Manual Tranny into an 86 Buick Regal

[MrCrabs]

Hello all, I have somewhat of a weird question, but hope this is the right place to ask.

The back story:
I own a 1986 Buick Regal. This is just a plain old Regal, 307 olds V8 and automatic transmission. I want to convert it to an electric vehicle (EV for short). The quick version of a conversion is to remove the gas engine, and install an electric motor, a motor controller, and a bunch of batteries.

Most people use a manual transmission in their conversions, they remove the clutch and flywheels, and just connect the electric motor directly to the tranny input shaft. This is doable because an electric motor is able to produce max torque at 0 RPM, so starting the car from a stop in 2nd gear works fine.
Trying to use an automatic would be a problem because the shift points of a gas engine wouldn't compare to an electric motor.
And since the electric motor can be stopped, shifting without a clutch is possible, it just takes a second or so longer waiting for the syncros to mesh.

The questions:
What type of manual transmission could I put into my 86 Regal?
I know I will need to make up some new mounts, and maybe change the crossmember that supports it, but I am worried about the shifter lever.
My car has the automatic shifter on the steering column, and I'm not sure if all it would take is cutting a hole in the floor for the manual shifter to poke thru.

Anyone every try putting a manual into a car with an auto before and have to replace the column shifter with a floor shifter?

I've been searching around and the Ford T-5 manual transmission seems pretty popular, would the driveshaft on my Regal fit into this tranny?

I came across a site that details putting a T-5 into a GM A or G body style car, but I don't know if a Regal is an A or G body type...

Are they any manual trannys out there with steering column shifters like the really old cars did?

 

[bluettype]

regals are g-bodys wouldn't be easier and cheaper to just get a horse,no gas or batteries. just kidding

 

[MrCrabs]

regals are g-bodys wouldn't be easier and cheaper to just get a horse,no gas or batteries. just kidding

Naw, the horse would be a pain to feed. And imagine the mess it would make in my driveway.

check out www . plasmaboyracing . com and watch some videos of the "White Zombie EV" it can run the 1/4 in 11.882 @ 109.58 mph
(I can't post the link directly because I don't have 4 posts yet)

Thanks for the confirmation that the regals are g bodies

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

this is interesting
the EV part not the horse.

 

[turbofish38]

I use this as a reference for EV parts. EVParts

I see they sell parts for an automatic conversion.

Stupid question. If the motor puts out crazy torque wouldn't you need a transmission that could handle the torque? G-Bodies came with stick trannys. You can buy the pedals through the restoration outlets. Anything will bolt in there to answer your question.

 

[MrCrabs]

Thanks for the link to evparts.com, haven't seen that site yet. I didn't see any kits for an automatic conversion. The only two kits I see are for the Metro or the S-10, and both kits mention keeping the clutch.

I stumbled across diyelectriccar.com/forums/ somehow and thats how I got this idea into my head. I'm still figuring out all my options.

So far I know that:
a) I could get a full manual valve body from Art-Carr for the tranny in my car. This would utilize the stock column shifter right?
b) Find a manual tranny that will fit a g-body.

I am also looking into a direct drive setup, where the motor is connected directly to the driveshaft, or perhaps thru a 2:1 gearbox, then to the driveshaft. Several people have done direct drive conversion with 4WD vechiales, however they have the gearing in the transfer case, then in the diff. The EV dragster guys are going with 2 motors hooked together, then connected to the driveshaft.

Good point about the torque, but its not like the motors put out insane amounts of torque, its just that electric motors create the most torque when the RPMs are low, as in 0 rpm. One of the more popular electric motors for trucks/heavy cars puts out 250-300 ft-lbs at 0 rpm,

 

[DR BOOST]

i have a factory G-body manual transmission pedal and linkages. pm me if interested. i had an idea to go 6 spd , but that never came around.