SLC 001 Build

Mesa, you wrote:
The buttons I acquired (from what I was told) belong in a XBOX 360 controller.
I am not trying to pour cold water on flashes of enthusiasm.

XBoxes and other household electronics are manufactured to function in certain temperature and humidity ranges. Items in an automobile are subject to much harsher conditions that household electronics. Do you think your electronics are up to the challenge of freezing an entire February night in an Alaskan parking lot, baking all day in Death Valley August heat, and still work each and every time, especially in an emergency? :stunned:

Les
 

Howard Jones

Supporter
We live in California, it doesn't get hot or cold. Perfect all the time. Our idea of an emergency is when the ice in the cooler melts and the beer gets warm.

Really I would expect that consumer electronics like that used in a X Box would be pretty robust. Especially the touch/hands on pieces. If they were not it would cost the manufacturers a fortune in warranty return. Think of all those 10 year old boys. Those small buttons on the steering wheel will work for quite some time and then one or more will get intermittent. At that point I would take them all off and replace them in mass.

Rob, You might want to insure your source for the switches and other control pieces is long lived or buy a set of extras now and save them for a few years from now. It's a certainty that the X boxes will be different in 5 years.

The electronics are going to be subjected to the same environment Rob is and as long as he can stand it they will be fine. Typically discrete electronics fail right away or last a long time. That is why I never buy a extended warranty on them. Besides I don't think that car will spend very many cold nights outside or left very long alone in the hot sun. Just treat it like a lap top and it will be fine. Orange juice on the keyboard..........NOT!

Rob, what is the diameter of that steering wheel?
 
Thanks for the bump Grant, caused me not to be able to find my own thread! :)
Its been some time, currently trying to actually finish this car (what a concept) it's mostly nuts and bolts now, with a remake of some of the hard brake lines (thanks Will). Cary is helping me with the wiring and there is a shift knob done in 3D print that might be of interest but, then I'd have to take a picture of it now wouldnt I?
 
Random shots of some of the activity over the last six months...
Merry Christmas Guys.
 

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Those are the 60mm high beam units (now an option from Superlite, I think) with an addition of a 60mm halo light ring. The headlight is made by Bosch if I remember, available from Susquehanna Motorsports (however u spell that??)
 
I'm wondering about the copper pipe you are using for the heater lines. I've always heard that copper is a no-no.

Con:
  • Copper gets "work hardened" under the stress of vibration found in vehicles and could eventually fail.
  • Aluminum is susceptible to galvanic corrosion when in contact with copper, particularly when the two metals are in contact with an electrolyte like warm water. Anti-corrosive additives (i.e. anti-freeze) slows the aluminum deterioration. Adding a sacrificial zinc anode in your cooling system helps as well. See this article on corrosion
  • My understanding is that the FAA & DOT don't recommend copper lines in vehicles.
Pro:
  • Many heater cores are made of copper
  • Old time hot rodders say they have used copper for fuel lines without a problem

It may just be a matter of how much copper you use and how well its supported/cushioned against vibration.
 
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HHhhhmmmm. Thanks bill, I figured that shot would elicit comment. The heater core is copper or at least it has copper connection pipes. Since I now have an accurate model in copper, possibly I could have it made in aluminum or stainless.

I wanted to avoid having a bunch of AN connections in that line so I prefer to have the line welded together.

Thoughts?
 
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PeteB

GT40s Supporter
I'd be more worried about the soldered connections failing than the copper pipe itself. Heater cores are made of copper, but they do fail usually before anything else in the cooling system. I've replaced many heater cores, and usually it's been the solder joints that have failed. Then again, you're probably not going to put 100k miles on your SLC.
 
Alright, Rob is back in the house, err, garage. Looks great. I hear an engine start in the near future...!
 
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