I Spit In The Eye of the Prince of Darkness A British Sports Car Conversion to an EV

By Chuck Culver, cac34@comcast.net
Phase I – 2011, 2012

In January of 2012, our British Motor Club of Southern New Jersey club members attended a workshop 
at Motorcar Garage on the Lucas electrical and wiring systems, famous in British cars. 
Coincidently, in conversation with other club members, I mentioned that last June I had completed a 
full restoration and EV conversion of a 1967 Triumph TR4a IRS and now had a battery powered British 
sports car with a 60 mile range and 60 mph top speed. One of the other club members said, 'You spit 
in the eye of the prince of darkness', and the story would make a great newsletter article. I 
laughed and agreed so here goes....
About 4 years before, my friend, Eddie Adams, owner of Eddie's Antique Restorations in Egg Harbor, 
NJ and also a club member, offered me an old, disassembled, TR4a he had in a garage taking up 
valuable storage space for the last 8 years. The last owner had left it for restoration around 
2001, died in the twin towers, and never picked it up. Eddie had completed all the metal body work 
then put it in storage waiting on the owner. The owners wife finally said he could keep the car, I 
offered her $500 for the title and Eddie gave me the car.

The frame was shot so I had RATCO in Long Island build a new Triumph frame and mount all the new 
brake, tire/wheel, steering and suspension parts I purchased. I now had a totally new rolling 
chassis, a sound, whole body but a questionable drive train that had not run in 10-12 years. At 
this point I had about $10,000 invested and thought I'd be lucky if I only had to put another 10 into
the project. Little did I know.....

I had been reading articles on Electric Cars and got the thought that maybe a way to keep young 
people interested in the car hobby in the future was to convert classic vehicles to battery power. 
New technology, old classic style....that sort of thing.

Could I convert this '67' TR4a to an electric vehicle? Plus, I wanted to see if I could do it. 
Years earlier when doing my first restoration after retirement (64 E type), I was completely 
intimidated by the thought of wiring a car without burning it up. I watched Eddie Adams wire that 
one but tried the next one (57 MGA) myself and overcame my fear. Building this electric car would 
be like getting a graduate degree in wiring. And everything was pretty much custom.
I started buying books on EV conversions and doing lots of internet and youTube research on the 
subject. I found that there were a bunch of consulting/conversion companies out there (mostly in 
Calif.), that specialized in either doing the EV conversions of fuel powered cars and trucks to 
electric or assisting do-it-yourselfers by selling the parts or kits needed and offering counseling 
and advice on ev conversions.
After evaluations, I ended up contacting EVAmerica, Inc. of Wolfesboro, NH as my helper. The owner, 
Bob Bastion, was an expert in EV conversions, now deceased, and guided me through the entire 
process.

They did the following to help me:
o Talked me through the entire conversion process.
o Helped me choose the right battery to use.
o After feeding all the stats of the TR4a into a computer model, generated all of the components 
   and sizes required for me to build a vehicle capable of a minimum of 60 mph and a 60 mile range and 
   be safe.
o Provided an outlet to purchase all components needed except batteries.
o Built me an adapter plate system between the Chevy T5 manual transmission I used in the project 
   and the electric motor they provided.
o Helped with the design and placement of the battery boxes in the sports car.
o Assisted me in weight computations of the original drive train, fuel, oil, water and exhaust 
   systems vs the new components and 13, 80lb batteries.
o Provided extensive how-to documentation, wiring diagrams, testing procedures and safety steps.
o Answered my every question via phone or email along the build. I sent them progress pictures 
   every week during the conversion build.

Early on in the project much time was spent on battery selection, placement (Safety and weight 
distribution), building and installing steel battery boxes and hold downs. The batteries were not 
purchased until the last step but we needed to know exact size and weight up front. Twelve, 74 lb. 
deep cycle, golf cart, wet acid Trojan batteries were selected as the power source. These cost 
$2400 and added 900 lbs to the car for a total of 144 volts. Ion Lithium would have been a third of 
the weight but double the cost for the same output and I just could not justify it for a show car 
that would be driven only 1-2000 miles a year. A 13th conventional battery is also used to power 
lights, horn, radio, etc. We finally decided on placing 4 batteries behind the front grill, 4 
behind the seats where the TR fuel tank used to be and 4 batteries in the trunk.

The car is stock from the transmission back with the exception that I used a Chevy T5, manual 5 
speed transmission instead of the Triumph 4 speed. As it turns out only 2nd, 3rd and reverse gears 
are used and the clutch is removed since an electric motor stops when you take your foot off the 
pedal. I start in second and shift to third at 35mph.

After installation of the transmission, adaptor plate and electric motor I built a 1/2" Plexiglas 
(non-conducting) engine bay panel over the motor to support the other components, switches and 
cabling. This panel is removable to provide access to the motor for maintenance. In total, I 
removed 660 lbs (TR4 engine, radiator, exhaust, fuel tank, starter, generator, heater and hoses) 
from the car but added 1100 lbs (motor, converter, charger, DC/DC converter, switches, cabling, 
batteries and battery boxes) back into the car. Fortunately I got heavy duty springs and shocks on 
the chassis rebuild.

The longest time was spent on wiring as this electric vehicle has three separate wiring systems:
1) High voltage cabling system - This inter-connects all 12 batteries, switches, circuit breaker, 
    motor and controller with 2.0 welding cable.
2) Low voltage system - This system opens and closes switches when the pedal is depressed, feeds 
    re-charging juice back to the 13th battery for lights, etc and manages the main vehicle charging 
    system.
3) Conventional Triumph wiring system - Utilized the TR4a wiring harness without ignition, starting 
    or generator circuits.
      1 and 2 are NOT grounded to the car but only to the negative battery side.

Safety in dealing with 144 volts in a moving vehicle is important and challenging. The largest 
amount of design and fabrication time is spent on immobilizing the batteries and providing fuses 
and rapid disconnect ability in case of an accident or problems.
Remember, the high voltage wiring system is NEVER grounded to the vehicle and if the batteries are 
not properly secured, they may be dangerous in an accident. In addition, there are three rapid 
disconnect points in the design.
1. A 400 amp circuit breaker is wired in the engine bay with an emergency switch on the dash to 
    kill power in an instant.
2. The 144 volt wiring contains 4 disconnect connectors that will stop current from the batteries 
    to the controller to the motor used when working on the electrical systems or battery maintenance.
3. A power fuse is located mid way between batteries #6 and #7 to blow out in case of a short 
    circuit.

Two areas were modified in the interior design. Different gauges were used to measure, high 
voltage, low voltage, amp's and a simulated fuel use gauge. Also, the rear storage area behind the 
seats was re-engineered to accommodate 4 batteries.

Back-In-Time Interiors in Mt. Holly ,NJ completed the all leather interior with my design 
assistance. We went with a tan buckskin leather and navy blue cording. Since the car was painted in 
a non-stock neon metallic blue, there was no attempt to stay with a stock interior. A copper rust 
colored carpet and tan canvas convertible completed the package. My friends, Jay Rossel and Ray 
Hunt did an outstanding job again as they have before. Rays skills with leather and attention to 
detail never fail to amaze me since Ray lost one eye in Vietnam and is a better craftsman that any 
two eyed equal.

The actual EV conversion cost me around $12,500 for components, wiring and batteries. The total 
conversion however went north of $40,000 but is ended up a beautiful show car, but since I joined 
the 'More Money than Brains School of Auto Restoration' in 2005, I build for quality and enjoyment 
not profit.

I have taken the TR4Aev to a few car shows last summer and gotten two different reactions. Either 
they love the car, think it's very unique and have a million questions on how it was converted or 
they think I ruined a great classic! (purists). I look at it this way. If I can get some young 
technocrat interested in the old car hobby by converting a classic to electric power, maybe my 
widow someday can sell it and return good value. That's because I believe when all us baby-boomers 
are gone nobody will want the old cars anymore and my wife will find out I have been lying all 
these years calling them investments!


For additional questions contact Chuck Culver at CAC34@COMCAST.NET
Phase II – Winter of 2026

Skip forward to 2020, the 12, 12 volt Trojan golf cart batteries had died, I was about to move to 
Florida and not sure what to do with the car. It had little value not running and with no power. I 
pulled out the old batteries and decided to move the car to Florida with me and lookfor technical
help in doing another upgrade to the newest Lithium batteries and bring the car back 
to life. After we resettled in The Villages community in Central Florida, I spent the next five 
years trying to find local help to do the upgrade. There are many battery businesses in the area 
due to the large number of Golf Carts in our community, however they all had knowledge that stopped 
at 48 volts and I needed someone who could do a 144 volt upgrade. By this time EVAmerica was out of 
business and I finally found a local vendor who could help.

In February of 2026 I found Green Shed Conversions, in Floral City, FL., and they have been doing 
EV conversions for 30 years, a local family business, and had the experience and expertise to do 
the job and they knew the newest battery advancements to give me more power, more range and stay 
away from the fire prone, lithium batteries.

We got an agreement and they ordered 46, 3.5 volt Iron Phosphate batteries, a complete computerized 
BMS (Battery management system) and new charging system and spent a month doing the upgrade and 
install. They were able to tie in to my existing motor, controller, relays and cabling from the 
original conversion.

The original build placed 4, 12 volt batteries up front, 4 behind the seats and 4 in the trunk with 
the charger. The new configuration placed 22 of the smaller batteries up front, 24 behind the seats 
and only the new charger in the trunk. I reupholstered the trunk and now have room for chairs to 
take to the car shows.
Since the car had been sitting covered in my garage for the last six years, after the battery 
upgrade was done, a number of repairs and adjustments were required including comedic fixes and a 
full professional detailing with ceramic paint application.

After the new battery upgrade Green Shed owners estimated my new top speed at 80-90 mph and my new 
range at 150 to 180 miles on a single charge. Since this is only a show car taken short distances 
locally to Villages car shows, that speed and range works fine for me. They also installed a new 
state-of-the-art dash gauge to help me monitor range, battery cell performance and charge and 
discharge performance. The old gauge setup gave poor info and left we stranded and out of juice a 
few times.
Once again I put more money into this vehicle than I will ever get back, but it was useless the way 
it was and since it gets so much attention, it was a worthwhile investment. I love talking about 
and displaying the car at shows and continue to interest younger people into the classic car hobby. 
However again, the old time British car purists claim I wrecked a classic and should go to car 
hell.

A clever poem that reminds us of the hierocracy of turning an old British car into an EV,

Hope youenjoyed the story of my cars adventure…

The Scourge of Lucas
(To the tune of “The Sounds of Silence”)

Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to sit in you again Because a wire softly loosening
Left its place while I was cruising
And my vision, that was guided by its light Gave way to night
Thanks to the Scourge of Lucas

So many nights I’ve worked ’til dawn Trying to find out what went wrong ’Neath the halo of a street 
lamp
I’ve jiggled wires ’til my fingers cramp
And my arms are scarred from the bright sparks that split the air And singed my hair
Thanks to the Scourge of Lucas

And in the sparking light I saw 10,000 MGs maybe more.
Engines cranking without starting Switches clicking without switching People starting drives that 
ended in a tow And dreams laid low
Thanks to the Scourge of Lucas.

Fools say I do not know How to fix a dynamo
Under the dash I can’t quite reach you Despite my cursing that I’ll teach you
But my words, like burned-out lightbulbs fell Into the hell Of Lucas

And the experts bowed and prayed To the manuals that they’d made And the manuals gave dire warning 
About the hazards of most everything
But the words of those prophets gave not one single clue

What I could do
To end the Scourge of Lucas


                                                                SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF PHASE I & II CONVERSION