primeral

Nice! I just looked it up and the 280 is a mere 5lbs heavier than the 200. What's the price range of these on the used market?

I bought my Miller Dynasty 200 DX used from Larry Burross of Applied Equipment in Dallas, TX for a really good price. I needed a power supply that I could use industry standard foot and finger controls and TIG torches with, so I went with a brand name. Buying used saved me several thousand bucks. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a tool chest full of expensive high end tools, but I figured having a reputable TIG welder would be a worthwhile asset. The plasma cutter I have is a generic "CUT50" that you can find on eBay and Amazon, however. I "settled" on the Dynasty 200 after several failed attempts at buying used Synchrowaves on Craigslist. Some people out there are downright crooks. http://www.appliedequipment.com/

I've thought about the drivetrain from the RWD/AWD Lexus GS450h and LS600hL. We have a LS600hL and the power from the electric motor assisting the V8 5.0L is really nice, but I don't know how to feel about a CVT transmission in the Datsun. I suppose there won't be any gear shifting with a pure EV anyways.

I like that drive unit kit, DuffyMahoney! The Model S stuff is going to be cheaper for sure.

Oldish thread, but I wanted to share some of my preliminary research on this topic. This swap seems pretty feasible if you have a wrecked Tesla available to you, or if you have about $16-20k for Tesla parts alone. It's not easy or cheap, but it's definitely not impossible. Some obstacles will include converting the rear end to accept the Tesla rear subframe. Several people have put in Nissan S13 and S14 rear subframes on their S30s, so a Tesla rear subframe is not impossible. See my attached pictures to see examples of a Model X and Model 3 subframe with motor and complete rear suspension. You'll pay in the neighborhood of $4k for a Model S/Model X rear assembly, and maybe $10k for a Model 3 rear assembly. With those rear assemblies, you are reducing your moving parts count by lots. Tesla drivetrain omits the following: engine transmission driveshaft differential alternator water pump and coolant system pulley driven air con timing belts / chains ignition systems with spark plugs fuel pumps and fuel regulation fuel tank / cell exhausts / mufflers / emissions control devices The Model 3 has a very advanced modular battery array compared to the S and X. In the 3, Tesla situates them all in a row below the floor and they each have integrated circuitry. The S30's floor isn't long enough to place a stock Tesla Model 3 array in. If you have half a million dollars, maybe you can buy a Tesla Roadster for parts 😅. If you removed modules from this array, you'd still also have to raise your S30's floor by at least 4 inches. Or. you can reconfigure the array and have the modules line your engine bay and the hatch area. There's also the transmission tunnel which you'll no longer need, which you can widen at the rear to facilitate the storage of several battery modules. Currently, complete battery arrays from wrecked Model 3s are in the $10k range. Check out Jack Rickard's video of a Model 3 teardown: Some people are creating their own LiIon battery arrays, but the Model 3 is truly next generation stuff with great longevity and energy density Lastly, you'll need "engine management" ... it's territory I haven't researched heavily, but a good start would be checking out EVTV Motor Verks and EV Controls, neither of which I have any experience or affiliation with. Basically, you can put pretty much anything in a Datsun but getting it to work (reliably and safely) is another story. I have two Tesla PowerWalls for the house, but I definitely don't have $10k for a battery array for the Datsun, so I'm just roll with the S14 subframe that I already have. I know EV swaps are inevitabie in the near future, so I might save the Tesla dual motor swap for my Land Cruiser. I know some people ask "why do this?" Once people have ironed out all of the wrinkles, good battery tech comes down in price and charging times are reduced (graphene batteries and supercapacitors, perhaps), the performance potential and overall simplicity make pretty compelling reasons. Also, if you generate your own electricity, even better.

Chris Hamilton, Is this still an active project? Last I read you had trouble with stainless and were considering using chrome plated mild steel? I ask because I work with a factory that will be able to mass produce these and if you were close to coming up with a commercial product, I'll spare myself the effort and expense.

Here are some pictures I took of the RestroSpec dash with my original dash.

I got my fiberglass dash today. Packaging was brilliant and the product is beautiful. It's almost a shame I'm going to cover it with leather. I haven't tested fitment since I have yet to remove the foam from the original dash frame, and the car is at the shop, but the quality of this dash is top notch.

The question is, should I pad the dash and wrap in leather or texturize it with bed liner? Any other ideas?

I got an update two days ago, as well. Receiving the dash will be perfect timing with the new Speedhuts I'm expecting soon

hey PKZ, maybe you can sell your mold to another glasser, such as Rayven14?

Arif, I'm glad to hear about your quality Retro-spec parts. I have emailed and Facebook messaged them and still no response. I have an agreement with my sponsors to provide them with bi-monthly updates and it's becoming difficult to do. I will continue to wait patiently.

I have to chime in and give two thumbs up for Rayven14's quality control, excellent packaging, and lightning quick shipping. It pains me to have such cool parts on the floor of my living room while the Z is at the body shop.

LarryZ, here you go http://www.palmcomposites.com/#!shop/c1jgi

I ordered a fiberglass dashboard and rear hatch from RetroSpec three weeks ago. I will post up a review with pictures when I get my parts, but I was told the hatch would take 6 weeks. I'm not worried, but I do wish they would respond to my email quicker. I emailed a few days ago asking for an update but no response yet. I'm not expecting lightning quick turnaround, but response to email should be next day, IMO.