LS Tesla swap

[Hurricane77]

Guess I got to be the minority, if I had the proper setup to get a Tesla and charge it easily I would definitely rock one. I personally like the innovation in a lot of them, early in the Monte build I was going to try to source a Tesla screen to put in it. Have any of you actually driven one of the ludicrous mode setups? You launch it once and I think a lot would see a different light, as a car guy fast is fast and what that all electric launch can do is very impressive to me. Let alone what they are claiming that the roadster is gonna be able to do

I think I'm of a similar mindset. Performance wise, you can't beat the instant torque of an electric motor. Yeah, you're going to lose the aural experience of ICE, but in a day and age where car manufacturers are enhancing or simulating the in cabin engine noise - maybe not such a big deal.

My biggest issues are recharge time when doing long trips and diminished range due to weather and load. Sure, you can get your battery to 85% or something within 30 minutes and you might get 300 miles, but vs. a 10 minute refueling stop. I guess it's not too bad. I'd have to do it to see how much it annoys me. Probably the lesser of my concern.

Diminished range in the winter here in Canada and towing. Love the idea of Ford Lightning, but tests on existing EVs show range limited by 50% or something when towing. I regularly tow my Explorer to go offroading, but I wouldn't be able to make the roundtrip to most of our trails without having to stop for a recharge. But again, I might be able to live with it.

I'm not a huge Tesla fan itself though. No doubt they've managed to force the hand of other manufacturers and advance the EV industry as a whole. Telsa as a car company continues to lose money. Technically they're profitable yes. But if you take the away the revenue they receive from selling carbon credits - they'd be losing money. And as other manufacturers increase their own EVs fleets, there will be less and less demand for the carbon credits. Not mention that a significant portion of Tesla sales are subsidized via government rebates and credits.

 

[LukeZ]

Crazy seeing all the EV hate here - figured I'd weigh my opinion in. I bought a used Tesla LR Model 3 about 11 months ago and it has been nothing but great. No malfunctions, no breakdowns, no running out of charge, nothing. I drive about 550 miles per week and the operating costs of the Tesla vs my El Camino (or any ICE) are insane. I'm spending about 1/4 the cost on "fuel", there is quite literally no regular maintenance other than rotating tires, and it has more creature comforts than I've seen in any other vehicle. I'm also convinced that the people who say you can't get spirited driving out of an EV have never been in a fast one, or at least not more than once or twice. I can't speak for other EVs but the Tesla handles better than anything else I've ever been due to the low center of gravity, great aerodynamics, instant acceleration (at any speed, not just 0-60 as people like to say when they talk sh*t), etc. I would drive a quick EV over a quick ICE vehicle any day. That's not to say I don't enjoy driving my El Camino, but as an engineer it's just amazing to see the performance you can get out of an EV vs ICE. I used to think that I would miss the sound of exhaust too but I can tell you that while I do miss it a little, it's not worth the lesser performance (at least to me).

Are there things I don't like about Telsa? For sure, I'm not a religious follower of Elon. I personally had a slightly rough experience dealing with their sales team initially, and I don't like that you can't transfer your FSD or Enhanced Autopilot 'license' if you were to buy another Tesla (you have to pay for it again), among other things. Battery manufacturing/recycling (for all companies, not just Tesla) also needs to be a little 'greener', as there are many inefficiencies and wastes. I'm also a fan of Rich rebuilds (I think this LS Tesla is hilariously awesome), and you can just browse through some of his older YouTube videos to see a lot of his relevant disappointments with Tesla as a company.

Another thing I hear people gripe on is range - it's honestly blown out of proportion. You can basically start your day with a "full tank" if you plug your EV in at your home overnight. Not to mention a lot of shopping centers and businesses these days have (usually free) EV charging in parking lots. I've only ever had to supercharge on long trips and vacations, and stopping for a half hour isn't that bad considering you will likely need to use the bathroom and get something to eat. Yes, range is reduced in the winter due to heat (I'd say I lose about 25% if I have the interior cooking). I'm not regularly driving more than 200 miles in a given day so it doesn't really matter to me. It only has affected me on road trips and it just means I have to make an extra supercharging stop and get an extra bathroom break.

I would 100% recommend giving EVs a second look if you think they are garbage or not as fun as ICE vehicles. Maybe rent one for a weekend on Turo and see how you like it.

 

[motorheadmike]

Normal Dodge owners about normal Dodges:

EV Dodges?

I don't think so Tim.

 

[scoti]

Crazy seeing all the EV hate here - figured I'd weigh my opinion in. I bought a used Tesla LR Model 3 about 11 months ago and it has been nothing but great. No malfunctions, no breakdowns, no running out of charge, nothing. I drive about 550 miles per week and the operating costs of the Tesla vs my El Camino (or any ICE) are insane. I'm spending about 1/4 the cost on "fuel", there is quite literally no regular maintenance other than rotating tires, and it has more creature comforts than I've seen in any other vehicle. I'm also convinced that the people who say you can't get spirited driving out of an EV have never been in a fast one, or at least not more than once or twice. I can't speak for other EVs but the Tesla handles better than anything else I've ever been due to the low center of gravity, great aerodynamics, instant acceleration (at any speed, not just 0-60 as people like to say when they talk sh*t), etc. I would drive a quick EV over a quick ICE vehicle any day. That's not to say I don't enjoy driving my El Camino, but as an engineer it's just amazing to see the performance you can get out of an EV vs ICE. I used to think that I would miss the sound of exhaust too but I can tell you that while I do miss it a little, it's not worth the lesser performance (at least to me).

Are there things I don't like about Telsa? For sure, I'm not a religious follower of Elon. I personally had a slightly rough experience dealing with their sales team initially, and I don't like that you can't transfer your FSD or Enhanced Autopilot 'license' if you were to buy another Tesla (you have to pay for it again), among other things. Battery manufacturing/recycling (for all companies, not just Tesla) also needs to be a little 'greener', as there are many inefficiencies and wastes. I'm also a fan of Rich rebuilds (I think this LS Tesla is hilariously awesome), and you can just browse through some of his older YouTube videos to see a lot of his relevant disappointments with Tesla as a company.

Another thing I hear people gripe on is range - it's honestly blown out of proportion. You can basically start your day with a "full tank" if you plug your EV in at your home overnight. Not to mention a lot of shopping centers and businesses these days have (usually free) EV charging in parking lots. I've only ever had to supercharge on long trips and vacations, and stopping for a half hour isn't that bad considering you will likely need to use the bathroom and get something to eat. Yes, range is reduced in the winter due to heat (I'd say I lose about 25% if I have the interior cooking). I'm not regularly driving more than 200 miles in a given day so it doesn't really matter to me. It only has affected me on road trips and it just means I have to make an extra supercharging stop and get an extra bathroom break.

I would 100% recommend giving EVs a second look if you think they are garbage or not as fun as ICE vehicles. Maybe rent one for a weekend on Turo and see how you like it.

Is it EV hate or just people saying what they don't care for when it comes to EV's?

So it can be plugged in anywhere? What if you don't stay @ 'home' every night?
That 30min/half hour to 'super-charge' on an extended trip.... That's once you have access to the charger right? What if you're waiting in line for said charging ability?
What if that extended trip needs to happen on a moments notice after you've already been running around w/heat or a/c going? How would you work w/that?

 

[LukeZ]

Is it EV hate or just people saying what they don't care for when it comes to EV's?

So it can be plugged in anywhere? What if you don't stay @ 'home' every night?
That 30min/half hour to 'super-charge' on an extended trip.... That's once you have access to the charger right? What if you're waiting in line for said charging ability?
What if that extended trip needs to happen on a moments notice after you've already been running around w/heat or a/c going? How would you work w/that?

"Is it EV hate or just people saying what they don't care for when it comes to EV's?"
-I'd say it's about 50/50, read through this thread (or related posts on the forum) and see for yourself.

"So it can be plugged in anywhere? What if you don't stay @ 'home' every night?"
-Yes. NEMA 5-15, 6-15, 10-30, 14-30, 14-50, 6-50, etc. About any outlet you can think of, you can plug the car in. You also don't need to use Tesla-brand chargers, mine came with an adapter for the very common J1772 EV charger plug as well. Most hotels (that I have come across) don't mind you using their outdoor outlets if you ask the front desk.

"That 30min/half hour to 'super-charge' on an extended trip.... That's once you have access to the charger right? What if you're waiting in line for said charging ability?"
-Yes. All Teslas have a built-in map that shows all available superchargers and how many stalls that are open so you know if you'll have to wait ahead of time. When every stall is full, Tesla charges idling fees if you leave your car in the parking spot after you have finished charging. They move in and out pretty quick. I personally have never had to wait, and have never seen a completely full supercharging station. I do most of my travels in the states between Virginia and Massachusetts and there's plenty of superchargers along major routes for travel. Check this map top see if there are any along your common extended-travel routes: https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=39.788845279968434,-74.01584880326956,38.146802069654676,-77.77317302201956&zoom=9&filters=supercharger

"What if that extended trip needs to happen on a moments notice after you've already been running around w/heat or a/c going? How would you work w/that?"
-You're saying that after I've already driven 200+ miles in a winter day (and effectively drained my battery), what do I do if I need to make an emergency long distance trip at the drop of a hat? I would say that this is a very unlikely scenario. However, lets say it did happen to me - looks like I'm stopping at a supercharger for a half hour. I also want to point out that using the AC makes a near-negligible difference in range compared to heat, so in spring, summer, and fall you basically have the full range of the vehicle at your disposal. Like I mentioned before, in winter I would say you have about 75% of your total range if you are blasting the heat.

Hope this helps to clear some things up

*edit: One last thing I figure I should mention - it is very easy to get way more than the rated range of an EV. My specific vehicle is rated for 312 miles of range on a full charge. That math comes from the fact that the battery is 75kWh and that the rated use is 240Wh/mi (the electrical equivalent of saying miles/gallon). Divide 75000 by 240 and you get 312. On my daily commute to work, I have gotten as good as 186Wh/mi just by never going above the speed limit and not gunning it from every red light like I usually do. That math comes out to just over 400 miles of range with conservative driving.

 

[melloelky]

i don't think it's hate so much but something diffrent is all.nothing stays and it's a change to the norm.it's an apples to oranges comparison anyways.everyones different.think how many model A ford's out there WITH a sbf between the rails..

 

[64nailhead]

Even then, they can keep their evs.... I'll take one of these for less money:

Whipple-Blown 7.3L Ford V8 Roars Past 1,650 HP

Even at the wheels, this Godzilla-swapped Fox Body Mustang makes 1,485 hp.

www.thedrive.com

Ha.

Imagine if GM would've needed a 7.3 litre motor run a 3/4 ton van. That means the junkyard 4.8's making 1400hp would be making 2000hp.

Ha Ha

 

[ck80]

Ha.

Imagine if GM would've needed a 7.3 litre motor run a 3/4 ton van. That means the junkyard 4.8's making 1400hp would be making 2000hp.

Ha Ha

Barely scratching the surface of mods and power on a brand new motor. No ls was making 1000+ hp the year it was introduced.

Gm had a good base they could've developed in the 496, but they axed it in the mid 2000s for beancounting fuel misers.

As always, no replacement for displacement.

 

[64nailhead]

Barely scratching the surface of mods and power on a brand new motor. No ls was making 1000+ hp the year it was introduced.

Gm had a good base they could've developed in the 496, but they axed it in the mid 2000s for beancounting fuel misers.

As always, no replacement for displacement.

You damn Ford guys, that behemoth won't make another 200 beyond that 1400 number with that SBE.


I think. But I'll bet you dollars to donuts that you won't find one in a junkyard for $250 10 years from now 😉 .

 

[mclellan83]

Crazy seeing all the EV hate here - figured I'd weigh my opinion in. I bought a used Tesla LR Model 3 about 11 months ago and it has been nothing but great. No malfunctions, no breakdowns, no running out of charge, nothing. I drive about 550 miles per week and the operating costs of the Tesla vs my El Camino (or any ICE) are insane. I'm spending about 1/4 the cost on "fuel", there is quite literally no regular maintenance other than rotating tires, and it has more creature comforts than I've seen in any other vehicle. I'm also convinced that the people who say you can't get spirited driving out of an EV have never been in a fast one, or at least not more than once or twice. I can't speak for other EVs but the Tesla handles better than anything else I've ever been due to the low center of gravity, great aerodynamics, instant acceleration (at any speed, not just 0-60 as people like to say when they talk sh*t), etc. I would drive a quick EV over a quick ICE vehicle any day. That's not to say I don't enjoy driving my El Camino, but as an engineer it's just amazing to see the performance you can get out of an EV vs ICE. I used to think that I would miss the sound of exhaust too but I can tell you that while I do miss it a little, it's not worth the lesser performance (at least to me).

Are there things I don't like about Telsa? For sure, I'm not a religious follower of Elon. I personally had a slightly rough experience dealing with their sales team initially, and I don't like that you can't transfer your FSD or Enhanced Autopilot 'license' if you were to buy another Tesla (you have to pay for it again), among other things. Battery manufacturing/recycling (for all companies, not just Tesla) also needs to be a little 'greener', as there are many inefficiencies and wastes. I'm also a fan of Rich rebuilds (I think this LS Tesla is hilariously awesome), and you can just browse through some of his older YouTube videos to see a lot of his relevant disappointments with Tesla as a company.

Another thing I hear people gripe on is range - it's honestly blown out of proportion. You can basically start your day with a "full tank" if you plug your EV in at your home overnight. Not to mention a lot of shopping centers and businesses these days have (usually free) EV charging in parking lots. I've only ever had to supercharge on long trips and vacations, and stopping for a half hour isn't that bad considering you will likely need to use the bathroom and get something to eat. Yes, range is reduced in the winter due to heat (I'd say I lose about 25% if I have the interior cooking). I'm not regularly driving more than 200 miles in a given day so it doesn't really matter to me. It only has affected me on road trips and it just means I have to make an extra supercharging stop and get an extra bathroom break.

I would 100% recommend giving EVs a second look if you think they are garbage or not as fun as ICE vehicles. Maybe rent one for a weekend on Turo and see how you like it.

I don't daily my GTO or Monte so that is exactly what I would be doing with a Tesla, would be a replacement to the van I daily drive that was my dads. I don't have the setup since once the Blazer is done I will have 3 vehicles I would like to have in a garage where I only have 2 spots. Once I get a new abode that has ample garage space for my fleet I would look at getting a Model Y just because as a daily its nice to have a smaller SUV. I do miss having my Ford Edge Sport as a daily, but couldn't beat being able to get 8k more than I owed on the car when the state decided I wasn't going to be able to drive for a year.