Final week, I used to be drooling over Chris’s extremely modified Focus RS (and the junior model) with its Ford Maverick storage mate. This week, we get to take a look at a heartwarming Harley, and three very totally different kinds of electrical autos. Jim (Fuzzyweis) is a tech help guru residing in North Carolina. His eclectic mixture of autos consists of his late father’s Harley, one of many oldest EVs round, in addition to a few more moderen ones.
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I’m excited for this one. As we speak we bought to take a look at an electrical truck, with a DeDion rear suspension, manufacturing unit crank home windows, zero paint choices, and nice vinyls happening the aspect. No, I’m not speaking a couple of Slate. This can be a Radwood period EV truck!
Again within the late 90s, Ford and GM each determined to take a fast stab into the EV market, GM with the S-10, and Ford with the Ranger. Chevy was first available on the market in 1997, however man it was bizarre. The electrical S-10 was FWD, and the vary was as little as 33 miles. Ford went a bit extra conventional, protecting as many ICE Ranger elements as they might whereas pulling the engine and placing within the electrical motor. Each choices are very uncommon. Allegedly, about 1,500 Rangers had been produced, however most had been destroyed. There are only some hundred on the market nowadays, and Jim managed to snag one a couple of years in the past!
What’s presently within the storage?
1998 Harley Electra Glide – configured like a Avenue Glide
2017 Chevy Bolt
2024 Honda Prologue
2000 Electrical Ford Ranger
How did you get into automobiles?
My Dad was a mechanic his whole life. He began me off on Revell, Snaptite and Ertl fashions. He would usually get me Transformers, Gobots, and M.A.S.Okay. toys. Rising up, we’d watch Knight Rider, A-Workforce, Hardcastle and McCormick, Avenue Hawk, Riptide, Dukes of Hazzard. So all that. Sadly there’s a extreme lack of automotive associated toys/television exhibits these days, which I consider is ruining the youths.
What’s the story behind the Harley?
My dad purchased the Electra Glide new. The Electra Glide has the trunk pack and another minor variations. Mainly, I took off the trunk pack and bought a special license plate bracket, they’ve primarily the identical entrance fairing and elegance in any other case. I’ve had it for about eight years now.
Wouldn’t it be one thing you’d have purchased if hadn’t been your father’s?
I believe one thing on this fashion for certain as I used to be beginning to head on this course, possibly not a Harley although as I’m not the standard “Harley man”, but it surely’s not all blacked out on black with some black added, so possibly. Earlier than the Harley, I had a Yamaha V-Star 650 basic that I’d added a Mustang model seat, hardbags, a windshield, and a few audio system with an amplifier hooked to an mp3 participant so I used to be already headed in direction of tourer territory.
What do you’re keen on about this?
Primarily I adore it was my dad’s. He’s now not amongst us so every time I trip it or tinker with it I’m reminded of him. That and it’s so comfortable to trip, my spouse was all the time jealous of the large again seat it had once we used to go on rides with my dad and she or he likes it lots higher than our previous Yamaha. Wind remedy is implausible. There are some good rural roads across the Charlotte space you possibly can head down for hours, I nonetheless haven’t bought to the Blue Ridge Parkway with it in order that’s a particular must-do.
Something you don’t like?
I like and hate it’s carbureted. Some days I might love to simply get on it and go, however should you don’t let it heat up, you’re sputtering the primary couple miles. It runs nice as soon as warmed up although, and the carb is so easy, nothing digital to fret about with it.
Is it in fairly fine condition?
It’s nice now. After I bought it, my dad had let it go for some time. I pulled off all of the fading chrome bits he’d added. He had a tow hitch on it for just a little fiberglass trailer that went away. Happily, as soon as I bought the physique shined up, the previous paint nonetheless holds up fairly effectively.
I introduced it to an area store that focuses on previous Harleys, they even have some ’50s and ’60s fashions of their entrance space, they usually bought the engine in nice form. Additionally they modified the first chain because it was stretched out (most likely from pulling the little fiberglass trailer).
After that, I then up to date the previous air suspension with progressive shocks back and front, up to date the stereo from a tape deck to a bluetooth unit, and the audio system as they had been fairly shot, put in LED headlights and spots, apart from that it retains working. It does have an oil leak on the rear cylinder so I must do the gaskets on it, but it surely’s a Harley in order that’s pretty typical. I’m debating doing that myself or having the store do it. I actually belief the store, but additionally might be an excellent winter challenge to tinker with it.
How did you find yourself with the Bolt?
After I bought the Ranger throughout Covid, I used to be principally working from house and I nonetheless had a couple of yr of funds left on a Chevy Volt. I offered the Volt since used costs had been going up pondering I used to be so sensible. Spoiler, I used to be not sensible. I ended up needing to return into work full time, and the Ranger may solely simply make the journey within the winter, so I wanted one other automotive.
I actually needed a Kia Soul EV which has lower than half the vary, however just like the fashion of the Soul higher, however at the moment all of the compliance EVs just like the eGolf, Focus Electrical, Kia Soul EV value about the identical because the Bolts with half the vary. Then I bought a free new battery a yr later so rating! We purchased the Bolt used for beneath $20k, not the perfect deal should you take a look at what Bolt costs are actually. However we’ve had it for 4 years and it has 108k miles on it now.
Was this your first fashionable EV?
Sure! We had a Volt earlier than this, which doesn’t get complicated to inform folks about in any respect, and I used to be not often utilizing the engine so figured we may get by on a full EV, even when we simply cost on 110v, which we’ve got a 208v charger now so even higher, however the first month or so it was charged on a daily outlet and labored high-quality.
How have you ever preferred it?
I prefer it as a buddy, a very good buddy, a devoted buddy, however a strictly platonic buddy. I’d lie if I didn’t say my eyes wandered each day on the best way to work after I see a more moderen Beetle or Ioniq 5 or some such.
How lengthy do you assume you’ll maintain onto this?
It will depend on the place we find yourself on the finish of the Prologue lease, and what the longer term for EVs brings. I would like one thing just a little sexier or enjoyable, I’m ready for the uninteresting SUV EVs to all get rolled out so we are able to get some enjoyable EV choices, but it surely has been such a stable dependable automotive I’m not going to do away with it till I discover one thing that basically strikes me.
What do you assume the primary gen did higher than the second for this?
The motor/battery are principally the identical. The most important factor is the tail/brake lights. Mine has the combo tail/brake on the hatch as anticipated, solely the blinkers are within the bumper, they usually’re amber. Within the second gen, the lights on the hatch are simply tail lights, the brakes/flip are within the bumper trying like purple reflectors. It’s ridiculous. Aside from that, I actually just like the shifter. It’s significantly better than the buttons in later fashions.
What led to you leasing the Prologue?
We had a Forester, similar to Matt’s. Seeing Matt’s a number of articles, it was like studying a novel a couple of serial killer and realizing the decision is coming from inside the home! We’d simply paid off the Bolt, and will get the Prologue lease for lower than what Bolt funds had been, so we figured it was an excellent deal. After all my spouse driving the Bolt to work every time I used to be working from house or on weekends and having that immediate acceleration in comparison with the Forester didn’t do it any favors.
Is there something you miss concerning the Forester or simply glad to see it gone?
It was actually roomy. I’m 6 toes tall and on the heavy aspect and I may simply slide into the motive force’s seat and stretch out. The Prologue is roomy too, however the Forester felt only a bit extra ethereal inside. Additionally, visibility! To this present day I’m nonetheless confused how Subaru managed the 5 star security rankings however have such good visibility out, particularly across the A pillars which have grown massively the previous 15 years on different automobiles.
Do you’re feeling this suffers in any respect being a Honda on a GM platform?
In no way. GM has a very good underlying platform, and I felt Honda fastened some GM goofs with the Prologue. The cost port door is a daily push open/shut as a substitute of the motorized one on the Blazer, it has Carplay, it has common headlights and tail lights with amber flip indicators, it doesn’t appear to be tHe fUtuRe in design, simply bought the common Honda design language. I like that it’s refined and common trying.
What does this do higher than the Bolt?
It’s so far more comfortable, not simply inside area sensible however ride-wise too. It’s simply so easy and quiet. The Bolt is quiet as an EV however then we get out of the Prologue and into the Bolt and are like ‘why’s it so loud?’
The Prologue has some fancy gee-wizardry in comparison with the Bolt. For instance, with the screens, there’s a steering wheel button to maneuver the content material from the large infotainment display to the console, so you possibly can have your map within the console display.
The low-speed pedestrian sound from the Prologue seems like an orchestral sci-fi noise that the pitch rises on as you speed up, on the Bolt the low-speed noise seems like a vacuum cleaner, I imply a pleasant vacuum cleaner however nonetheless.
What’s the Bolt higher at?
Dealing with, the Bolt is so nimble, my spouse hasn’t pushed the Bolt in virtually 2 months, however we take it every time we’re collectively to avoid wasting mileage on the Prologue and I take some turns within the Bolt and simply see her eyes get large lol. Additionally 1 pedal driving is only a downshift within the Bolt, that’s tremendous useful on my commute in Charlotte site visitors. The Prologue buried it within the infotainment display. Primarily as they’ve a regen paddle on the steering wheel, the Bolt has that too however simply activating that mode like a downshift is so intuitive.
Now what’s the story behind the Ranger?
It was the summer season of 2020, and we had simply purchased a home. I needed a small truck for home stuff, and being a little bit of a tech nerd was seeking to possibly convert an previous mini truck to electrical like an S10 or Ranger, in my analysis on that I came upon about these after which began trying to find ones on the market. and located some listings on Ebay.
There’s a few guys in Oregon that acquired the remaining inventory of Ranger Electrics and varied spare elements from the holding firm that had them after folks stopped the crushing again within the early 2000s. They listed 2 of them on Ebay and I gained the bid on one for about $6k, First time I ever purchased a automobile sight unseen, after which paid to have it transported out right here to NC.
How’s it holding up after 25 years?
It’s doing nice! At the same time as an electrical it’s nonetheless a FFR! It has barely any rust, even the AC nonetheless works.
Have you ever needed to do any work to it?
Not lots, it ran and drove after I bought it, and it’s electrical so not a lot to interrupt. I did change the brake booster which is the usual Ranger one, it has a vacuum pump for the booster and that saved biking so I traced it to the booster, went to NAPA and bought a alternative no downside. I’ve additionally up to date the stereo. I’ve a Sony unit now with cd participant and carplay, a little bit of a unicorn itself so assume it matches effectively.
I additionally modified the oil within the motor as that’s listed as a upkeep merchandise each few years. Lastly it truly has a ‘cabin air filter’ to exchange. This can be a little half-moon formed pleated filter that goes within the blower housing, the heater is a wire component sort in order that’s to maintain leaves and such from getting on there and beginning a fireplace.
Any points with it?
The perpetual challenge, primarily solely challenge, moreover the brake booster, is the paint has fixed delamination. After I bought it there have been large patches lacking on the mattress and cab, and the place the HOV lane stickers from California had been on it they really ate by the paint in an ideal sq. sample. Having spent solely $6k on it I didn’t need to spend a lot on a paint job so I roll-on lined the mattress and regularly rattle can the remainder as wanted. It’s customary white it doesn’t present too unhealthy, and I bought some NOS decals from a ’94 to distract from my unhealthy paint as effectively, which look completely RAD!
Any plans for additional modernization?
I up to date the cost port from the unique Avcon cost port, which is sort of a claw fashion connector, to the fashionable J1772 fashion most non-Teslas have. The Avcon was the predecessor to the J1772 so it was a direct wire in. Additionally, the stereo I’ve in it has a backup digicam and carplay and I’ve a wi-fi steering wheel management. I additionally changed the roll up home windows with energy home windows as a comfort. It nonetheless has guide locks a lot to my spouse’s chagrin, however actually the primary 30 years of our lives most automobiles had guide locks so I inform her she ought to know tips on how to use them lol.
On condition that the Slate simply dropped, do you’re feeling that could be a religious descendant of your Ranger?
Undoubtedly! It’s actually the scale of the previous Rangers, proper all the way down to the plywood having to sit down on high of the wheel wells lol. And sure, particularly with the Electrical Ranger the rear drive unit and de Deon tube axle, they usually had the roll up home windows too! I hope it takes off and I get to see some round city. Possibly I’ll even attempt to sneak into native Slate meetups in the event that they get that far.
What kind of vary does it get?
It will get about 50 miles round city (45-50mph) now, simply this spring I did the upkeep process to refresh the batteries. Like previous RC automotive NiMh batteries, they get a little bit of a reminiscence, so that you drain them to absolute zero a number of instances to refresh them. Beforehand, it was solely getting just a little over 30 miles. The ‘guess-o-meter’ gauge, the place the tach was on a traditional Ranger, solely goes as much as about 60 so that they weren’t making an attempt to oversell the vary again then both.
How usually do you drive it?
I attempt to drive it about each weekend, typically take it into work on a Friday. I do no less than cost it each week although as that additionally helps high off the 12v battery.
What’s your favourite factor about this?
So many issues, there’s a little bit of historical past with having a Ranger as when my spouse and I began relationship I had a ’94 Ranger, 4×4 single cab. On our first date I left the headlights on whereas we went to see a film, and needed to have considered one of her pals come bounce begin it for us. She went out with me once more after that, presumably as a result of she preferred the truck lol. This sits on the 4×4 body just like the later 2WD Edge mannequin and is a single cab so it brings me proper again after I get in it.
I like the simplicity of it and figuring out that almost all issues just like the brake system, energy steering, the entire physique and body are fixable with common Ranger elements is reassuring, and if one thing with the EV system does go there’s an entire group of Ranger EV homeowners for help, many have upgraded their batteries and charging techniques. It’s only a actually sincere, primary truck that occurs to have electrical containers throughout it.
What’s the worst factor about it?
You’d assume vary however now that I’ve bought it as much as 50 miles that’s not it. It’s the acceleration! Or lack thereof. It’s not quick, as famous by the Baymax decal on the window. It will get round high-quality, and I’ve hit high pace on the freeway (75mph), however in comparison with all our different automobiles I’ve to essentially do a triple take when pulling out into site visitors.
How do you assume this compares to the Chevy S-10 EV that was additionally out within the late 90s?
On the time I might’ve taken an S10 or a Ranger electrical if I may discover both, however I’m actually glad I wound up with the Ranger. The S10 had inductive charging which was a really proprietary sort of setup that used a paddle to plug in to cost, and also you wanted the charger that matched. The Ranger had principally the earlier era of what’s now J1772 in order that was a simple improve. The S10s are additionally a lot rarer, they made extra Ranger Electrics than EV1 and electrical S10s mixed, and we all know what occurred to most EV1s.
Any curiosity within the new Lightning or any of the opposite larger EV vehicles now available on the market?
My spouse certain is taken with them lol, however the large ones aren’t for me. The Ranger has completed every thing I’ve wanted of it to date, hauled over 800lbs of patio pavers, taken damaged commodes to the dump, and I can take it to Radwood! Smaller EV vehicles just like the Slate can be tempting in that I may consolidate the Bolt and the Ranger, over 100 miles of vary and a frunk can be cool, however we’ll see how they do, and what the worth finally ends up being with choices.
Having EVs from principally three totally different generations, how stark is the distinction between them?
I really feel just like the Ranger actually exhibits how EVs weren’t public prepared 25 years in the past, and certainly it was principally a fleet truck, some didn’t even have air con. Then simply the 17 years between the Ranger and the Bolt it’s like (going) from the biplane Sopwith Camel to the P-51 Mustang.
Now with the Blazer/Prologues we’re coming into the jet age of EVs. The variations between the Bolt and the Prologue don’t appear as large however the Prologue can cost 3 instances as quick because the Bolt, is 2 sizes up from the Bolt, has AWD, however nonetheless will get simply as a lot vary from solely about 25% extra battery.
What side of those do you assume has progressed essentially the most over the past 25 years?
I believe the apparent reply is battery expertise, but additionally all the opposite expertise beneath the hood. After I present the Ranger to different EV fans, they only marvel on the huge measurement of the person elements beneath the hood. Evaluating this to the Slate Beta autos, and even the F150 Lightning, there’s a big frunk the place all that stuff is within the Ranger. It’s like evaluating the previous huge rear projection TVs that took three or 4 folks to maneuver, to fashionable, dangle on the wall with a thumbtack, 65″ flat panels.
Thanks Jim!
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