New from The Netherlands: GT/Digit Turbodiesel Automatic

A place for us to show off our cars in all their glory. Please keep picture sizes to about 800x600 pixels.
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

New from The Netherlands: GT/Digit Turbodiesel Automatic

Post by Alcyone »

Hello all, my name is Alex.

I live in a small town called Leerdam in the centre of The Netherlands, conveniently in the center of a triangle made of three major highways. Thirty-two years young, currently busy with supporting my very intelligent girlfriend, she does all the work while I do the household.

I've been driving hydropneumatics since I got my drivers license, GS X3, GSA, DS, CX but most of the time a BX Digit or GT with digital dash. I do most if not all of the tinkering and never go to a garage.

I drive a '85 GT with Digit wiring, computer and dashboard, mated with a 1990 A8A intercooled turbodiesel and a ZF 4HP14 GZ14 automatic tranny.
I conceived of the idea and built it myself, with the help of a few friends.
And since i'm an aviation nutter, the car's interior is continuously being modified to give it the style of a cockpit, planning on installing extra VFD's, switches and instruments. the car itself is called "Flying Frankenstein".

I'll probably read a lot here, and currently quite curious if the BX Digit exists in the UK.
Last edited by Alcyone on Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
cavmad
Keeper of the site Goat
Posts: 7857
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 9:13 am
x 1
Contact:

Post by cavmad »

Welcome along, get some pictures posted up of your Digit please!
Vauxhall apologist.
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

Post by Alcyone »

I'd like to, but I don't have permission to edit my own posts, so if I make a mistake, i can't correct it.
User avatar
mat_fenwick
Moderator
Posts: 7326
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:08 pm
Location: North Wales
x 19

Post by mat_fenwick »

There is a preview button, so if you click that before you submit the post, you can make sure it all looks OK.
Image

1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
2016 Hyundai iLoad
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

Post by Alcyone »

That's a bit different than I'm used to, our fora always let us edit our posts afterwards. But ok, here are the pics.

The only BX GT/Digit Turbodiesel Automatic in the world:

Image

I've reverted to green instead of blue, VFD's show better contrast with a grey overlay when the sun shines on it.

Image

Image

Image

Image

The whole car was very cheap, only 100 euro's. A few bruises, scratches and dents, but almost no rust at all! The turbodiesel was only 50 euro's, the tranny another 50 euro's. And it all works fine :)
diesel consumption is a bit high, one liter every 15 kilometers, but i'm not complaining. Next march this one turns 25 years, that's bye bye roadtax, 950 euro's a year :)

Image

Image

These pictures were taken last february, I'll take a few in the sun soon.

Dashboard mod:
Image

Image

Image

The hydraulics level light really works. Very easy mod but never seen anyone else with it.

There's an enormous list of future modifications, I'll post that later.
User avatar
Tim Leech
Over 2k
Posts: 15565
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Derbyshire
My Cars: Various
x 141

Post by Tim Leech »

Wow that looks a bit like knight rider! 8)
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

Post by Alcyone »

Maybe this topic fits better in the BX Gallery.

So if a moderator reads this: please give it a good kick in the right direction :)
User avatar
ken newbold
Over 2k
Posts: 4408
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:53 pm
x 5

Post by ken newbold »

:o turbo diesel auto Mk1 Digit :o

Can't think of anything that could be a rarer combination that this!

On a seperate note 950 euro's/year road tax :o :o
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

Post by Alcyone »

Having developed a slight case of temporary insomnia due to the local heat (it's 25C in the bedroom, argh) AND without a proper amount of alcohol to stop those neurons firing, I've returned to the pc.

If someone's interested, I have a YouTube channel with a few vids. One of the vids involves starting the A8A for the first time after fitting.
User avatar
Tim Leech
Over 2k
Posts: 15565
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Derbyshire
My Cars: Various
x 141

Post by Tim Leech »

Thats proper cool! did you manage to get the revcounter working from the diesel engine?
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

Post by Alcyone »

I'm busy with it: it involves four magnets bolted onto the camshaft pulley, with the Hall-sensor coil from within the distributor placed in the vicinity, connected to the transistormodule and HT coil, with a single sparkplug to release the energy. I believe that's easier than building some conversion logic, and the single plug is nice, especially if I can place it in a glass container filled with mercury vapour and argon 8)
User avatar
Tim Leech
Over 2k
Posts: 15565
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Derbyshire
My Cars: Various
x 141

Post by Tim Leech »

Alcyone wrote:I'm busy with it: it involves four magnets bolted onto the camshaft pulley, with the Hall-sensor coil from within the distributor placed in the vicinity, connected to the transistormodule and HT coil, with a single sparkplug to release the energy. I believe that's easier than building some conversion logic, and the single plug is nice, especially if I can place it in a glass container filled with mercury vapour and argon 8)

I have NO idea what your on about :lol:
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
User avatar
mat_fenwick
Moderator
Posts: 7326
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 4:08 pm
Location: North Wales
x 19

Post by mat_fenwick »

How about a pressure transducer in one of the fuel pipes, triggering an op-amp to switch a transistor. My understanding is that most petrol rev counters are triggered by a switched 0V signal, so all you need to do is generate a 0V pulse once per revolution.
I notice that you have an oscilloscope so I suspect you will get what I am trying to suggest...
Image

1993 1.9 TZD Turbo Estate
1996 3.9 V8 Discovery
1993 VW LT35 campervan
1985 Hyundai Stellar V8
2016 Hyundai iLoad
User avatar
Alcyone
New Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:55 pm
Location: Leerdam, the Netherlands

Post by Alcyone »

If my solution doesn't work, I'll try it :)


But once every crankshaft revolution, that's how the diesel rev counter works. I could take the signal of the flywheel-pulsegenerator, easier than meddling with the fuel pipes. I know the Digit rev counter wants a signal every 180 degrees of the crankshaft, every 90 degrees on the camshaft; that's why I thought my idea with the magnets is quite elegant.
User avatar
docchevron
The Immoderate half of the admin team
Posts: 7524
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:03 pm
Location: A Bucket of Fish
x 7
Contact:

Post by docchevron »

Alcyone wrote: But once every crankshaft revolution, that's how the diesel rev counter works.
Not quite. It's twice, since there's two slots in the flywheel 180 deg apart.

Awesome work though, if you ever bring that car to the UK then I simply MUST get a piccy of it next to dad's TD auto!
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
Post Reply