We are close to completing our Electric Bugeye! This week, we were honored to have an appearance in the latest edition of Classic Motorsports.
We’ve been busy trimming-out the cockpit, where we confronted a new issue… how could we trim around the heavy gauge wires that run through the cockpit and carry juice from the batteries in back to the controller in front?
We chose to run the wires at the base of the inner rocker panels just like the factory did on a Stock Bugeye. Original car tail light harnesses ran forward the very same way. But the original light gauge wires are easy to hide under a masonite panel, while this new technology requires a much bigger void for a series of 12 gauge wires.
You can watch Kenny solve the problem in the photos below. First, he secured the wires tight to the inner rocker, as you can see below.
Next, he fashioned wood spacers to shim the original style panels outward, so that there would be room for the wires to pass behind. You can just see the black wires sheaths running under the white wood spacers.
Below, he covers the pieces in matching vinyl, in preparation for mounting them them in the car as you can see below.
Below you can see the piece mounted in the car…
And then he added the remaining flat panels on top, to finish off the look
Now, our high voltage lines are well sheathed in a masonite and vinyl soffit, and the interior still looks close to stock.
We’re all really excited about the result, since it evokes, acknowledges and pays homage to the original factory way. Remember, our number one priority with this project was to protect the vintage car experience while adding a modern electric drivetrain. Thus we stayed with analog gauges and retained as much of the original interior design as possible.
This car will be done next week, and we will be starting on car #2 shortly. If you want us to convert your Bugeye to electric power, please get in touch soon, as our winter schedule of gas and electric projects is filling up quickly!
