• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

Light Bar

Good work. let us know when your done.
 
Hey Everybody,

Testing Continues, I Have Full Power To My Lights (What A Job :p )

YES, YES, & YES, Pic's Tomorrow (Day Light & Night Shots)

I Have Finalized A Deal With A Fab Shop To Manufacture About 10 Light Bars, To Start With.

I'm Still Working On Finishing Options,

Metal Finish (Buffed and Polished)

Anodized (Gray or Black)

Powered Coated (Gray or Black)

Painted To Match (Your Avalanche)

Vinyl Coated (Pick From About 50 Colors ;D )

Or Do I Ship The Bar Unfinished And Let You Pick The Finish? (This Will Help Keep The Cost Down, And Speed Delivery)

The Finishing Is Going To Be The Single Most Costly Part Of This Project.

What Do Ya'll Think ?


BlackZ71
 
I can not imagine too many people that would not want some kind of finish. I understand that this will increase the cost but, if most are going to have it finished anyways... My vote is for some of the finishing options.
 
I like the way the current bar looks. What color or finish is it. How much and how soon. Great work. Looks professional. I guess I can't say enough. Tell us the details.


I want one ASAP.
 
I have a pair of KC Off roaders and several antennas waiting for one of these bars....

How hard was the wiring???
Pref on finish is black powdercoat....

Great job....
 
Outstanding job! I would vote for a satin black powdercoat.
 
Hey Everyone,

Thanks, For All The Kudos On The Light Bar ;D

It's Been Really Fun Designing, Testing, Modifying, Redesigning and Retesting, The Light Bar. It Took Four Different Versions To Get To Where I Am At Today.

All Tests Completed - High Speed Runs, Light Off-Roading, Lots Of Pot-Holes, And RailRoad Tracks. It's Been Up To 95 mph, For About 10 Minutes, In A Semi-Controlled Enviroment. (Deserted Road With A Buddy Running Block) And It's Done One Lap Around My 6000 Acre Hunting Lease, Lots Of Creek Crossings, Pastures, Dirt Roads, Etc.

AND THE FINAL TEST, IT MADE IT THROUGH THE AUTOMATIC CAR-WASH :eek: :love:

And Still After 30 Days, NO PROBLEMS , No Lost Torque On The Bolts Or Shifting/Rotating Of The Supports.

Anyway, Here's The Info On The Final Product:

Custom Made For The Chevrolet Avalanche :B:

No Drilling Required ? Uses Existing Bolt Holes In The Avalanche?s Sail Panel

All Aluminum Construction, With Stainless Steel Fasteners

The Four Supports Bars Are 1 ?? Solid Aluminum Round Stock Drilled To Match The Bolt Diameter Of The Avalanche Sail Panel Bolts, And Then Compound Milled To Match The Curvature And Slope Of The Sail Panel

The Light Bar Itself, Is Made Out Of 2? x 1? Heavy Rectangular Aluminum Tubing With A Wall Thickness Of 1/8?. It Is Drilled To Match The Existing Bolt Pattern Of The Avalanche Sail Panel. It Is Also Predrilled For The Installation Of Up To Five 9? Diameter Lights

The Avalanche Light Bar Kit Will Also Come With All Heavy Duty Plastic End Caps And Hole Caps You?ll Need To Make For A Clean Looking Installation And Leave No Sharp Edges Exposed

Right Now, I Have Not Picked How To Finish The Light Bar, The Cost Is Already At The High End Of Where I Wanted To Be. But, I Have It Narrowed Down To Either Black Power Coating Or A Grey Bed Liner Material To Match Our Cladding. I Plan On Finalizing The Finishing Procedure By The End Of This Week (Around May 24th)

I Have Signed An Agreement (The Liability Thingy) With A Fabrication Shop To Do The Drilling And Milling Of The Supports And The Bar And Once I Select A Finishing Shop, We Can Start Making Them And Selling Them.

I Really Hope To Be Able To Offer Them For Sale By The 31st of May.

As Far As Cost Go??. It?s Just A Guess Right Now, But It Looks To Be About $145.00 Finished, Plus Shipping.

Let Me Know What You Think,

BlackZ71

If You Haven't Seen The Pic's Yet Check Out My Personal Website or http://www.PictureTrail.com/blackz71
 
Count me in... Only thing this novice needs is some real good installation instructions with lots of pictures, including the wiring (probably most important). Just got my Av last week and came across this site... Kudos (y) to all of you... Never seen a site like this before. Anything you want to do to your Av, it's here!!!

BlackZ71, it's folks like you that help hard working folks like us with neat toyz. Can't wait to be one of your first customers.

Also need a good suggestion as to what lights to install!!

Thanks again... :B:
 
BlackZ71, this looks like something GM should have offered along with the other accessories. Wonder what it would take to get the GM endorsement? Could be as popular as the Grille Guard. Great job!
 
Almost Ready.....

I Have The FAB Shop Working On The First Batch NOW !

I Am Going To Sign A Deal With An Industrial Coatings Company Tomorrow, To Have Them Powder Coated, Black, Which Was The Results From All The Emails And Posts.

So I'll Be Taking Orders, Starting Monday (June 10th),

Thanks For All The Support,

BlackZ71

lightbar6.jpg
 
hmmm, do I go for the over and under? Is there such a thing as too much light?
 
For those of us wanting rear lights and have not yet tackled that mod, all a person would have to do here is turn a pair of these lights around to face the rear and set up another switch. I wonder if a lens exists that could cover the back of the light housing so that if a pair were turned around permanently for rear lighting the other side would blend in with the forward facing lights. Or, just get one for the rear to fill-in that middle spot on the bar. Oh the possibilities. This can be a versatile mod. Way to go BlackZ71!
 
BlackZ71,

Hopefully this will be like a kit form, including directions for wiring (with pictures if possible). The bar is awesome.

I can't wait to place my order and get my lights hooked up, including one in the middle facing backwards making hooking up my boat at Oh-Dark-thirty easier.

Thanks for sharing your great idea.

AvZee
 
Blackz71, how much extra height does this add to the roof?
 
Pagemaster,

The Load Is Not Carried By The Roof, It Is Carried By The Sail Panel Which Is Structural Steel Wrapped In Plastic Cladding, And Is There To Compensate For The Mid-Gate.

The Bar Is Constructed Out Of Aluminum And Only Weighs A Couple Of Pounds.

The Load Of The Lights, Depend On, Size, Type And Brand. My Lights (4 6x9 Pro-Comps) And Light Bar Combined Weighs In Around 30 Pounds.

Hopefully Thats Answers Your Questions.

Any Other Questions Just Ask ?

Thanks,

BlackZ71
 
Hey BlackZ71,
I am new to this board and have found that there are a lot more Mods that can be done with the AV than I originaly thought. So many in fact I am not sure where to begin. Your light bar is a really good idea. I am ready to put in my order for one once you can take orders. However, I do have a suggestion on a modification to you light bar that would cover three area with one mod. The areas covered for me would be the light bar, rear facing lights, and a place to mount some CB antenna. I have attached a bitmap with my suggestions in red. Please let me know what you thing.
Dark
(y)
 

Attachments

  • Light_Bar_Mod.JPG
    Light_Bar_Mod.JPG
    84.8 KB · Views: 106
Darkdata,

Sorry, But It's Just Too late In The Process For Changes.

But, Depending On What Type Of Lights You Install And Of Course How Many, There Still Should Be Room For Your CB Antenna's, And A Rear Facing Light.

Mainly Due To The Design Of The Existing Bolt Pattern (Forward On The Sail Panel), and The Very Low Profile Of The Light Bar, Reverse Mounted Lights Under The Bar Would Not Be Possible.

I Will Be Picking Up The First Batch Of My Light Bars From The FAB Shop This Week Or Early Next Week.

Then, On To The Powder Coating Process And Into The Mail To All Who Have (Or Will) Order Them.


Thanks,

BlackZ71
 
Any update on the final price on this? I'm giving it serious thought. I think this is a excellent mod for my AV.
 
His last estimate was $145 plus shipping. You can send him a Private Message to order and ask about pricing. Just click on BlackZ71's name.
 
Hey Everybody,

I Received The Light Bars Back From The Machine Shop Last Night and Just Dropped Them Off At Industrial Coatings To Have Them Powder Coated. Hopefully, They Won't Take Too Long ? :rolleyes:

Also, I'm Working On Installation and Wiring Instructions, But That's Not Going To Hold Anything Up. Very Easy Installation, ;D Now, The Wiring Can Get Complex, If You Want It To Be. :7:

Anyway, I Just Wanted To Let You Know I Haven't Quit On This, It Just Takes A Lot Of Time To Get A Custom Fabricated Commercial Product To Market In Less Than 3 Months, From Conception To Ready To Ship For Customer Installation.

And Thanks, Goo, Yes, The Price Is Still Looking Be $145.00 Plus Shipping Unless The Powder Coating Place Really Blows Their Estimate.

Being The Great And Honest Guy, I Am, (A Typical Avalanche Owner, You Know) I Don't Plan On Or Want To Take Anyone's Money Until These Light Bars Are 100% Ready To Ship.

The First One Has Been Promised To "Mr.Bill" And I Have Received Several Email From Others Expressing Great Interest. If You Are Interested In A Light Bar Also, Just Post, PM Me Or You Can Email Me Direct.

Thanks,

BlackZ71
 
I mounted a set of aircraft landing light behind the grill in line with the headlights they light it all up! see topic four brights---got change
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top