Control Tray Frame

I have completed the hardware part of the control tray and setup the electronics on it.

From right to left, I have the 12 Volt Thomas Vacuum Pump, Electronic Control Box, Curtis SW200 Contactor and Curtis 1400E 96 Volt DC-DC converter. I need to pick up some more bolts for mounting the components and I haven't wired up anything yet. I am redoing ALL the wiring to neaten it up and reconfigure a few components I now have like the DC/DC.

I am hoping to finish up the electrical parts of the tray this weekend and test it out. Now I don't have my motor yet, but I don't need it to test the low voltage systems. I am estimating an hour or two for the wiring so I am almost there. This weekend is going to have excellent weather so testing it out should be easy.

2009 Barnard Racer Prototype

2009 Barnard Racer Prototype
(South Africa)


It's been over 50 years since South Africa has produced a home-bred supercar. This is excluding the Shelby Cobras and Noble cars assembled in that country but basically originating from elsewhere. A chap by the name of Chris Barnard wants to change all that by introducing a car he simply calls the Barnard.

The Barnard is powered by a twin-turbo Porsche V8 engine with a power rating of 617bhp (460kW). It should deliver a sub-4 second 0 - 60mph time and a theoretical top speed of over 240mph (386km/h). Only the driver really holds those horses back because the Barnard is missing some equipment namely power steering, ABS brakes and traction control. Even the windows require manual manpower to operate. It's a contrast to the cockpit which is inspired by one of Barnard's other interests, aviation.

Built on a monocoque chassis that's made from lightweight hi-tech steels like Domex and Docol, the car is more race road car than anything else. It's designed to accommodate buyers' interests and can be personalised to a great extent, depending on budgets offered. The engine itself can be uprated to suit the buyer's desires.

"This is a car which has been built with the objective of breaking barriers, and no expense has been spared to make it into what I believe is the most single-minded performance machine yet from South Africa," Barnard said.

To help keep it on the road are things like a rear diffuser, a flat undertray and cutouts on the front wheel arches that generate larges doses of downforce.

Customer deliveries of the Barnard will begin in the middle of the year at a cost of about R1.1 million (about US$110,000) a pop.

Some Motivation

Well this weather has giving me some more motivation to work on the EV! It was about 70F today and I got a lot done on the control tray.



I have one more mount to make for it, then I get down to installing the components. I also am going to to cut out some sheet metal to make a base for the components and for splash protection. This tray isn't complete yet, and it already looks really good. This engine compartment is going to be stuff, but hopefully it will look professional.

It looks like this weekend I will be finishing up this control tray. I will also be redoing the entire electrical setup. I have a new contactor that I want to use to replace the two parallel smaller ones I have. There are a few things in the engine compartment that can be removed and cleaned up a bit, like excess wiring brackets that aren't in use anymore.

Right now my wiring setup is rather difficult to follow and messy. Now that I have a DC/DC things will be changed around a bit.

My motor is still at the shop and will probably be there until mid May. When I do get it back it should be a matter of a day of installing it and making the motor mount.

April Update

It's been about a month since I last posted, and that's because I have been busy slacking. I haven't gotten a whole lot done, and I am still waiting for the new motor adapter plates. I talked to the machine shop last week, and they haven't started it yet, so it's still a ways off.

I did finally remove the Cruise Control Unit from the engine compartment and readjusted the PakTrakr wiring. I did receive the 96 volt Curtis DC/DC that I traded for and it looks really nice:Between weather, school work and holidays, I really haven't done anything with the EV. I have all the control systems on the work bench, but I haven't purchased the material to building the new control tray system yet. I was going to wait until the motor was in, but at this point I have just going to work on the tray when I get the time just to get something done.

The Zagato Perana- Z-one

The Zagato Perana- Z-one
(South Africa)

The Perana Z-One is a South African supercar styled by the famous Italian design firm Zagato.

The Perana name is well known amongst performance car fans in South Africa as the name was given to a range of Ford vehicles tuned by Basil Green Motors in Johannesburg back in the 70s and 80s.

However unlike the old Perana vehicles the Z-One is powered by a GM sourced engine, a 6.2 litre LS3 V8 to be exact. Mounted up front this engine should give the coupe fantastic performance while also being easily serviced and long lasting.

Each curvaceous body of the Perana Z-One will be individually created by Zagato before being sent to South Africa where it will be joined to the chassis and drivetrain.

The body itself manages to be both classically proportioned and contemporarily styled. It also incorporates a number of Zagato trademark styling details like the double bubble roof and hidden 'Z' built into the b-pillar.

In total only 999 examples of the Perana Z-One are due to be built.

The Perana Z-one will be produced at the world renowned Hi Tech Automotive Manufacturing Facility. Located on the outskirts of the Friendly City of Port Elizabeth, this manufacturing facility is considered to be one of the world's foremost low volume specialist sports car manufacturers.

The allure of the Perana Z-one is complimented by its hand-built manufacturing processes leading to unrivaled craftsmanship and finish. This leads to cars with a build integrity that allows them to be accepted as classics in their own right.

From the computerized drawing office to the paint shop, where the entire paint shop is pressurized and not only the spray booths, our attention to detail allows for unrivaled quality and finishes.

All this can only happen through experienced management, employing craftsman and adherence to rigorous quality controls to meet the discerning demands of an unforgiving international market.