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Capelli
Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2016
Posts: 11
Location: Arlington, VA
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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:21 pm Post subject: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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Project HERB: Hybrid Electric Retro Beetle
My 1968 VW Beetle was built October 1967 according to the VIN. It was first sold in Phoenix, AZ 1/3/1968 according to the original owners manual. It ended up in Pennsylvania during the 1980's. I bought it 1/4/2016.
HERB's model sits on the fulcrum of the Standard Beetle design. It was one of the last swing axles built for the US market. The trunk pull is under the driver's side dash and there are no air vents on the deck lid.
It has minimal rust and drives very well. I have restored the stock geometry and replaced most rubber parts. The front drums were replaced with discs. I have personally performed all maintenance and repairs.
The Beetle has been rewired using the original schematic, including the original Black Blinker Box. Overlaying the original wiring is the wiring for a Curtis AC50 Motor that replaces the original engine. Powering the motor is ~20kW of Tesla battery modules located under the front seats and rear luggage storage. I don't have the space, time or resources to maintain a gasoline engine. Plus the accelerator cable tube separated from the tunnel. Driving by wire helped overcome my lack of welding skills.
Wiring before restoration:
Stripped:
Finished:
All Cleaned Up:
Motor:
Front Suspension and brakes before:
After:
Here are a few pictures reflecting the general condition when I bought HERB.
Thanks to many of the members of this board, I have been able to get HERB back on the road! |
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Chris333
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2017
Posts: 656
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:47 pm Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| Wow, so what hooks up to the gas pedal? |
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TX-73
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2013
Posts: 1133
Location: Texas
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mukluk
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2012
Posts: 7028
Location: Clyde, TX
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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So where's the hybrid part?
_________________
1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga" |
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squeegee_boy
Samba Member
Joined: April 27, 2008
Posts: 762
Location: Langley, BC, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:58 pm Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| Chris333 wrote: |
| Wow, so what hooks up to the gas pedal? |
A potentiometer of some kind (several ways to do it, dunno what OP did). That talks to the motor controller over a 3 wire cable.
Robyn
_________________
1984 FrankenSyncro Westy. EJ25 RMW kit
1971 Super Beetle with an EJ22. Oh yes. Daily driver
Last edited by squeegee_boy on Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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joey1320
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Joined: September 12, 2006
Posts: 2325
Location: Cleveland, OH
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73SlowBug
Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2017
Posts: 439
Location: PENNSYLVANIA
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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Cool. I like it. I suspect it it took much more time and resources (money $) than the gasosline engine, at least initially, but I'm definitely not against EVs. Well executed! What's your range before recharge? Any pics of the rear storage area?
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Daily driven....Slowly. |
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73SlowBug
Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2017
Posts: 439
Location: PENNSYLVANIA
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| 73SlowBug wrote: |
| Cool. I like it. I suspect it it took much more time and resources (money $) than the gasosline engine, at least initially, but I'm definitely not against EVs. Well executed! What's your range before recharge? Any pics of the rear storage area? |
I like that it looks so unassuming. No one would ever suspect that this vehicle is powered like a modern ev.
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Daily driven....Slowly. |
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Buggeee
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016
Posts: 4416
Location: Stuck in Ohio
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| Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 12:29 am Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| Capelli wrote: |
... Plus the accelerator cable tube separated from the tunnel. Driving by wire helped overcome my lack of welding skills...
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I love it. Separated throttle tube handled by full EV conversion!!! 
This is the first EV Beetle that I have heard of placing the battery under the front seats.
Do you have pictures of the battery placement and configuration? What are you using for your charger inside the car? What are you using, if anything, for a battery management system with the Tesla cells?
Edit: that Curtis AC kit is very affordable. Apparently the prices have come down on AC motors. Similar horsepower to a hopped up 1600cc. With regenerative braking and a 20kw pack you are probaly getting good range. 50 miles? Can this motor do short stints on the freeway, say at 60 mph?
Edit again: Did you build that heatsink for the controller, or is it off the shelf, or did it come with the kit?
Edit yet again: How many volts do you have your battery configured?
Oh.... and the adapter plate....
Ok. If you have time, just spill the beans. Exciting project you have there and clean looking bug. 
_________________
1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764
| SnowDaySyncro wrote: |
| Every setback is an opportunity to learn stuff and to buy new tools. |
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Capelli
Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2016
Posts: 11
Location: Arlington, VA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:35 am Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| Chris333 wrote: |
| Wow, so what hooks up to the gas pedal? |
I'm using a reconditioned Prius pedal that uses a Hall Sensor to vary a 0-5 Volt analog signal along a wire to the controller. A 5k potentiometer would do the same thing. |
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Capelli
Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2016
Posts: 11
Location: Arlington, VA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:39 am Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| mukluk wrote: |
| So where's the hybrid part? |
If you mean gasoline, I sometimes use a Ryobi 2kW generator to charge the battery. It gets me ~100mpg.
Also there are still some gooey fossils in the transmission and various bearings. |
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Capelli
Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2016
Posts: 11
Location: Arlington, VA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:52 am Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| 73SlowBug wrote: |
| Cool. I like it. I suspect it it took much more time and resources (money $) than the gasosline engine, at least initially, but I'm definitely not against EVs. Well executed! What's your range before recharge? Any pics of the rear storage area? |
No and YES.
It only took me less than a week to wire and install the motor. But it cost about thrice the amount of a well rebuilt 1600cc dressed engine that I assumed would cost $4000. I paid just under $6000 for the motor, controller, hardware and all the necessary peripherals. Four Tesla batteries cost almost the same amount again.
I have not really tested the range yet. It got cold here before I could pull the motor and replace my release bearing (there's another story here.) Right now I just leave it in second gear and keep the speed under 40mph. It's my around-the-town car. I use a switch on the dash for FWD-NTRL-RVS.
I haven't documented the rear compartment, yet. Will add to the list |
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Capelli
Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2016
Posts: 11
Location: Arlington, VA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:03 am Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| 73SlowBug wrote: |
| 73SlowBug wrote: |
| Cool. I like it. I suspect it it took much more time and resources (money $) than the gasosline engine, at least initially, but I'm definitely not against EVs. Well executed! What's your range before recharge? Any pics of the rear storage area? |
I like that it looks so unassuming. No one would ever suspect that this vehicle is powered like a modern ev. |
That is my goal. Thank you for unbiased confirmation! |
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Capelli
Samba Member
Joined: July 27, 2016
Posts: 11
Location: Arlington, VA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Project HERB: 1968 VW Beetle |
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| Buggeee wrote: |
| Capelli wrote: |
... Plus the accelerator cable tube separated from the tunnel. Driving by wire helped overcome my lack of welding skills...
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I love it. Separated throttle tube handled by full EV conversion!!!
This is the first EV Beetle that I have heard of placing the battery under the front seats.
Do you have pictures of the battery placement and configuration? What are you using for your charger inside the car? What are you using, if anything, for a battery management system with the Tesla cells?
Edit: that Curtis AC kit is very affordable. Apparently the prices have come down on AC motors. Similar horsepower to a hopped up 1600cc. With regenerative braking and a 20kw pack you are probaly getting good range. 50 miles? Can this motor do short stints on the freeway, say at 60 mph?
I'm assuming about 50 miles, but have not tested yet. I have driven it a couple times short sprints on the freeway, but shifting is a little scary at the moment. My release bearing became quite noisy a few weeks ago. It came with the car and looked good. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.
Edit again: Did you build that heatsink for the controller, or is it off the shelf, or did it come with the kit?
Heatsink was included with controller.
Edit yet again: How many volts do you have your battery configured?
Nominal Voltage is 96
Oh.... and the adapter plate....
I built the adapter plate out of a 1990's desktop PC lid and $20 in Actobotics (robot) parts.
Ok. If you have time, just spill the beans. Exciting project you have there and clean looking bug. |
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Buggeee
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2016
Posts: 4416
Location: Stuck in Ohio
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