A CLASSIC 1973 Porsche 914 has been given a “new life” after its owner ditched the fuel tank to go electric. Despite being one of the manufacturer’s least popular models, Mark Bush spent two years converting his Porsche, swapping out its engine and fuel tank for a HPEVS motor and 126v battery.
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MotorTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 Including the restoration of the car itself,
00:06 it took about two years.
00:08 It was a long, beautiful process.
00:11 I've had this car up to 117 miles an hour.
00:15 As soon as you press the accelerator, you have full torque.
00:18 I think everybody should have an electric vehicle.
00:21 (upbeat music)
00:29 Kailua in Hawaii is home to an incredible modified Porsche.
00:34 Classic, sleek, electric.
00:38 My name is Mark Bush.
00:42 I have a Porsche 914.
00:44 It's a 1973 E model.
00:48 That's right.
00:49 Mark took one of Porsche's least popular models,
00:53 did away with the engine and fuel tank,
00:55 then fitted a HP EVS motor and a 126 volt battery.
01:00 This car, it's new life as an electric vehicle
01:04 is about five years old now.
01:06 This is a daily driver,
01:08 so it's not completely spick and span like a show car.
01:13 While that may be the case,
01:14 this is still a mighty impressive conversion.
01:17 I was working full time as a nurse when I started this car.
01:21 Including the restoration of the car itself,
01:24 it took about two years.
01:26 I'd take vacations and just work on the car.
01:29 Okay, how to build an electric car.
01:32 You find a car that's suitable.
01:34 You pull out the internal combustion engine,
01:37 radiator, the cooling system, the exhaust system,
01:41 then get my rest for the next shift.
01:45 I had to design battery boxes.
01:47 I ordered a motor.
01:48 It's a long, beautiful process.
01:52 We opted to put the charging port over here on this side.
01:57 And for a while I was opening the hood to charge it.
02:00 So I put in a cap so I can keep the hood closed
02:04 and still charge it.
02:05 These are the battery packs.
02:07 And this car originally came with a mid-engine,
02:10 big old Volkswagen motor back here.
02:13 I decided I wanna have the weight ratios the exact same.
02:16 And I wanted a five speed transmission.
02:19 I wanted to use the original Porsche transmission.
02:22 I like to shift and it gives you a little bit more
02:24 maneuverability and choices for power.
02:27 This is an incredible conversion
02:33 with a performance to match.
02:35 Here in Hawaii, I looked down at the speedometer,
02:38 I was going 80 miles an hour one time.
02:40 I slowed down because you're not supposed to do that here.
02:44 (laughing)
02:50 As soon as you press the accelerator, you have full torque.
02:53 The torque is instant.
02:55 That gives you a faster acceleration rate.
02:59 Zero to 60 in probably approximately six,
03:03 six and a half minutes, somewhere around there.
03:05 - Zero to 60 in six minutes?
03:07 - Yeah, seconds.
03:10 Thank you.
03:10 - Six days.
03:12 (laughing)
03:15 - That's funny.
03:16 I hope that gets edited out.
03:18 (upbeat music)
03:20 I've had this car up to 117 miles an hour.
03:24 But that was in California.
03:26 And for Mark, this two year labor of love
03:29 has certainly paid off.
03:31 I'm a pilot.
03:34 Driving this car is a lot like flying an airplane.
03:38 Well, other than the fact that it doesn't take off
03:40 and go into the air.
03:42 When you go down a hill, it feels like you're gliding.
03:47 I know every sound, every little nuance of it
03:52 because I had it completely apart
03:56 and put it all back together again.
03:58 This car has been just an amazing friend, almost.
04:04 I think everybody should have an electric vehicle.
04:07 And I think they should drop in price
04:09 because people should be able to afford these things.
04:14 They're really fun to drive.
04:16 And you can have any kind of car you want.
04:19 Any car you've ever dreamed of
04:21 for just the cost of putting some time and effort
04:24 and elbow grease into making an electric vehicle
04:28 for yourself.
04:28 (upbeat music)
04:31 (upbeat music)
04:34 (upbeat music)
04:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]