Research for a 1:1 electric car

[lincpimp]

So I have decided to sell off a fair amount of my r/c and stero stuff, and focus on my larger projects. 1st up is getting the lightning over 500 wheel hp, and making it hook up. That is easy, and should set me back 3 grand or so...

So I was thinking about the future, I will be moving farther away from my business. I currently have a 3 mile round trip every day, and I will be moving out of the town to a place about 8 miles from the shop. So a 16 mile round trip. I will also have to drive about 4 miles to get to a gas station or supermarket, now it is less than a mile.

So I figured that I could make myself an electric car to do the commute, and running errands. Range can be as little as 30 miles, as I could charge it daily at work (3 phase setup there, so charging could be done faster and cheaper).

I have 2 current candidates in my fleet, a 97 4dr sentra, and a 98 lincoln mk8. Both are in a state of disrepair (mk8 flooded in katrina, and the sentra was involved in a minor front end collision). I am currently leaning towards the sentra, as it is lighter, and has 4 doors, plus it has more useable room to accomodate the various gadgets.

Now I have some elctrical knowledge, and plenty of mechanical capability. I also have a full body shop with frame and welding equipment, plus 2 machinists that I can call on. Plus my dad is a mech engineer with 40yrs experience in the space industry.

What I need is a bunch of info to read. I know that many here have looked into electric cars, and at least one guy has a project truck, not sure who though. Any online info that would cover DIY electric cars, motor selection, where to get a controller, etc...

Not looking to build a hot rod, 80hp and 100ft/lbs or torque would most likely be plenty. I will lighten the car as much as possible, and attemp to retain the factory weight balance. Not really worried about creature comforts, but A/C would be nice (might have to do some sort of stand alone setup, or a "swamp cooler").

The car has an auto tranny, but I figure that I can run a single speed setup, as I am not looking for much more than 60mph. I was actually considering mounting the motor directly to a small truck rear axle, and replacing the rear beam type axle of the sentra with that setup. Kinda like a golf cart. It is front wheel drive, but I would remove all of the drivetrain and cv axles. The use of a truck rear axle would give me some flexibility in gearing, as the ring and pinion can be altered somewhat. Finding an axle that is narrow enough may be a challenge, and i really do not want to narrow the housing (but i can do that if necessary).

I figure the car is setup for the bulk of the weight to be under the hood now, and the engine, associated parts like radiator, tranny and axles must weigh around 500-600lbs. So the batterys would go under the hood. Not sure what to use for batteries, deep cycle lead acid would be the cheapest, but heaviest choice. Maybe some optima blue tops, but they are closer to 200 a piece. Not sure if i want to get into lithium cells, depends what kind of chargers are available and the cost. I know that lithium should last longer...

I may be able to get m hands on the battery out of a hybrid escape, as the local ford dealership has one that has a damaged case (my buddy works there).

As far as the controller goes, I do want regen braking, and I would most likely air cool it, but can do liquid cooling too.

So any info or links would be greatly appreciated, as will your thoughts!