A Few Pics and an Update on Blog Posts in the Works

It's very spring-y around here, so I'm trying to get out with the camera as much as possible.

seeking wisdom

Here on Mesquite Hugger three posts are in the works: my religious evolution, guerilla stewardship, and the importance of getting out of your normal places.

My non-electric car under spring blooms

Over at 2WheelsMaybe I'm working on a post about whether or not electric cars are welcome in my town (or yours).

Speaking of wheels, Greg and Mark dropped off a stack of underappreciated BMX bikes that need some tuning up and minor repairs. I'm hoping to fix them up and find them homes where they'll be used and enjoyed. I'm thinking of doing a post or video about one of those.

On Youtube I'm recording a lot of nature b-roll without bicycles. (I fell off my mountain bike and bruised a rib - taking a little bike break.) Hopefully the b-roll will turn into a few more local favorite parks videos. I'm also working on some third place video to supplement the blog post.

That's about it for now. Thanks for checking in! As always, I am praying that you are well, you are joyful, and your eyes are open to the beauty that exists around you!

Man, those northern shovellers are cool!

Simplification (Almost) Railroaded by DIY Electric Truck

[Blogger warning: this one's a rambler.]

I fell off the wagon this week. I may need a new 12-stepper.

Proof that there are people who complete EV Truck Conversions

The summer of 2017, for me, is to be the Summer of Simplification. What that means is LESS by whatever means necessary. I scaled back on the gardening this year. I've been blogging less. I have lots of stuff up for sale. (Let me know if you're in the market for an old Vespa or two, an electric convertible, a half-finished electric truck project, a bicycle or several, my old high-school hot rod, or a whole bunch of Star Wars toys I've had since 1978.) It's a year to clear out the garage, get rid of some debt, and to try to find a way to stress less and live more.

A really big part of the SoS plan is to not acquire or create any new projects. (We all have our vices, and dreaming up and investing in new projects seems to be mine. Completing projects - that's not my vice.)

So, I've quit buying parts, bikes, and how-to manuals. I've quit going to swap meets, flea markets, and garage sales. I spend less time on Instructables. I try to shop only in places that offer food and the absolute necessities. I've even been steering clear of construction dumpsters. I've been really good up until a few days ago...

I was riding home from work on the mountain bike Tuesday and I wanted to add a (very) little terrain to the commute. I rode down a few alleys. And there in the middle of town sitting in the weeds outside of a backyard fence - a little 1939 Dodge pickup. Drool. Slobber. Yearn. Back when I was looking at vehicles to convert to electric, early American pickups made a lot of sense, and snagit, they're so cool!

So I remembered this electrified Dodge truck:

Click here to check it out

 

All I'd have to do is steal the motor and transmission out of this unfinished project I have lying around (and should probably sell).

Then I hopped on Craigslist to see if anything similar was for sale. Nope. But I did find this little guy:

 

The little Courier would make a great electric truck, it's here in town, and it costs about the same as a Sondors electric bike (which is still not in the Mesquite Hugger SoS budget).

 

While I had $800 1974 Ford conversion candidates on the brain, I went back and checked out the 1974 Econoline:

 

 

But I talked myself back out of it pretty quickly and moved on to early International Scouts and then back to the Courier and then back to the old Dodge and back to my original unfinished Mazda project which then brought to mind the unfinished Silver Pigeon scooter projects...

 

And now, I am worn out, but I'm back on the wagon and trying to get rid of stuff, ride the bike, and get life down to a simpler place.

 

May you finish what you start and may your wisely-chosen green projects benefit us all.

Texas Vintage EV Dork Alert: an ElCar in Keller!

I know it goes without saying, but my EV-geek heart leapt a little when I ran across this little beast hunkering silently on Dallas Craigslist. The armature in my brain started turning.

 



That's all, folks!

 

Okay, so there's not a lot of info to share, but there's a 1975 Zagato ElCar for sale in Keller,Texas for $1200. (And it needs some restoration work.)

Keller, in case you are not familiar with it, is in the DFW Metroplex just a little north of Fort Worth.

One thousand-two hundred dollars. Hmm. That's $399 less than a Radwagon or $105 less than a CrossCurrent AIR. (But both of those have free shipping.) Then again, I'll be headed to DFW soon with a small trailer, and the ElCar would fit on a small trailer. It would probably fit in the back of the pickup.

 

But it's gonna need batteries - they all need batteries. (Wait a minute, I have batteries that would get it going.) The brakes will need to be re-done - the brakes always need to be re-done. It's gonna need tires. The little guy is gonna need at least a gallon of Turtle Wax and at least three gallons of Elbow Grease.

 

And then there're all the unknowns - motor, controller, charger, wiring, contactor, potentiometer (throttle), etc.

 

And insurance and registration and inspection and...

 

Okay, I'll pass. The next electric vehicle I purchase (if there is such a thing) needs to be plug and play so that I can actually use it as low-carbon transport. Yep, the ElCar would be a restoration hobby, but not immediate (if ever) transportation.

 

So, okay, which one of you is up for the challenge?

 

Three ElCars on EVAlbum

 

May your green projects lead to greener living.

 

(But, snagit, that thing is dorkycool!)

The Dream Shows up Again - Solar VW MicroBus!

The most persistent Mesquite Hugger DIY dream is to take an old van, convert it to electric power, and add solar power to the roof - a self-powered clean machine with the ability to haul a little stuff. The star of my dream is usually an old Econoline van or an old Greenbriar van. But's also been a Grumman postal truck, a Vespa Ape, a Cushman Truckster, a Subaru 360 van, a Crosley wagon and pretty much every other box-like vehicle out there. VW Microbuses have made the list on many occasions.

An email from Gear Junkie popped up this week and [BOOM] there it was - a solar-powered Microbus. Yep, they emailed me the dream.

Here's the video

The bus was built by Brett Belan from Oregon. And it's pretty standard for a converted EV, at least as long as you don't look up. When you do look up, you see a pretty hefty solar setup, over 1200 watts on a platform that tilts up to more efficiently catch some rays.

And when the panels are tilted up, it creates a great sleeping area, so Belan crafted a tent that attaches to the panels.

You can take it with you.

How's that for a room with a view?

You can learn more about the Belans' Bus here.

May you come into your own by following the sun!

Bonus electric bus (without the solar)

Electric Subaru 360 (Lane Motor Museum)

Droolworthy Vintage Electric: The Ian Motion Mini

Old cars. Every few months they get to me. It’s the old-car jones that creeps into my bones Yes, new cars are nice too, but there’s a far-from-logical appeal to a car that has stood the test of time and still gets the job done. Lately, it’s been a little Ford Fairlane sedan I pedal past on most weekdays. In my head, I’ve already pulled the gas burner out and replaced it with an electric motor. The gas tank is gone and replaced with salvage cells from a Nissan Leaf. (I love the old cars but not enough to keep trashing our planet!)

Yep, I'd drive it!

But, as a guy who owns a few half-finished, homegrown conversions, I understand that those projects are best left with those who have a surplus of time and/or money.

So, I sigh when I ride past the old Ford on a vehicle I have successfully converted to electric – a 250-watt bicycle. But there is hope out there for guys and gals like me. One example hit the social media circus just this past week -  The Ian Motion Mini.

The website

One look and I was hooked. Ian is a French company that restores and converts old Austin Minis into slick little modern electrics. The specs look to be fairly similar to those of a new Nissan Leaf. The creature comforts are minimal, but holy moly that thing looks good and would have to be fun to drive. And the Ian is not somebody’s rough-draft experiment. This is a company that focuses on converting one car so they can work through the evolution process before they send out a car. It’s a beautiful new old car that quietly screams how good life can be when we get rid of the gas pump.

From their website:

Enjoy the promo video

May we all not-so-quietly scream how good life can be until we get rid of the gas pump and go renewable. And may you truly enjoy the journey!

Fossil Free Friday: Fun Electric Conversions on Ebay and Craigslist

Yep, it's me being lazy again, but there is some fun stuff to check out this week. Enjoy:

Fiero!!!! Ebay

Check it out - a Fiero that runs! (And it's electric!)

All the deets

 BMW Ebay

The 2002 BMW is my favorite BMW

(and this one is electric)

BMW deets

VW Beetles

 

Slug Bug Red (Ebay)

Slug Bug Orange (Dallas Craigslist)

Isuzu Pickup

 

Electric Pickup! (Austin Craigslist)

These are not conversions, but I thought you might want to see them:

Zero Motorcycle (Dallas Craigslist)

 

Green Citicars on Ebay: Tennessee and Alabama

 

May you find something out there that helps you get off the gas, clean up the air, and grin everywhere you go!

 

It matters, Snagit! (Eco Role Model-ism)

 I've been seeing that one article more often lately. It's that article that says it really doesn't matter what a single individual does at home to save the world. You can't make any impact whatsoever by riding a bike or using a rain barrel or bothering to recycle. The article always says that we have to change laws, governments, economic systems, and the role of business in shaping our environmental survival - that we have to get political in order to make a difference. And snagit, I know it's (mostly) true.

It's pretty easy to walk away from those articles beaten down.

You don't remember a bike in that scene?

But there's another side to it.

While an individual's singular actions really don't make a trackable difference in the environment, an individual's singular actions can make a very trackable difference in social circles. And we are absolutely social.

A Negative Example

[It's about to get ugly here.] If you don't believe it, look at climate change denial. The proof is in. Everywhere that people live (and in several places where people don't live) the proof of man-made climate change is visible to everyday people who just pay attention. We don't even need scientists to tell us that we are doing major damage. (But we definitely need scientists to help us understand it better and to learn how to deal with, adapt to, and confront it.) Yet, a large and powerful social voice in our country has made it socially unacceptable to believe in climate change. It's a case of Social vs. Science, and we are social creatures.

On a More Positive Note

We need to be recycling, composting, riding bikes, driving electric, avoiding plastic, eating local, and everything else that does make a super super tiny impact because we are social creatures, because each of us is a role model. (In the same vein, we should all be kind to others.) By doing positive things, we make it socially acceptable for those around us to do positive things.

I've been at this a little while now, and once in a while I sit back and am a little shocked at the number of people who have watched and listened to my actions and words. While not all of Lubbock has sold their cars and bought electric cargo bikes, two have now bought plug-in cars and several others plan for their next car to have a plug in. Recycling amongst my co-workers is up about 3000% and growing. My gearhead buddies all want a Tesla. My little brother goes around shaming people for driving gas-powered vehicles. (We are really working on that tact thing with him.) And snagit all to Midland - Grizz rides a Sondors now. And the roots just keep spreading.

Is my little social circle saving the world?

Absolutely not. But this little group is paying more attention. And they are starting to notice news articles about the EPA and the climate. And they ask me more and more questions. And they are seeking news from different sources rather than trusting social media for their news. And I've seen a few of them getting politically active.

So, here's my answer to those articles:

It matters. The more we do, the more people notice. So, get out there and recycle proudly. Tell people why you have reusable bags and what is so damn cool about driving a plug-in hybrid. Do the right thing AND talk about it. Be an eco-dork proudly (but not obnoxiously).

I guess it's time for me to quit writing, go home, and start making ECO-DORK t-shirts!

May you live very well and encourage others to do the same.

PS. The CCL lives in Lubbock again! Watch this space for details!

So, what's it like to own a Nissan Leaf electric car?

Yep, MH is at it with the Nissan Leaf again!

 

Okay, this isn't a full post so much as a see-what-I've-been-saying post that uses somebody else's article to make the point.

 

That somebody else is Sami Grover writing for Treehugger.

 

So, if you're looking for a little first-hand testimonial on what it's like to own a very inexpensive car that costs very, very, very little to operate and almost nothing to maintain, this article may interest you.

 

May you find yourself owning a very inexpensive car that costs very, very, very little to operate and almost nothing to maintain while treading extremely lightly on this earth that we call home.

 

PS. In case you want to see a few other MH articles that tell a little about Leaf(s):

 

Fossil Free Friday: More Inexpensive and (Somewhat) Local Electric Cars

 

Good News: VERY Affordable Electric Cars

 

Pre-Heat: An Unsung Electric Car Luxury

 

Earth Day Suggestions: #1 Burn some electrons!

 

Fossil Free Friday: Electric Cars Exist - Really!

 

(There are more, but I am working on being merciful or gracious or something like that.)

Ebay Electric Cars: Elevated OddBall and a Beauty Queen

Ebay did not disappoint this week!

Elevator Company Goes Postal

I didn't know this until this week, but Otis, the world's oldest and largest elevator manufacturer, had a brief foray into electric vehicles. They made postal trucks. And it'll shock you, but I want one! This one showed up on Ebay this week (and glided away without a single bid):

What do you get when you cross an elevator with a Citicar? The Otis!

Lovely number 300!

15 mile warning and 1 mile warning - nice!

Do you think the passenger felt cheated?

An alternator - hmmm...

I don't think that a Radwagon will fit in there.

Not quite.

(Maybe it'll fit on the Radwagon.)

Maybe a RadMini would be a better choice in this case.

In case you're bummed that you missed the auction, Here's the Otis on another site where you may get your second chance at this odd and compelling way to think inside the box:

Downtown MotorCar Sales: Otis

Now on to the really good stuff! A Vanguard-Sebring Citicar

As I write this, the bid is at $2100, reserve is not met, and there's 12 hours to go.

Sigh.

Sigh again.

Okay, this one is a beauty. This Citicar is the nicest I have seen. The owner went to a great deal of trouble to restore this car to a point where it's probably nicer than it was new. Yep. This thing is awesome.

It still looks tiny in front of a tiny house!

A quick trip to southern Michigan with a small trailer!

Something new, something blue...

The bare bones

Learn all about it!

Learn even more about it here: It gets a little scary approaching 50mph!

May your dream Electric Vehicle be available soon, even if it's less dorky than my dream Electric Vehicle! Who knew that low-carbon cars could be so much fun? (Me)