My Dusty 71 GMCe Electruck

[Gregski]

so this is what I'm going for I call it the Winged Hussars design

[Gregski]

I like to prime, paint, and clear coat all my custom made brackets first before cutting them up... (can any of you relate?)


I'm still working on my Welding Game and here I tried the tac tac tac method (dumb I know)


first attempt at the proper cut out

[cornerstone]

Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves, "at least it'll be strong enough". Lord knows I've had a ton of "strong enough" booger welds on projects over the years.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

Sometimes we just have to tell ourselves, "at least it'll be strong enough". Lord knows I've had a ton of "strong enough" booger welds on projects over the years.

darn right, and I just had to make myself feel a little better, so here...

[Gregski]

so that first cut out wasn't wide enuff to clear a plastic cable bracket I wanted to mount right below the lug connection, so I had to make a bigger cut out

[Gregski]

you've heard of death by a thousand cuts, well this ended up being design by a thousand cuts

after attempting to trial fit this newly augmented inverter bracket I of course realized it would now not clear the battery lid tray thingy, so I lopped a section of the left wing off (that hurt, cause I am all about symmetry)

[Gregski]

second attempt, FAILED again but only by this much

I need to recalibrate my eyecrometer

[Gregski]

at this point I've reached the I don't give a **** any more phase of the gentle trimming and I just went for it, and whalla a perfect fit every time !

[Gregski]

alright, these cables better reach

this is just a trial fit, the black plastic cable bracket is just loosely dangling on there (I didn't have the energy to deal with it that day)

[Gregski]

today the stare down began between me and the first gen Chevy Volt DC DC converter, I hoped I could will it to connect itself to the BMW 530e Battery Safety Box

so this thing is like a alternator in the car, and I don't want it to have a permanent connection to the high voltage battery, so I am thinking if I tap it into the Safety Box aka the Contactor Box on the output side then it will only make a connection to the battery pack when the contactors are closed

[Gregski]

maybe this will work

that may be a 20 amp fuse I may shove something lesser in there or morer I don't know, whatever you recommend

I am also entertaining the idea of just shoving this entire black BMW Safety Box into one of them electrical plastic boxes and not even putting it's flimzy OEM lid back on just using the lid from the bigger electrical box, bonus if I can find an orange one

fun little 4 part series on what a Safety Box is:

BMW 530e Safety Box Contactor Box 1

BMW 530e Safety Box Contactor Box 2

BMW 530e Safety Box Contactor Box 3

BMW 530e Safety Box Contactor Box 4

[Gregski]

Me: gonna get a lot done in the garage this weekend

The Weather Forecast:

[Gregski]

and then it was time to mount the second gen Toyota Prius electronic power assist steering brain module thingie

well the first thing I learned is that the lid comes off

what kinda alian space ship mounting bracket is that ?


Prius Power Steering Module EV Conversion 1

[Gregski]

then it was off to the Organic Outdoors Finesse Station, OOFS

[Gregski]

I must admit I was very surprised how nicely this Toyota part bolted up to the Chevy truck, only one extra hole had to be drilled in the truck frame


Note: this module originally lived inside the cab of the Prius so it is not weather proof or tightly sealed at all !


Prius Power Steering Module EV Conversion 2

[Gregski]

So the goal for this month, July 2023 A.D. (Another Deadline) is to have it run and drive !


we've been working kinda hard at lowering the bar so far to meet this important self imposed arbitrary deadline

[Gregski]

could this be the final to do list?

• 1. mount the BMW E46 throttle pedal

• 2. Integrate Damien's BMW Safety Box control Arduino code into the VCU (the old pre Zombie version)

• 3. Wiretize all the low voltage wiring (VCU, Inverter, Throttle, Safety Neutral Switch, Resolvers, Water Pump, Oil Pump, Steering Module, CAN Bus, etc.)

• 4. Decide how to connect the second gen Chevy Volt battery charger high voltage orange wiring

• 5. Install some digital gauges (I am having a good friend Artur Kustusch - Jaguar XJR EV Conversion fandangle for me)

[8man]

Only in a dream! Is there ever not a to do list?

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by 8man

Only in a dream! Is there ever not a to do list?

I literally joke with my wife that even after I'm dead she'll find use for me and give me something to do, and she goes, "yeah I'll donate your body to science" God, I luv that woman!

[yuccales]

Still enjoying the updates on your progress. I sure hope you do a "public viewing" of the finished truck some day. I'd love to see it in person.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by yuccales

Still enjoying the updates on your progress. I sure hope you do a "public viewing" of the finished truck some day. I'd love to see it in person.

thanks for the kind words, I know you are in NorCal but just for reference I am only 10 minutes away from the Sac "International" airport so swing on by any time you want, bring a ratchet

[Gregski]

so I snuck out and mounted the Lexus transmission electronic "oil" pump controller to the frame this morning again using pre existing stock GM factory bolt holes? (for what I hope is the last and final time) before it got to 80°F at 8:00 am

yup, yet another OEM bracket that looks like it just fell off of the USS Enterprise, but what do I know I'm not a Star Wars fan

dang it I just realized I fed those frame bolts in the wrong way, that will never pass tech, don't let Robert see that!

[72 tigger]

Good progress!
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of someone using a OOFS in triple digit temps before

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

Good progress!
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of someone using a OOFS in triple digit temps before

OK, I'll bite?

[72 tigger]

Originally Posted by Gregski

then it was off to the Organic Outdoors Finesse Station, OOFS

Early stages of Alzheimer’s??