Mods & Projects - UPDATES

[Joe_Black]

As many know I've got a lot of irons in the fire right now, several of which involve mods and improvements to the VehiCROSS. In an effort to better organize what I've got going on and present what I do have, you'll soon be able to view my efforts on the web. Over the next week or so finishing touches are being made and the link will be posted here. That way y'all can just go to one place rather than sift through the myriad posts related to what I'm tinkering with.

Here's the current project list:

Quality carbon fiber accessories.

Bilstein 7100 suspension fitment.

Plug-n-play ram air induction.

Improved custom sway bars.

Two "how-to" articles will be up as well with photos covering the following:

Transmission changeover to Mobil-1 (fluid change).

Installation of satellite antenna in rear spoiler.

Please let me know if there's anything I've left off! ;Dp;

[Ldub]

:D

:p

Joe,

I think you forgot about that "fusion thingy" that would allow time travel. Sounds like your plate is pretty full,guess we'll have to wait on that one.
I'll be interested in the sway bars when the time comes.

Endeavor to persevere,

Ldub

[smcneal]

Can't wait to see the how to as I need to do this ASAP.

[Tone]

World Peace and the high output Alternator mod... I’m back from Cabo and can send to you when you are ready! Thanks.

[Joe_Black]

Thanks Tone, I knew I was forgetting something! As for the World Peace part, just remember to vote for me in the 2012 Presidential Election. ;Do;

[I_Wanna_Retire]

Joe, when you post the project info on the web, it might be a good idea to post 'guesses' on when the various items will be available. That way, folks can decide if they want to wait, or pursue alternatives. You know, sorta like 'Available 2005!!! you see on product websites.

Me have money to spend :)

[MachineVX]

How about a kit to swap the direct injection 3.5 into the VX? or into other Isuzus.

[Maugan_VX]

you forgot:

Change oil

Replace PCV

Clean EGR

Vacuum Floormats (mine always look nasty)

[Joe_Black]

Okay, I finally got all the photos from the IronMan tranny fluid service re-sized and uploaded. Also got the satellite antenna install in the rear wing photos done too. The basic web is up and all I need to do is type the "how-to" text for the photos. I had hoped to have this up by now, but I'm helping a friend with an out-of-state move over the weekend. So it will be up after the weekend, probably Tuesday.

The tranny service I did on the IronMan was a drain and fill, but I'm going to do a flush on Kathy's 2001 Trooper hopefully on the 7th. So if you're interested in that we'll get lots of photos and have it added to the web the following week. That way you'll have two techniques to choose from!

As I get more photos and info compiled I'll keep updating the web. Stayed tuned as I'll post the URL here as soon as it's live! ;po;

I'm listening to your requests folks and will put "guestimates" on various projects (great idea!) and what I will or will not consider tackling in the future.

We're a bit stressed right now as we got some less than encouraging news from the soil engineers and may need to rethink the locations for our shops and home. :sighg2: Keep your fingers crossed!

[Heraclid]

Uh oh - like your planned home site could be sitting on a prime sinkhole site or something?

Thought maybe you'd be at the TSD this weekend. :-)

[Joe_Black]

Originally posted by Heraclid
Uh oh - like your planned home site could be sitting on a prime sinkhole site or something?

Thought maybe you'd be at the TSD this weekend. :-)

The TSD is on the 6th, next weekend. You're supposed to chasing kids with a chainsaw this weekend, remember? LOL!

As for the homesite, the soil is loosely compacted and would require pilings more than likely. That was the result of the second bore. The first bore was better, but the soil engineer is now in direct contact with the dome people to get specs and loads to make an accurate assessment. Since we're building two concrete geodesic domes that are linked, we have flexibility in how they're placed. With 42 acres finding a spot isn't an issue, but finding a spot we really like is. So hopefully we can stay in the same general area as the view is nice and it's also secluded from the neighbors and the area of the property where the rally events are held. When we open up more of the land for RallySprint it'll still be in a protected and buffered spot.

The shop may be an entirely different prospect and may end up in another location too. Since it needs to support the weight of my Caterpillars (D6 = 12 tons, D4 = 6 tons) and things like autoclaves the foundation requirements are going to be above average.

I'll know more next week. We're just getting really impatient... :madg:

[Mr. I-MAN]

Are you going with Bucky Fuller type Geodesic Structure?

[Joe_Black]

Originally posted by Mr. I-MAN
Are you going with Bucky Fuller type Geodesic Structure? Something like that. An outfit here in Florida developed a hybrid foam/concrete system that offers the strength of a monolithic dome with the time and cost saving features of geodesic construction.

Check it out: AI Domes (http://www.aidomes.com)

[Heraclid]

Duh, sorry... Nov. 6, that's right. Are you going?

Those domes are so funky on the outside. They're both a little weird because they're so different, and yet so cool because they're so different. The interior shots are pretty cool too!

Sorry about the soil issues you're having. :-(

Yep, big weekend - FL/GA game here in Jax, the air show in town, a Jaguars game I can actually watch, and Halloween.

Hey, I'm in the midst of a bow obsession and thought having false arrows protruding from the front door and have a doormat telling people to stand on the "X" and be very still. :-) I guess it would have to look a bit cheesy because if it was too realistic it would probably scare the children away. I have three junk cedar arrow shafts I can use. I've even given thought to a device to make one fly by on a guide wire while they're standing there. <evil laugh>

[kpaske]

Joe_Black -

Thanks for the link on the geodesic domes. For a while I've been contemplating alternative energy and super-efficient housing methods and your link had me spending the better part of the day researching and dreaming... ;Db; My dream is to build a super-efficient solar/wind powered house (or two) in Thailand, with the hopes of spreading some ideas about sustainable development to that region of the world. I'm also planning to relocated to S.California in about a year and have started looking into properties there; perhaps the money i'd save on a geodome, plus the tax breaks and energy company refunds for using solar will help offset the ridiculous cost of land!

Heraclid -

That doesn't sound too bad. When I was growing up in Maryland there was a house down the street from us that hung "bodies" from all the windows and trees and answered the door in a gorilla suit. It scared a few of the littlest ones, but most of the kids loved it.

KP

[Joe_Black]

KP, do some research on Savonius wind generators. We're planning on using several of that type as we're on a river valley and always have a good breeze. They're not as efficient as blade-type generators, but are simple to construct and are very robust so feathering isn't necessary. Augment those with a reasonable amount of solar and you'd be in good shape!

[kpaske]

Joe -

Thanks again for the link; another interesting design to look into.

In S.California I think using Solar is the way to go because if you get "on the grid" and produce enough electricity, the power company actually winds up owing YOU money. I wonder if you can also do this with wind power?

Thailand is a whole different ball game because it would be ideal to stay entirely off the grid, which of course requires completely different design considerations. Although sunlight usually isn't much of an issue in that part of the world, it would be nice to have a backup/additional source.

[Joe_Black]

Take a good hard look at the requirements for selling power back to the utility company. It's not as simple as producing more than you use, it has to be conditioned and provided in very stringent methods as dictated by the utility. I had heard the same tales and did some research. It's quite complicated and there is additional expense involved, plus the regulations vary dramatically by region and utility provider.

The best alternative power systems in real-world use are very hybrid. Wind provides the bulk of the power as it provides the most output for the lowest cost. Solar usually augments systems as it is very cost prohibitive for the cells, so the setup is generally sized according to the wind availability at the site to pick up the slack for average windless days. All this feeds a battery storage bank that is in turn coupled with the distribution circuit that provide this green power to the whole house that's still grid-tied. The grid power handles the heavy loads such as major appliances and well pumps, while the batteries handle the rest. The control circuitry automatically shifts the load as needed when the batteries are low or the demand is high. This type of setup gives you the maximum flexibility and savings, plus you can scale the system up as you can afford additional green power generation (wind/solar/micro-hydro etc.). For totally off-grid use you really either have to do without a lot of conveniences or spend major money for ultra-efficient appliances and such. For example, they still haven't come up with a full-size 12V fridge that'll keep ice cream hard.

For some excellent information and reviews of in-use real world residential systems, and the different approaches people take, check out Home Power Magazine (www.homepower.com) at your local book shop. It's a good read and will encourage you as much as ground you to reality and the true economics of being green. ;Do;

[Joe_Black]

I had hoped to have the web site up Tuesday but I just now think I've got frames figured out on FrontPage. I'm not a web-guru and have just been fumbling through it, but y'all will figure that out when you see the site. So far I've got the projects I'm interested in listed and estimated times for results. There is also a tech section with the "how-to" photos. Since I'm doing trannies on both my fiance's Trooper and Jonnie's IronMan then I should have some good additional photos. My plan is to show the two ways I've changed tranny fluid so you can figure which best suits you. I'm on vacation next week so will be able to put some more time into it.

Here's what I've got up so far, not much but at least you can get the link: Joe Black's VX Site (http://www.antiquecaterpillar.org/VX/)