1973 GMC MotorHome (Oldsmobile 455 V8)
Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:18 pm
Hi everyone!
I've been watching the rusEfi project for over a year now and this might be the first time I'm actually posting.
So long story short, I'm restoring a 1973 GMC MotorHome that's been in my family since it was bought new by my grandfather. There's a lot of history and memories in this vehicle... but it needed a new frame and entire rehab. So now it's a nut and bolt restoration!
I'm an embedded software engineer by day and wanted to add a bunch of instrumentation while keeping it's classic driving experience. I'm not a huge fan of having a cluttered dash with 30 analog gauges, so I wanted to add a 70's stylized digital gauge cluster to supplement the original speedo and fuel/temp/oil pressure gauges.
I found rusEfi because I wasn't satisfied with the other options for DIY EFI and automotive electronics out there. Some platforms have lame restrictive licensing agreements (MegaSquirt) or are based on platforms that have a questionable track record when it comes to robust operation and reliability (eg: Arduino/SpeedDuino). That's just when it comes to DIY engine computers! I have many more electronic modules planned for my GMC MotorHome restomod.
The other options I found were all closed-source solutions, such as Holley, with little to no customization. I want full control over the look, feel, operation, and performance of my vehicle systems.
As professional practice in both hardware and embedded software development, I have started designing my own automotive electronics. I'm a huge fan of open source and I think there's a lot to be gained through collaboration towards a common goal. I am an avid contributor to Mbed-OS, an RTOS from ARM that you may be familiar with, and it's my go-to platform.
So my current plan is to port/reference the pieces of rusEfi that I need to run a GM dual-injector TBI setup from a 1980's-era GM 454 V8. So while I may not be running rusEfi verbatim, my software will be heavily based on it, but I will be using Mbed-OS as my platform.
My goal for this project is to have a lot of instrumentation and obtain optimal fuel economy. It's a 12,000lb vehicle, not a racecar, but it can apparently do burnouts with the 455 muscle car engine!
This MotorHome has a lot of features that were cutting edge in its day. It has auto-leveling rear air suspension that can be dialed in at a campsite to level the interior without any jacks! I am planning to build an accelerometer-based autolevel system that will do this for you at the push of a button
Currently, it's a bit manual using bubble levels and some fill/dump knobs on the dashboard.
My goal for many of these modules is to have them be open-source designs that will ultimately interoperate with rusEfi-based systems. I think many of us would like to expand the capabilities of rusEfi beyond just running your engine. I envision an open-source ecosystem of compatible modules that rival those that are available from vendors like Holley, and I think rusEfi is the best platform out there to work with.
I'll post in the hardware section more about the modules I am designing, but I wanted to introduce myself and let this community know what I'm up to.
For now, here's a few pictures of the project:
I've been watching the rusEfi project for over a year now and this might be the first time I'm actually posting.
So long story short, I'm restoring a 1973 GMC MotorHome that's been in my family since it was bought new by my grandfather. There's a lot of history and memories in this vehicle... but it needed a new frame and entire rehab. So now it's a nut and bolt restoration!
I'm an embedded software engineer by day and wanted to add a bunch of instrumentation while keeping it's classic driving experience. I'm not a huge fan of having a cluttered dash with 30 analog gauges, so I wanted to add a 70's stylized digital gauge cluster to supplement the original speedo and fuel/temp/oil pressure gauges.
I found rusEfi because I wasn't satisfied with the other options for DIY EFI and automotive electronics out there. Some platforms have lame restrictive licensing agreements (MegaSquirt) or are based on platforms that have a questionable track record when it comes to robust operation and reliability (eg: Arduino/SpeedDuino). That's just when it comes to DIY engine computers! I have many more electronic modules planned for my GMC MotorHome restomod.
The other options I found were all closed-source solutions, such as Holley, with little to no customization. I want full control over the look, feel, operation, and performance of my vehicle systems.
As professional practice in both hardware and embedded software development, I have started designing my own automotive electronics. I'm a huge fan of open source and I think there's a lot to be gained through collaboration towards a common goal. I am an avid contributor to Mbed-OS, an RTOS from ARM that you may be familiar with, and it's my go-to platform.
So my current plan is to port/reference the pieces of rusEfi that I need to run a GM dual-injector TBI setup from a 1980's-era GM 454 V8. So while I may not be running rusEfi verbatim, my software will be heavily based on it, but I will be using Mbed-OS as my platform.
My goal for this project is to have a lot of instrumentation and obtain optimal fuel economy. It's a 12,000lb vehicle, not a racecar, but it can apparently do burnouts with the 455 muscle car engine!
This MotorHome has a lot of features that were cutting edge in its day. It has auto-leveling rear air suspension that can be dialed in at a campsite to level the interior without any jacks! I am planning to build an accelerometer-based autolevel system that will do this for you at the push of a button
Currently, it's a bit manual using bubble levels and some fill/dump knobs on the dashboard.My goal for many of these modules is to have them be open-source designs that will ultimately interoperate with rusEfi-based systems. I think many of us would like to expand the capabilities of rusEfi beyond just running your engine. I envision an open-source ecosystem of compatible modules that rival those that are available from vendors like Holley, and I think rusEfi is the best platform out there to work with.
I'll post in the hardware section more about the modules I am designing, but I wanted to introduce myself and let this community know what I'm up to.
For now, here's a few pictures of the project: