ONWARD HO!

I just finished watching EVTV this week and thought the Taiwan trade show piece was rather good. It was also good seeing Jack driving the EV Thing and looks like it is finally close to a finished product. 

Yesterday the interior trim pieces were installed and the seat belts were fastened down. Everything went fairly well except I got some sealant from one of the panels on the new headliner. Not much but you try so hard for perfection when you are restoring a car that little things like that are rather discouraging. 

SIDE PANELS AND SEAT BELTS INSTALLED

No time to cry over spilled milk, on to the instrument panel and placement of the Dell Venue 8 Pro. After rearranging, and rearranging some more, I kinda of hit the wall, so went inside to get on the internet and to think some more about how to get all of the components to fit in the space available. After some consideration and looking on the internet, I came up with a mount for the Dell Venue 8 Pro. Instead of using the center console pod, a plate will be made to cover the opening and the tablet holder will be mounted on the new cover. After thinking about it, this will allow me to use the camera in the Venue 8 Pro to get driving video and will allow me easy access to be able to remove  the tablet when the car is left unattended. 

TABLET MOUNT

The plan now is to mount two duel meters in the instrument cluster, one for the pack voltage and amperage and one for the 12 volt voltage and amperage. This will keep most of the instrumentation in one place and will allow me to use the dash space above the center console for the Venue 8 Pro. This meter will mount in the available space and the same meter will work for both the traction pack and the 12 volt system. I will use the 100 amp meter with a 1000 amps/75 mv shunt instead of the 100 amps/75 mv shunt that would normally be used. Just add a zero to the reading and that will be the pack amps.The measured side is is also isolated from the power supply, so there will be no need to add a small DC-DC converter to isolate them from each other.

VOLTAGE AMPERAGE DUEL METER

SCHEMATIC FOR ABOVE METER

I have been putting of starting the bottom balance of the better place cells but thought today would be a good day to start. Two quartz spotlights were hooked up across the module and the pack is draining as I am writing this post. I have had quite a bit of interest in the one module I am willing to sell, but so far, now one has been interested in it at the $1500 price I put on it. That is really not bad as if you were to buy one of the remaining packs that turned up at EVTV, it would be around $2200 per module.

After the batteries were hooked up and discharging, I went back to the center console restoration.  The vinyl had swollen on the sides of the center dash enclosure, making unsightly gaps between the face plate and the edges. Glue was squirted between the vinyl and plastic frame and clamped into place with the face plate in position. If this works, the other side will be glued this afternoon. Then the console cover will be painted the new dark gray interior color that the instrument pod and glove box will be changed to and everything should match when finished.

CENTER CONSOLE COVER

Still looking for a good drivers side 1985 Fiero GT seat but may still get get a set of leather seat covers to install. I sent an inquiry to a salvage yard that had seats for a Fiero but they did not specify if they were for a GT.

Just 3-1/2 months until EVCCON and would really like to have the care there this year. Still trying to figure out how to transport it there without breaking the bank.

Until Next week,

Randy