Vanning.com logo
Boxdin
Site Navigation


Advertisements
Recent Posts
Good day
by lukester - March 28th 2024 12:26 pm
Crazy mods
by MufflerMan Mike - March 28th 2024 9:38 am
Lew Greger
by MufflerMan Mike - March 27th 2024 5:15 pm
1987 G20 Gypsy
by SDMickey - March 25th 2024 9:39 pm
Featured Links


Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 2 of 4 1 2 3 4
Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666017 July 11th 2014 4:10 pm
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
M
mlarky Offline OP
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
M
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
Looking forward to meeting you Starlord.

Wonder if it's Karma ( or carma...pun intended) So I sell the the good running nothing leaking project car yesterday. Today the van breaks down. Just a blown lower radiator hose, but made me wonder....LOL

AdSense long
Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666072 July 12th 2014 9:56 am
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
M
mlarky Offline OP
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
M
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
Planning a Pick N Pull run tomorrow. Will keep my eyes out for cool stuff others might want.

Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666156 July 13th 2014 4:28 pm
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
M
mlarky Offline OP
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
M
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
Just got back from Pick N Pull. Scored a lot of what I was looking for this time around!!The last 3 trips weren't as fruitful. Got 2 new seats for the front. These are blue, same as my grey ones, even the pattern. They will get recovered in the near future. Drivers seat was eroding on the door side as they always do. Got the passenger seat so they match. Found side door plastic trim, since mine broke. Found an old school digital clock for the overhead console in the works. The big score for me was finding a decent condition 83 grille set up. Hoping the chrome polishes out nice. Now I can have the quad headlight set up I have been wanting. I also grabbed 3 window surrounds to replace my broken pieces. Got everything for under $180, Not bad.

Almost pulled the wall pieces out of one that had the same interior layout as mine, but it was getting too hot. The ones I cut didn't come out well. Maybe another trip soon for those. Or I will just try cutting new ones again. Are there any patterns still available for doing that??

I was hoping to find new gauge cover(?), since mine has issues. All the ones I found weren't much better. Old plastic, cracks, broken mounting points, rattles because of broken clips, etc. I saw 3 Dodges with dual air, thinking of going back for the pieces. It would be a big plus here in Texas.


Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666173 July 13th 2014 8:37 pm
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 2
pooh-bah
Offline
pooh-bah
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 2
Nice to hear you found some good stuff. I love hitting the wrecking yards

Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666204 July 14th 2014 12:20 am
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
M
mlarky Offline OP
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
M
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
Me too! But doing that in summertime in San Antonio, you have to be there at opening while it's still "cool", and be prepared for the heat, stay hydrated, etc. I got there at 9 am, I was leaving by 1pm. Just too freakin' hot! It was 96 by that point. I did install the seats tonight. What a difference!! Driver's seat was so worn out. Started polishing on the 83 in one area to see how it might clean up. There is reason to smile!

Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666328 July 15th 2014 10:12 pm
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
M
mlarky Offline OP
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
M
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
Today was a day off with plans, but instead has been a series of disappointments. Yet another "friend" has let me down. I'm running out of people I consider friends. To me a friend is someone you can rely on, just as they can rely on you. This one is a mobile mechanic by trade with the A/C tools and the experience I needed to get the van cool on the inside. I have already done the hard dirty work of replacing the compressor, dryer, filter, new seals on the lines, etc. Just needs the freon. I was actually paying him his usual rate for the work. Not a returned favor deal. Today was my day off, plans were made with him in advance. We spoke last night to confirm. Should have been an hour or so of work and he'd make some money, I'd be cool...literally. I called him about 8am to say I was on my way.We were supposed to get together about 9am. No answer, figured he might still be sleeping. Not to be a pest I called again after 9am. No answer, didn't return my call. He managed to call me back close to noon, after I tried a couple more times this morning. We have to wait till later. His brother had his A/C stuff, he'd have to go get it. OK...fine. Now, here it is 8pm, tried calling 2 times since 5 pm. No answer, no returned courtesy call, nothing. I wasted my day off for this.

As for the 83 grille I bought so excitedly, it's not polishing up as I hoped. Chrome started lifting in 3 spots. Just too weathered I guess. Texas summers will do that to chrome. So either live with it as is, paint it to match the van or find another. Also I still need to go back to Pick N Pull for a couple of forgotten bits, pieces and a few wires I should have clipped for the connectors.

I did get another switch piece for the cruise control, the one on the steering wheel. Troubleshooting wires a while back to figure out why the cruise control quit working. Thought it was the switch. Now I think it's the clock spring. Now I am considering rigging up my own switch panel for the cruise control in the overhead console, add a nice custom steering wheel.

So the "new" parts didn't pan out, and another "friend" let me down. Not all bad though. I am Lovin' the "new" seats!

Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666639 July 21st 2014 5:10 pm
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
M
mlarky Offline OP
enthusiast
OP Offline
enthusiast
M
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 9
Air Conditioning is now working!!! My friend Ed came through for me. He called the other day, with apologies. His brother had "borrowed" his machine, and didn't get it back to him until this past Friday evening. He didn't charge me for the charge. I was willing to pay him, but he said I had already done favors for him in the past so we were good.

Definitely not as cool as well as good 'ol R12 did, but way better than "2-60" AC. I have been looking for the parts to convert to dual A/C. Think that would make a big difference. Of course now there is a new issue. With the windows up...I hear every little noise going down the road. This is rattling, that's creaking, etc. LOL! Just little things I get to track down and fix, like loose parts or so. Next is new brakes and brake hardware in the back. There's not much meat left on them and they making brake dust squeals at every stop. Have everything to do them when it cools down later today. Right now it's about 97 outside in the shade and garage. Front pads got done when I first got the van, so they are good.

Talked to a young new vanner yesterday when he came into my Auto Zone store for parts. He had just gotten a sweet deal on a 94 GMC conversion van, long wheel base. Price was low because of front fender damage on the passenger side. Otherwise a clean good, running van. He needed a front power window motor. I got him the parts, explained how to do it, and he told me of his plans for an orange paint job, interior mods. We are planning to get together to help each other on our vans. Maybe the beginnings of a van club?? He's very open to it and thrilled to find someone else into vans here...as am I. More soon.

Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666640 July 21st 2014 5:25 pm
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,107
Likes: 37
Maniac
Offline
Maniac
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,107
Likes: 37
Hooray! If you can find one, I highly recommend a modrn design cross-flow condenser over the OE style condenser. I also strongly recommend you replace ALL the o rings in the system and make sure the condenser and the filter in the receiver/drier are not plugged.

I recently had the AC system on my 89 Ford rebuilt. I had paid a few thousand a few years ago to have it conveted from Freon to R-13A. The shop did a piss-poor job of it and it never really worked right. I found a retired AC tech who runs a small independent AC repair business out of his garage and took my van to him. He found that the prior shop didn't do anything they were supposed to when they converted the van. My hoses leaked, my unions leaked, my condenser was cogged, and my filter was clogged. My AC now blows very nice and cold (low 40s I believe). R-134A can work great, but you need toget teh rest of the system up to snuff.


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Mlarky's Dodge....gonna keep her after all.
mlarky #666666 July 21st 2014 10:20 pm
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,007
Likes: 47
pooh-bah
Online Content
pooh-bah
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,007
Likes: 47
mlarky, what auto zone do you work at? OK, maybe more specific, WHERE is the auto zone you work at? Is your new grill a chromed metal or chromed plastic? If metal, you can have it re chromed. I don't seem to have much luck at Pick N Pull, course I was looking for Chevy Van stuff and they're pretty much picked over. On my 78 Dodge I covered the stock grill with silver expanded aluminum you can get at the hardware store, also covered the tail lights with it (looked better on the back when I got the tail light trim rings for them) and the grill and tail lights looked good. [Linked Image]


2005 E350 Turbo Diesel
Why is it that when I press 1 for English, I still can not understand the person on the other end????
Page 2 of 4 1 2 3 4

Moderated by  Astro 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Donate


Upcoming Events
discovery
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 17 guests, and 6 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
TheDrunkenGunsmith, Jac, LOVclassics, ZenMuffin, Milkman530
12724 Registered Users
Top Posters (30 Days)
SDMickey 129
CatFish 25
frscke1 25
Wedgy 21
Forum Statistics
Forums68
Topics35,746
Posts537,916
Members12,725
Most Online177
May 8th, 2013

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4