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this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2025
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I'm well into considering the build a car avenue myself. Since new cars are all bullshit now, I'm seriously tempted to just remove the drivetrain from my truck when it finally conks out and stick a kit built aftermarket EV powertrain in it instead.
For reference, my truck is so dumb it has crank windows. I'd like to keep it that way.
I've had this idea for awhile to make complete conversion kits for more popular/common vehicles.
I have a pickup from the pre-infotainment era, and I've considered how long I'd be able to keep it. Buying an old vehicle from the south an doing a restore is so much more attractive than anything that has touchscreen controls for hvac, media, etc. All of that shit is a massive safety hazard and a huge pain in the ass to use. It's all garbage. Give me knobs and buttons all day long.
I had to do a driving gig for work around last Halloween. The minivan i rented had a control console I'd expect to find on the starship Enterprise. It took me 10 minutes of YouTube to figure out how to turn off the damn parking brake. Fuck that shit.
I have a 2015 Rav 4 that's just on the cusp. It has built in GPS/Infotainment unit that has buttons, and needs to be updated by going to the Toyota website, downloading the software updates onto a USB, and then plugging the USB into the car's port.
Honestly it's the perfect level of tech for me. Sure the built-in maps are a bit outdated now, but I don't need cellular service to navigate around, and I have infotainment and climate buttons on my steering wheel as well as the dashboard.
Praying it lasts another 10 years.
My 2004 F150 rocks out, except for the mileage.
If I had the space to store it, I would be searching for a second-hand engine and transmission for my 2004.
It's probably a good time to buy them and then hold on to it for five or seven years until it's needed. Rebuild it, slap it in, then keep the other one for a rebuild.
Who knows it will spawn an industry of standardized EV chassis you can buy and 3D print shops for the custom body when regular car producers go too far with spying and nagging.
Cool idea, but probably not going to happen. The outer surface of the car is too important for efficiency and safety to let a product like this exist.