The birth of an Ignitor

So after some thoughts and pondering how to start this thread, I have to back story..... Again!!

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When I moved from my hometown to my current town, my then girlfriend, future wife, took me to a local agricultural show, where farmers and other companies exhibited their products and merchandise, including a local motor vehicle manufacturing company, called Brandt BRV, and to say that I was smitten, will be an understatement. My wife still to this day says that on that day I have sold my soul to the vehicle...

Fast forward 10years, 5 spend installing tracking devices and the next 5 selling car parts, including to Brandt, I was approached by the company's creator and founder to come and work in their warehouse as procurement and warehouse manager.

Did I jump at the opportunity? Does a duck fly? Is the cheetha the fastest land animal?

Abso-berkeleying-lutley!

So with my arrival they were just finishing of this beauty, their first Ignitor.

The previous models were, the S89 M1 ragtop, available in an ISF 2.8 4x2, or fitted then with the Lexus 1UZ-FE VVT-i and 5speed auto 4x2, the S89 M2 SWB pick-up, with the same driveline choices, or the LWB S89 M3 Extended Cab or Regular Cab, again with the same drive line choices.

Then in 2019 they started producing only the S89 M3 ISF2.8's, either the Extended Cab or Regular Cab, but now they were starting to add an 4x4 option.

And this year saw the birth of the Ignitor.... Introducing chassis number 1

The Ignitor is basically a fully loaded S89 M3 Extended Cab 4x4.

Now, due to a NDA form that was sign at employment, I can give the specs as stated all over local websites.

The vehicle is a monocoque chassis design, with leading arm front suspension manufatured in house, as well as a trailing arm lower and A-frame frame upper rear suspension.

Standard models has leather seats as options, while the Ignitor gets leather seats and steering wheel as standard, the only choises being diesel brown or flat black.

This looks fun, carry on

Interesting!

Looks like a cool vehicle, sounds like a cool job. Congrats!

I love learning about "alien" markets. The only S.A. products we get stateside are replikit types. 

birdmayne said:

This looks fun, carry on

Thank you, will do so... 

Javelin said:

Interesting!

Just wait for the rest of the "build sheet" specs

obsolete said:

Looks like a cool vehicle, sounds like a cool job. Congrats!

It really is a cool vehicle. They even sold a couple to a private security firm in Chad to be used there.

And it really is an awesome opportunity that came my way

TurnerX19 said:

I love learning about "alien" markets. The only S.A. products we get stateside are replikit types. 

I know the feeling. Love looking at all the vehicles you guys have in the USA, that some off us over here wished were available as well. 

And I think you are also referring to the Backdraft. They mostly build for the export market, but there are a couple floating around S. A

Now, before going forward, just a quick thank you to Tim Suddard for fixing my typo in the heading. 

I appreciate it a lot. 

The "build sheet" for the Ignitor is as follows, I will list it as a "comparison" view with the S89 M3 Extended Cab. 

Engine(standard on both models): Cummins ISF 2.8

Gearbox: 5 Speed manual

Four wheel drive: S89(optional), Ignitor(standard) 

Rear-Diff lock: S89(optional on both 4x2 and 4x4), Ignitor(standard) 

Power steering: S89(standard) aswell as Ignitor

Air conditioning: S89(optional), Ignitor(standard) 

Nav/touch screen/double din radio: S89(optional), Ignitor(standard) 

A new feature being introduced is the LCD display, which will be optional on the S89 but standard on the Ignitor. 

Electric windows: S89(optional), Ignitor(standard) 

Dash board leather topping(it is a multi piece steel dash): S89(optional), Ignitor(standard)

Leather seats: S89(optional), Ignitor(standard) 

Wheel sizes: 16" is standard on the S89, with 17's as an option, while 17's are standard on the Ignitor. 

Tyr sizes: 285/75R16 M/T tyres are standard for S89's, while 285/70R17 or 35x12.5R17 the options are for both S89 and Ignitor

Like I mentioned earlier, the leather options is the diesel brown, or matt black. 

I will share the colour pallets at a later stage, when they have finalized their decision on what they want to use. 

Now to be homologated, and sell these as new vehicles, they must use 0 mile motors, not something imported, so the discontinued using the Lexus motor and auto box that they were using a couple of years back. 

BUT

(There always has to be one) 

Ignitor Number 2

This customer wanted a "custom" job on his Ignitor, so he brought us an engine and gearbox combo from an importer of American muscle.... 

A Chev LQ9 6000 Vortec with a 4l60E autobox attached to it. 

So obviously, with that request came a custom colour, somekind of Merc SL hyper silver, with liquorice red seats and dash top, with red stitching in the steering wheel. 

So here is the body just out of the assembly room

I will take more photos of its process as it develops, where it is not in violation of my NDA. 

Some chassis and body specs:

All body and front suspension parts are laser cut and bend in house. 

Chassis is 3mm, while body structure is 1.6mm and paneling is 1.2mm, with an integrated 50mmx1.5mm roll cage. 

So this is some photos of the front suspension, and the rear bumper end caps

The rear A-frame for the rear suspension. This vehicle uses coil springs right round

Where the two points come together connects to the top of the diff and the other points connects to the chassis, while the bottom trailing arms are of parallel design. They hare just behind the A-frames in that shelf. 

And the center piece to that bumper

This is the Cummins ISF2.8 in it's home in the Ignitor. The Y-piece before the expansion tank is there for the self bleeding system, required by Cummins. This tank was used because in the old closed circuit there was no self bleeding, but a new bottle for the self bleeding, that looks cleaner, has been sourced, and will be used in all our vehicles. 

And here is Ignitor 2's fenders on the stand, busy receiving some attention

It is panels like these and outer door skin, bonnet etc that is made from 1.2mm steel plate. 

To give you guys an idea, the 2008 Toyota Hilux Double Cab 4x4 pickup, is rated at a weight of 1920kgs.

The Ignitor is measured, wet, ie all fluids filled, excluding fuel, at 1750kgs.

So today the Ignitor was rolled into assembly to get, well, assembled.... 

The above photos was taken late afternoon on the day before yesterday. 

So yesterday they assembled the rear suspension and differential and this was the state of it at the end of the work day yesterday. 

Just a reminder, this beast is riding on 35x12.5R17 mudd terrain tyres

Oh yes, and the right side front suspension was half way assembled

And during today, after sorting some front suspension assembly issues, the front suspension was assembled and the Vortec and transmission was lowered in

That blue tressle is only there to support the tailshaft of the 4L60E, as on Monday the transmission cross brace and the engine mounts will be constructed, as well as the small clearing issue we are experiencing with the exhaust flanges can be sorted. Remember, these chassis' are setup for Cummins ISF2.8s. 

Also visible in the above photo is the front suspension's leading arm setup

So last week was spent doing repairs and adjustments to the Gameviewer we have build and was going to the Kruger National Park this week, but atleast the engine and gearbox mounts were finalised. 

A quick photo of said Gameviewer

Today was spend finishing the positioning of the custom exhaust manifold. 

Just a quick teminder, I am just the warehouse manager, and not the fabricator, so I just take photos at the end of the day. 

The beginning... 

Right side. Still needs finish welding to the head flange, and then the downpipe flange

Same on the left side. 

Reason behind this madnees was that the standard manifilds interfered with the chassis. 

Some more "During" photos

And in on the right

And in on the left

You can see just how close both sides are, after the custom manifolds are in

Motor and autobox mounted. That LQ9 sure does look small in there

StripesSA1 said:

So with my arrival they were just finishing of this beauty, their first Ignitor.

The previous models were, the S89 M1 ragtop, available in an ISF 2.8 4x2, or fitted then with the Lexus 1UZ-FE VVT-i and 5speed auto 4x2, the S89 M2 SWB pick-up, with the same driveline choices, or the LWB S89 M3 Extended Cab or Regular Cab, again with the same drive line choices.

Then in 2019 they started producing only the S89 M3 ISF2.8's, either the Extended Cab or Regular Cab, but now they were starting to add an 4x4 option.

And this year saw the birth of the Ignitor.... Introducing chassis number 1

 

 

Now remember this one?

Today the boss finally got his 35x12.5R17 mud terrain tyres mounted as well as a 30mm lift done. That is the beauty of our suspension, want a 30mm higher ride higher? Sure, just move the bolt on the front shock, and change the rear coil spring mounting bracket

Also added 30mm wheel spacers all round.

Why? Because he is the boss and he can do that.

Will get a better photo of it tomorrow when we are done with the changes to the nose. We discovered during the Cummins approval testing our intercooler is not cooling sufficiently, so just moving somethings around behind the grill. All in the name of warrenties and reliability