Feature: Retro Electro

 

The Steam Whistle brewery, like many small production breweries is always looking to get the good word out to the public, and one such way to do so, was to combine two passions. Company founder, Greg Taylor, while loving beer, also has a passion for vintage vehicles. As a result, the company boasts an extremely unique fleet of nine company sales and delivery vehicles that has everything from a 1956 Dodge Fargo to a 1964 Jeep Wagoneer, and everything in between.

The fleet is managed by Tim McLaughlin, a fellow classic car lover and a marketing manager. Each vehicle is painted in the breweries own “Steam Whistle Green” a rather loud version of the color for obvious advertorial reasons. However, the goal of the project was not just to find some old trucks and paint them in a loud color. These are car guys, and they wanted something different, something that stuck out in a crowd, and something that they could uniquely call there own. As a result of being on the constant search of such uniqueness, each vehicle has created a character of their own, each given nicknames as though they were fellow employees.

The fleet started off with 1949 International Stake Truck that was restored to original condition, with the addition of a more efficient diesel engine mounted in the front. This extra hauling power means that International, affectionately nicknamed Lumpy, can carry ¾ ton of bear, or 16 kegs to retailers.

Then there’s “Grande Verde” a 1964 Jeep Wagoneer based out of Edmonton, which has received a minor lift with heavy-duty suspension to handle the added weight of liquid refreshments. To get all that weight moving, the company dropped in a 360 cubic inch AMC mill.

One of the most unique members of the fleet is “Chuckles,” a 1956 Dodge Fargo that makes an ideal delivery vehicle with improved hauling power thanks to the addition of a 350 cubic inch small block. The old Dodge also boasts a great turning radius for narrow streets, so Chuckles makes an ideal vehicle for the home delivery department, and is used to deliver beer to private house parties.

Another interesting vehicle is the 1967 Ford Econoline nicknamed “The Steam Machine” that has been kept fairly stock as finding engines that would fit into it is hard to come by. However, what makes this vehicle special is the two taps that are fitted right the exterior of the vehicle. If the party won’t come to you, Steam Whistle loads up some kegs, and goes mobile, setting up shop where ever the action is.

The “Party Bus,” a 1965 Ford Blue Bird, you would think would also be a mobile bar on wheels, however, this once is strictly a shuttle, moving execs, VIP’s or thirsty drinkers to the brewery for private parties, tours and tastings.

However, one vehicle in particular caught our eye, that of Vancouver representative, Mike Kiraly. This, the latest vehicle to dawn the Steam Whistle colors, is not only unique in its shape, it has something you likely will never find in another hot rod. It’s electric, and uses no gasoline what so ever.

A dilemma had formed at the brewery, as these lovers of old classic vehicles, like a growing number in our ranks, were feeling guilty about the rather harsh pollution these vehicles emit. Not to mention the fuel bill that comes with hustling heavy beer kegs all over the city. The issue becomes even harder to bear as Steam Whistle has taken on a massive set of green initiatives in an effort to become the greenest brewery in the country. Everything from using natural products in the beer itself to using clean energy to power the brewery, and everything in between. Making their intentions quite public, the brewery was loosing some green cred when kegs were showing up in one of their many classic V-8 powered hot rods.

Kiraly came up with the perfect solution. Take a vintage Chevrolet Apache, rip out the powertrain and turn it into an EV, thereby keeping hold of a unique vintage vehicle, while holding true to the companies core social and environmental ethics. But turning this classic into a golf kart just wasn’t going to cut it, this hot rod needed to be electric, and do burnouts. And so, Kiraly pitched project RETRO ELECTRO to Greg and the team back in Ontario, who gave their approval. In November of 2009, Kiraly bought a 1958 Chevy Apache after the owners left a note on the windshield of the ‘57 Chev pickup he was using at the time. With the unique truck in hand, it was sent off to Vern Bethel of False Creek Automotive and Joe Mizsak to begin the restoration side of the build, with a complete ground up restoration.

Once the Apache looked the part, it fell to Azure Dynamics to supply the vital motor and electronics controller the Retro Electro would need for propulsion. Ironically, the same rules of hot rodding apply to hot rodding an EV. You want to go faster, put a bigger engine in it and dump more fuel into it. With the Retro Electro, Kiraly opted for a large motor, Azures massive AC90 electric motor, and fueled in with masses of powerful batteries. Using an AC motor meant that it is easy to hook up regenerating braking while peak torque, all 465 ft-lb, comes on between 200 and 300 rpm, staying strong up to 3000 rpm. However, a motor is nothing with out the electronics to keep everything running. Azure supplied the control unit needed to convert the stored energy into power for the motor in a civilized manner.

With all the goodies in hand, Kiraly was going to need help to put it all together and make it all work. He then turned to Greg Murray at Electric Autosports. Electric Autosports are EV conversion specialists in Vancouver, and set about making the Electro a working reality. To power that big motor, you need big power that comes in the form of 96 Thundersky Lithium-ion phosphate batteries mounted in series. These are very stable and safer than cobalt technology as they melt down instead of exploding when overheating, always a good thing.  In total, the 96 batteries put out 160 amp/hour cells that put out 3.35 v which weight about 1,100 lbs spread equally throughout the vehicle giving it an ideal 51/49 weight distribution. While making the handling ideal these batteries also give the Electro a range 150 km when Kiraly isn’t lighting up the tires.

Electic Autosports then went to work mating the motor right to the driveshaft. Unlike conventional vehicles, the Electro is direct drive with the only gearing being in the rear-end. For maximum acceleration and burnout photo ops, Kiraly runs a 6.3 gear ratio mated to a positraction differential courtesy of I.W.E. Rear-ends. However, for more relaxed driving in the city and the capability of 130-kmh top speed, Kiraly uses a 3.11 ratio for every day use. The truck looks a little barren inside as there is no need for a shifter with no gearbox, only a select drive switch mounted to the dash that either keeps the motor in neutral, drive, or a reverse setting which simply reverses the motors rotation, giving reverse drive.

Charging, as you might have wondered, is operated just like plugging in a clothes dryer at home. A 220 volt charging outlet mounted on the sidestep body panel simply receives a standard 220 extension cord, plugged into the garage 220 volt outlet. For the majority of Kiraly’s driving, he notes that the Electro never needs more than three hours charge.

With the truck up and running this spring, Kiraly lit up the tires for the first time in an impressive show of smoke and power. With the added weight of the batteries and the direct drive of the motor, this burnout was the equivalent to spinning the tires in fourth gear with about 600 lbs of cargo sitting in the rear bed of a conventional V-8 powered truck. All of a sudden, electric power doesn’t seem so golf kartish, as the AC90 definitely delivered on Kiraly’s expectations.

Today, the Electro is used as a daily driver for Kiraly, dropping off beer, making sales calls, and just used to attract attention for the brand when he’s driving around town, and attention he gets! While following Kiraly to the photoshoot location, nearly every pedestrian on the street did a double take when the Electro drove by. It wasn’t so much the uniqueness of the Apache, or the brilliance of the color, but the unnatural silence of the truck driving by. With most trucks like this, you expect to hear the rumble of the big V-8 under the hood, but with the Electro, all you get is the soft wine of the electric motor. Kiraly notes that he gets a lot of “why would you go and do something like that, why not put big power in,” but Kiraly always proves the haters wrong with a chirping of the tires at 30 kmh. The trucks performance is outstanding, and while Kiraly has yet to get out to the drag strip, his ability to power through traffic in impressive.

So while we are still torn dumping our beloved internal combustion engines out of our classics, Kiraly and his Retro Electro has given us some food for though. Maybe not the beloved classics, but possibly the daily driver, which will be more useful to the environment and our wallets. What ever our decision, there is no doubting that the Steam Whistle brewery is getting some very well deserved exposure for having the courage to built something so unique and forward thinking.

History: Farewell B

Back in the 90’s when I got my drivers license, it seemed that everyone, at one time or another, were once the proud owners of a venerable little Mazda B-2200. As a teenager, the B-series was ideal, with a good sized bed to haul around mountain bikes, snowboards, hockey gear, camping gear, car parts and in some cases, stockpiles of beer or people. It was cheap to buy, was as reliable as the day was long, and with the perfectly suitable 2.2L four-cylinder pumping away under the hood, the B-2200 was ideally fuel-efficient for someone working for minimum wage to operate. As a freshly graduated 18 year-old, the Mazda B-series was the perfect fit.

The story of the B-series goes back a long way from the land of the rising sun. Believe it or not, the Japanese built rather large pickup trucks back in the 50’s and 60’s, as these kind of vehicles were mostly snapped up by workers in the farming and industry sectors, for use as work vehicles. Mazda, however, saw that there was a market that wasn’t being taken advantage of, a market for a small, light duty personal pickup. In the cramped environment of narrow roadways and short distance driving in Japan, as well as all of Asia, Australia and New Zealand for that mater, a compact pickup made a lot of sense. And so, the first B-series pickup was introduced in August of 1961, branded as the B-1500, referring to the trucks engine displacement. The little 1,484 cc four-cylinder pumped out 59 hp and had a one-ton payload rating. The B-1500 soon made a name for itself as being a hard worker and extremely reliable little truck. With the suspension set up with a torsion bar front end and leaf sprung solid rear, the B-1500 also became well known for its comfort. And with that, Mazda created the compact truck market.

Soon, the other Japanese domestic brands began to see that Mazda were making great use of a rather large hole in the truck market. In 1965, Datsun jumped into the game with a slightly smaller 520, which used a 1.3L engine. In 1968, Toyota countered Mazda with the now famous Hilux, which matched the Mazda in size, engine displacement and power. Isuzu, along with GM allegiances, created the Faster, in 1972, which would also see limited importation into North America.

By this time, these small pickups hadn’t properly penetrated the North American market with any great success, and Mazda kept the B-Series out of the market here until Toyota and Isuzu had properly tested the waters. However, in Asia and Australasia, the small trucks were a hit, and the Mazda B-1500 was leading the way in these compact pickup friendly lands.

In 1965, only four short years since its introduction, Mazda gave the B-1500 a slight refresh, adding a four-headlight front fascia, improving the cylinder head and adding down draft carburetor rather than a side unit that upped power from 59 to 73 hp. 1971 would see the B-series finally make it to North America in the form of its third generation. This new truck would see very little in the way of cosmetic changes, however, power was increased yet again with a displacement change from 1.5L to 1.6L, thus changing the vehicles name to the B-1600.

At this time, Mazda were also heavily invested in the Wankel engine technology, now popularized with the Mazda brand and dubbed the rotary. Mazda would use the 13B rotary engine in the B-series from 1974 to 1977, creating the world’s first rotary powered pickup. The rotary powered B-series featured flared fenders, a battery mounted under the rear bed and special edition designed dash, grille and headlights. However, while the twin rotor, 1.3L, 13B was ideal in Mazda’s sports car, the Cosmo, and the RX-4 and RX-5 coupes, the engines low torque rating did not make a good match with the pickup trucks needs and was soon cancelled. Like most rotary powered Mazda’s, it didn’t go out without a fight, as Mazda raced one of these special editions at the 1975 SCCA Mojave 24 Hour Rally.

It was in this era that also saw Mazda’s first truck cooperation agreement with Ford, which would see the new B-1800 be rebadged as a Ford Courier. Ford was in need of small truck to combat the influx of small Japanese pickups like the Toyota, Isuzu and Datsun. The Courier was produced by Mazda in Japan and imported into the US minus the rear bed to combat tariffs.  With the new 1.8L engine increasing torque to 92 lb-ft, the Courier/B-1800 had an impressive 1,400 lb load capability combined with a cheaper price tag than the F-100. The only real difference between the Mazda and Ford variants were the badging on the tailgate and hood, while the Courier had a unique grille to mimic that of the F-100.

1978 would see another generation of the B-series created, this time the truck got the full treatment with an all-new 80’s body design and the usual increase in displacement to 2.0L, however this time with the introduction of fuel injection. Soon after, one of the most popular versions, the aforementioned B-2200 and B-2600 would be introduced in 1985. This marked the height of small truck production, and the B-series saw a whole host of both body and drivetrain upgrades. The B-2000, became the B-2200, then B-2600 with the later producing 121 hp. The body was modernized with plastic bumpers; upgraded grille and headlight assemblies while part time 4WD could now be had for the first time. Customers now also had the choice of a long box or a king cab option on their vehicles. The B-series was sold in North America in this guise for well over a decade, from 1985 to 1998, and while the Courier was still based off the B-series platform, it was not offered in North America, as Ford had now created the Ranger for itself.

However, this would change in the later half of 1998, when Ford changed the B-series forever. They flipped the table on Mazda, effectively killing off the Japanese built truck in North America, and now chose to use the Ranger as the base platform, pumping out Mazda equivalents as thinly rebadged Rangers.

In its new North American cloths, the B-series not only received much larger engine packages, but its size grew exponentially to meet the North American needs. The choice of a 2.3L (B-2300) or 4.0L (B-4000) engines were now mated to either rear-wheel-drive, or optional 4WD with a dash mounted switch. Several of these new 4WD’s were now on par with the more popular Toyota and Nissan trucks in terms of off-road modifications and capabilities. However, with Ford now calling the shots, the only improvements made to the vehicles over their 12-year lifespan was little more than the addition of trim options. As a result, both the Ranger and B-series began to loose favour in a market that saw an every increasing move towards larger full-size trucks, as those trucks reaped the rewards of increased attention, allowing automakers to sell them for nearly as cheaply.

Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall as early as 2009, when word of the B-series demise began to leak. True to their word, with sales dwindling, the B-series was finally executed in 2010, with only a few unsold units still sitting on dealer’s lots. It’s an unfortunate end to what was a great vehicle, and so we pay tribute and homage to the first popular mass-produced compact pickup. RIP B-series.

Review: 2011 Ford Explorer

Great explorers must overcome great hurdles in order to not only to achieve their goals, but in many cases, just to stay alive. Sir Ranulph Fiennes was the first man to reach both North and South Poles, but he lost several fingers and toes in the experience. Likewise, Robert Falcon Scott, who raced Roald Amundsen across the Antarctic to realize the dream of being the first man to the South Pole, only to loose the race by 35-days and later his life on the return journey due to improper preparations. In the cutthroat world of the SUV, the waters are not as warm and comfortable as the Caribbean; rather icy and treacherous like the Arctic. The once powerful SUV has had to give way to the surge in popularity of the Crossover, as the public demands a high cargo and passenger volume vehicle that handles like a car.

Enter the Explorer, the pioneer of the modern SUV, however, as of late, with all the Japanese competition as well as Dodge, Jeep and Chevy producing significantly upgraded unibodied utes, the Explorer had become a relic of out of date body on frame technology. Like most of Fords range of new vehicles, 2011 sees all change for the Explorer, with an all-new unibody stuffed with as much technology Ford could squeeze into it.

Other than body construction, the biggest step forward is how much greener the Explorer has become with the new 3.5L V-6 producing 22% better fuel efficiency, with at city rating of 11.9/100km and 8.0L on the highway. All this comes with an improvement in power as well, upping to 290 hp and 255 lb-ft. The upcoming 2.0L Ecoboost that is due later this summer is even more impressive offering up 237 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. However, despite its name, fuel efficiency is actually worse than the V-6, with a 13.1L/100km city and 8.7L on the highway.

The new design is quite an eye catcher if I do say so myself, and sports some distinctly Land Roverish touches that really add to the refinement of the vehicle. Inside the same can be said as a stylish interior design is matched with high quality soft touch materials, while what few buttons there are, give off a very luxurious feel and actuation. However, the coolness factor gets cranked to 11 with both the gauge cluster and center stack satnav, entertainment and HVAC centre.

Like the Fusion, the Explorer utilizes an adaptable digital gauge cluster giving the driver just about any onboard information one could ask for. The Sony controls are all touch sensitive

Along with the cool displays the Explorer has a mass of new drive technology. The list of control system acronyms for the Explorer is large enough to make an Infiniti blush. The Explorer has benefited with a heavy influx of shared technology that has been developed with the specialists expertise of out-going partners Volvo and Land Rover, with excellent safety and off-road abilities.

Lets start with the safety side of the equation. The new Explorer stepped up to bat big time in the safety department with the usual suspects; traction control, ABS and stability control, while adding the BLIS blind spot warning system, cross traffic-alert, adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support.  However, if you don’t think that’s enough, Ford have developed an industry first with the introduction of inflatable rear seat belts found in the 2^nd row outboard seats. As a $250 option on XLT and Limited models, this system uses a compressed air container under each seat which fires air into an airbag folded into the seatbelt. The airbag tears through a seam in the belt, tripling its contact area in the event of a collision. Also debuting is Fords curve control system, which will detect if the vehicle has entered a corner too fast, and keeps it on the road by working with all the systems mentioned above, as well as roll over control, effectively controlling speed and skidding.

Land Rover faithful will know the multi-surface interface now found in the Explorer, allowing the driver to choose either snow, sand, rutted or normal driving conditions. Well, that system, known as the Terrain Management System, now makes the Explorer a formidable soft-roader. And just for good measure, Ford has added a hill decent function as well. With the Terrain Management controls in communication with the driving aids, it all combines to create a vehicle with incredible traction in any environment. Despite the Explorers independent suspension and relatively low ride height for an SUV, it performs beyond its mechanical disadvantages. However, that being said, the Explorer is missing one vital part of the Terrain Management System lacks the air springs found in the LR4 and Range Rover models, a feature that massively increases the off-road character of those vehicles. If Ford are smart, they will offer adjustable lift suspension in an off-road special edition, much like but not as extreme as the Raptor.

So, how does it all work in the real world, on roads slick with packed ice? With our tester wrapped with Continental ice tires driving in the standard surface setting already gives the driver a confident feeling on snow and ice as the Explorer is well planted and turns in well. With the multi-surface control set to “Sand” the explorer starts to get frisky as the computers start to allow the wheels to spin up, and the vehicle is allowed to slid around a little bit before traction and stability programs step in. In “Snow” mode, throttle response is cut and the traction and stability programs are working at the hardest to keep the vehicle on the straight and narrow. The result is a phenomenal amount of grip on even the slipperiest of surfaces.

Overall, Ford have done a wonderfull job bringing the aging old Explorer up to date, and none too soon as both Jeep and Dodge have also made eaqually impressive leaps with the Grand Cherokee and Durango. Until driving the Explorer, I was most impressed with the Grand Cherokee’s excellent new unibody. However, with Fords new design, and one of the most impressive interiors in the business, the Explorer just takes over as my pick for the segment. However, like I said above, if you are looking to do some off-roading, something old Explorer owner are quite fond of, I would suggest the Jeep, as they have the advantage of height adjustable air springs, the Explorers one let down.

SPECIFICATIONS:

MSRP: $29,999

Price as tested: $44,199 (LTD AWD)

Type: 4-door, full-size SUV

Engine: 3.5L V-6, 2.0L I-4

Horsepower: V-6 290, I-4 290

Torque: V-6 255, I-4

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Layout: Front engine, front wheel drive, optional AWD

Brakes: Four-wheel discs

Fuel Economy (L/100km): 11.9L city, 8.0L highway

History: Military Ruggedness for the Average Man

Last year, when Dodge invited me to Moab, Utah, for the Jeep Safari, they also let have a go in the current iteration of the Power Wagon. The Ram based 2500 was a particularly stout off-roader despite it’s size, featuring solid lockable axles at both ends, disconnecting sway-bars, full underbody protection and a winch as standard. The good folks at Dodge took us on a run up into the mountains surrounding Moab, on washed out old mining roads that were most likely built, maintained and used by Power Wagons back in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s when Moab was a uranium boom town.

Many a Power Wagon there were up in those mountains, when the apatite for weapons grade uranium was at its peak. In fact, the two began life around the same time. Around the time the American’s were testing their newfound mass-destructive powers, Dodge were working on the latest version of their quarter, half and three quarter ton military 4x4. Dodge had been building 4x4’s for the military since 1934, so they had a pretty good sense of what worked and what didn’t. In 1945, initial photo’s of a prototype vehicle based on the extremely effective military platform with a civilian cab were first released. Initially called the Battle Wagon, the Power Wagon’s basic goal was to fulfill the military needs for a small, fast, powerful, and rugged vehicle, capable of traveling well on road, and equally as well off road, and supply a vehicle of equal quality to the civilian population.

Like the venerable Jeep, veterans who were now returning home to their farms, or construction and mining jobs began to swamp Dodge with requests for the extremely capable machinery they were privy too while in the service. With the market crying out, Dodge would have been foolish not to make use of designs, tooling and a massive collection of spares, and build a civilian version of their military vehicles. Especially when the government financed all those resources.

In 1946, Dodge introduced the Power Wagon to showrooms for the first time, giving the public access to rugged wartime machinery. Based on the 126-inch wheelbase, three-quarter ton military chassis, the civilian Power Wagon featured a purpose built 8-foot all-steel welded box with high 20-inch tall sides for maximum cargo carrying ability. It featured a 230 cubic-inch flat head six cylinder engine rated at a massive 78 hp, however, for those who owned them, the flathead was tough, cheap to fix and lasted forever. Mated to the 230 was a 4-speed gearbox and 2-speed transfer case with an interior shift lever. The military driveline was carried over to the Power Wagon, using the transfer case from the WC 63 6x6, however the low range gearing was changed from 1.5 to 1.96. Like many military based vehicles, the Power Wagon had a Power Take Off (PTO) feature that directed engine power to the front and rear bumpers, capable of powering auxiliary equipment. A big plus with farmers, miners and forestry men. The one-ton rated Power Wagon's maximum GVW rating was 8,700 pounds. Its maximum payload was 3,000-pounds, but more important to owners was its 2,000-pound limit for off-road conditions. The truck also featured military non-directional tires, as there were no other high traction tires available at that time.

The fenders were flat one-piece military style fenders, instead of the usual teardrop styled fenders used on most trucks of that time. The teardrops would get clogged up with mud in the field, so most military trucks used flat fenders that would not catch mud as easily. As Dodge new the majority of Power Wagon owners would be buying the vehicle for its off-road prowess, they kept the military style fenders.

Most manufacturers would do a complete redesign once the current model was starting to get old in the tooth. The Power Wagon was so good at what it did, that Dodge engineers merely evolved the vehicle through the application of bigger and more robust parts, raiding the Chrysler parts bin to see what could be made to work better. Changes would be as small as replacing a 4-blade radiator fan with 6-blade unites. However, in ’49, the transmission was changed to a heavy-duty spur gear four speed. Then in ’51, 1,600-pound capacity front springs and 3,000-pound rear springs were available as an option increasing rear axle capacity from 5,500-pounds to 6,500-pounds and the front axle from 3,500 to 3,750. Then in 1961 the 230 was replaced with the 251 cubic-inch flat head six, which was joined with the optional 383 big block V-8 in ’67.

Safety and emissions rules finally killed the Power Wagon in the States in 1968 as it was deemed too expensive to reverse-engineer the Slant 6 into the engine bay. A total of 95,145 WDX-WM300 Power Wagons were sold between 1945-1968. Domestic production would shut down, although exports continued to roll out until 1978. However, that would not be the end of the Power Wagon story. The truck was so popular and such a success that the name would live on in several versions of Dodges 4x4 pickups.

The first of which came in 1957, and really didn’t share much in common with the original military styled vehicle. They were merely 4x4 versions of the W100 and W200 pickups. These trucks featured conventional cabs, front sheet metal and the cargo boxes used on the 2WD models. The next year, a one-ton W300 would also join the lineup. Later in 1966, a W200 Crew Cab was added, followed by the two-ton W500 Power Wagon in ’77. However, these were merely glorified 4WD versions of regular Dodge pickups, and lacked the charisma of the old school, take no prisoners, military based originals.

However, in 1981, the Power Wagon name came to an end all together, when Dodge redesigned the entire pickup fleet. Although, they did use the “Power Ram” name on 4WD models, the name would not resurface until 2005, when a special off-road version of the Ram received the historic designation. Today the Power Wagon lives on in the current generation Ram, which as I described above, is a very resourceful vehicle. However, as good of a truck the modern Power Wagon is, there is no replacing the kick ass cool factor of the original old warhorse.