John Foster's Dodge Omni

Owner	John Foster
Location	Vancouver, British Columbia Canada ^map
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Vehicle	Dodge Omni
Motor	Prestolite MTC 4001 Series Wound DC
Drivetrain	Stock manual 4 speed
Controller	Curtis 1231C
Batteries	16 Trojan T-875, 8.00 Volt, Lead-Acid, Flooded
System Voltage	128 Volts
Charger	Zivan NG3 120 VAC
Heater	PTC core and 12 Volt blower mounted under hood
DC/DC Converter	separate charger and auxiliary battery
Instrumentation	only a wind-up wristwatch on dash right now!
Top Speed	87 MPH (139 KPH)
Acceleration	about 30 seconds!
Range	40 Miles (64 Kilometers) (mixed 50 MPH highway / hilly city driving
Seating Capacity	1 adult, 3 kids and a baby
Curb Weight	3,256 Pounds (1,479 Kilograms)
Tires	HRR "mud and snow" tires pumped to 40 psi
Conversion Time	about a month's work, done over a year
Conversion Cost	$10k CAN including used car c/w motor etc.
Additional Features	Lots of trunk space, especially with the rear seat removed. Good appearance of "solidity" for crash protection
This car was originally converted by "JML Electra Car" in 1980 as a new glider from Chrysler. They put in a nice motor, but in the crudest way possible. It has had several owners, I bought it from Roger Stockton, who gave lots of help and advice in fixing it up. I got the comm turned and balanced, stripped and cleaned oxidation off everything, changed to 8 Volt batteries, ditched the old SCR controller for a Curtis, and added fancy dancy things echewed in its first incarnation... like over-current protection. It's been quite reliable overall, getting the kids to school everyday, groceries and visits to the grandparents - anything we need except escaping the city. We've had lots of breakdowns, some from my workmanship, some from the low quality of the car, but it's a fun hobby. The 8 Volt batteries and 500 Amp controller make the car about as peppy as the original gas version, and are holding fine so far (two years) contrary to some other's experience. It's still a beater, long list of improvements to be made: from rust spots to finally finishing the instrumentation, to replacing a wobbly half shaft. Will I ever get around to making that "Soundulator" to make the thing go "Vroom" when I push the pedal? Well, the car's users never complain.

code by jerry