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Icon founder Jonathan Ward loves to cover fashionable know-how beneath a layer of patina. He calls his blends of previous and new Derelicts, and just lately he introduced what is likely to be essentially the most excessive automotive within the collection to Jay Leno’s Storage.
It might appear to be a worn out 1949 Mercury Coupe on the floor, however this final sleeper has an electrical powertrain cobbled along with Tesla tech. The Derelict Mercury broke cowl in 2018, however this video supplies a extra detailed take a look at this inventive construct.
A pair of electrical motors are mounted the place the transmission was once, retaining the inventory rear-wheel-drive system. Whereas some electrical conversions of traditional automobiles retain the inventory transmission, Ward stated this Mercury’s factory-installed 3-speed handbook transmission was made superfluous by the twin motors’ mixed 500 lb-ft of torque.
Within the house vacated by the engine, you may discover controllers, cooling {hardware}, and a number of the Tesla battery modules (extra are situated over the rear axle) organized like a traditional V-8. Ward stated he needed a glance that may attraction to old-school scorching rodders, whereas additionally optimizing weight distribution. Collectively, the battery modules add as much as 85 kwh of capability, which Icon stated in 2018 are good for 150-200 miles of vary.
A cooling system based mostly round a semi truck air con compressor manages battery, motor, and controller temperatures, in addition to the local weather management. Like different Derelict builds, the Mercury has a customized chassis with fashionable suspension and brake elements.
Paintwork is identical situation it was when the Mercury was bought from a Southern California proprietor off Craigslist. This technology of Mercury was well-liked with automotive customizers, so many survivors have been chopped and sectioned into lead sleds. Ward retained the inventory look, although, as each he and the automotive’s purchaser discovered it interesting. The one styling modifications are lowered suspension and 18-inch wheels sporting the inventory hubcaps.
Icon Derelict 1949 Mercury Coupe on Jay Leno’s Storage
Ward and Icon discovered some intelligent methods to keep up the old-school. The inventory fog lights had been rebuilt with LED components, and cost ports for CHAdeMO and Tesla Supercharger plugs had been hidden behind the entrance license plate and within the location of the inventory gas filler, respectively. And whereas the inside’s leather-based upholstery is new, it was aged to match the remainder of the automotive.
Icon has churned out a number of Derelict builds through the years, together with a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL with the guts of a C6 Corvette ZR1, however they’ve all been gasoline-powered. The engineering behind the Mercury’s EV conversion, and Ward’s dedication to the Derelict theme, makes it stand out even amongst these different builds.
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