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UPDATE: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
#802208 March 14th 2023 10:00 pm
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soundhd Offline OP
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Well as of today the exterior is completed, got all the trim (bumpers, trim, grill, lights etc,,.) all on and have completed installing the Dyna Matting on the back cargo area floor today, 3/4 plywood is next so I will have a flat floor to be able move my wheeled stool and chair around for working on the walls & ceiling.


Well it's been going on 17 months with my 91 Chevy Shorty Project. Have tried posting a couple different threads about it but always get someone telling me to keep it all on one section/thread. Kind of hard to do (at least that's what I think anyway) the different sections are for different subjects, etc...but I guess there is always someone that will complain about something....
Anyway purchased the van in October of 2021, found it in Kearney NJ., had been ordered new in 91 for use as a "paddy wagon". Was able to get a hold of the police department's motor-pool supervisor (he did remember the van). Has 76,000+ miles on it and had always been stored indoors and never used as a "patrol" vehicle, just for transporting the "bad guys" around so it was in very good shape, no body rust at all, and hardly any rust on the under carriage, a few little dents but nothing serious. Rear doors were pretty beat up on the inside and had heavy duty security screens over the inside of the windows. The interior had a custom made/installed (not sure what to call it) but basically a portable jail cell (see the first two photos). Also had all the exterior police lights, sirens and three different communication radios inside the front cab area, lots of "old school" wiring...LOL
Van's option tag had the "conversion" option which means (I found out later) it was ordered with (whatever engine they wanted which in this case was the 5.0) along with PS, PB, PW, PL, Automatic; Cruise-control, A/C, Stereo AM/FM Cassette, with the two front speakers and wiring in place for the rear two, Tilt Wheel...pretty much loaded. After being "retired" from police work it was donated to the local "DARE" program and used to transport "minors" in the program. Eventually things started going "south" and it was turned in to a local junk yard which as it turned out was owned by a local Classic car sales company, they saw it for what it was, either did or had some repairs done to it (new fuel tank, wheels & tires, not sure what else) and gave it a cheap black paint job (looked like they were trying to turn it into their version of the "A" Team Van) put it up for sale and I found it doing an internet search. My brother and I went out there, checked it out and I decided to buy it and towed it home on a trailer to Michigan.
So been working on it all this past year or so, Removed all the police equipment including all the interior lockup equipment. Replaced the 3/4 ton suspension with 1/2 ton (front & rear springs & shocks), all new brakes, replaced all the fluids (coolant, trans, oil, rear-end, brake system); heater core, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, new cooling system hoses, all new ignition parts(plugs, cables, dist cap, rotor, module), new trans pan & filter,removed the exhaust manifolds and installed Hooker Headers (had to have the rear trans bracket modified), Dynomax Ultraflow mufflers; painted pretty much everything in the front of van black (behind where the grills go), all new steering linkage components, new upper control arms (could not find new lowers so de-rusted them and painted them), had the driveshaft rebuilt and painted the rear end with POR 15 as well as much of the rear spring brackets as I could. Had the dash cover and all the other dash components pained black (forgot to mention that the original color of the van was white with a blue interior so am changing the interior color to black). Picked up a roof console for the front inside, a set of bucket seat off a 2001 Chevy van, new seat belt system. Picked up a Retro Sound in-dash receiver, a 5 channel amp and Infinity Kappa spears for the dash and front doors, added all new wiring for the sound system. Pretty much finished all the "mechanical work" and dropped off at the body & paint shop last early November. Picked it up this morning. They did a really nice job on it, I was able to get my hands on a real nice set of rear doors with the pop out windows (the original doors had the fixed windows) along with a set of running boards and a front exterior sun visor. the forum will only allow 10 photos (i Must have a couple hundred that I have taken at least since this project started) so hopefully you will get the idea. This is my last "build" ..getting to old, in my middle 70's now but wanted to make my last a van (which this is the 3rd van that I have owned). So the paint & body work is done, came out pretty nice (I think anyway)...body & paint work went over budget but the result is very much worth it (again just my opinion). Still have the interior to finish, pretty much know what I want to do so with a little luck (and enough cash left) I can get. Van has been painted in a 2020 Cadillac color, Deep Garnet, but asked the painter to make a bit darker, which he did by laying down a black base coat before applying the color coats. [Linked Image]

Attached Files
91 CHEVY SHORTY 01.jpg (369.18 KB, 152 downloads)
91 CHEVY SHORTY 27.jpg (323.12 KB, 142 downloads)
91 VAN 10-21-23 1.jpg (260.66 KB, 6 downloads)
91 VAN 10-21-23 2.jpg (325.02 KB, 6 downloads)
91 VAN 10-21-23 3.jpg (331.85 KB, 6 downloads)
91 VAN 10-21-23 4.jpg (301.01 KB, 6 downloads)
91 VAN DYNAMAT ON FLOOR 1.jpg (396.67 KB, 6 downloads)
91 VAN DYNAMAT ON FLOOR 4.jpg (297.38 KB, 6 downloads)
Last edited by soundhd; October 22nd 2023 1:50 pm.

Recently purchased (10-2021) a 1991 Chevy G-20 “Shorty”. Past vans are a 1976 Chevy G-10 (purchased new in 1976 & sold in 1995). A 1978 Chevy G-20 Shorty purchased in 2010 and sold in 2015.
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Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
soundhd #802209 March 15th 2023 12:26 am
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Congrats man. Nice clean looking van. I can relate. Bought my 1974 G10 Shorty in 2020 and started the powertrain build and suspesion 14 months ago. Hope to be done end of May. Then drive it for a year or two with next step: body and paint even though it's in very good shape. Then last the interior. I want it to look like my original 74' Shorty I had back in the day.

I had all Chevy Shortys: 1967l 1971 1974 and now my 4th and last van with my current 74' Shorty.

Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
soundhd #802221 March 15th 2023 8:17 pm
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I don't care what anyone says, I dig the interior. For a long time now I have been thinking of turning my van into a Bomb Squad van.

Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
soundhd #802228 March 15th 2023 11:21 pm
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That's a great looking van


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

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Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
soundhd #802243 March 16th 2023 11:52 am
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Really cool. Love the look, very clean

Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
jcd74 #802245 March 16th 2023 12:11 pm
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soundhd Offline OP
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[Linked Image][Linked Image]jcd74, here's more photos of what it took to remove the lock up interior...used pretty much a die grinder with cutoff wheels and a saw-saw with metal cutting blades...there was probably about 1000 lbs. of metal in all. Just the floor was a heavy gauge diamond plate.

Attached Files
Last edited by soundhd; March 18th 2023 10:28 am.

Recently purchased (10-2021) a 1991 Chevy G-20 “Shorty”. Past vans are a 1976 Chevy G-10 (purchased new in 1976 & sold in 1995). A 1978 Chevy G-20 Shorty purchased in 2010 and sold in 2015.
Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
soundhd #802246 March 16th 2023 2:42 pm
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Where did all the rust come from in the 1st pic ? Leaky roof ?


SUNSHINE VANS-VAN DIEGO
ADRENALIN BY THE GALLON & CHASIN RACIN
ONE FOR THE DIRT & ONE FOR THE STREETS
'93 CHEVY G30 454 4X4 SPORTVAN EXT 146" WB
'92 CHEVY G30 454 BEAUVILLE EXT 146" WB
Re: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
frscke1 #802263 March 17th 2023 6:41 am
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soundhd Offline OP
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I assume you are talking about the light surface rust that was on the floor?…..When the “conversion company” (don’t know what else to call them…the company that converted the van for use as a paddy wagon) installed the heavy duty diamond plate on the floor there was no way for the floor to air out so the light surface rust formed….anyway it sanded off pretty easy and I painted over it with POR 15

Attached Files
91 CHEVY VAN CARGO FLOOR PAINTED 2.jpg (353.92 KB, 91 downloads)
91 CHEVY VAN CARGO FLOOR PAINTED 1.jpg (321.81 KB, 88 downloads)
Last edited by soundhd; March 17th 2023 11:41 am.

Recently purchased (10-2021) a 1991 Chevy G-20 “Shorty”. Past vans are a 1976 Chevy G-10 (purchased new in 1976 & sold in 1995). A 1978 Chevy G-20 Shorty purchased in 2010 and sold in 2015.
UPDATE: 91 CHEVY SHORTY PROJECT - 17 MONTHS
soundhd #802415 March 22nd 2023 2:54 pm
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UPDATE: BUMPERS INSTALLED TODAY:
With the help of my friends got the bumpers installed today. One step at a time.....

Attached Files
91 CHEVY VAN REAR BUMPER INSTALLED 1.jpg (282.85 KB, 70 downloads)

Recently purchased (10-2021) a 1991 Chevy G-20 “Shorty”. Past vans are a 1976 Chevy G-10 (purchased new in 1976 & sold in 1995). A 1978 Chevy G-20 Shorty purchased in 2010 and sold in 2015.
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