If you have been thinking about adding some new spark to your old hot rod project may we suggest the Webb Motorworks Cyber Beast? Yes, it will bolt into your former small block Chevy engine and trans mounts. But it is far from either of those mundane power modes. This is an electric motor swap that looks like a small block Chevy engine.

Everything you need to swap your old Chevy or hot rod to an electric motor is included

Everything you need to convert your old Chevy or hot rod to electric power is included in the small block Chevy kit. Chris Webb says, “To get this electric car running, just hook up the throttle, radiator hoses, do some low voltage wiring, mount your controller, and add your charging port.” All of the programming is done. 

And you can go just beyond what is shown here by adding a stock water pump, exhaust manifolds, hollow carburetors, spark plugs, and distributor wires. Cooling the batteries and controller is handled by the stock radiator, and the water pump actually hides under the bell housing.  Attached to the rear of the “engine” is a Torque Trends gear reduction box. 

The gearbox ratios vary based on the gear ratio in your rear end and rear tire size. This way you have immediate full torque the instant you pull the trigger which stays constant up to 5,000 rpm. With higher voltage, your peak rpm can increase from there. 

Batteries are buried inside of the fake engine block

Batteries for the Webb electric system are buried inside of the fake engine block. There are 96 72 amp 3.2-volt batteries. A fan in what was formerly the carburetor pulls cooling air to the batteries. Together the batteries create 307 volts with 22 kWh of power. Range averages around 60 miles but some of that is dependent on the weight of your car or truck and how much you hammer the throttle. 

Both range and horsepower can be increased with additional battery packs. These can be hidden in the truck or gas tank since you won’t need that anymore. Voltage can increase to 614 and you gain extra power, too. 

Right now the electric motor swap kit is in prototype form. Webb is also seeking investors to help goose along with development and production. He’s just one guy in his garage but he got so much response to his first EV project that he was encouraged to provide something like this kit for other muscle car and hot rod enthusiasts. 

That first project was his 1936 Hayes logging truck. Even though coming in at 5,000 lbs and with 250 ft-lbs of torque and 125 hp he can easily do burnouts. The results were so great he has wanted to make his parts and knowledge available for anyone wanting to convert their car or truck to electrification.

Webb sees that internal combustion engines won’t be supported in the future

Webb also sees, as we all do, that internal combustion engines are not going to be supported going into the future. Gas stations will be severely reduced and the price of gasoline will increase substantially. Going on a cruise or a rod run to the next state over won’t be easy. Trips will have to be preplanned around the availability of gas. And NAPA Auto and other parts houses will be a thing of the past.

So any breakdowns will be a major hassle as one tries to fix what’s broken through more elaborate parts houses. Getting plug wires or a starter will require a specialty supplier and said parts will take days to come via UPS. The electrical components, on the other hand, will be common and easy to find and replace. And electricity will be everywhere from charging stations to available at hotels or motels you stay overnight at. 

As Webb Motorworks is still prototyping no prices have been established. You can contact them for more information.