[DRIVING] 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Tell us about the project you do with the open inverter
P.S.Mangelsdorf
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Also this weekend's update: Lots of wrestling with 12V wiring. Discovered some of my previous work was one pin off, so I spent at least and hour unbuilding and rebuilding a bulkhead connector. very close to a first test. Hopefully going to pick up a throttle pedal next week and I'm hoping that some cooling components show up as well.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
P.S.Mangelsdorf
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Ok I swear this is the last photo-less update: 12V wiring (for the drive unit anyways) is complete. I just need to plumb the inverter cooling and then I can test the drive unit!

Plan is to wrap that up and test next weekend, at which point I will post plenty of photos/video
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
P.S.Mangelsdorf
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

ITS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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JaniK
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by JaniK »

P.S.Mangelsdorf wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 9:14 pm ITS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats! Just in time for summer.
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by rjmcdermott81 »

Man that looks exciting!
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

JaniK wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 2:30 pm
Congrats! Just in time for summer.
Thanks! If only I can finish the brakes and steering and seats and glass and lights and ...
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
P.S.Mangelsdorf
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

rjmcdermott81 wrote: Wed May 26, 2021 3:18 am Man that looks exciting!
It was!
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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JaniK
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by JaniK »

P.S.Mangelsdorf wrote: Wed May 26, 2021 1:45 pm
JaniK wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 2:30 pm
Congrats! Just in time for summer.
Thanks! If only I can finish the brakes and steering and seats and glass and lights and ...
Of course YOU can! - it's only matter of when 8-)

(You only need brakes, steering and a seat to test it) :mrgreen:
Any opinions are my own, unless stated otherwise. I take no responsibility if you follow my way of doing things and it doesn't work. Please double check with someone who knows what they are doing.
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

JaniK wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 9:02 am
(You only need brakes, steering and a seat to test it) :mrgreen:
Oh I'm well aware ;)

And frankly, a seat is optional. (I may or may not have learned to drive in a 1930 Ford Model A with no fenders, doors, hood, roof, a milkcrate for a seat, and the body not bolted down, because my grandfather and I were halfway through a restoration)
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by JaniK »

P.S.Mangelsdorf wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 12:04 pm
JaniK wrote: Thu May 27, 2021 9:02 am
(You only need brakes, steering and a seat to test it) :mrgreen:
Oh I'm well aware ;)

And frankly, a seat is optional. (I may or may not have learned to drive in a 1930 Ford Model A with no fenders, doors, hood, roof, a milkcrate for a seat, and the body not bolted down, because my grandfather and I were halfway through a restoration)
That sounds like fun times! A milkcrate seat, I hear you, a finnish version for temporary seat is a beercrate for 24bottles of beer. :mrgreen:
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Brief update:

I'm currently slogging through the normal-car-stuff part of the build, and dealing with suppliers not sending things they say they have in stock, or shippers losing things along the way.

My goal for the past few months had been to begin test driving the car before the 4th of July, and then begin casually racing the week after. Even presuming the parts actually come in this weekend as they are scheduled to, I'm not going to hit that goal. It looks now like I may get the first road test on or just after the 4th of July, and then I'll likely spend the summer doing shakedown/tuning.

I've also moved away from using a Tesla gen2 charger, and I've installed a Chevy Volt charger, primarily due to packaging constraints. I'm trying to keep all HV behind the driver, and still have a functional trunk, and I have to fit a roll cage. Needless to say, that makes it pretty tight for space.

Current schedule is brakes and roll cage this weekend, brakes, final HV wiring, and steering next weekend, fitting battery 2 and finishing the roll cage the weekend following the 4th of July. Then, I will finally get this rusted pile off of jack stands and on the road.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Another photo-less update:

I made a couple mistakes, found solutions, and I'm now working through them.

I had an aftermarket DC-DC, misread the instructions, and connected it without a pre-charge. Following a loud bang, I no longer have a DC-DC. The good news is that I realized the Volt charger can be a DC-DC too, and it was already mounted right above the DC-DC. The good and bad news is that this will force me to brush up on my Arduino coding. Plan is to use an EVTV CANDue and a SPDT switch to have it run both as a DC-DC and a charger with DC-DC.

My roll cage kit finally arrived, and I realized I'm going to need some custom length bars to fit is how I want to. The good news is the main hoop and halo fit well.

Steering is coming along, I just have to make sure I order the right parts.

I finished custom making brake lines (shocker: no one makes lines to put a Wilwood master cylinder, Monte Carlo front end, GTO rear end, in a 1940 Chevy, how inconsiderate ;) ) and next I need to replace disks and pads, as well as rebuild the parking brake cables. Then bleed them and I'm done with the brakes.

Lighting is on tap for this weekend, after I pull the dash out and install the roll cage A pillar bars.

My daily driver decided she didn't like me getting excited about the new Dodge EV muscle car, so she picked up a nail which forced me to get new tires about a month earlier than planned (tread was too low for me to feel comfortable plugging it given the driving I needed to do). So that pushed back purchases of parts for the project car. I still think the car can be complete for HRM Drag Week, but its getting tight.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Battery #2 has finally made to NC from NY, so I can finally start to wrap things up. The second battery will also be supplying contactors for CHADEMO and needed to be in the car before I finish the roll cage.

It's getting tight to make it to drag week in September but I still think I can make it. I had a few things come up for work and personally that may throw a wrench in the plans, but for now its still the target and still in reach.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
P.S.Mangelsdorf
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

What's left:
- Bleed brakes
- Install parking brake handle and adjust parking brake
- Finish headlight wiring
- plumb charger/battery cooling
- finish writing CANDue code to control charger/DC-DC
- install BMS
- install chademo control board
- weld in harness bar, rear down bars, and door bars for the roll cage
- install windshield
- get wheels and tires on the car
- Tune regen settings
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

I'm getting close. Wheels and tires should be in by next weekend, so I can begin test driving around the yard.

This weekend was a whole lot of wiring. The car side of both J1772 and Chademo are wired, but the control boards and their respective boxes are not. The good news is that I can build those on my kitchen table in the evenings, so I can keep making progress. I've decided to switch to having the SimpBMS control the Volt charger for J1772, rather than trusting my own code.

Headlights are also due to arrive this week, so those will be going in this coming weekend. I've got the parts to complete the charger cooling as well, so that's just a matter of installing it.

I'm getting very short on time. My hope is that I can spend Labor Day weekend testing the car, but there is a ton to do before then. I've already decided that the car will not have side windows or windshield wipers for Drag Week, there's just no time or money for that.

If anyone knows how to add more hours to the day, please let me know.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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JaniK
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by JaniK »

P.S.Mangelsdorf wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 12:30 pm If anyone knows how to add more hours to the day, please let me know.
Take off any clock from garage that shows you how much the time is. Leave phone inside house. Then you do not know how late your nightshift is.

The downside is when the mailman comes in the morning and you are still in the garage like :shock: :?: :o
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

JaniK wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 8:44 am
P.S.Mangelsdorf wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 12:30 pm If anyone knows how to add more hours to the day, please let me know.
Take off any clock from garage that shows you how much the time is. Leave phone inside house. Then you do not know how late your nightshift is.

The downside is when the mailman comes in the morning and you are still in the garage like :shock: :?: :o
Yeah, my dog gets a bit irritated if I don't go inside and feed/walk her. And she's too interested in sticking her nose where is doesn't belong to have her in the shop with me.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by JaniK »

:mrgreen:

Yep, we all have a life beyond EV builds, hopefully. But same thing is with every hobby project, it takes usually more time than one actually thinks. I have done my best own project work/progress when I should really have been sleeping. But that is just me.
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

JaniK wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:14 pm it takes usually more time than one actually thinks.
You can say that again.
JaniK wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:14 pm I have done my best own project work/progress when I should really have been sleeping. But that is just me.
I find that at a certain hour I start making super dumb mistakes. I've broken enough tools and given myself enough cuts, bruises, and shocks to know that I need to stop around dinner time and just get an early start the next day.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by JaniK »

P.S.Mangelsdorf wrote: Tue Aug 24, 2021 2:23 pm I find that at a certain hour I start making super dumb mistakes. I've broken enough tools and given myself enough cuts, bruises, and shocks to know that I need to stop around dinner time and just get an early start the next day.
Wise words, the first line sounds too familiar..

Best of luck to you, thanks for taking time to share your build.
Jani
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

Houston, we have a problem.

This weekend was supposed to be a whole lot of tying up loose ends and the first road tests, with plans for more extensive road testing next weekend.

That didn't happen.

On Friday, I spent many hours wiring the BMS box and the Chademo control box. Saturday, I plugged them into the car, corrected wiring issues, and was generally making slow progress.

Sunday brought the problems. I finally had everything working smoothly, and Battery 2's BMS was showing an error. Plugged in, and found 3 cells below voltage. And of course, those 3 are in the most difficult module to access.

After consulting with some NEDRA folks, I'm going to attempt to use a 4.2V charger to charge each cell individually, and see if they will come up to match the others. If they do, great. If not, well then I'm up a creek. The module will need replacing.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by alexbeatle »

Exciting build!
What kind of radiator and fans you'll be using for the CHAdeMO setup?
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

I have two different cooling setups, one for the motor/inverter and one for the battery and on-board charger. Both use a generic heat exchanger from Summit/Jegs and pumps from a Prius. The motor and inverter cooling system is complete, I'm still installing the charger/battery hoses. I also need to pick up a new pump for that side since the one I have is not functioning properly.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

1940 Chevrolet w/ Tesla LDU - "Shocking Chevy" - Completed 2023 Hot Rod Drag Week
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by P.S.Mangelsdorf »

An Update

I'm not going to make it to HRM Drag Week this year. Going to the dentist and the DMV on the same day was the best part of this past weekend. :|

I'm having trouble with both EV and non-EV systems. The brakes refuse to bleed properly, the J1772 charging is not functioning, the CHADEMO controller will not turn on, the car still doesn't have a windshield, and the roll cage is not complete. Not to mention all the items I was going to live without for Drag Week such as a speedometer, side windows, temperature gauges, etc.

My new target is a series of bracket races around Halloween. Then going on the 2022 Rocky Mountain Race Week(s) and 2022 Drag Week.
If at first you don't succeed, buy a bigger hammer.

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Isaac96
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Re: 1940 Chevrolet with Tesla Motor

Post by Isaac96 »

Delays mean you're doing it right.

Rocky Mountain Race Week -- isn't that the one where you drive hundreds of miles between drag races? How will you manage that with this car?
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