Grand Vitara – Electric Vehicle Conversion

Back at it – the 4×4 became a 2×4 today

Posted on March 1, 2016

I’ve been going back and forth in conversations with people about whether to leave the 4×4 in, or take it out. After a lot of discussions… it’s coming out.

The thought process was we need the vehicle to be as light as it can be (as it’s not a skinny vehicle to begin with), and I already own a 4×4. We have a big truck for camping and off-roading. The Vitara is strictly a commuter and I’ve been driving a car for the last 7 years that is only 2 wheel drive. Also here in BC we don’t get a lot of snow so that shouldn’t be a problem. One thought I did have was putting an LSD in the rear so that if it was slippery (or I just had to do a burn out) it would be more functional. Turns out I can get one in the $500 range. Definitely a want not a need but I will be keeping that in mind for the future.

2 Hours, and I dropped the front differential and removed the CV axles. The front drive shaft is still connected… I’ll need to get to that later.

Headliner is still drying out from the second cleaning, but the truck is starting to smell a lot better. very fresh now!

Headliner… So GROSS!!!

Posted on February 20, 2016

The headliner has been a huge battle. I’ve looked at everything online on how to clean these headliners and what not to do. I’ve tried Folex, Borax (and vinegar), and oxy clean. Although the car smells better, it is still stained.

I decided to do exactly what everyone says not to do… use a carpet cleaner. I filled it up as you would to clean a carpet and started soaking the roof in 2 foot square spaces and cleaning it out. They say not to soak it, but I had nothing to lose. If this didn’t work I was going to go and get a new one (at a significant cost and pain). To my shock… it cleaned it… really well. Oddly enough it didn’t do as much damage as the scrubbing with the previously mentioned microfiber clothes and cleaners. After I just threw the dehumidifier back in, and let her go. A few days later… no delamination and it looks and smells night and day better. I’ll need to do it once more to get a couple more stubborn stains, but I feel so much better now. The car is really coming along.

The interior colours now are the next problem. The exterior will be a burnt orange, and black. I’d like to match the colours on the interior, and I’ll keep the light headliner and darker grey carpets. The seats will be black but maybe have a burnt orange highlight. I need to get these seats figured out next before I can start prepping the interiour for paint… Onwards.

PROBLEM! MOLD!!!

Posted on January 24, 2016

So, I have no pictures (of the mold)… But this is by far the worst thing I’ve had to deal with thus far…

When the car was outside, I was playing around and I had a brain fart. I took off a few of the door panels and removed the vapor barrier. Here in BC, we get a lot of rain. When I took the Vitara into the garage, it ended up warming up, and now there is white mold throughout the car. I was dumb and hadn’t cleaned out the car yet, so there was a lot of mold.

I searched the web, and found the best solution (apparently) is a Borax, vinegar solution with hot water. I started taking the entire car apart. Seats out, seat belts out, carpets and all the side panels. I then vacuumed out the entire car and then took to soaking every piece of furniture and scrubbing the whole thing down. Once I was done with that, I put a dehumidifier into the car and let it run for 4 days. Then the carpet cleaner came out to clean the seats and carpets. Again, dehumidifier for 4 days. Car has no mold now and the carpets are spotless! The seat belts are stained though so I’ll need to replace them (at least the front ones. The seats are pretty worn out and I’ve decided I want power seats, heated seats. Problem is I can’t find any… So the search begins.

I’ve decided that I’ll need to go through the wreckers and find seats that are close and make the bolt holes line up. Then after all that is done, I’ll send them off to be re-upholstered at a local shop. That way I can get new, comfy seats rather than the rat bagged ones that are in there. My first thought is Dodge Durango seats, as I have a lot of experience with them (being that is my other vehicle). We’ll see what I come up with.