ev1 vehicles test-buck

-- Beata Collection --




1996 EV1 Test-buck
(Space-frame & Tune-in body)


Copied below are pictures of the collection's '96 pre-production
'Test-buck'.  Test-bucks were factory built space frames that
were destined for engineering testing.  That testing focused
on measurements, including door jams, roof lines,
trunk openings, sub-frame, body panel and component fitting,
and/or structural testing of all sorts. Engineers would order frames
built for a variety of reasons and the factory would build the
orders testing and praticing factory processes, and then
forward those frames to engineers to refine the various designs and 
processes.  This was a critical function to building one of the
first all-aluminum bonded space frames in an entirely
new manufacturing process c1996.

It is estimated that GM built 50 to 75 test-bucks before starting
production in late 1996, most all were recycled
as a product of testing, but at least one survived as shown here
in the Beata Collection.  Eventually this old buck will be finished in
OEM blue, for the simple reason that we have more spare blue panels
than any other color, and, green and red
are already taken.

Some hints that lead us to the test-buck legacy include the 1) black
primer roof, as all production '97 EV1 panels came supplier
final-color-coated for assembly (only the '94 LPF Impacts and '96
pre-production EV1 test panels came in black primer); 2) the partial
assembly-status of the space frame; including no VIN, no battery
pack installation, no hood or trunk SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound)
supporting structures, no adheasive in either
side-structure or the windscreen/wiper shroud areas; and, 3) the
windscreen, as fitted, appears to be an early test sample,
as the production units were electrically (47v) heated, and this unit's
screen is absent its electronic wiring.

The early space-frame production capacity was a particularly slow
process yielding only +/- nine (9) space-frames per day in
the manufacturing process.

To date, c2023, the collection has about 60% of the parts
necessary to achieve a mostly complete EV1 based on this chassis.
Motor, inverter, wheels, wiring harness, seats, dash,
and steering are in-hand, with body panels (doors, rear quarters,
and trunk), suspension components  and some 
modules our primary search goals.



===

Note the blue tape / engineering markings, black primer roof, and incomplete build, all denoting a pre-production engineering test-buck.

Missing left strut tower.

The front left strut tower test fitting.

The 97 heating and A/C unit positioned under the dashboard.

Here is a 1996/97 Space Frame exiting one of two (2) ovens GM used to cure the Ciba-Geigy bonding adhesive. The red areas are the front strut towers which are riveted to the to the lower frame rails and bonded and riveted to the outer rails. The blue areas protruding below the strut towers are the front bumper mounting brackets and the center blue area is the lower cross member which supports the cradle and front motor mount.

Not sure what the blue paint markings denote in the following photos, as they do not appear on 1997 production vehicles. That leads us to believe that these photos are likely pre-production build-bucks for structural and fitment testing.

Note the large square access hole inside the rear wheel-well. On the 1997 production EV1 this is a much smaller, rounded, opening for the rear cooling fan duct. This feature indicated that these may be 1994 timeline photographs or very early pre-production Test-buck testing of some sort.