Birth of the Blue Missile

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Looking good Andrew. I like the idea of twisting the heads on the squirters. This build is coming along great and losts of progress
Have you given it any thought to extend the underhood bracing to attach to the underside of the scoop so it is a little cleaner looking?
 
Swinger
Some thought, but I went with direct bracing to the top skin to keep engine compartment air from the intake of the scoop. I hope this looks better but I can tell you it is much stiffer than before.I also closed in the back so the intake is just fresh air.
Andrew
 

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I got the second door switch and the under-hood lights put in today.
there are 72 LEDs hopefully that will be enough to see at night.
Also how far back do you guys think a plastic bumpered ricer needs to be in order not to get melted?
Just thinking in advance of making the warning bumper sticker for the rear.
Andrew
 

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Anyone know a good Electroentomologist???????
Every module introduced into the system has a bug or two in it.

The rear box is debugged and works fine and now the center console's switch module has been wrung out. Its cool to be able to engage the spoiler from the drivers seat.

I got a chance to check the light level of the engine compartment light strips at night and the term daylight comes to mind.
Andrew
 
Sorry about the quality of the pic. I am finding it very difficult to get a good night shot with everything lit up. But here is what I have, the front portion of the console is in after more Molex connectors to connect up the center portion of the console. Still missing is the two way radio and the AC controls.
More as I get it.
Andrew
 

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Here is a shot with a little more ambient light. The cellphone camera just will not focus worth a damn, sorry
Andrew
 

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Another milestone has been reached. I know for most of you guys putting a battery in the car for the first time isnt a big deal. To me after weeks of low amperage testing and trouble shooting, powering up the mile or so of wiring in this puppy without a bunch of blown fuses and fried circuits is a big step.
I went from 1.5amps to 850 amps with a deep-draw/start Optima.
There are still a couple of partial lighting circuits that need to be corrected, but everything is functional from the front console.
First pic is of the newly installed relay sockets, second the installed Optima.
Andrew
 

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Just a quick post,
I just plugged the last piece of the center console in, and shook out all the systems.The pinpad does its thing as designed and the Push To Talk function on the steering wheel works as well. Got the electric windows powered up.They are smooth as silk with more than enough power, now that everything rolls freely.
There are still a few odds and ends to button up but that is the end of the major wiring. Connections to be made in the trunk to equipment and in the engine bay to sensors and fans etc.
Andrew
 
I have been trying to incorporate new technology where ever possible in the build.
To that end I ordered LED 1157s and 1156s. When they arrived I did a side by side comparison and the incandescent ones won out hands down.
first pic is of the LED lamps the second is the side by side with the regular taillight bulb on the left, LED on the right. The third pic is a comparison of the back up bulbs.
OLD school it is!
Andrew
 

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Still debugging things, there were a couple of small grounding conflicts with the audio system, and the taillight sends are reversed (not a big deal).
When I rebuilt the front relay box and installed relay sockets, the new relays came with led indicators built in, something you'll only see at night. But in my book, information is not to be wasted, so I built a plexi cover for it. In retrospect it looks pretty cool.
Andrew
 

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A quick update. All the issues with the lighting system are either resolved or diagnosed, the LEDs in the third brake light are failing but new ones are on order. Other than that everything lights and functions. The 12volt Push to Talk relays need to be changed out for 6volt ones because of the voltage drop through the steering column, 13 volts in and 7 volts out going to two 12 volt relays in parallel with 4volt trigger requirements. On order as well.
Andrew
 
Rainy day here in Texas so I rebuilt the PTT box installing relay sockets. Ill bench test everything with 12 volt relays and a 12v power supply and replace them when the 6volt relays arrive.
Andrew
 

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Andrew, you make it all look so simple....when I struggle during my wiring phase of the Duster (and Yes it will happen), I'll try to remember the complexity of your build and say to myself WWAD "What Would Andrew Do".
 
Figure a half a dozen ways to make it more complicated!!!!!!!!!

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

Andrew
PS - buy a brother Ptouch and label the hell out of everything!
 
I got the replacement relays yesterday and got the middle piece of the center console back in place. The PTT system works flawlessly. Here is a pic of a little more progress
Andrew
 

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76orangewagon said:
Andrew, you make it all look so simple....when I struggle during my wiring phase of the Duster (and Yes it will happen), I'll try to remember the complexity of your build and say to myself WWAD "What Would Andrew Do".
Click to expand...

I've taken a few electrical engineering courses in college and that stuff is known as black magic around here... :D
 
Thanks MuuMuu,
Ive been accused of being over the edge too many times. SO... I have decided to embrace that concept.
I have always wanted to have a F.L.I.R. screen for dark running on unlit roads.
I was thumbing through an audio catalog looking for some in line high-pass filters for the front speakers, they get a bit crunchy from the low freq in the audio, and I stumbled across an over-the-mirror clip-on backup camera with night vision. It's 11"x4" uses minimal current and accepts IR camera feeds.
I also found a high res ultra-low lux camera to go along with it. The camera has a good 870nm light source and I will build two 940nm "headlights" which should give me twice the distance of regular high beams.
I also found the original visors which gives me the metal sleeve/clip to build everything from
Im figuring this project can be done for less than $200.

Pic is of the display (actual size photo)on the new visor
Andrew
 

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WTF? Space Shuttle? That is nuts man! A keyboard? Really? Knight Rider! You watched Knight Rider as a kid, that explains everything!
 
Thanks Ross,
still a long way to go, but it is starting to come together enough to allow others to see the vision. Mostly what is left is ordering stuff and installing the pieces. Then the paint job and the cruising!!!
Swinger, thats for the on board computer that handles the data logging and the Nav functions. That is the upper display.
Andrew
 
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