1973 Porsche 914 Becomes Electric Supercar
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
00:00Including the restoration of the car itself, it took about two years.
00:06It was a long, beautiful process.
00:09I've had this car up to 117 miles an hour.
00:13As soon as you press the accelerator, you have full torque.
00:16I think everybody should have an electric vehicle.
00:21Kailua in Hawaii is home to an incredible modified Porsche.
00:26Classic, sleek, electric.
00:31My name is Mark Bush. I have a Porsche 914.
00:37It's a 1973 E model.
00:41That's right.
00:42Mark took one of Porsche's least popular models,
00:45did away with the engine and fuel tank,
00:48then fitted a HP EVS motor and a 126-volt battery.
00:53This car, its new life as an electric vehicle is about five years old now.
00:58This is a daily driver, so it's not completely spick and span,
01:03like a normal car would be.
01:05It's a daily driver.
01:07This is a daily driver, so it's not completely spick and span like a show car.
01:13While that may be the case, this is still a mighty impressive conversion.
01:17I was working full-time as a nurse when I started this car.
01:21Including the restoration of the car itself, it took about two years.
01:26I'd take vacations and just work on the car.
01:30Okay, how to build an electric car.
01:33You find a car that's suitable.
01:35You pull out the internal combustion engine, radiator, the cooling system, the exhaust system.
01:41Then get my rest for the next shift.
01:45I had to design battery boxes.
01:47I ordered a motor. It's a long, beautiful process.
01:53We opted to put the charging port over here on this side.
01:58And for a while, I was opening the hood to charge it.
02:01So I put in a cap so I can keep the hood closed and still charge it.
02:05These are the battery packs.
02:07And this car originally came with a mid-engine, big old Volkswagen motor back here.
02:13I decided I want to have the weight ratios the exact same.
02:16And I wanted a five-speed transmission.
02:19I wanted to use the original Porsche transmission.
02:22I like to shift, and it gives you a little bit more maneuverability and choices for power.
02:32This is an incredible conversion with a performance to match.
02:36Here in Hawaii, I looked down at the speedometer. I was going 80 miles an hour one time.
02:41I slowed down because you're not supposed to do that here.
02:51As soon as you press the accelerator, you have full torque.
02:54The torque is instant.
02:56That gives you a faster acceleration rate.
03:00Zero to 60 in probably approximately six, six and a half minutes, somewhere around there.
03:06Zero to 60 in six minutes?
03:08Yeah, seconds.
03:10Thank you.
03:12Six days.
03:15That's funny. I hope that gets edited out.
03:21I've had this car up to 117 miles an hour.
03:25But that was in California.
03:27And for Mark, this two-year labor of love has certainly paid off.
03:34I'm a pilot. Driving this car is a lot like flying an airplane.
03:38Well, other than the fact that it doesn't take off and go into the air.
03:43When you go down a hill, it feels like you're gliding.
03:47I know every sound, every little nuance of it.
03:53Because I had it completely apart and put it all back together again.
03:59This car has been just an amazing friend, almost.
04:04I think everybody should have an electric vehicle.
04:07And I think they should drop in price.
04:10Because people should be able to afford these things.
04:14They're really fun to drive.
04:16And you can have any kind of car you want.
04:19Any car you've ever dreamed of.
04:21For just the cost of putting some time and effort and elbow grease into making an electric vehicle for yourself.