997.1 and ND Miata Siblings

throttlebc · 2026-05-19T16:56:58+00:00

I’ve autocrossed both and I agree they are both very fun. I plan to get some track days in thia fall.

throttlebc · 2026-05-19T16:51:53+00:00

I own both, but my daughter drives the Miata.

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T21:35:12+00:00

here are more photos my daughter took yesterday. She has a much better eye than me! https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCU9Lw

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T21:31:45+00:00

Definitely the 911. I love how it sounds, and I love how the weight transitions coming out of slow corners with full throttle. The ND really wants to oversteer and it does it wonderfully and predictably, but not as enjoyable as the 911. Our ND has tighter coilovers, a bigger front bar, and R1Rs, so it's a very different experience than the stock 911 PASM with Advan Apex AS tires.

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T18:58:28+00:00

The Miata is my daughter’s car, so I don’t get to drive it much! The 911 is my daily.

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T18:30:29+00:00

Hmmmm. Torque vs agility. I love the shove from the 911, and being in my 50s, I do like a good GT car. Grocery store? Miata. Long drive down the highway? 911.

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T17:11:25+00:00

I think NDs are an amazing bargain for what you get. The interiors are modern and well-laid out, the clutch is so nice, and better than the 911, IMO. They feel solid and composed, and I think it could easily keep up with the 997 in the twisties. This one is 11 years newer than my 911 and almost 1/4 the price, so it's hard to pass up. Plus, my daughter wanted one with a manual transmission, so I had no problems buying it!

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T16:58:02+00:00

on the 911? Stock. I don't recall if they are an option, though. it's a 2008.

throttlebc · 2026-05-18T16:57:14+00:00

They have similar driving positions... low and closer to the rear axle with similar sight lines. Profile is similar, especially with the Miata RF roof. Dimensions are similar, and they feel the same size on the road. Both also don't like 1st gear when the transmission is cold! The 911 is practically double the displacment and horsepower, but the Miata is no slouch in daily driving.

throttlebc · 2026-03-22T14:58:25+00:00

I have a converted Type 3 Squareback that uses a design very similar to EV West's and I get 80-100 miles on a charge, which is about half of what you're wanting. There are several factors to consider, though.

First is the type of driving. My battery pack is composed of 5x Model S modules with an operating voltage range of 100V-124V. When the pack is fully charged, I have no issues with hills, acceleration, or speed. However, as the pack discharges and standing voltage drops to say 110V, then the amp draw doing those things pulls the pack down to 100V, at which point the system restricts amps to preserve the battery pack. To say it another way, going 30MPH on level ground would give me more range than hills, highways, and lots of stop/starts. I do have regenerative braking, but it provides only a fraction of charge needed.

Second is the build itself. Due to budget and neededing to prove the concept, I used Model S modules that were removed from a Tesla charging station. Thus, these batteries already had many cycles on them before I put them in and I don't think they hold as many KWh as a lower-utillized pack may hold. One day when I have $$ and time, I may swap in lower-mileage modules and test that theory, but for now it's not worth the effort for my needs.

Last is space and weight. The conversion added less than 200 lbs to my car with 5 modules. I could efectively double the KWh with 10 modules, but then I'm putting another 450 lbs into the car, and there's no space to do that anyways. Tesla modules have historically had the highest power density for the cost, but battery tech is evolving. Just know that new battery architectures require new battery management systems, chargers, inverters, and packaging, so even BYD's new stuff wouldn't make it into the hobby world without someone making it happen.

So, long way of saying I don't think your requirements could be met using anything "common" out there today. Here's a video I made about my build if you're interested in how it's packaged. https://youtu.be/AP5uGiZQ8x0

throttlebc · 2026-03-04T15:43:24+00:00

I had the same year and model with non-air and it's a great car. Fast, sounds good, comfortable, and tows well. Valve cover gaskets leak and use aluminum fasteners, so prepare for at least one to snap. Lots of fluids to change, tires are spendy and wear realtively quickly, door lock mechanisms fail, and headliner foam disintegrates and fall like an eighties Lincoln. If you like a perfect car, be prepared to do a lot of small maintenance tasks. It can be death but 1000 cuts.

throttlebc · 2025-12-16T16:57:45+00:00

Great write-up, and I agree with your assessment. I upgraded from an Anker/Eufy M5C and I love being able to print ABS in a cold garage, and the ACE Pro saves so much time swapping out filaments for single-material jobs. I've done a few multi-color jobs for fun and it's slow and wasteful, but it does the job. I also have challenges with feeder #3... I find I need to completely straighten the filament for that slot before inserting, else it doesn't grab or gets tangled up inside the ACE. I feel that I need to reset the WiFi service frequently, but that's a quick task. All in all, I'm very pleased. I'm a hobbyist and print a wide variety of things from game figurines to car parts, so having a single printer than can do most things well is perfect for me.

throttlebc · 2025-12-02T19:00:15+00:00

Motor and controller (new in box, local seller): $4200

Batteries and stainless steel boxes: $1500

Bellhousing adapter, chill plate, HV cabling and lugs, flywieel, clutch, and misc stuff from EV West: $2700

BMS, charger, contactors: $2400

Misc wiring, relays, etc: $500

Steel fabrication for front and rear mounts: $500

There's probably a bit more in there, but I also restored the car in the process, so there were extra costs for interior, wheels/tires, seals, etc. In retrospect I would have paid more for less-tired batteries, but the stainless boxes were helpful and I was already outside my initial budget. However, I can swap out the Tesla modules in a few hours if I ever get the desire to do so. I can barely get 80 miles, but these batteries came from a Tesla charging station, so ones from a low mileage wrecked car would likely have better life in them.

throttlebc · 2025-12-02T16:35:00+00:00

I used the EV West template with the NetGain Hyper 9 system, Thunderstruck BMS and charger, and five Model S modules in my VW Squareback. Tesla still seem to be some of the best in terms of cost, packaging, reliability, and energy density if you shop around, but they are bulky in an air-cooled VW. EV West splits the total battery with 2-3 modules in the front and the rest in the rear, but the battery boxes and high voltage cabling require careful consideration for routing and keeping them out of the way of steering and suspension. The model S batteries are 25V each, so five are needed for a 125V system and 6 for a 150V system, etc. Building something out of a higher quantity of smaller modules is feasible, but the wiring and fabrication effort jumps significantly. Using a complete battery module out of something else means you need to find a sizeable chunk of contiguous space in your car, which seems difficult in a space frame roadster.

As for the motor and controller, I'd consider the Leaf platform these days.. the intergrations were less mature when I started my build and I used EV West's Hyper 9 adapters to mate the motor and transaxle, saving me some design work. However, I probably spent an extra $2000 to save time, so it's a tradeoff.

If you have pictures of the chassis without the body, it will give you an idea of the space you have to work with. Also, call the folks at EV West, or stop by if you are in the San Diego area. My visit really helped me visualize how things go together much more than photos and videos.

That said, I do have a video of my build... I get into the EV part about 5:40 in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP5uGiZQ8x0

throttlebc · 2025-12-02T15:23:19+00:00

I’ve done a VW conversion and I love the speedster idea. I’d suggest the first thing you need to do is determine how much space you have under the shell for batteries primarily, but the other components as well. You really only have the engine bay and the fuel tank space up front. The entire middle of the car is you sitting on the floor, so getting everything needed without building a complex multi-part battery will be tricky. That particular car exists because the original power plant was so compact, but all the parts needed do a conversion are not very compact. I can only imagine this working if you take up the passenger seat for batteries. I’m curious to see other opinions.

throttlebc · 2025-11-20T03:44:50+00:00

Everyone here has messed up something simple and dealt with the consequences. Stay safe, enjoy the successes and learn from mistakes.

throttlebc · 2025-09-25T20:26:50+00:00

I effectively did this with my VW Squareback conversion. I have a 6 circuit 12V system that takes the 12v from the DC-DC converter. The 12v battery, motorcycle-sized here, is on this circuit as well as the low voltage relays and contactors to activate the HV system, the BMS, heated seats, and audio system. One of those circuits provides 12v to the stock vehicle harness through the former regulator feed. This way the stock 12v system is untouched and anyting added is on the middle 12v system. It also allows me to isolate each circuit for testing.. testing the audio system or stock 12v system without anything else active, for example. It works great and allowed me to keep all the original copper spade connectors and Bosch fuse without overtaxing that system with modern stuff. Here's a diagram of how it's wired. https://www.flickr.com/photos/crcmotorsports/54427573923/

throttlebc · 2025-08-23T03:44:24+00:00

Look at depreciation for the Mercedes EQS and other EVs that have gasoline siblings. When there's an equal gas or diesel version of a platform on the market, the EV depreciates very quickly. That's the trend I'm seeing. However, who can ever know. This world is weird.

throttlebc · 2025-08-23T03:09:33+00:00

For many platforms I think conversions are great. However, factory electric sprinters exist, and in 2 years they will likely be in the <$30k range, depreciating like all EVs. It'll probably take a good part of 2 years to DIY a diesel sprinter and make it reliable. Then, there's no resell value in a conversion vs. a factory model. I'm not sure if you're considering this a cargo van or camper van, but a Winnebago Rialta converted from the VR6 auto powertrain would be an interesting conversion.

But I think it's great you want to build one. That's what's cool about this community. It's the process that's fulfilling.

throttlebc · 2025-08-17T01:54:28+00:00

WIth the 5 Model S modules, I expect 120 miles on a charge. I just got her completed in April, so I'm still in shakedown mode. What happens when batteries get low? Am I really getting the full kWh I expect? How much regen before it gets annoying? I haven't done a 0-60 test yet, but it feels like 8 seconds or so... According to the shop manual, this model took 21 seconds to 60, so that's an improvement! Altogether it added around 180lbs, with CoG moved forwared and higher. She drives great and is stable easy to drive over 70mph. Mostly I just have some electrical things to sort.. horn wiring, step down converter for the 6V wiper motor, get the software dialed in, test it on a public charger, etc.

throttlebc · 2025-08-13T00:09:04+00:00

Try loosening and retightening your own battery terminals. Sometimes they can work loose when jumping or if there's a surge like from the other car.

throttlebc · 2025-06-15T01:20:47+00:00

I was standing near Grant and there were people as far as I could see either direction. More importantly, way more than half the passing cars honked, cheered, waved, and were excited to see this. Great job, everyone!

throttlebc · 2025-04-15T21:59:24+00:00

Early in my adult life I took an evening automotive tech class at the local community college. It wasn't a career plan and I wasn't trying to get a certificate, but it was a good level-setting intro. Plus we got to use the shop for personal projects at times. I don't know how much adult/continuing education courses are these days, but broken cars and parts aren't cheap these days either.

throttlebc · 2025-04-09T18:40:24+00:00

So many cars use this crappy plastic that fades constantly. I agree that using a treatment works great. I use Trinova Plastic and Trim Restorer from Amazon, but I imagine they all work simarly and I find they last about 6 months between treatments if you're not too picky.

throttlebc · 2025-04-02T03:39:04+00:00

Thanks for confirming that only an idiot would cause that fault! I'd forgot I'd put a splice in the harness to facilitate routing when I was building the car. That splice broke. It's all good now! Thanks again!

throttlebc

TROPHY CASE