Guiness World Record Attempt

[clivehorridge]

Excellent Ben! Well done that man

The rest of the (required) tweaks wont be known about until after the event, I imagine

 

[Ben]

Thanks Clive.

 

[Ben]

Update time.................

I cut a bigger hole in the transmission tunnel ready for the hot air duct.







I wanted to make use of the grill/vent below the windscreen.



Looking up at the grill from under the dashboard.





I made a cardboard mock up of the duct needed.











Cut and bent some 1.2mm steel.



Drilled it.



Carefully cut the cardboard mockup up to give me the shape of what I needed to cut out.





Marked the steel.



Cut it out.



Folded it.











I decided the easiest way to connect to the vent below the windscreen would be to use the original Suzuki part that connects to it, this would also mean I would have a proper ducted section with baffles, water drain holes and a flap that can be opened or closed to seal the duct shut, if for example driving in a dust storm etc.

So with that bolted in position and my metal duct sat in position.



I needed to extend my metal duct to meet the plastic Suzuki part.

Cardboard mock up.











I made a steel version, again from 1.2mm and welded it on to the other duct section.



Marked where the plastic duct section would connect.





Rolled a 25mm strip of steel to fit snugly in the plastic duct.



Cut out a rough circle using an angle grinder.







Welded the ring in position.



Sprayed silver and ready to bolt in position.







Applied some silicon to help seal the duct to the gas cylinder/motor housing to help keep dust out.



Bolted in position to rivnuts in the cylinder.





With that section bolted in position I needed to make an access panel for the terminals on the top of the motor.



Cut and rolled some alluminium.







The cables will have some silicon applied around them before the trip to ensure the motor is 100% sealed against dust.



I wasnt happy with the wires running along the underneath of the transmission tunnel to the 2 kill switches and forward/reverse switch.

So my boss suggested we fit the switches to the dash where they will be easier to see and use and the wires will be well away from the transmission tunnel and spinning propshaft.

I cut, drilled and bent some 2mm alluminium.

The auto electrician also fitted a UHF radio so the driver of the solar Suzuki can communicate with the support vehicles.

My next job is to fit/make and fit a prop shaft to connect the electric motor to the transfercase as the previous one is no longer long enough as the motor now sits further forward.

Then I need to make the roof frame for the solar panels.

Then lots of bodywork to do to get it ready for paint.

 

[clivehorridge]

Looks brilliant Ben

 

[Ben]

Thanks Clive.

I got it on the hoist to fit the new prop shaft to connect the motor to the transfercase.





So it needed to go from the motor.





To the input flange on the transfercase.



I found a Vitara front shaft was the perfect length, I just had to fit Sierra flanges and new uni joints.



This is the adapter I made up previously which allows me to bolt a Suzuki prop shaft to the motor.





Fitted.



With that done I could look at fitting the solar panels to the roof, which would first involve making a frame for them to fit to.



Cut and drilled some 2mm plate.



Bolted them on.





Bent some 25mm tube.



Welded it to the plates.







These are the panels for the roof and bonnet.







I bolted them all together.



And positioned them on top of the car.







Lifting all the panels up, bolted together made me realise how flimsy they were. So I decided then to make an alluminium frame for them, but more on that shortly.

I bent some more 25mm tube.





Got it on the bench to notch and shape the ends.









I could then weld it to the hoop.







I cut some 2mm plate.



Bent it to the shape of the panel and bolted it on using the M8 hinge bolts.





I added another M6 bolt.



Cut and notched some more tube.



I used a hole saw in the pillar drill to notch it.



I removed the windscreen.



Welded the pieces of tube in position.





To keep it looking like a Suzuki still, I was keen to follow the angle of the windscreen with the tube.





Cut, drilled and bent some more 2mm.



Bolted in position.





Cut, notched and welded some more tube in position.





And that was the cage complete.











Next job was to make an alluminium frame to go around the panels to give them some rigidity.

Using 40mm alluminium angle.







TIG welded it together.







Test fitted them over the panels and they fitted perfectly.





Next job was to work out where the mounts needed to be to mount the alluminium frame to the cage.







This is what we've decided to use.





With the position of all the mounts measured and marked on the alluminium frame, I could flip the solar panels over, drop the alluminium frame over them and then drill and bolt through the alluminium frame and the panels and bolt the rubber mounts on.









I could then lift the whole thing onto the cage.









The rubber quickfists worked well.



And the beauty of doing it like this is that when they park up in the desert to charge the batteries up, they can undo the rubber mounts along one side and tilt the whole bank of panels to face the sun. Adjusting the panels to face the sun increases their efficiency massively!







All that was left was for a few test laps around the carpark.





I need to mount 2 more panels on the bonnet.





Then I want to strip it all down and send the cage to be powdercoated and get the car ready for paint.

 

[Chas]

Another great job Ben, I particularly liked the front support legs matching the windscreen angle to keep it more Suzy looking. Really looking forward to see this creation in action.

 

[clivehorridge]

You're really going to town on this Ben. When you first mentioned doing this, I was thinking a sort of modded shopping trolley or something!

This is will end up a fully tested prototype, by the time you finish it

 

[Gary820]

Will give a bit of shade while driving too. Should provide a good amount of power for the batteries.

 

[tonytoyota]

Hi Ben that is one top job thanks for the pics it is a

 

[tonytoyota]

Hi Ben that is one top job thanks for the pics it is a

 

[adrianr]

Great work Ben.

 

[tonytoyota]

Hi Ben that is one top job thanks for the pics it is a

 

[Ben]

Thanks guys.

You're really going to town on this Ben. When you first mentioned doing this, I was thinking a sort of modded shopping trolley or something!

This is will end up a fully tested prototype, by the time you finish it

With over a thousand sand dunes to cross its got to be strong and hopefully reliable.

If everything goes to plan it should make news around the world and for a minute or 2 of prime time TV on every news channel in Australia, my boss will be very happy!

To have an advert on prime time TV costs about $30,000+ per showing, so he should easily make back his investment if everything goes to plan.

I'm just glad I cant go as I will be on holiday in Europe!

The desert really isnt a nice place to be, what with the searing heat, endless amount of flies, dust and sand dunes that seem to go on forever!
Not to mention all the down time they will have of atleast 5-6 hours everyday re-charging the batteries!

The panels I've fitted to the roof and bonnet are cheap $100 each ones and my boss has bought them out right. The flexible panels that will pull out of the sides like giant awnings are very expensive and they are being loaned to us for the trip. They should provide a lot more power than the roof and bonnet ones will.

We need to get the car finished ASAP so that the media can borrow it for publicity and photo shoots. We also need to finalise all the sponsors and get the sign writing and merchandise done.

At the moment it will be called the Piranha Solar Desert Challenge. But if a sponsor comes on board who is willing to pay a substantial amount of sponsorship money, then they can have their name at the start of the Solar Desert Challenge name.

 

[Chas]

I'm just glad I cant go as I will be on holiday in Europe!

Seems a shame to have done all that work and not be on the challenge, just make sure you get credit for it.

 

[Ben]

Yeah it is Chas and I could have gone on it and would have most likely been paid!

But like I say its going to be very slow pace and I dont think the desert is a particularly pleasant place to be!

I should get some credit, as before the trip we will have journalists and film crews come out to see the car and interview us.

 

[clivehorridge]

You'll have to provide the crew with a brush to sweep all the sand of the roof panels so they'll charge better.

 

[Ben]

Thats one of the reasons why my boss wants pull out awning panels on each side, rather than just laying out flexy panels on the ground, as laying them on the ground would see them covered in sand.

I needed to mount the bonnet panels next.



I made some brackets.



Bolted them to the panels.

















Bonnet still opens ok.



My boss wants to be able to attach 50 x 1000mm x 800mm panels to each side of the little Suzuki!

Something like this.





So we will need a 4 meter tube running down each side of the Suzuki to attach the panels to and they will run out 10 meters and be pegged down to the ground.

Will it work?

I really dont know! The panels are only light so weight shouldn't be an issue but the wind getting under it could be!

Anyway..................................

I needed to extend the cage to 4 meters each side.

I found some tube that had the perfect internal diameter for the 25mm tube I've used on the cage, it was actually an old Vitara bottom suspension link.



I cut a piece to length and notched it to fit on the corner of the cage.





A length of tube could then be slid in.











I cut the ends of the tubes on a 45 degree angle to help lock them in place.







Rear next.







The tubes will fit in the back behind the batteries.



I removed the cage for final welding.





With the extension tubes slid in place.





I drilled a hole through one side of the end of each extension tube, these holes would have a bolt screwed through them to help lock them in place.





I welded nuts on to the underside of the cage for bolts to go through the extension tubes.



I finished welding the cage and masked off the ends of the tubes ready for powdercoating. I didnt want the ends of the tubes powdercoating as they are already a snug fit into the cage.





I also screwed bolts into the now captive nuts to stop the thread filling with powdercoating.



I stripped the Suzuki down ready for paint and a retired guy who comes in once a week and normally washes the 4wd's and helps assemble products, sanded down the car ready for paint.

The silver paint on the Suzuki had been badly applied and a lot of it came off with compressed air!



What didnt come off with compressed air came off with the pressure washer.



He then sanded it all down.





Next week it goes to the paint shop and should come back a really bright, in your face yellow!

The cage has been powdercoated grey to match the alloy wheels.

Once I've put it all back together the whole car is going off to a company who build some of our complicated electronic products like our split chargers.

They are building a computer for the car which will monitor each individual battery for temp, voltage and amps. It will also monitor the motor, controller and solenoids for the temp, voltage and amps.

 

[Chas]

I'd be interesting to know what the total cost of this record attempt would be? . . . . HOW MUCH?

 

[Ben]

I'm not sure really Chas!

I'm guessing my labour will be the biggest expense.

The car doesn't really owe us anything. We got it very cheap as a wreck and the bits we sold off it easily paid for it. The solar panels on the roof and bonnet owe us $800 and they will be sold off after the trip and at that price we shouldnt loose much if anything on them!

The 13" Optima batteries arnt cheap and weve already fitted 12 of them and will be replacing the main car one with one as that runs all the lights, radio, computer, fan, etc.

so 13 x 13" Optimas.

I'm not sure of the cost of them but my boss is planning on selling them off after the trip and thinks he can sell them for about half what they cost as "used" ones.

In total I would say hes probably got about $10k in it!

 

[Paddler Ed]

I've got a PDF of the article from one of the magazines that you're in... Even see you driving!