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My Transformers Autobot. Avalanche Prime. Lots of Pics

Dluvr22

PM 2014
PM 2013
Full Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Messages
2,247
Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Here's my entry into the world of custom Avys.

Now if I can only think of a good name.
Right now I call him Avalanche Prime.

Some Exterior shots
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My vision coming true.

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12V and 110V outlet in the bed for my 12V cooler


Backup and Side View Cameras

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Front View Camera under Rearview Mirror and Radar Detector

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Interior Shots

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In Case you're wondering this pic shows traffic cam info streaming from the internet.

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....And the prerequisite Navigation

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This project is still evolving at this time.

To Do  List:

Custom seat covers with the Transformers logo embroidered in them
Work on the power-train to improve performance
Powder Coated exhaust tip to match the theme
Hood with Twin Hood Scoops

Fantasy list:
Power folding Tonneau Cover. Auto-Cover is no longer being sold....
Power Tailgate with a mechanism that is out of the way (ergo not taking up space in the bed)
Power Saddlebags

The point is not to go over the top.
I want to maintain the factory appearance.
Vehicle should look like GM could have built it if they tried.

No lambo or suicide doors here.

Any thoughts on things I could add here?
Please no portable toilets or aquariums.

This is not an episode of "Pimp My Ride".  (y)
 
HawaiianBrian said:
well done, what is that head unit?
maybe add the power bed cover?

Are you referring to the screen or the head-unit below it in pic 18?

The head unit is an Alpine IDA model.

Screen is a 12 inch monitor with HDMI, DVI, VGA and RCA inputs.
There is a CPU I built and installed behind the rear seat with my amps

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I now thinking of taking the Z71 sticker off and replacing it with a black one.
Next would be to get the chrome door handles and gas door off and paint them black.
I am past my chrome phase at this point.
Only things chrome would be the Transformer logos on the cladding and wheels, the Avalanche logos and the powerbar.
I tried with black logos and leaving the lettering black but against the black cladding and paint you could not see them at all.
 
What are the switches for at the end of the bed? You can see them in the picture of the 120v outlet and dc outlet.

Also you apparently didn't take those at the same time since you have different rims in the bull bar picture.

Curious if you had the rims painted since I have not been able to find any all black rims for my truck.

I have a black 2003.

I have been following you for a while.

You might like my summer project which is converting my dash to a true digital dash. Researching screens now. I will be using an ARM based board to totally replace the cluster although I will have the original dash cluster behind so I can swap back and the mileage will be in the cluster. I plan to try something similar with my dash.

You need pictures of your over head console. Didn't you place your HVAC controls in that console?
And have you reached a point you can replace your radio with the PC? Or why are you still using the radio?

Rodney
 
redheadedrod said:
What are the switches for at the end of the bed? You can see them in the picture of the 120v outlet and dc outlet.

Also you apparently didn't take those at the same time since you have different rims in the bull bar picture.

Curious if you had the rims painted since I have not been able to find any all black rims for my truck.

I have a black 2003.

I have been following you for a while.

You might like my summer project which is converting my dash to a true digital dash. Researching screens now. I will be using an ARM based board to totally replace the cluster although I will have the original dash cluster behind so I can swap back and the mileage will be in the cluster. I plan to try something similar with my dash.

You need pictures of your over head console. Didn't you place your HVAC controls in that console?
And have you reached a point you can replace your radio with the PC? Or why are you still using the radio?

Rodney

You're quite right .
The pics were not all taken at the same time.
They were taken at various stages of the project as I was doing things and in some cases making changes.
At this moment I'm using the 24 inch rims.
I reserve them for the summer hence I call them my summer sneakers and the factory rims are my winter boots.
Can't drive around in MN snow with 24 inch rims and 35 series tires.
Even if you do get away with that, the salt will damage your investment.

I just put the 24s back on on Saturday. They are powder coated black.
This was the style of rim I had visualized before even purchasing the truck years ago but they were nowhere to be found black.
These were originally chrome and I had to shell out an additional $150.00 per rim to have it powdercoated.

The factory rims on the other hand are painted.
They will cost the same to powder coat. It will be easier to just buy aftermarket 17s for the same price and put them on the tires.
17 inch rims can fe found for about $150.00 a piece.

I did place the HVAC unit in the overhead console and will post pics of it shortly
Lastly, Yes I can run the PC without the head unit but for now the head unit has its perks.

1. It is easier to control the volume from the head unit with a dedicated volume control than to switch screens on the PC depending on what I am doing.
2. Bluetooth - The PCs blue-tooth is nowhere near as functional as the Head unit's Bluetooth for hands free calling in the car. Bluetooth streaming it can handle but bluetooth calls are a PITA.
    I have tried a regular mic which is crap.
    I have even tried the Andrea Super-beam mic and it is better but not quite there.
    The Andrea Super Array mic is the best choice but at $350.00, I am not ready to go there yet.
3. Head unit is a dedicated unit built for the Iphone by Alpine. I find that it is easier sometimes to just run an app like TuneIn Radio or Pandora from the Iphone rather than using the PC as the website is not optimized for mobile use on the PC. This is especially apparent in TuneIn Radio's website.
4. I have yet to integrate an HD tuner into the PC so The headunit still doubles as a radio.
5. My daughter, niece and nephew like to bring along their CDs when riding along with me. It's easier to pop a CD in the CD changer rather than to rip their CDs every time They want to go along for a ride
6. The radio also serves as a power button for the PC. The accessory wire from the radio controls the amps and also the shutdown/start-up controller for PC..
   Trying to take the radio out of the equation now would mean redoing the wiring schematics to get Acc power to the so it turns on and off with the car automatically
7. Lastly I have the space for it.
    While I was in the building stage, The radio served as entertainment on the days the PC had to be taken out of the truck .
    I honestly see no reason at this time to go looking for a new panel to replace the one where the radio is and just have a blank space.
    If space was an issue, I'd definitely get rid of it.

Let me know how your project goes.
I am curios as to the obstacles you will face and how you get by them.
Right now I am just working on getting the computer to control some functions of the vehicle but it is not so necessary as most of the things the computer would control are already within reach of the driver. (for lights, headlights, widows , etc.)

The two switches control the lights in the bed and the power inverter the 110V outlet gets power from. There have been times when I go back there, then have to walk back in the cab to turn on the lights. It is more convenient this way and you definitely don't want the inverter running when you don't need it as it will drain the battery fast.
 
Ahh ok, How well is the hand painting holding up? Did you use rattle cans or compressor and sprayer?

I am thinking of painting my factory 17" rims and getting some 20 or 22 stock rims and powder coating them. How much sidewall do you have with the 24's? We have some of the worst roads here in Michigan so I really don't care to have to deal with road rash on the rims.

I am debating getting a steering wheel with buttons then interfacing it into the computer.

If you wanted to get rid of your radio can centrifuse use two separate screens? I am likely using OM with mine and putting a screen in the console. The screen in the console will have a menu on the screen all of the time of some sort and whatever else is going on will be on the screen in the location your's is.

Is your screen a full touch screen that also recognizes win8 gestures? The 7" screen I have is a resistive screen and I have been warned they won't work as anything but a mouse compatible interface. IE no gestures.

I have a DEI unit but I may have blown it recently by plugging it in with the connector powered. Hoping if I did lose anything it was just the cable.

As to CD players you should be able to add a USB drive easily. I bought a piece for $6 that has a SSD slot and a generic laptop CD player slot in it. I could easily remove the board and use it to run the generic laptop drive directly and may do so if I have any space to put a CD player. I currently have a 64gig SSD that I had in this case with a bluray writer I bought for $40. If you can provide a rectangular opening similar in size to a normal laptop drive this option would work well and look factory.

I will try to provide a worklog as I go.. I am working on getting one of the boards Sno has in another thread. That thing has lots of features that will work nicely. I am also installing the 4 in 1 antenna they have listed for sale here so I can hook a cell phone directly to it. I will also hook a GPS to it and one of the wireless antennas for my PC to it as well.

This summer I am hoping to build a mid gate box to hold all of my audio equipment including 2 10" subwoofers. I don't want to tie anything to the seats and will be reversible. I am hoping to only chop up parts I get at the junk yard so I can go back to stock if I have to sell the truck. I am doing this now so I can install the PC where the factory sub is in my console. I won't need that sub with the units in the midgate. I will likely also remove the BOSE amplifier and use that spot for some computer hardware such as maybe Sno's box.

When you installed the screen did you have to cut any of the support bracket? I am going to try to stay away from that as much as I can. And do you have any ventilation coming from the short vents on the right side? I hate to totally loose those vents.







 
I have the parrot bluetooth system and the mic was not very good until I moved it. The auto body company that replaced the roof of my truck broke the mount that had the mic setting on top of my rear view mirror. So I ran it along the weather stripping above the door. Low and behold the mic now works great and people don't complain about hearing me any more. I have it just to the left of my head.
 
So I was bored at work a few days ago and decided to try my hand at some art.
For me it feels like the factory Z71 logo is now out of place as it is grey like the factory cladding which I have now painted black.
So wile looking online fro some Z71 logo images I had a thought to spice it up a bit.

Here's what I came up with.

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I decided to go with the second image with some minor changes.

Here are shots of my work in progress.

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Still looking for the right sized transformer outline logo to finish it up.
 
Looking good.
I may have your Powertrain issue resolved. (y)
go to selling parts, (I have my Supercharger with other goodies added with it).
I also have Z28 style rectangle exhaust tips if your interested. (y)
#7
 
I like it... I used to have a 2010 Camaro SS Transformers Edition, and I turned my Ram into a decepticon. Maybe I'll decepticonize-this one and I'll chase you down!

Keep up the great work!
 
Oh it's not done yet.
My enterprising mind is still dreaming up more one off mods so keep watching and get your Decepticon ready.
 
I was looking at S/S sills the other day and saw some tranformer ones. I think they were on Ebay, I should have copy & pasted them here. It doesn't stop does it?!
 
AVinSbyCt said:
I was looking at S/S sills the other day and saw some tranformer ones. I think they were on Ebay, I should have copy & pasted them here. It doesn't stop does it?!

Never stops!

Some other ideas I did to my camaro that you may appreciate:
When I got backed into I had a bandaid that said "The Decepticons Did This"
Backup beep replaced with transformeresque sounds.
Loudspeaker in the engine bay which would play transformers sounds from my phone as well as playing linkin parks' "what I've Done" and "New Divide".
Part of my offer on purchasing it was that a Transformer's Soundtrack would be in the CD player when I picked it up. The dealer actually did it.
Megan Fox cutout in passenger side behind the tinted windows

I ran with it! haha.... I'll think about other things I did that could be transferred to the Avy and I'll let you know.

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[br]O4m[/br]Picture uploaded to imageshack with the One4um.com application - All your forum's content merged into one4um

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[br]O4m[/br]Picture uploaded to imageshack with the One4um.com application - All your forum's content merged into one4um


Sorry if I get a little carried away. I just got my Avy, so I'm excited about them, I'm obsessed with Transformers, and I love orange Avy's, and yours is pretty much a combination...
 
And my wife thinks I'm obsessed with Transformers, lol.  I got a funny look when I asked where my "good" Transformers shirt was at  :beating:
 
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