Battery Rack Install

Our team has recently started the process of cutting a hole in the car where the spare tire once was, to make room for two battery racks. We first tested the measuring and cuts on an older Mustang before cutting into our project Mustang. The tests were very successful, so we moved onto our project car. Pilot holes were first drilled into the corners of the planned hole, to make the cutting easier. We then used a grinder to make the first cuts in the thin sheet metal. After the first cuts were made, a plasma cutter was used to make the final cuts and clean up any excess metal. After the hole was cut, the battery racks fit snugly into the hole. The racks will later be secured to the sub-frame of the car to prevent them from moving.

Mr. Butler, Hunter Foulks, Spencer Griffin, and Jesse Gilbert debate on how to install the front battery rack.

Mr. Butler, Hunter Foulks, Eli Strickland, and Jesse Gilbert test the fit of the rear battery racks in our older Mustang.

The test cut made on our team's older Mustang.

Mr. Butler uses a plasma cutter to make final cuts and trim off excess metal.

Spencer Griffin trimming off excess metal and smoothing any sharp edges.

First battery rack installed into the project car.

Spencer Griffin and Mr. Butler measure the hole to install the next battery rack.

New Interior from Late Model Restoration Supply

Late Model Restoration Supply is one of the leading supplies of parts and accessories for 79-current mustangs and many other vehicles. They have agreed to sponsor our endeavor to create an electric foxbody mustang.




Our team recently received most of the interior parts needed to give our project a cleaned refreshed stock look. All cars in the SMARTT Challenge need to look as stock as possible as part of the Final Event. We received new moldings and weatherstrip for all of the doors and windows on the car, as well as new carpet for the inside of the car. As part of the project, the team has decided to insert what is called a rear-seat delete in order to remove the rear seat to save weight. The rear seat delete allows the seats to be removed, while covering the spot where the seats once were. This creates a clean install, making the interior of the car look like it is stock. We have also received new side view mirrors for both sides of the car, as well as new brake-light lenses. We have also received new door-strikers and other small components for all of the doors.

The boxes containing the new interior parts from Late Model Restoration Supply.

New door moldings for our car from Late Model Restoration.

Spencer Griffin fits a new brake lense over the old. Lenses supplied by Late Model Restoration.

Rear-seat delete supplied by Late Model Restoration.

Instrument pod supplied by Late Model Restoration.

New carpet for the interior of our car, supplied by Late Model Restoration.

Our team has recently started the process of cutting out the space where the spare tire once was to make room for the new battery racks we received from GP Fabrications of Reidsville. After the batteries are installed the car will be well on its way to being completed.

Auxilary Battery and Cable

Our team has recently received a 12-volt battery as well as a 96v cable that will be used to connect the batteries to the controller and motor from Interstate Battery Company. The 12-volt battery will be used as an auxiliary battery to power the car's headlights, brake lights, turning signals, etc., without pulling energy from the main batteries. In order to keep the auxiliary battery from being depleted, we will run a DC/DC Converter from the main batteries to the smaller auxiliary battery. The DC/DC converter serves the same purpose as an alternator in an internal combustion engine vehicle, but without a belt that takes away energy from the motor. The auxiliary battery is also capable of being mounted at various angles because it is a dry-cell battery instead of a wet-cell battery. Interstate Battery has also donated a 50-foot piece of cable that is used for welding to our team to use as connecting cables for the batteries, controller, and motor. This cable is much more flexible than most cables of the same capacity, which is perfect for use in our car.

12-Volt auxiliary battery donated by Interstate Battery Company

50-Foot cable donated by Interstate Battery Company

Cable and Battery together.

The next step in our project is mounting the main batteries when the battery rack arrives, and getting them in place. We still have to complete the interior of the car, finish upgrading the breaks, and place the batteries before the competition in a few weeks. We hope to continue making progress, and complete the car on time.

Help From Some of Our Sponsors

Throughout the course of our project, our team has received aid from our many sponsors in the form of monetary donations or the donation of necessary parts. In the month of April, our team has received donations from both TNT Exhaust Service and GP Fabrications, both located in Reidsville, NC. TNT Exhaust graciously installed the full-length exhaust connector for our Mustang as a donation to our project. GP Fabrications is currently constructing the battery racks that will be used in the car as a donation, that will hopefully be finished by the end of this week. Alliance Hose and Tube, located in Greensboro, NC, also fitted the brake lines for our Mustang by custom-bending them to fit in the engine compartment correctly. The new brake-proportioning valve for our manual brakes was supplied by Maximum Motorsports.

Full-length Exhaust Connector installed by TNT Exhaust Services of Reidsville, NC.

Brake lines after being custom-fitted by Alliance Hose and Tube of Greensboro, NC.

Brake Proportioning Valve supplied by Maximum Motorsports.

Sponsor Links:

TNT Exhaust Service - http://www.yellowpages.com/reidsville-nc/mip/t-n-t-exhaust-service-inc-14770136

GP Fabrications - http://www.gpfabrications.com/

Alliance Hose and Tube Works - http://www.alliancehtw.com/

Maximum Motorsports - http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/

Late Model Restorations - http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/


Late Model Restorations has agreed to supply most of the high-priority parts for our project free of charge, in exchange for mutual sponsorship. Our team has agreed to promote their services through blogging and our website, we have also reserved a spot on our Mustang to place a Late Model Restorations sponsor sticker. Our team hopes to have the support of these excellent sponsors in the future, both for this project and other projects to come.

New Brakes and Wiring

Our team has recently installed new upgraded brake calipers and brackets to our Mustang in order to reduce weight, but still have effective braking ability. The brakes we are using now are twin piston, aluminum brake calipers (disc brakes) that were originally used on a Mustang GT. We decided to go with aluminum calipers because they are lighter, and are more race-inspired than stock brakes, as well as dissipate heat much more effectively than stock brakes.

Our team has also started the re-wiring process on the tail lights of our Mustang. This process consists of stripping the previously used wire harnesses of any electrical tape and sorting them into a more organized position. Team members will then regroup the wires into new harnesses, and place them back into the car.

One of the new calipers after being mounted onto the brake rotor.

Eli Strickland places new brake pads onto the brake bracket before replacing the caliper.

The brake pads and bracket before the caliper is placed.

Spencer Griffin strips wire harnesses of electrical tape.

The next step for our project is completing the re-wiring process and installing the pedals. The gas pedal is now connected to a pontetiometer instead of a carburetor, to serve as a fuel injection system. We are also connecting the brake pedal to our new brakes on the car, using a special brake pedal that has a higher pivot-point. We are using this special brake pedal because we have decided to omit power-brakes from the car in order to save energy.

Rear Axle Overhaul

We have recently installed the rear axle into our Mustang after cleaning it up and giving it a new coat of paint. We ground out any rust on the axle, and then proceeded to grease and paint the axle before reinstalling it. After the axle was cleaned up, the team installed it into the Mustang with new upgraded Bilstein struts, and new braided stainless-steel brake lines.

Hunter Foulks and Quentin Dickerson grind the rust and dirt from the axle.

Chase Irby paints the new axle black.

Chase Irby torques down the rear-axle differential cap.

The rear axle under the car before being fixed.

The axle before our team cleaned it up.

The axle after a fresh layer of paint.

The axle after its overhaul and re-installation into the car.

The next step in the conversion process is the installation of the battery rack and batteries in the rear of the car, where the spare tire used to be stored. Seven batteries are planned to be stored in the rear of the car, while the remaining five are planned to be stored in the engine compartment in order to balance out the vehicle.

Electric Vehicle Conversion 2011

The McMichael High School Electric Vehicle team is back with new members and a new project. This year's team consists of 10 students and our instructor, Mr. Butler. Each student has their own unique skill sets that contribute to our conversion project overall.

2011 Team Members are:

Mr. John Butler- Instructor

Hunter Foulks-Mechanic







Quintin Dickerson-Mechanic








Chase Irby-Mechanic








Spencer Griffin-Electronics/Wiring








Dylan Garner-School Initiative






Clinton Blankenship-Web Designer






Graham Beasley-Video Editor






Jesse Gilbert-3-D CAD Designer






Tyler Haney-Photo Editor






Eli Strickland-Mechanic







Our team hopes to do extremely well at the SMARTT Challenge Final Event this May. Every team member has been working diligently to have our converted car ready for the event. We have recently re-installed the rear axle after cleaning it and making some upgrades to it. We have also upgraded the rear suspension as well as replaced the stock brake lines with braided, stainless steel brake lines. Our next objective is deciding on how to mount the batteries in the car while distributing the weight evenly. We are currently in the process of designing a battery rack that will fit in the back of the car snugly. The batteries we have decided to use are 12 8-volt batteries designed for use in electric golf carts. The batteries are lead-acid batteries and have been graciously donated to our program by Johnson Controls located in High Point, North Carolina.