I wasn’t a huge fan of EVs when I first heard about them.
Perhaps it had to do with the Prius and hybrid stigma, or because EVs are virtually silent. Or maybe it’s because I was scared for the future of vehicle modification; I for one am absolutely terrible when it comes to working with anything electrical, so bad in fact that I may have even caught my car on fire while attempting to wire up a neutral safety switch.
With that all said, you may be able to understand why I’ve been a bit dubious about the notion of modifying an electric car. But that recently changed when I met Jim Belosic and his 1981 Honda Accord, an EV that does 0-60mph in an electrifying 2.7-seconds and runs under 10 seconds in the quarter mile.
Jim is a head-to-toe car enthusiast who has done nearly everything to cars that can be done. But it got to the point where restoring and hot rodding regular cars the traditional and universally accepted way just wasn’t doing it for him anymore.
Armed with oodles of knowledge, a strong will and a drive to innovate, he found himself building cars and machines from scratch that definitely didn’t follow convention. A couple of steam-powered creations were even in the mix.
But after starting a software company, Jim found himself lusting to work with his hands again. When a friend bought a Nissan Leaf the true fun began again.
While the Leaf isn’t the fastest or coolest electric vehicle on the road it was the perfect place to start, and before long it was fitted with a motor controller and modified inverter. It was at this point that Jim realized that electric was indeed the future, and that he needed an EV project of his own.
If you’re wondering ‘why a 1981 Honda Accord?’, you’ll be pleased to know that Jim’s reasoning is vastly better than the common ‘why not’ answer.
It all started when, at the age of 16, he bought an ’81 Accord, then promptly destroyed it. While Jim eventually moved on, a couple of years ago he came across an Accord for sale in the same model, year and colour as his original, and nostalgia took over. With so much more driving experience under his belt in the time since, the Accord’s 66hp 1.6-liter engine did little to inspire. But Jim had an idea. After some more research on electric motors, systems and batteries, he went all-in on this rear-wheel drive, EV Accord.
The drive unit was taken from a wrecked Tesla Model S P85 (hence the car’s Teslonda moniker) and is paired with a motor controller from a fellow electric car modifier, Jason, otherwise known as the “Tesla Hacker”. The batteries were purchased on eBay and were originally from a totaled Chevrolet Volt. The rest of the parts came from EVWest.com who are the leaders in electric conversations; the owner of that company drives a self-built electric BMW E36 M3 Pikes Peak car.
Jim says that sourcing the components wasn’t hard, but fitting everything into the Honda was another story.
‘Just drop the batteries and motor in, plug in some wires, charge it up, flip a switch and you’re done, right?’ Not entirely. When all the parts started to show up last Christmas, Jim realized that he’d have to completely rethink the style of the car. A good example of this is the width difference; the Model S’s axles are 76-inches hub-to-hub but the Accord is only 72-inches wide.
The battery pack also posed a problem; in order to fit everything into the car all of the front suspension pick up points would be compromised. The answer? Jim took the classic gasser approach from 1960s drag racing, installing a straight axle and a set of leaf springs.
To keep the retro drag theme going, next came a set of Weld Racing wheels shod in Mickey Thompson tires – 26x6x15 Sportsman S/R Radials up front and 305/45-18 ET Street R Radials out the back.
When Jim first envisioned the Teslonda project his idea was to create a sleeper of sorts, but while the gasser style did away with that notion entirely it made the build a whole lot easier to realize. In its newfound guise the Accord looks like it’s ready to crush anything in its path.
Due to some unfavorable weather of late Jim isn’t too sure of the car’s exact travelling range, but he estimates that his 16kWh battery should allow about 50 to 60 miles per charge when driving “reasonably”. Of course, just like an internal combustion engine, the deeper you bury your foot the less you’ll go on a tank of gas, or in this case, a charge.
Over the past three months, at the pace of roughly two hours a day, the Teslonda has rapidly become a reality, but it’s far from finished. Aside from the Raspberry Pi dash and Vbox-fed 0-60mph leaderboard, there’s still a lot to do.
A roll cage, carpet, better seat belts and some cosmetic additions are all on the way, according to Jim.
Along with interior bits, more batteries may be added to help with the voltage situation. Currently it’s sitting at 393 volts, but as each volt drops the equivalent of around one horsepower is lost. A larger battery capacity will not only help with power but longevity as well.
While the Teslonda may be on another level, there’s something else that sweetens the deal: It’s completely road legal. But not only is it registered and insured, Jim drives it whenever he can.
As I alluded to in the intro, the Accord has gone 0-60mph in 2.7-seconds, but this is only really the start for Jim. The next car on the list will be something AWD, dual-motored, and of course, electric; the allure of building something with hypercar performance from salvaged parts is just too much to resist. The goal is to be able to keep up with a new Tesla Roadster, so Jim’s aiming for 0-60 mph time of just 1.9-seconds, which is equivalent to 1.86Gs!
Hot rodding started off with daredevils racing their modified cars in the early ’30s on dry lake beds, but it’s since evolved into an all-out culture. The drivers started to demand more from their cars as they wanted to continue to push the boundaries of speed, and this led to mechanics and engineers coming together to invent new parts. It also gave them the freedom to experiment with their own wild ideas.
The Teslonda team is powering the next wave of innovation when it comes to electric vehicles, along with encouraging everyone, young and old, to get involved. Whether it’s a Chevy Volt or a Tesla Model S, Jim believes it’s worth trying, and I think he’s right.
In the near future, it’ll be exciting to buy upgraded inverters, batteries, and capacitors from Jegs instead of carburetors and pistons.
My irrational hate of EVs was quickly stomped to bits after going for a ride in the Teslonda. Maybe it was the lack of noise under acceleration or the surge of being violently thrown into the back of the seat, or maybe the fact that my rear left the seat and I ended up smashing my head into the roof. Regardless though, I can attest to the high score figures and what can be done with a bit of innovation and dedication.
No turbo, no supercharger, no engine – it’s completely electric. Shocking, right?
You may be thinking that Jim is bonkers (I can attest to the fact that he’s absolutely mad), but that’s why I’m now excited for the future of EVs and the part they’ll play in performance car culture.
Jim summed it up perfectly when he said: “We figure that if electric is the future, we better learn about it now. Otherwise, we’re going to end up like those old guys who are scared of fuel injection.”
To be quite frank, I wish more people would embrace this mentality when it comes to change. I’m thankful for the opportunity that allowed me to step out of my comfort zone.
Keiron Berndt
Instagram: keiron_berndt
Keiron Berndt Photography
21st century e-rodders = Volters.
I like that!
Ampers... (it's not the volts, its the amps!)
Plus, Volters is too brand-specific.
this is speedhunter!!!! thank you very much for sharing.
Thanks for the feedback!
The art and colours on that electrodash are shockingly cool! It must be a buzz to drive!
I love the Emergency Stop button.
"We can't stop! We have to slow down first!"
Thanks Matthew! I did the dash on that; my inspiration was a to do a cross between old-school Nintendo games crossed with actual digital dash aesthetics you would find in early 80's autos. And it IS a buzz to drive. It takes my breath away as a passenger too. Thing is QUICK.
Dude, my head actually hit the roof when they punched it...
only gripe is that 16's and nostalgia slicks in the rear would complete the look better than 18's...otherwise, love this gas-less gasser honda!!!
I wanted to fit 15s, but the Tesla suspension geometry (and huge Brembo brakes) called for 18s. Really it should have 19s, but I shaved the calipers and lower control arms to clear the wheels.
I don't mind EVs at all. Just that the lack of sound is equivalent of the lack of character for a car.
I don´t mind EVs as well ... not that I am planning to get one.
Bigger issue for me is that all new EVs are hugely complicated ... and that everythings is connected. This is kind of problem for me with many new cars ... not just EVs.
This one is pretty cool, though.
I thought the same until I went for a ride... Torque over noise...
Same here. My hobby car at home is a ratty 72 bb460 Ford LTD that makes amazing noise but once I got a taste of Teslonda's torque, I think I'll be chasing that dragon forever. It's so damn quick.
Hold on what happened to the Countach Mid Night Club post?
At the request of the club, and out of respect for the owner, the post has been taken down.
Thats kind of BS if you ask me. Oooh, I've done something stupid, can you pull it off your site now.
Thanks, thats what I thought
I've seen video of this thing taking off. It's crazy. I have a hard time looking at it as I think it's just hideous, haha, but man, it's a fast mofo. I'm very interested in what else they're going to be building.
I know...it's soooooo damn ugly but I love it. Next build will have bigger rubber, more torque and of course, wheelies. I'm starting with a 1962 Ford Econoline Pickup, targeting 400-500kW and 1,000 lbs/ft at 1 RPM.
It's so so so quick! And I can't wait to see what doors this opens up in the tuning world.
Off Topic
Where'd the Mid Night article go?
The reason why I always hated electric cars were 2 things: no manual transmission needed (or even wanted), and they're completely silent. that's it. If those two were somewhat solved in an electric car, i MIGHT be remotely interested in electric cars.
I was actually surprised at how much noise the motor makes when you're in the car. It's no big block, but if gives a sense of speed for sure. Almost like an RC car or small turbine.
I was in the same boat and I still wish they did both, however, I'll happily take torque and power over that in a daily driver. But then again, can you really beat the feel, smell, and sound of a cammed big block though?
As far as I'm concerned, the answer to that is and always will be "no".
LOOOOOOL What did I just saw??? Man this one is really CRAZY.
After reading what happened to the Mid Night Lamborghini, I'm so thankful I downloaded some of the pictures for a background. That car should be remembered, its stunning. Can you give a little more explanation to why it was taken down?
On a side note this car is awesome. I read that the first few times they messed with the battery packs and motors, one person would stand nearby with a broom in case they started to get shocked lol. Modern ingenuity
These guys are on another level!
The club asked politely, we responded in kind out of respect for them.
Understandable. Interesting that the club as a whole exists enough that they would comment on it
I could have done without the lifted old school rodder look. The EV intrigues me and I would love to do it. I really liked that one off classic Mini that was up in NYC for the show but wasn't actually in the show. I would like to do something like that or convert my E30 Touring to EV.
I think it just adds to it! And an E30 EV would be dope!
The look was forced onto the project due to packaging mostly. And I wanted to complete the build quickly, so it took on it's own style. I agree that a mini would be awesome, but with current battery technology you'd have to completely fill the passenger compartment to get any kind of range. Hopefully the prices of ultra compact batteries will continue to drop so that converting a classic car can be less of a compromise.
Sorry man but I can't get behind EV's of any kind. Creative? sure but I think what people don't realize is as EV's grow in popularity (thanks Elon) the gas powered cars will become pushed aside and harder and harder to get parts for and laws will start to become more strict based on the EV picking up speed in the industry. I have a '90s Honda and it's getting harder and harder to even get it smogged. Is this the future? probably. Are these news worthy, sure. But the more these type of builds are promoted the faster that the days of hardcore gas, oil, and grease wrenching' will disappear. There's nothing like getting greasy and dirty on a project... nothing.
If you don't think this car was wrenched on, you may want to reread it...
Wrenching will never disappear, it will just change in scope. Parts are always going to get hard to get and its not because of electric cars, its because manufacturers just don't make them any more and after-market manufacturers will only make them for as long as there is enough on the road to make a business case for it. Rust and mechanical breakdown kill more cars than electrics ever will as most people who buy electrics sell their cars into the second hand market which keeps them on the road anyways. So try to understand that electric cars are not killing gas cars, its just the natural progression of things. Think about it this way, most newer cars are so full of electronics that those times were dead well before Tesla came along, your better off blaming CARB over electrics.
FYI, most of the grime comes from brake dust and grease, both of which are always needed on a vehicle (think cv joints and suspension joints). Also most of the motors are oil cooled and the batteries water cooled, so there will be lots of fluids to get your self dirty with for a long time to come.
Now think of the other end, rather than trying to fix up old rust buckets, the simplicity and packagability of electric drive-lines will lead to people coming up with many new designs and styles. Retrofitting older cars like this one is just the start, but there are also kit cars and home brew cars to think about too. All it takes now is a little bit of welding skill and the Internet and you can make a car from scratch in your own garage.
So don't worry or fret about the past, instead get excited for and embrace the future. The possibilities are endless!
I for one am looking forward to seeing some of the more interesting kit cars being built as electrics (ultima GTR, FF gtm or 818, locosts, etc.)
Also, 3D printing should allow for custom bodywork, either directly from the printer as improved materials become available or by using the printed pieces as mold masters for service parts.
I'll get my R34 one way or another.
We won't tell
As somebody on the far opposite end of the spectrum (primary toy vehicle; 700hp diesel truck), I have to say that I totally dig this thing. Old school hotrodding + modern tech = a very cool project. I'd love to see this thing out at the local strip doing some grudge racing.
Rumour has that it may be heading out to the drags soon...
Keiron, your shots are awesome! It was great riding with you that day; thanks for putting up with my magnitude 8.0 hangover I was dealing with. Side note: With Jim at the wheel; it is always exhilarating and absolutely terrifying riding in the Teslonda.
It was a blast! Can't wait to see what you guys cook up next!
A gasser aesthetic on a car that uses no gas. Signal Alanis Morissette.
Cool build though. A fair ways outside of any box I would have imagined.
Still a blast regardless and a good view of what could be our future as car people.
Yeah, that wasn't meant as criticism just an observation. Cool car indeed
This is not thinking outside the box, its more like...thinking outside the deposit
Gonna need some mudflaps on those meats.
Ha! Rally Armour for the win!
i have to admit, the shape of that generation accord looks nice (not referring to how it currently looks)
I love seeing outside-the-box stuff like this!
*claps*
It was definitely a rad experience!
Practically a donk.
Just sayin’.
The first thing that when through my mind when I saw the lead picture was, "Great, somebody turned a CVCC into a brodozer."
Thing's like Raspbery Pi dashboards make me reassured that the future of car modding will still be awesome. Computer guys catch the modding bug too lol.
Right??
100% agreed, John!
I too was a sceptic on the whole ev concept. Than I picked up a first gen prius on the cheep. Batteries great runs great. I had no idea what to do with it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hit up Jimmy on Instagram! He'll be a good guy to talk too!
What I love here is the dichotomy between the battery electric car, a vehicle which - as you alluded to - suffers in the minds of car guys for its association with all things Modern, Safe & Clean, combined with the gasser, probably the single most dangerous type of race car ever conceived by the mind of man.
A vehiclular example of all things balancing out in the end, perhaps?
I hope so! Maybe one day, instead of LS swaps, we can do a bolt in EV swap!
@Keiron epic write up bud and this thing is insane was wondering when some mad scientist will do a EV gasser. And on that note seeing as it is a Drag gasser inspired car has it done any 1\4 mile passes? what times did they get out of interest.
They're planning on running a couple passes, and will gather Data from the VBox too! I'm guessing a mid 10?
EVs are definitely cool in their own right but it is just not quite their yet for me. I've had a couple ev hotrod projects in mind for years but battery technology and price are holding me back. At the moment it would cost me about 20k+ and I would have a car that has a range of 50 miles. Curious, how much did this Teslonda cost to build?
Hit them up and ask! I think we're not there yet, but the possibilities are still endless.
That's a nice car and sure with more salvage EVs will see more guys scratching the surface of this king of swaps and sooner or later they will be going very deep in EV modding. (This is the future even if we hate it)
But you lost me with the carburetors reasoning: Why you think the guys are "afraid" to try the injectors instead of carburetors and a guy with too much experience and vehicles diversity under his belt came back to purchase his first car?
The guys are just stuck there because of nostalgia, they know they're wrong deep down and try to convince themselves (and others) but it's always the emotions that will "hold you back". These guys were running a big bunch of power on drum brakes so they might be stupid, crazy, careless, ... but nothing can scare them.
"Always your emotions that will hold you back." As far as I'm concerned, car culture is all about the emotion of driving. We've long since reached a point where boredom squares with efficiency the way drag squares with speed. Sure, modern cars are objectively "better" in a lot of ways but they've lost something in the process, and as far as I'm concerned, electric cars are a continuation of that process, only without the "better" part.
Hydrogen is our only hope and rumors saying they're having a big support in the R&D so let's keep the faith.
You lost me there completely, I couldn't find the things you mentioned. At least not written in the way you described.. And drum brakes, where?
well it's obvious i'm not this good in writing and i'll try to express it in another way:
As written in the article "we’re going to end up like those old guys who are scared of fuel injection" . Most of these guys are not scared of technology and advanced systems but charmed with the old school way. Guys with big balls racing with cars having "DRUM BRAKES", no power steering, a suspension giving the feeling of a boat,... these guys will never get "scared of" anything. Sure some of them were lazy to learn new ways more than "scared" of the new stuff.
Are you talking about this: “We figure that if electric is the future, we better learn about it now. Otherwise, we’re going to end up like those old guys who are scared of fuel injection.”?
I think you're just over complicating that quote and/or taking it too seriously. I know old guys, the likes you are talking about that are "scared" of say, fuel injection and they love their carbs. It's not about really being scared, but more about not having an interest in newer technology. They fully understand the advancements in technology after carbs, but they don't want anything to do with it. They don't want to learn new stuff anymore and there's nothing wrong with that.
The guys in this article still want to get on with the times and I think they were just joking about it. Don't get stuck in the "scared" part.
Now we're on the same train.
I didn't get it as a "joke" and got "stuck" there feeling like disrespecting the old guys. No hard feeling for the guys and hope they open up the doors of future for us, hope the best for them.
It's a high level build and too much unknown/non-mentioned complex parameters were solved here.
This was the first article on Speed Hunters for a long time, that I read from start to finish. Very interesting! I'm not quite there yet when it comes to EV's, but this car makes me think about them in a different light. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit scared that there might come a time, when I'll have to let go of the smell of gasoline and sounds that an internal combustion engine makes. I guess it's just what I was born into. There's always been so much more in it for me than just outright performance, but I can't argue that it must feel great to experience the endless torque of an electric motor. I have an Opel Manta B and I've toyed with the idea that I might have to electrify it some day. After reading this article, the thought of it is just a little bit less scary. There is a guy near me, who has been converting a model A Manta for electric power for some time now. Maybe experiencing that car when it's done, will tip the scales even more. You never know.. By the way, that arcade style leader board is genius!
Love the inspiration and willingness to experiment, but I call BS on "It’s completely road legal."
Post a video of the car doing a slalom run or evasive maneuver anywhere near like what a normal Accord will do and you might change my mind. What lateral location is there for the front end? Otherwise you will probably find that an insurance company will find a million reasons not to pay out on a claim for injury (damage to the vehicle is the cheap part). Just have a think about safety of the people you share the road with or the proverbial kid chasing a ball into the street, if you drive in residential areas.
I'm guessing that the roll cage is necessary to run the car on a track too, with that speed. On the other hand do you have an idea what the terminal speed would be?
I don't want to be a complete wet blanket about it, at least it is still safer than Autopilot!
THIS. so much THIS. Love it, and to top off the hate, i'd pop rivet a rocket bunny-style set of over fenders to tuck in those wheels.
Might perform, but its the ugliest car I have seen in the last 36 years or so.
nope