The birth of an Ignitor

Really fun watching this. When I worked at Cummins I had a little involvement in the 2.8 project. Though I'm not there anymore, I love seeing them going into stuff and moving!

oppositelocksmith said:

Really fun watching this. When I worked at Cummins I had a little involvement in the 2.8 project. Though I'm not there anymore, I love seeing them going into stuff and moving!

Thank you for your involvement. That is really something special, since bot even Toyota's new GD series 2.8 diesel can do what this little Cummins can do

StripesSA1 said:

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 

So after all the movements were done and the wheels were on the ground, I asked a colleague to snap a quick photo of me next to it. Boss also added a set of spots and fogs in the bumper

To give you an idea, I am 1.86m tall, so that means I am just a hair over 6feet tall... That is some tall ass truck

Things are currently a bit slow going with the Chevy Ignitor, since the front valance needed to be altered for the radiator, fans and oil cooler with the A/C condenser to fit. 

Also we had a rush order for a game reserve for another Game Viewer vehicle, so the Chevy Ignitor was pushed just a bit back in the line. 

I did, however, had a chance to snap some interior photos of the bosses Ignitor. 

Some progress on the Chevy V8 Ignitor 

Suspension was dismantled for ease of access for the pipe routing

Seen here is the radiator, aircon condenser and oil cooler, with the air filter housing lying on the bench next to it. 

Some water piping, oil cooler pipes and exhaust needs to be doen before front is complete

So on Friday afternoon, we tried to start up the Ignitor

Attempt one

Result: failed

Reason: main starter wire not connected

Second attempt

Result: failed

Reason: no fuel at fuel rail

And attempts 3 and 4 was fault finding, but then it was 5 o'clock Friday afternoon and it was left till Monday morning.

Attempts 5 and6, basically fault finding and tracing it down to wiring, where the crimps snipped of firstly the pump wire on the pump, and the next being the same but in the fuse box from the ignition switch input.... 

Then attempt seven

Result: FIRE!!! With a lot of clinking and clanking

Reason: Most of the header and flanges is either tacked on or just finger tight

And another

So last night, after a lot welding and finishing, there was belly fire

Aaaaand I don't know what the hell happened with that post

berkeley. Had post typed up and page refreshed

So yesterday they finished up the exhaust, but they are not quite satisfied with the results. 

The components awaiting their turn. The big boxes were to be used on the vehicle, but a slight miscalculation resulted in them being to big

So it only got the flex, the ovals and the 4 pieces of pipe. 

Inside diameter is 76mm(3inches)

The exhaust still has a slight bark to it that they want to tune out. 

And this morning they added an 50mm(2inch) balancer pipe, but still it has a slight bark, so we are waiting for some smaller, but longer silincers

Sounds great to me! Cool build!

whats the primary purpose of this? Just secure travel? How is the crime? 

TJL (Forum Supporter) said:

Sounds great to me! Cool build!

 

whats the primary purpose of this? Just secure travel? How is the crime? 

Trust me, the recording doesn't do it justice.

This specific one will be a December Holiday vehicle for it's owner in Cape Town, cruising the streets and terrorising pedestrians and motorists a like.

Most of our vehicles are either single or extended cab 4x4 2.8 ISFs. With a 2wd version thrown in here and there. 

But, depending who you talk here, BRV stand for Brandt Radical Vehicle or Brandt Rugged Vehicle, and our primary users are farmers and hunters looking for something more durable that your new average "plastic" pick up truck.

One of our customer's vehicle has done over 8000 kilometres just driving in the Lesotho mountains on his farm. His new Land Cruiser 76 pick up get's stuck up there, while his BRV just keeps going.

Crime is part of live here, but not as bad in our area as in the mainstream areas like Johannesburg. And trust me, nobody even thinks of trying anything with you when you are cruising in one of these. 

So with the gameviewer gone, it is back to full steam on the Chevy Ignitor. 

Seats are installed, and remember, they are genuine leather, not vinyl or pleather. 

The centre console resting next to the vehicle. No plastics here. 

The skeleton of the dash and a test steering wheel. The steering is also genuine leather, but that is out sourced, and not done in house like the seats. 

The top of the dash will also be leather clad, while the face is coated with a product called Raptor Bed Liner spray

Also it took it's first test drive, video will only be uploaded on Monday, and first impressions, the 4L60E either needs some adjusting to "see" the selected gear, or needs more oil, or one of the plugs is dislodged, since it revs very low and doesn't respond to any loud pedal in puts, put it does shake it's tail when reverse is selected to back it up in to the factory. 

So, a "real time" update, as I am still at work, but it seems that the gearbox is throwing a Shift Solenoid B error. 

The supplier will be sending us a new solenoid to replace it with

But here is the video shot late Friday afternoon with it's first drive, albeit stuck in the 3rd Limp mode

 Just a quick video of a test drive after the fault codes were cleared. The slide was when it still was in 3rd gear

So Friday afternoon was another test drive, after the shift solenoids was changed and the oil topped up. Shifting much better now

And during this week, the bonnet was mocked up

Today the spotlights was added and tested

Just a few more pics. 

When the interior is fully assembled, I will get more photos and a video, as well as a test drive video from inside. 

After some diagnostic tests from a gearbox specialist, it seems there might be some junk stuck in the valve body, since it still is only starting off in 2nd, but it does shift up to 4th, which happens at 130km/h(87mph) on light throttle

So, no inside video, since client collected today for a big sporting event this weekend, and he wanted it before then, but it is coming back on Monday for some final touches, but here is some more interior photos

The "in-the-mean-time" shifter visible

Standard cup holders and storage cubby. All vacuum molded in house

It's the personal touches that sets the Ignitor's apart from our standard range

Not happy with the glare from the building opposite the road

The devil is in the details 

Again, it's the personal touches. The pedals were still planning phase yesterday. The finished products will be viewed later in the post

The Chevy LQ9 Vortec laying in wait. All Ignitors will be produced with these bad boys from now on, since they are all "custom" order vehicles, while standard BRVs will use the Cummins ISF

Just before finishing

The office area

Just look at that steering wheel!! 

Some more stitching and the mic for the handsfree radio with GPS navigation 

Another shot of that steering wheel

Some more stitching, this time on the steering wheel. The steering wheels are manufactured in house, and the outsourced for covering

Door panels are also vacuum molded in house.

Just incase you forgot what it is you bought

Customer decided to go for our standard cluster and not the touch screen cluster 

Touchscreen radio on start up

With the customisable face to match the interior

And a small subwoofer for the low tones

And little video taken with my phone. I am not a professional videographer, so no fancy cameras or camera work

The finished stainless steel pedals with rubber inserts

Finished shifter and gear indicator with BRV logo

BRV logo added to the steering wheel 

Just a reminder that this one is different 

Also we changed a bit on the braking, since we found that this beast's brakes are a bit short supply, even with 320mm discs and 4pot calipers as used on the local Toyota Hilux 3.0 D4D. 

So we ordered a set of upgrade discs and pads from these guys. 

Powerbrake South Africa's D-Line Upgrade kit. 

They even supply Toyota South Africa's Gazoo Racing Dakar Hilux with it's braking system, called the R-Line kit with liquid cooled calipers

Doesn't seem that bad

Yap. That's overheating. On Ferrodo discs and pads

Done. Next!!! 

Some Powerbrake goodness 

New guy gets to do brakes. Luckily on a new vehicle, it is a clean job

Nothing to see here... Move along please

After some bedding, only the grooves is the give away that it has upgraded brakes

Now it stops and you know it stopped

Edit to add: our 2.8ISF vehicles uses 2pot calipers and 295mm discs, which is plenty enough to stop them, so this is already an upgrade, on an upgrade

So, with only minutes to spare the final cleaning was done

At this point, the customer(no photo taken, sorry), was al ready present and anxiously waiting for his new vehicle, just like a father waiting to old his new born. 

So, this afternoon at 17:15 South African time, we can successfully say, the DOB is 15 July 2022, 17:15.

The small finishing touches is just to integrate the reverse light switch and a GT stripe over the bonnet, but let's call those check ups at the pediatric