insurance assessor came as the first time - he didn't know why he had to inspect again and once again couldn't tell me any of the things he had been told to look at!

Obviously when they inspected the 2nd time there were no holes anywhere in the monocoque - and i mean non at all!

Then i got the logbook back - correctly issued as electric!

[Uppertown]

That would mean 21 units, there’s potential for for 10/12 in the floor, 6/8 in the front and to keep the weight about right i would need 8 in the boot. This would raise the net weight of the mini by around 120 kg

Splitting the battery into 3 adds complication and potential failure points. Do you really need the back seat?? If you're prepared to sacrifice the rear seat you'll have room for a full set of modules which would also simplify the BMS. What year is your bodyshell? pre 76 minis had more (factory) holes in the rear bulkhead etc.

[PEDR0]

It was the Opto Mini (My mini) - they failed it on "allegedly" having 6 8mm holes in the floor of the spare wheel well. I didn't get any pre warning or explanation, they just deleted the reg from the DVLA database - no MOT record no Tax record nothing.

I wasnt allowed to see the report or officially be told why it had failed. Eventually the guy on the end of the phone implied what the problem might be.

I told them that there were no holes in the boot floor - i had merely glued the plates and bolt heads in place. It went off to a higher level and eventually (i believe) because they had no evidence of actual holes it was re-inspected. The same insurance assessor came as the first time - he didn't know why he had to inspect again and once again couldn't tell me any of the things he had been told to look at!

Obviously when they inspected the 2nd time there were no holes anywhere in the monocoque - and i mean non at all!

Then i got the logbook back - correctly issued as electric!

iglad you got it sorted pete, i think its crazy that they won't let you drill and bolt something properly but its fine to glue/bond bits together. like the one i mentioned earlier in the post, someone got pinged for drilling a cable through the battery box yet you can buy a battery box with holes already in. crazy

[PEDR0]

Splitting the battery into 3 adds complication and potential failure points. Do you really need the back seat?? If you're prepared to sacrifice the rear seat you'll have room for a full set of modules which would also simplify the BMS. What year is your bodyshell? pre 76 minis had more (factory) holes in the rear bulkhead etc.

i have an 89 and a 96 at the minute. thinking of getting an older one though

[PEDR0]

so i'm looking at the sp06 bmw 26ah 351v hybrid packs, they are pretty cheap and should get the thing built and running, i only need about 30 mile range to get me to mot garage and i don't want to pile a load of money in when the dvla seem reluctant to pass conversions. if the car is an historic [mot exempt} vehicle does it still need to go for an mot?? or would it just get inspected

[Jacobsmess]

No knowledge re: classics but I suspect they'll want an MOT anyway as it makes them feel better re: safety. There's an interesting angle for classics where they can retain their historical status if the engine/drivetrain change is for "environmental" reasons. I presume this is done automatically on their end but I'm not sure.

[ianlighting]

i don't want to pile a load of money in when the dvla seem reluctant to pass conversions. if the car is an historic [mot exempt} vehicle does it still need to go for an mot?? or would it just get inspected

I’m right in the middle of this as we speak. I wrote up the process in another thread the other day. You should find it by searching dvla.

But to answer your question - mines a 1974 model, so MOT exempt. Had DVLA inspection, which I passed. But that ‘passs’ is subject to a fresh MOT being done. In my case, I had previously decided to pre-emptively get an MOT pass on record before I started converting. Doesn’t change anything but meant I knew all the nasties were dealt with.

I knew before I started I would go back into the MOT process post conversion, I just wasn’t clear when that annual check would start. Now I know. It’s an essential part of the dvla accepting your conversion.

[ianlighting]

I presume this is done automatically on their end but I'm not sure.

The dvla gave me a direct line to the kit and conversions office who wrote to me requesting the fresh mot. Once the mot passes, I call them up and they straighten everything out on the system to make it all ties up as electric.

[Jacobsmess]

The dvla gave me a direct line to the kit and conversions office who wrote to me requesting the fresh mot. Once the mot passes, I call them up and they straighten everything out on the system to make it all ties up as electric.

And does it retain its 'classic' status and remain MOT exempt after that?

[PEDR0]

The dvla gave me a direct line to the kit and conversions office who wrote to me requesting the fresh mot. Once the mot passes, I call them up and they straighten everything out on the system to make it all ties up as electric.

so hopefully it will come back as historic vehicle, electric. i read your post the other day, I think i will do a similar thing, i have a rough mini that i can "practice" on

[ianlighting]

And does it retain its 'classic' status and remain MOT exempt after that?

I could speculate, but better that I just report the reality once the process is completed.

[PEDR0]

So i have chance of a bmw sp41 pack which would probably give me enough range for 90% of the time I would use the car,
Is it possible to add fast charging to charge these batteries?????

[Jacobsmess]

This is a very cheap BMW pack if local to you.
https://ebay.us/m/vH7l3p

[PEDR0]

This is a very cheap BMW pack if local to you.
https://ebay.us/m/vH7l3p

couldnt be much further away

[PEDR0]

Spent a few hours making prototype motor mounts, once driveshafts are sorted I will make some nice shiny ones, just rear mount to finish the motor is in, I’m only using existing subframe holes.

Any advice on best pedal for a mini??

I have a 2024 sp41 battery on its way so 12kw, just need to source a pedal and decide on vcu.

[Turbopete]

Looks tidy - id be interested to see how it feels with solid mounts - im thinking about going solid on the next build.

[Uppertown]

Looks tidy - id be interested to see how it feels with solid mounts - im thinking about going solid on the next build.

There is a TINY bit of isolation from the rubber subframe mounts

[PEDR0]

Had a little wait for the inner wings but they are now bolted in temporarily so i know what space i have, hope to get two batteries down the bottom and four up top, the black boxes are taller than the batteries

if it works out i’ll be pretty close to keeping corner weights the same as original, give or take 15kg and there will be room in the boot for another pack ( a la gregski ) if i need more range. Big decision now is which vcu to go with, thoughts and ideas are most welcome. I’m a bit simple when it comes to computers so this will be a massive challenge/headache for me. Also need to find a pedal that sits right, not allowed to do any drilling or welding to monocoque in uk so could be tricky to find the right one, again, any ideas would greatly appreciated

[Jacobsmess]

Zombieverter for your VCU will be by far the simplest way of integrating everything together.

[PEDR0]

Buit my first ever driveshaft today, a bmx frame was perfect size for the sleeve, turns out bmx’s don’t like being welded though

Luckily I have the S TIG’s cheap Chinese cousin

Also got some more done on front subframe, this will bolt to a couple of captive nuts that rover kindly put in for me way back in 1989

[Jacobsmess]

Is the plan to use the driveshafts welded up or have you just used them to act as a template?