Electric-Powered 1981 Accord Is a Real Gas(ser)
When was the last time you saw a Tesla-powered, straight-axle, '80s Honda Accord? How about never?
One of a Kind
It's no secret that hod rodding was founded on doing the unconventional. From engine swaps to wild body work and just about everything in between. But chances are, you've never seen anything like this Honda Accord recently featured in the pages of Hot Rod.
Photos: Hot Rod
Pushing the Envelope
Then again, the Honda's owner, Jim Belosic, isn't your typical car guy. In fact, he wasn't even really a car guy to begin with. But he found himself suddenly fascinated with electric car performance, and he set out to see just how far he could push the envelope.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Electric Ripper
Suffice to say, Belosic pushed the envelope into an entirely new zip code. His creation, dubbed the "Teslonda," rips to 60 miles per hour in a mere 2.45 seconds. And it does so with a salvaged Tesla motor, which derives its juice from a 1,000 amp Volt battery pack.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Hacker Man
Belosic used his expertise as the owner of a software company, along with some help from Jason Hughes of HSR Motors, to hack the Tesla mill and make it work in this car. Which, if you're wondering, isn't exactly easy to do.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Reliving the Past
You've probably got a lot of questions at this point, beginning with why a 1981 Honda Accord? Well, that particular model was Belosic's very first car. So when he saw this one pop up on Craigslist, he knew he had to have it.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Making Room
Secondly, why the heck would Belosic decide to make this thing a gasser? “The gasser thing happened because of packing issues,” he told Hot Rod. Apparently, the shape of the Volt battery pack necessitated the Honda IFS to go. With the gasser setup, it makes room for the battery pack to be mounted above the front axle.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Game On
Perhaps the coolest thing about this wild creation lies inside the cabin, however. The two 10-inch screens used to display all the critical data do so in an 8-bit format that resembles all the video games we loved so much back in the '80s.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Technical Data
Each of the monitors runs on a small computer, and both collect data and display the diagnostics of the car's systems. HSR Motors designed and built the computers, which intercept signals from the Tesla components.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Hot Rod Inspired
As you might imagine, Belosic gets a lot of flack for his, um, interesting creation. But in all fairness, he points to the very beginnings of the hot rod movement as his inspiration. "We are reliving the ‘50s," he told Hot Rod. "All the guys in the ‘50s were at such a cool point."
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Blazing a Path
Much like how guys back in the '50s were patching together cars and building their own performance parts, Belosic is doing the same thing here. Electric performance is still in its infancy, but he's one of the folks that seems determined to push it forward. And we can certainly get behind that.
Photos: Hot Rod
>>Join the conversation about this EV '81 Accord right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
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