Need suggestions for using car parts in bus!

[Jeremy]

Ok, this will seem strange at first, but bear with me....My 14-year-old Lexus LS400 has served me well for the last few years, but now has an uncertain future. It still runs beautifully but has failed the annual emissions test and is almost certainly not worth fixing. I've known this point was coming for a while, and in fact took delivery of my new car on saturday - so now need to dispose of the Lexus in some way. Obviously I could simply sell it as it is (quick and easy, but not many $), or I could part it out and sell the bits (more $, but more hassle).

The Lexus being what it is, it is stuffed with toys, and with Lexus being who they are, those toys are really well engineered and have many years of life left in them. The 'parting-out' option would be more attractive if I could find a way of re-using some of the Lexus electrical toys, or any other components, in the bus. So I'm looking for sensible ideas or wacky, off-the-wall suggestions for bits I could use - and be as inventive as you like as am quite capable of adapting mechanisms from the car to carry out different functions in the bus (for example, the electric seat mechanism could be used in for a pop-up or fold-down TV in the bus). I would have to provide a 12v power supply in the bus to drive anything, but that isn't a problem.

So far I've really only thought of two good ideas - the first is very boring and is simply to use the kick-@$# Lexus stereo (complete with all speakers, CD changer etc) in the bus. My second idea is minor but very neat, and involves mounting the rear-view camera from the bus onto the electric mirror mechansim from the car, so I can move the camera from side-to-side and up-and-down when reversing the bus.

I did also at one stage have a plan to fit an electric sunroof mechanism in the floor of the bus above one of the bays, and have a table top mounted on a telescopic 'leg' in the bay, such that when the table was needed the floor (sunroof) would open, and the table rise up ready for use. In the end I dismissed that notion, but you get of the kind of off-the-wall ideas I'm willing to entertain - so, be creative and give me your best shots....

Jeremy

[HighTechRedneck]

Using the sunroof/bay idea differently, I recall seeing somewhere a pop up pantry.  When not in use, it was in the bay, when desired it was raised up to provide access in the kitchen.  Or if you had interest in making a bay into an extra sleeping quarters, the sun roof idea could be the access hatch.

Do you have a good driver seat yet? Does the Lexus have a comfortable driver seat?  (I'm guessing yes.) Fred Hobe has written about using the seat from a Chrysler New Yorker for a luxury seat.  He uses that model primarily because all the power features are built into the seat. But since you have full access to the car, you could scavenge all the needed parts to make it work.

Power window mechanism to actuate slide out extra counter space in the kitchen or bedroom?   Power lock mechanisms to actuate drawer lock bars to secure all kitchen drawers with the touch of a button?  Or to actuate bay door locks.  Power antenna system to actuate a roof mounted elevated wifi antenna?

Any of the dash instrumentation/controls appealing and adaptable?  Interior lighting?

Hood hinges, and maybe lift cylinders (probably too much weight for them though), for making the bed raise up for storage access?

Food for thought.

[travelingfools]

Remote entry locks ? That would be a nice addition to the bus.

[Jeremy]

Do you have a good driver seat yet? Does the Lexus have a comfortable driver seat?  (I'm guessing yes.) Fred Hobe has written about using the seat from a Chrysler New Yorker for a luxury seat.  He uses that model primarily because all the power features are built into the seat. But since you have full access to the car, you could scavenge all the needed parts to make it work.

I've actually bought a new driver and passenger seat for the bus (from a Chysler Voyager), as I particularly wanted seats with armrests on both sides. The Lexus seats don't have armrests, and aren't very good seats either (comfortable, but zero side support)

Power window mechanism to actuate slide out extra counter space in the kitchen or bedroom?   Power lock mechanisms to actuate drawer lock bars to secure all kitchen drawers with the touch of a button?  Or to actuate bay door locks.  Power antenna system to actuate a roof mounted elevated wifi antenna?

All these are good ideas that hadn't occured to me - I will think further about all of these.

Any of the dash instrumentation/controls appealing and adaptable?  Interior lighting?

The instrumentation, switchgear, and heating / ventilation etc are all superb on the Lexus - leagues better than anything on the bus. However I worry about how much of it is too complicated / computer controlled etc to consider trying to transfer. I will investigate this stuff and see if there are any discrete systems in this area that can be usefully installed on the bus (and powered by 12v remember).

Hood hinges, and maybe lift cylinders (probably too much weight for them though), for making the bed raise up for storage access?

Probably, yes. Again, I hadn't really thought about the mechanical stuff, but I'm sure there's lots of stuff that could be used if I tried hard enough

Thanks for the suggestions!

Jeremy

[WEC4104]

Can the heating pads removed from the heated seats?

Seat belt straps are incredibly strong and could be used for all kinds of purposes.

Even if the overall stereo system can't be used, grab the speakers.

Fuel pump for liquid transfers?

[Nusa]

Pull the engine and do a conversion to an electric vehicle. Costs are reasonable if you use conventional batteries, although range won't be large -- but enough for around town. Then if you have a charging hookup from the bus, you have the perfect toad, which could be set up to double as a backup battery bank for the bus.

[Jeremy]

Pull the engine and do a conversion to an electric vehicle. Costs are reasonable if you use conventional batteries, although range won't be large -- but enough for around town. Then if you have a charging hookup from the bus, you have the perfect toad, which could be set up to double as a backup battery bank for the bus.

You know, I hadn't thought of that, and I've spent many hours looking at websites for home-built EVs over the years with a view of eventually converting my UVA Fugitive.

I did a 300-mile trip in the Lexus just yesterday, and it's such a great car it seems criminal to take it apart. I'll think about the electric conversion, although I know from my previous research that the 'problem' is the cost of buying a motor and motor controller - and the Lexus is a heavy car, so would need a bigger motor than I was considering for the Fugitive.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Jeremy

[Len Silva]

Jeremy,

I'm curious as to why such a good running car would be so expensive to meet emissions, assuming it met them before and the standards have not changed.  Unless it needs a major overhaul, what else might it need in addition to a tune up and maybe replace some sensors?

[Jeremy]

Len:

The truth is that it probably could be made to pass without too much expense, but I don't have time to fiddle with it myself, and taking it to a garage without knowing exactly what the problem was could quickly get expensive. It could be that it just needs a good service - it's not been touched for a couple of years, and I know for a fact that the air filter is pretty dirty for instance.

When it was last inspected (last year now) there was an 'advisory' issued on the front brake balance, which was due to a warped brake disk (rotor) on one side. I assumed this would get worse and make it fail next time, but in fact I can now longer feel any vibration at all under braking, so maybe the disk has straightened itself! Again, replacing the disks isn't a big job but I can't raise the enthusiasm to do it - I kind of feel guilty for saying that, but the car is 14 years old and has done 206,000 miles, and is only worth a few hundred pounds at best. Whilst it's a great car and I would like to see it stay on the road, it nontheless is probably more sensible for me to cut my losses now rather than investing time and money keeping it going. Besides, I have already bought a replacement (BMW E38), which means the Lexus is in the way now.

Jeremy

[Len Silva]

That's fine.  Just hurts my heart a little for someone to cut up a good running machine (of any type).