Jun 23
http://www.ForkenSwift.com – First power-up of the freshly installed forklift hydraulic pump motor in our beer budget, low speed, Geo Metro electric vehicle conversion.
—
Project ForkenSwift is an electric car conversion made using parts from a Suzuki Swift, Geo Metro, Baker Electric Forklift and a golf cart.
http://www.forkenswift.com
Duration : 0:1:17
Forklifthq.com/electric-forklift/1-project-forkenswift-electric-car-conversion-1st-powerup/#more-215″ class=”more-link”>Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 9
http://www.ForkenSwift.com – Here’s the Forkenswift’s motor being spun up (and down, and up, and down) with a used golf cart controller. (Thanks to the EVDL folks for help with connecting the oddball Curtis.)
Apologies for the poor vid quality – this was shot with a 20 year-old camera.
Titles are hard to read in some places, so here they are:
1. Another Forkenswift milestone…
2. First CONTROLLED electric power-up
3. No more welded jumper cables, like last time…
4. This time we’re hooked up to a DC motor controller
5. From a 48 volt golf cart 
6. We’ve got more juice this time, too
7. 36 volts — three 12v batteries
8. And, last but not least,a potentiometer …
9. (What is it about motors that makes people want to rev them?)
10. Here’s the actual potentiometer we’ll connect to the car’s “gas” pedal.
11. Out of the old Baker forklift.
12. We also have the forklift’s motor controller.
13. But we’re going to try the golf cart controller first.
14. Tee-off time is approaching …
—
Project ForkenSwift is an electric car conversion made using parts from a Suzuki Swift, Geo Metro, Baker Electric ForkForklift and a golf cart.
Duration : 0:2:7
Read the rest of this entry »
Jun 3
http://www.ForkenSwift.com – Officially, we’re only at the battery rack building stage of the project. But while waiting to get a welder to finish the job, Spring Fever struck and against better judgment we piled 6 batteries into the car, hooked everything together and went up & down the street a bunch of times.
(Oh – and by the way, if you enjoy spotting continuity errors in movies, you’ll have a field day with this one!)
Again, apologies for the video quality – 20 year-old video camera, makeshift way of getting the pics into the computer for editing.
In case titles are hard to read, here they are:
1. a BIG ForkenSwift milestone
2. Officially… we’re at the stage of the project where we’re making battery racks.
3. The racks will hold four batteries up front, and four in the hatchback.
4. (Cardboard mockups – help figure out positioning and clearances.)
5. But while waiting for a welder to finish the trays… we got SPRING FEVER
6. and decided to “set up” (ahem) the car for a little test drive
7. Here’s the Forklift pot box, modified to talk nicely to the golf cart controller
8. Surplus forklift battery charger.
9. Umm… Don’t try this at home. :-O
10. Darin’s actual first drive …
11. Shhhh… Listen…
12. Listen to this: unsolicited feedback from a guy fixing a car in his driveway…
13. “HEY – WHY’S YOUR CAR SO QUIET?”
14. ” BULL$#!T … REALLY ? ”
15. ” AWESOME! ”
16. THAT WAS NOT MADE UP
17. Ivan takes a spin.
18. Coming up: more comments from the peanut gallery, in … 3 … 2 … 1 …
19. ” Can you turn the muffler up a little bit, Ivan? ”
20. An impromptu car show with the car repair guy and his friends …
—
Project ForkenSwift is an electric car conversion made using parts from a Suzuki Swift, Geo Metro, Baker Electric Forklift and a golf cart.
Duration : 0:5:27
Read the rest of this entry »
