Vannin' Home
Posted By: Death or victory 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - May 31st 2019 1:19 am
Well I found this locally here in Portland. A real nice guy out in the suburbs owned this for the last 3 years, he bought it from the original owner and it’s very clean. I wanted a shorty but all that I find are trashed or way too expensive. It’s got 77k original miles, 5.2L 3 speed auto. Best part was that it was $1500. Really awesome base to work with.

Best part is there is not a spec of rust on this thing on anywhere besides a few surface spots on the back floor. Easy fix with POR15! He sprayed it black and it looks decent for now. I’d like to do gloss black and some cool graphics but I’m gonna work on the stance with new wheels/tires and some other stuff I’ve got up my sleeve.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Thanks for looking!
Posted By: Reed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 2:11 am
Nice score! Hopefully it doesn't have the horrid TBI system Dodge used from 88-91 before the Magnum engines were introduced. Nice clean slate.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 2:27 am
Thanks!

Still has a carb still. He said 1bbl, I didn’t look but that seems hard to believe. I’d assume a 2bbl carb

Btw, got my 79 purring like a kitten. Thanks for the help on the timing.
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 2:37 am
Great looking van.
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 5:11 pm
Nice!

If you get new wheels/tires, I might be interested in those that are on it now. Keep me in mind......
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 5:52 pm
Nice solid start. Can't wait to see the progress.
Posted By: DontComeKnocken Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 7:31 pm
Really nice ride, the floor looks solid, some POR will keep it looking nice. Looks badass with no windows too.
Posted By: Wizard78 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - May 31st 2019 8:41 pm
Nice score smile
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 01st 2019 1:06 am
Thanks everyone! Very stoked about this project! I’m gonna sell my white 79 and use the cash for this project and really have fun this summer.

@cornfarmer. If you want them they are yours. I’m going to be ordering new wheels and tires very soon. I’m in Portland so they’d be on you to come get. I’m gonna sell them either way but if you are sure about them and can come here, let me know!
Posted By: frscke1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 01st 2019 2:34 am
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
Thanks everyone! Very stoked about this project! I’m gonna sell my white


When I 1st read it I saw Im gonna sell my wife ... lol
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 01st 2019 4:30 pm
[Linked Image]

Hahaha
Posted By: Reed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 01st 2019 5:33 pm
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
Thanks!

Still has a carb still. He said 1bbl, I didn’t look but that seems hard to believe. I’d assume a 2bbl carb

Btw, got my 79 purring like a kitten. Thanks for the help on the timing.



Yes. A 5.2 is a 318 and 318s were never built with a single barrel carb. It most likely has a Holley 6280 computer controlled two barrel carb and a lean burn computer controlling the ignition, as well. One of the first things i would do is swap on a non computer controlled arb and ignition system.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 02nd 2019 2:41 pm
I’ll definitely check for that. I’m going to put my eyes on everything and just see what I’m working with. We’ve been gone on a trip since we bought it and I’ve been itching to check it out some more.

I’m going to be registering it with special plates here in OR, which would allow me to remove all the smog equipment if I wanted to. I’d love for it to be as simple as possible and all that shit just gets in the way but we’ll see.
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 03rd 2019 5:38 pm
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory


@cornfarmer. If you want them they are yours. I’m going to be ordering new wheels and tires very soon. I’m in Portland so they’d be on you to come get. I’m gonna sell them either way but if you are sure about them and can come here, let me know!


Oooof that's a ~10 hr drive so maybe not, lol.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 04th 2019 5:55 pm
Reed - I definitely have the lean burn carb. I read through some old threads here and compared mine (has the wires running to the carb and no vacuum advance).

The 2280 carb and vacuum advance distributor seems like the easy part, what do I do about ignition? Ideally stock dodge parts. Is there an electric choke on the 2280?

Also how much of a computer is on this van? If it has one, what all does it control?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 05th 2019 3:42 pm
Gave this girl a wash and have been driving her around. We used her to haul some dirt for our planter beds this weekend and it was really nice using a van like a van. I ordered my wheels and tires for it and am very excited to share a photo once I get them.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: KeVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 07th 2019 5:09 pm
Congrats on the van! Sure wish I could find one of those Dodge vans around here.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 07th 2019 5:13 pm
Thanks KeVan! I got lucky for sure I feel. Gonna really do this van right at every step of the way and not cut corners. I’ve been really inspired by others on this forum including Tuners blue Chevy van. These things deserve all the love and pride of ownership and since this thing is essentially a clean slate, I’ll have a lot of fun guiding where it goes from here.
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 08th 2019 1:13 pm
Hell yeah! You've got a great van to start from. Make it how you want it, don't make compromises! I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 7:03 am
Boring progress but really nice to see it clean up so well. I’m getting the floor cleaned and prepped before I do a little rust converter and primer. My OCD is really going to come out on this thing I can tell already.
Front of the van started like this. I removed all the factory rubber floor and insulation, vacuum, scrape, vacuum, scrub and clean all the years of dirt off the floor.
[Linked Image]

Found a small amount of surface rust but nothing terrible I little wire wheel won’t fix.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Couple questions for anyone who may know. As this is an 87, I’ve read this was a year of engine transition. I’ve read black painted blocks are LA 318 with a roller rocker cam set up. 318s that we’re blue we’re flat tappets. Anyone confirm this?

Also, curious as to how to remove this AC fan. It needs repairing but can’t figure out how to remove it
[Linked Image]
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 11:50 am
It did clean up nicely.
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 12:07 pm
Wow that floor is in excellent shape!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 4:23 pm
The back where there was more use has some surface rust that’s a little deeper but that’s to be expected i feel like but there is zero rot, just a slightly textured surface. My other van, I found rust holes through the front floor so I was very nervous about what I’d find initially but quite relieved.

I just need to determine final rust prep sequence. I’m thinking loctite rust converter that becomes a primer surface or maybe POR15 for just the floor. I’m thinking I’m also going to rubberize the whole floor with brush on product so I just want to make sure I seal any rust before that goes down. Then a layer of sound deadener and potentially insulation and sub floor. Still undecided with the layering as of now.

Any good recommendations that you’ve used and work well?
Posted By: DontComeKnocken Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 7:28 pm
I've had good luck with POR15 and Eastwood rust converter too. I think I prefer the eastwood stuff a little bit more. For the floors I used noico sound deadening from amazon.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 7:55 pm
Sneak preview of some beefy rear tire action. You are reading that right, 285/70/15. cool
[Linked Image]

Save this space for a wheel update very soon!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 7:59 pm
Did you do the whole floor area of just the areas with surface rust? I’m thinking I want to treat the current areas but also prime the whole floor to protect it before I do sound deadener. I’m using a very similar product called Kilmat. I’m doing their 80mil all in the front of the van/doors and will be using their 50mil for ceiling, sides and floor.
Posted By: DontComeKnocken Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 10th 2019 10:37 pm
I did the spots that had surface rust but left the rest of the floor alone. In the case of my van I think it was rain water leaking in, and puddling on the floor that caused the rust spots so keep an eye on any water leaks, tend to the surface rust and you'll be good to go.

Those are some big ass wheels, bet they will look sweet
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 11th 2019 3:49 am
Looking forward to seeing those tires . New wheels too ?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 11th 2019 4:15 am
Oh yeah. They’re getting mounted up tomorrow and I’ll have them on by tomorrow night if all goes well.
Posted By: NEmery Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 11th 2019 6:28 pm
excited to see these tires!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 11th 2019 9:31 pm
Another teaser....
[Linked Image]
Posted By: DontComeKnocken Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 11th 2019 10:07 pm
That passes as MEATY
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 1:48 am
Oh yeah !
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 4:58 am
Alright! So here she is with new wheels and shoes.

Got some polished Indy mag slots in 15x8s for the front with 245/60/15s. 15x10s with 285/70/15s in the rear.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Front end needs a 1-2” drop to get the right final stance. Debating dropped spindles or cut springs. But I’ll dial that in very soon.

ALSO! I bought a new NorCal wing from Kurt, who is AWESOME. Super helpful and really nice and got me this stuff quick. It’s only placed on there now.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Next phases coming up in the next 2 months, I can’t wait to keep progressing on this van!
Posted By: Reed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 5:33 am
Looking good!
Posted By: NEmery Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 12:29 pm
those wheels are nice! where did ya get them?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 2:11 pm
They are US Indy Mags, I actually ordered them from Les Schwab of all places. They were cheaper than other retailers on line and I could get them right down the street from my house.
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 3:08 pm
yup....you got a killer deal...will be following your build for sure...looks great with tire and wheel size....keep on keepin on
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 3:49 pm
Good lord that stance is beefy!!
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 5:09 pm
like whoa man
Posted By: DontComeKnocken Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 7:18 pm
Feel some action in my pants...

Looking damn good
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 7:52 pm
i feel dirty....ive logged in a few times today just to look at this BBV....[big black van]......does she have a name yet? i could see BLACULA or BLACKSNAKE-MOANS or BIG BLACK being suitable....aint laughin at ya...laughin with ya....this is gonna be a real dirty head turner....
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 8:11 pm
Hahaha, thank you guys.

I’m actually not going to keep this van black. I’m not a real fan of flat black and it wasn’t done well (no jambs or really anything else). I’m getting a few quotes to get it painted since the body is so straight. You may notice in a few of the shots there are bolts in the side of the body and rear door. I’m going to fill those and do a little bit of body work and then have it painted. If I’m going to put effort into that, I’m going to get it a color I like. Plus I hate half ass work so this would bother me to no end. Haven’t decided just yet but leaning towards a metallic brown or a brown/gold mix so we can lay some panel graphics on it.

But for the time being, she’ll stay black as I get my list going of items I need.

Thanks for the kind words, stay tuned.
Posted By: Wizard78 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 12th 2019 8:35 pm
Awesome
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 13th 2019 4:29 pm
Lookin good man!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 13th 2019 10:37 pm
Enjoying the new stance on this girl! Drove it to work and got lots of looks. [Linked Image]

Going to be working on color matching and mounting the wing this weekend. I have a good plan in place for hardware and will document that process as I go along. But had to share.


Ass up, nose down!
Posted By: NEmery Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 14th 2019 12:06 pm
looks great
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 14th 2019 12:09 pm
I love it! Looks so mean!
Posted By: Rene Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 14th 2019 2:04 pm
KILLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEER dude!!! Nice work!!
Posted By: Juntao_DW Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 14th 2019 2:53 pm
wheels look awesome, amazing how straight those panels are
Posted By: Vannible_Lecter Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 14th 2019 6:29 pm
Hey Bro, Hi.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 16th 2019 5:59 am
I hit the local yards quite a bit and usually come up on a few good items and lucked out when I found an early ram van bumper in really good shape. Here’s the comparison from old (right) and new (left) and mounted on the van. Small details but it looks much nicer.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 17th 2019 12:34 am
nice score...those headlight bezels are getting hard to find...ive been lucky enough to have scored an extra set from a junkyard to keep as backups....looking forward to pics of the norcal install and how you went about mounting it....
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 19th 2019 7:03 am
I did some prep on the wing tonight to get it mounted. I was a little nervous doing this but my plan came together.

The wing itself is not all that thick, maybe 3/16" my biggest concern was getting a good bite into the fiberglass and I saw a post on this forum while doing some research that I thought was a good plan so I essentially went for it. I didnt want to rely on screwing directly into the wing and having the threads get damaged if I need to remove it at any point so here's what I did.

First step was to get it in position and mark it on the roof. I traced the base on the roof with a wax pencil and will use this outline later on. I marked both sides like this. The line is to mark where I planned to drill holes.
[Linked Image]

I struck a line across both sides of the bases like so and again, marked spots where I would drill holes, 3 on each side.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

These are the tools I used to accomplish this and the hardware I plan to use. Solid threaded steel insert (not a helicoil), grade 8 bolts, rubber washer and grade 8 washers, drill and tap.
[Linked Image]

Drilled pilot holes at each location.
[Linked Image]

Drilled larger holes per the tap size and tapped each holes
[Linked Image]

Test fit each hole for thread connections (removed the thread lock later)
[Linked Image]

Got prepared for each side. 2 part epoxy rated for 3400 psi. Hole drill bit was used later to turn the threaded inserts into place, it fit perfectly into those notches and allowed me to thread it in by hand.
[Linked Image]

I mixed the epoxy, used the chopstick to apply some epoxy into the hole ahead of time to the inside of the edges, then applied a liberal amount of epoxy onto the threads themselves, set them in and turned them down into the tapped threaded holes I made
[Linked Image]

The excess worked perfectly to grab the sides of the insert, I left them about 1/8" from flush as best I could on each hole. My plan is to also use another set of rubber washers between the roof and the wing itself isolating any connection between those two pieces.

Now they cure for 24 hours and I will move onto painting the wing flat black to match the van (wont be an exact match but this will look better than white while I wait to get it painted.

I will post more progress of how I templated each side and will use those templates to align with the outline of the room to mark the holes I need too drill in the roof.

My goal is that these threaded inserts, epoxied in like this will give it tons of strength and lots of surface area to have a bolt go into. Kurt also supplied snap toggle bolts which I will use as a final secured attachment once the van is painted and the wing will never come off again.
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 19th 2019 12:18 pm
man that is PERFECT....that puppy aint gonna go nowhere....hell,you could even go with taller tires and take out hiway overpasses with the wing....NICE JOB...this will help alot of us wanting to use a norcal
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 19th 2019 5:03 pm
A little thing that was disappointing (granted Kurt doesn’t make these) but he told me there was wood at the bases of wing so I thought i’d have more to screw into but this ended up ok. I have to chase the threads a little bit tonight. I was extremely careful to not get epoxy into the holes but even a little drop or string that ended up somewhere on the threads will cause a bind. But that’s pretty simple.
Posted By: DontComeKnocken Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 19th 2019 9:38 pm
Nice work on the wing mounting it sure does look like a pain the butt. When I put on my cab visor I used double sided 3M tape and then a glob of silicone on each screw and (knocks on wood) have been leak free for a year.

Unrelated but damn that front chrome bumper looks damn good
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 19th 2019 11:07 pm
Thanks! I've learned that double sided tape is the way to go. Dodges are tough because there's no drip rail above like the Chevy. I wish I used it on my other dodge to get it in place before I screwed it on. It's crooked and it bothers the crap out of me. Lessons learned. This van will get a visor eventually too so I will definitely do it better.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 23rd 2019 1:37 am
Got it all mounted, everything lined up great and it’s very secure. Looks super cool as well. One little step at a time.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 23rd 2019 3:40 pm
nice,finished ,clean installation.....looks great...now i gotta get one
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 24th 2019 2:40 pm
Nice look, that is a mean looking rig with the wing, professional install on that piece to boot..
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 26th 2019 2:15 am
I like big butts.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 26th 2019 2:33 pm
Man that looks good😃
Posted By: 78VanMate Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - June 30th 2019 6:38 am
Nice job on the install, looks awesome!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 03rd 2019 4:31 am
Working on the exhaust. Snagged a set of headers that I’m going to clean and ceramic coat
[Linked Image]

Have an idea for the design, purchased 4 of these tapered megaphone tips that I’m hoping to stagger like this before the rear wheel and turn up ever so slightly. 2 per side, side by side.
[Linked Image]

Sneak peak of something I’m thinking about also. My buddy James is hustling to sell me these. Last time I saw him he really worked hard on it, let me look back at them. Pretty sure these are gonna make it on the van
[Linked Image]
Posted By: 78VanMate Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 03rd 2019 5:13 am
I think the widows would look awesome!
Posted By: Reed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 03rd 2019 5:30 am
Cool! That van is really coming together.
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 03rd 2019 5:03 pm
beer

Looking bad ass!
Posted By: Tyrus_Tha_Virus Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 03rd 2019 10:17 pm
This van is sick! I dig the windows, its like a frickin Rocker's van!
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 04th 2019 12:05 am
oh yeah....nice compliment to the norcal for sure....
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 05th 2019 10:16 pm
Looks great man. Those ports would be killer too.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 07th 2019 12:48 am
I told my friend I’m going to take those ports off his hands. It’s too good to pass on.

Going to wait to do any mechanically related projects like
the headers until I have a few more parts (dealing with what to do on the smog ports) on hand and I really have been itching to clean up the wheel wells on this, it’s one of the first things I see as I walk up to this van. Again, it was originally cream and the PO, only sprayed the outside of the van so I’m taking care of things that really bother me.

Took the wheels off and both sides looked like this. Dirty, had overspray, road grime and chunks of rock and whatnot.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Washed, sanded and degreased.
[Linked Image]

Satin frame paint, rubberized wheel well coating. Wanted a more durable coating other than paint. This should hold up well. It will never be driven in snow, just rain at times.
[Linked Image]

This shit sucks, to be honest. It sprayed horribly on the second can and just got really thick, but oh well. Just don’t use this brand! I watched a few vids and none of theirs looked this bad. It was more a stream than a fan.
[Linked Image]

You can see this is the final result on the passenger side. I had to adjust the way I sprayed this side to atleast get it evenly splattered, I guess you could say.
[Linked Image]

Drivers side sprayed on way better but barely. It got all over my hands and was just a messy spray altogether.
[Linked Image]

I want to do the back wheels wells but need to do a bit more research on a better product before I do that. I may go see what I can find tomorrow.
Posted By: 78VanMate Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 07th 2019 5:04 am
What a difference! Looks great, nice job.
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 08th 2019 1:03 pm
3M 08881 is the only spray can undercoating that I have had any success with at all. If this stuff ends up not holding up, check into it ;)

Looks great though!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 08th 2019 5:41 pm
Thank you, they had that at O Reilly’s and I tried this stuff because it was $5 cheaper (I guess you get what you pay for) but looks like I’ll be getting a few cans of it.

The thing I’m most worried about with the product I sprayed on is that it doesn’t really feel like it’s going to fully dry. It’s fairly soft and I feel like any rocks will just get stuck to it. It’s been 48 hours now and is not confidence inspiring. Oh well...see how it goes I guess.


Thanks for the recommendation
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 09th 2019 12:46 pm
^ the 3M stuff definitely dries to a nice finish. Here is a picture from when I was putting my front suspension together.


[Linked Image]
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 17th 2019 2:53 am
Wow so it’s been a long 4 days but I got some huge jobs done.

Here’s a pretty succinct process
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Still have some sound deadening to add to the interior wheel arches and the valleys of the floor and then plywood will start soon.
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 17th 2019 5:50 pm
Nice!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 22nd 2019 4:05 am
So I found out something interesting while making the template for the floor. Nothing sticks to Flex Seal liquid. I’m pretty sure it’s silicone based so anything with adhesive just peels off. shocked so I’ve come up with different ideas of how to deal with this. It really only affects me where there’s no plywood.

I templated the entire floor of the van with heavy construction paper. I took my time but wanted to make sure I got a really good fit so I didn’t have to screw it into the floor, it just would be locked in on it’s own.
https://i.imgur.com/Vr1dnmD.mp4

I laid out 3 pieces of 1/2” ply, traced the template over all three pieces at once so they line up properly once placed inside. I’m keeping the stock seat base studs so I drilled 1” holes for those knowing my template may not be 100% accurate there even though the paper went over all of them.

Cut, sanded and small little strips of wood to tie all the pieces together and she’s got a really solid floor now.
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 25th 2019 4:56 am
Very stoked on how this van is shaping up. Greatly appreciate all the help and encouragement from many members here. Thanks for reading
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Reed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 25th 2019 5:02 am
Looking good!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - August 25th 2019 2:56 am
About 8 hours to install these cleanly and getting everything lined up but damn, I think these came out great. I had some great help today and we knocked it out.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Reed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - August 25th 2019 4:20 am
That van is coming along very nicely! Those portholes look great! You are doing some nice work.
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - August 25th 2019 6:44 pm
yeah man....lookin good....i bet you measured more than once didnt you? when i was doing the cutouts for mine i bet i quadroople checked everything before i even plugged the saw up.....ya truly get one shot at getting it right....
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - August 26th 2019 2:34 am
Thanks guys. Two more shots for fun. I taped and siliconed all around the frame where it meets the body so now they are done. Once I wash it all the ghosted areas around the window should go away. The flat black paint is challenging to keep looking decent.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - August 28th 2019 9:14 pm
I like the pipes are those Megs tips..van looks killer man.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - August 28th 2019 9:15 pm
They are stainless megaphone tips that I purchased from Jegs. Thanks man, really coming together now
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 03rd 2019 5:49 am
Started work on the partition wall and built a bed frame. I can fit 4 bins under the bed and made room for a subwoofer, amp and second battery
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Lots more to go but made tons of progress and it’s ready to camp this coming weekend.
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 03rd 2019 11:10 am
Nice work your doing there.
Posted By: Just4fun1991 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 03rd 2019 1:06 pm
Nice re-vanning job there!
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 03rd 2019 4:12 pm
Busting butt on that build..going to the way back style on the interior. That is real nice.
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 03rd 2019 5:39 pm
2 thumbs up
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - September 05th 2019 10:10 pm
Finally landed on a name for this van. It’s based on a Judas Priest album “Painkiller”. I love the album artwork and the firey scene he’s riding over on the cover. For anyone that doesn’t know. This van has also been a source of peace for me. When lots of other stuff has been happening in my life, working on this project brings me some solace and a little bit of pain relief. Won’t get into more than that really but I think it’s pretty fitting

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - September 05th 2019 10:48 pm
I hope it is a road to heal all things..great album, artwork / album covers were so detailed back in the day.. can't wait to see the interior that is going to be awesome.
Posted By: Raff Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 08th 2019 9:47 pm
I'm loving everything you've done to this van. One word badass!!!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - October 15th 2019 4:40 pm
Carpet is in! We have a few last details until it’s 100% but it’s so nice to be in this thing now.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - October 15th 2019 7:35 pm
Man digging the shag. Heck you got a mint in carpet.looking totally badass.
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - October 15th 2019 11:01 pm
That is sweet! love it.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - November 17th 2019 12:19 am
Getting started on the interior panels that I’m going to get upholstered. I found these OEM Chrysler door panel push in clips and used them in the panels to snap in so you won’t see any screws. The upholstery goes over top and they won’t be seen. I’m upholstering the lower portion on the inside and the upper part will be wood paneling.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - November 17th 2019 2:39 am
very clever and should make for a clean install....keep on keepin on...
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - December 11th 2019 8:09 pm
Got a teaser pic from my buddy doing the upholstery. We are still looking for the right brass buttons to complete the finished panel but I’m very excited to see the rest.
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - December 11th 2019 9:31 pm
That looks awesome brother.
Posted By: tuner4life Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - December 12th 2019 1:17 pm
Those panels look great!
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - December 12th 2019 11:38 pm
Those are fantastic!!!!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - December 13th 2019 12:44 am
Thanks! I’m very pleased thus far! We just finally sourced the right kind of tufting buttons and it should really make them pop. It’ll be a process over the winter but we’re continuing with the middle interior, side doors and rear doors in this same style. We’ll move onto seats, front door panels, rear “bedroom” wall panels and dog house after the new year. Lots to do still!

While it’s not many diamonds like an overall grid, this style is more involved because he stitched the diamonds first then folds each stitch line and sews them together on the backside to pinch them together which creates a thicker look similar to a Lowrider biscuit tuck. These panels are only 1/2” thick foam but look deeper due to the sewing style.
Posted By: DrtyBert Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - December 24th 2019 9:07 am
I love what you have done with the build so far. I think the "no compromise" approach is the way to go; the satisfaction you get in the long run will be well worth the extra effort, and it already shows. Inspirational!
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - December 26th 2019 4:12 pm
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
Started work on the partition wall and built a bed frame. I can fit 4 bins under the bed and made room for a subwoofer, amp and second battery
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Lots more to go but made tons of progress and it’s ready to camp this coming weekend.



How did you do that roof vent with the indentations on top? Did you screw it in and then just fill it with sealant or did you press them flat for the vent would mount up flush?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - December 26th 2019 5:31 pm
What you can’t see is that the roof of later dodges were stamped flat for a vent to sit flush. They made spots ready for a vent and a sun roof upfront if I want to add one. Many roofs didn’t have that so people mounted them over the ridges in which case you’d seal them with silicone and butyl rubber as well. Mine was already in here but I plan to replace it soon. It’s kinda old looking and I want an electric fan version
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - December 26th 2019 7:43 pm
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
What you can’t see is that the roof of later dodges were stamped flat for a vent to sit flush. They made spots ready for a vent and a sun roof upfront if I want to add one. Many roofs didn’t have that so people mounted them over the ridges in which case you’d seal them with silicone and butyl rubber as well. Mine was already in here but I plan to replace it soon. It’s kinda old looking and I want an electric fan version



That makes sense. This is giving me some good ideas on how to go about tackling my interior for the Ford. I was just going to build a simple bedframe with a sub or something underneath it (maybe) and a storage space for the spare and tools. I've been trying to get some discount carpet stores on the horn to find out about shag carpet prices. Most are pricey but it is what it is.
Posted By: DrtyBert Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - December 26th 2019 9:24 pm
So another build question, it looks like your partitions are anchored to the sides and the floor but not the roof. Is that correct, and do you feel like it's pretty sturdy? I'm planning on toting my two active kids and (more) active dogs, just wondering if that would hold up. Looks great, and I'm excited to see it as it progresses.
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - December 27th 2019 12:31 am
Upholstery looks amazing. Can't wait to see what it looks like all done and installed.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - December 27th 2019 4:13 am
Originally Posted by DrtyBert
So another build question, it looks like your partitions are anchored to the sides and the floor but not the roof. Is that correct, and do you feel like it's pretty sturdy? I'm planning on toting my two active kids and (more) active dogs, just wondering if that would hold up. Looks great, and I'm excited to see it as it progresses.


I need to add a few more braces from the top of the partition to the ceiling. I may just do a few more Simpson ties on each side and call it done. It is very strong and I added a bunch more interior bracing but it’s heavy so it moves more than I want it to. I can cover it all with finishes anyways so it should be good
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - December 27th 2019 4:39 am
Originally Posted by kursed
Upholstery looks amazing. Can't wait to see what it looks like all done and installed.


Thanks, my friend has done an awesome job thus far, I haven’t seen them yet and really excited
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 06th 2020 12:20 am
Working on fitting these interior pieces that I got back. Had to make some adjustments and mods to the clip system and also added some velcro to make them stay in place but it really is cool looking! I will trim the opening with the carpet wrapped board (the one sitting there is a test piece) and the wood paneling will be the upper half. I need to prep the walls for power/lighting before I close them up with full finishes and trim.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 06th 2020 1:18 am
That’s nice
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 06th 2020 1:57 am
Sweet looking!
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 06th 2020 12:55 pm
That is freaking awesome.
Posted By: RockinRoger Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 06th 2020 4:08 pm
That looks so nice . i cant weight for pics when its done some more . keep us updated .
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 07th 2020 7:04 pm
Perfect! Colors compliment each other nicely. Love the brass/bronze buttons as well.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 19th 2020 12:35 am
Nothing crazy to report but I have been kicking around the idea for my ceiling and made a test piece before I make the whole piece. I’m hoping to get power in the van in the next month, so I can close up everything up. These are 12”x12” pieces of gold vein mirror that I’ve been hoarding, carpet and carpet padding along the edges to create a nice finished edge that will meet the divider wall carpet trim perfectly.
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 19th 2020 12:41 am
I am sure it will look great but judging the rest of the interior it will be badass.😁
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 19th 2020 1:17 am
Thanks, I appreciate that! I’m also going to try and incorporate some overhead lighting into this as well for the middle and rear of the van.
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 19th 2020 1:30 am
That’s sweet and clean.
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 19th 2020 3:41 pm
Love those old gold vein mirrors, they should fit perfectly in there.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 21st 2020 5:47 pm
“In the night, come to me, you know I want your touch of evil, in the night please set me free, I can’t resist a touch of evil.”
[Linked Image]

Snagged this used wheel from my buddy who’s done all my upholstery. It’s a Big Ron’s wheel, their pentagram one. I think I’m going to sand and stain the wood black and re clear it.
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 24th 2020 2:40 am
Awesome work man. Those Big Ron wheels are sweet.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 24th 2020 2:52 pm
Sweet wheel
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 24th 2020 10:39 pm
Love the wheel!
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 25th 2020 1:31 pm
The wheel is "Heavy"..
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 28th 2020 5:33 am
Killer wheel. You should sand it and stain it with a reddish tint to match the vinyl panels you've been doing. Either way, going to look good in there.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 28th 2020 6:22 am
Thanks man, that’s not a bad idea for a color. I also bought some dark red acetate that I’m going to cut out and fill in the little windows of the steering wheel spokes from behind for a little extra color detail. I got it installed for now though, I need to drive it around with it to test it out.

I have been also getting parts ready for other project, including an early ram van grill swap. Last summer, we knew a guy that was parting out a nice little ram van and ended up getting the entire front grill, complete even with the lights and wiring. It was pretty grungy but I started cleaning it up and it’s polishing up well. I am going to do some mods to this thing and make it look a little cooler.

Started out pretty filthy
[Linked Image]
Chrome finish was still pretty good, used a little never dull to help it out a little after I cleaned it.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 29th 2020 5:31 am
Heck yeah, that's a huge difference. Shiney Shiney!

[Linked Image]
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - February 29th 2020 2:28 pm
Very nice!
Posted By: s14brent Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - March 04th 2020 6:21 am
What did you use to clean the grille before polish? the tube grille i picked up has either caked up debris or over-spray, or both. I'm trying not to use anything too harsh that might blemish the finish.
Steel or plastic? The grill for my van is plastic so I only had the option to clean it with cleaner, soft rag and patience.

I did however clean up a chrome steel c10 grill from my ladies truck and I use water and aluminum foil, balled up and just scrub the steel and it should clean right up.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
The foil is soft and won’t scratch the finish. I just loosely ball it up, dip it in water and go to work. It won’t fix deep pitting in rusted surfaces but really does well on surface rust. Easy deal with paint over spray and gunk too
Posted By: s14brent Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - March 04th 2020 8:16 am
it's metal, thanks for the tip, i'm going to definitely try that out thanks!
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - March 04th 2020 5:14 pm
S.O.S. cleaning pads work great too. The kind with the soap made in. I've used them to clean rust off all sorts of metals, even old rims.
I’ve been working on this early ram van grill for awhile. Took quite some to tape and prep, then wait for weather good enough to paint.

Finally...
[Linked Image]
Prime
[Linked Image]
First coat of black
[Linked Image]

Had to wait another few days to get the last coats of paint on but the main grill body is now fully painted.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
I have the chrome headlight trims to mask and paint but the headlight covers are cut and fit
[Linked Image]

Another project has been re finishing the steering wheel. Sanded it down and decided to try something different with the final finish. The wood is plywood so it’s not a high end wood but had a nice grain. I stained it once, let it dry and then sanded it down again so it brought out the grain depth. I then took a torch and smoked the wood finish. 2 coats of clear so far and we’re here.

Before
[Linked Image]
After clear
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: tvullo Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 06th 2020 5:31 pm
That grill came out killer, and that steering wheel looks awesome too. Keep it up 🤘🤘🤘
Installed my maxx air fan today.

Removed the crappy vent that was in there. It was worse than I thought once it was out.
[Linked Image]

Thankfully the existing hole was cut out nicely.
[Linked Image]

Used this product for install, worked great, thicker than silicone and meant for exterior installations. You install the trim piece and the fan slips on separate so it’s nice to work with just the outer trim ring during initial installation
[Linked Image]

It’s a little big, but nothing bigger than a Venturi vent, just bigger than I’m used to seeing on there but I’m happy I have all the features and will soon have air movement and rain protection in a well designed and built vent.
[Linked Image]

Also started prepping my grill swap today by removing most of the grill. Slipped and cut my hand on some metal so I stopped short (have gloves, but wasn’t wearing them this time, classic story). I’m going to clean and hit all of this with some black paint then get the new light buckets in. I have all the parts so it should be a fairly easy swap.
[Linked Image]
Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 09th 2020 7:08 am
Nice job.

Hard to beat the versatility of a Maxxair fan. When cranked to high and doors closed, you can move around inside and feel the air gushing in around poor door seals and perhaps through dash vents .

Many years ago I installed a small 4 inch Nicro solar powered marine vent on the apex of my fiberglass roof. It was pretty pathetic in the air movement department. Fiorward many years and I removed that vent's electric guts, but still use the mushroom vent portion, but now I use a ridiculously powerful 120mm computer fan on a voltage bucker speed controller to force air through it. Rarely do I need its full speed for long, and it is very loud at high voltages. close my curtain behind front seats and crank the fan and the curtain moves backwards 3 inches. Can't hear the fan over the maniacal laughing.

I've also wired up my Hvac blower motor with a PWM motor speed controller, and it works without the key in the ignition. I kept the original 4 speed switch functional, but now have put the speed control dial combination on off switch right next to original speed control lever and do not expect to use the original circuit every again. Its not the most electrically efficient way to force air into the van, but it is very effective. I like using it most in the rain to slightly pressurize the van interior. Soon I'll have some accurate data on just how much more efficient a PWM speed controller is than using the resistor pack as the blower speed controller.

If you ever develop leaks, some butyl tape is usually the recommended product for sealing roof vents/hatches permanently, then caulk around the perimeter. Could be several degrees of overkill though.

https://shop.marinehowto.com/products/bed-it-tape

Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 09th 2020 12:36 pm
Looking good!
Posted By: Astrocreep66 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 09th 2020 11:56 pm
That is a killer Dodge, yep I had my safety glasses exactly where I always do..in my front pocket..lol
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 10th 2020 12:03 am
[Linked Image]
One thing that’s always bothered me about the “paint job” on this van is that they just hit the outside. So all door jams, gaps and anything else that wasn’t exposed, didn’t or barely got paint. You could always see bits of cream almost everywhere. Slowly chipping away at painting all those hidden parts and since I’m doing the grill swap, figured take it all apart and get after it. Lots prep but finally making headway on all these overlapping projects that comprise of the front end work.

[Linked Image]

Painting the underside of the hood and will repaint the top of the hood tomorrow.
[Linked Image]

I did a mock up of the grill yesterday, very stoked to get it finished! More pics soon
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 12th 2020 2:55 am
Nice, I know the feeling of seeing jambs that need paint. It is coming along really well.
Thanks! One of these days, I’m going to have my windshield guy come replace the windshield seal and I’ll get to paint more stuff they missed.
Posted By: NateB Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 12th 2020 1:25 pm
I just went through this whole build. Man...that van is looking great!!
Hey man thanks. I appreciate that you took the time to read all my ramblings. This van has been fun to work on, still have a big list of things to tackle.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 13th 2020 3:01 pm
This van is really coming along nicely. Looking sweet!
Finished up this early grill swap, it now matches the front bumper style which I prefer over the 86+.

A few images of the process...

Grill was originally kinda rough.
[Linked Image]

Cleaned and painted it up and really shined up well. 0000 fine steel wool did amazingly well on chromed plastic.
[Linked Image]

My lady is a talented painter so I enlisted some small trim painting help
[Linked Image]

I repainted the hood, cowl and lower Valance while it was all apart. They were all pretty chipped and beat up.
[Linked Image]

Before...
[Linked Image]

After! So stoked on this. Custom cut light smoke acrylic lens covers finishes the look.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 21st 2020 5:05 am
Those light covers are sharp as hell.
Posted By: 1959 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 21st 2020 1:37 pm
That front end looks great! Good job!
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - April 21st 2020 3:08 pm
Wow; you scored for $1500.00. Super nice.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - "Painkiller" - April 21st 2020 4:40 pm
Thanks. Its no Chevy shorty but it does alright. I did score for $1500 but I don't even want to guess what I have into it now.
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - "Painkiller" - April 21st 2020 5:12 pm
Looks awesome!
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - "Painkiller" - April 21st 2020 11:15 pm
Grill came out sweet man, killer difference.
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - "Painkiller" - April 22nd 2020 11:40 am
Nice job on the grill. Keep us updated with pics on your future upgrades.
Posted By: Customatic1969 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - April 23rd 2020 6:54 am
Likes the interior, And the grill looks really cool, always liked light covers
van
Since getting my windshield gasket replaced and all cleaned up, it was time to get the visor on today. I invited a few van friends over, had a few distanced beers and conversations. It was a perfect overcast cool day, not too hot. I had already mocked it up once before but that was prior to paint so we got it in position, drilled the pilot holes into the roof, laid in some sealant and screwed it down. I went back once it was set in place and taped a clean sealant line to prevent water from collecting between the visor and metal roof.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Also got my wiper cowl from Kurt! Can’t wait to get it painted and mounted!
[Linked Image]

Such a nice piece of fiberglass workmanship. He’s the man!
The cowl it gonna make it look even meaner with that visor. Really cool!
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - May 24th 2020 4:54 am
Dude your visor looks wicked cool and of course I like the Chevy ! smile
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - May 24th 2020 2:21 pm
Super clean. Lookin' good man.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - May 24th 2020 2:25 pm
I love the look of wiper cowls on vans. Your van looks great
Just went through this entire thread. Haven't been on much lately and just wanted to say great job.
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - May 25th 2020 8:31 pm
The Worst ! I'm at work and can't open the link. curse
Originally Posted by SDMickey
The Worst ! I'm at work and can't open the link. curse


What link?
So I got the wiper cowl mounted today before I paint it since I will scratch something and I can touch it up once it’s on. It installs similarly to the stock cowl but I did have to drill new holes, but could use the stock hardware.
[Linked Image]
You have to adjust the hood a bit to make it fit, it’s a tight squeeze when the hood is up. The only thing I don’t like is the front alignment to make it work but I can live with it as it’s not crazy.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
It’s molded perfectly to fit the van, this is where paying good money for good fiberglass comes into play!
[Linked Image]
I like the chopped feel it gives the Van from the inside.
[Linked Image]
The wipers juuuuuuuuuuust fit.
https://i.imgur.com/2TgzZbx.mp4 (Click to see video)
Originally Posted by relaxedvanner
Just went through this entire thread. Haven't been on much lately and just wanted to say great job.


Thanks!
That’s slick. It would look even better moulded into the body.
Maybe when the van gets a real paint job
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - May 26th 2020 7:25 am
Didn't necessarily mean link. For some reason didn't see pic; ok now. Looks sweet. You always do nice work.

The guy with the 74' in Oceanside is a trip. He won't give contact number and I asked if he could send pics of passenger side of van and interior pics; no response in 2 days. I'm going to email him tomorrow so I can check it out on my day off Wednesday. I find it so strange he only posted 3 pics.
Posted By: DadsVan Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - May 26th 2020 5:49 pm
yup....shes came a long way....lookin great....
This is looking really good.
I thought I had commented on your headlight covers, but I don't see my post.
Anyway, they look great.
Thanks Rusty. It may have been in the what did you do to your van thread. Cheers
Yeah, that's probably it.
Thanks, man... I thought I might be losing it. LOL
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - June 01st 2020 3:29 am
Looks great man.
Posted By: Wedgy Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - July 07th 2020 1:45 pm
Dude. IDT That's not legal in California...
Posted By: Zach from NY Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 08th 2020 1:32 am
Yo this van rulesssss. Did you have to raise the rear to fit those tires at all?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - September 08th 2020 2:13 am
Hey thanks! They fit as is, but fully loaded now with an interior, it needs a few inch lift to sit where I want it. I’ve only scraped with full tank of gas, fully loaded with camping gear
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - September 22nd 2020 8:12 pm
Finally painted the wiper cowl I got from Kirk Collis. The wing is from him too. Hoping to complete the look with flairs this winter or next year.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - September 22nd 2020 11:43 pm
Looking great!
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - September 23rd 2020 4:21 am
Flares are really going to tie the van together!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 3:14 am
Port window is leaking and its non stop rain so the van in in storage at the moment but took it out for a few nicer days recently.

I finally decided on a new carpet color. I just hated the orange color as soon as I got it. The red mottled carpet is from Shaw but its now discontinued so I ordered it to have extras. This is it with the wall panel fabric and the black fur trim, I think its going to look nice. [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Working on the interior cabinet and lighting for the main wall most recently. I picked up some cool lights, and my girlfriend is giving me her velvet painting that will be perfect on the wood wall. The cabinet is going to stay simple but I got a nice slab top for it, and will use those two small wood spindles on the outer sides of the doors.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

And just for fun, a few exterior shots and one from when my other club member friend came by in his 79 Street Van
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 3:29 am
Awww yeah
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 3:57 am
Bad ass !
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 4:34 am
Sweet, that’s the berry Shaw, right?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 4:35 am
Yes wild berry. Its a touch more burgundy than the red of the vinyl but I can live with it. Once its all in there, it should really come together. I just cant even try to match all the reds exactly at this point.
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 4:50 am
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
Yes wild berry. Its a touch more burgundy than the red of the vinyl but I can live with it. Once its all in there, it should really come together. I just cant even try to match all the reds exactly at this point.


The color is good. It’s a closer shade to my paint that I was looking for but I’m not 100% on it yet.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 4:51 am
Its discontinued and they only have whatever is left at this point, just FYI
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 6:19 am
Deathorvictory. man your van is looking great and the color blends in the interior flow. Nice choices.
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 6:24 am
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
Its discontinued and they only have whatever is left at this point, just FYI

Yeah, I know. I don’t imagine it selling out but there’s some other carpets I was looking at. I can’t even install until the paint is done which that is slow. It looks really good though, it’s a great color.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 3:15 pm
That looks great! Carpet really ties in with the wall panels. Van is looking awesome
Posted By: ramstutz Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 13th 2021 4:51 pm
Lookin' badass!
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 14th 2021 1:09 pm
Looking awesome!
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 18th 2021 8:25 pm
Man this one has come a long way since I was last here. Bitchin' work.
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 19th 2021 11:30 pm
Its gonna be sweet!
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - January 20th 2021 5:30 am
The Front looks "Mean" and pipes looks wicked cool. Nice work bro.
Haven't been here much, I've moved further out in Oregon recently and have been just enjoying the van. Gearing up for a bunch of work on the interior, our club has a campout coming in about 60 days time and want to do more camp trips soon.

Here's a few pics from this year...
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
I can't wait to see you finish the interior.
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - July 01st 2021 10:32 pm
Nice project!
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - July 01st 2021 11:28 pm
Nice to see you back on board. Can't wait to get home and check out the pics ( at work ) . Been watching the news: Crazy " HEAT " in parts of Oregon ??
Posted By: frscke1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - July 02nd 2021 12:16 am
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
Haven't been here much, I've moved further out in Oregon recently and have been just enjoying the van. Gearing up for a bunch of work on the interior, our club has a campout coming in about 60 days time and want to do more camp trips soon.

Here's a few pics from this year...
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

What a NICE Dodge ! ! Welcome back ... cant wait for more pic's ... even pic's of the mts !
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - July 07th 2021 2:35 am
Awesome van. I definitely enjoy these pics. Hope to see more.
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - July 08th 2021 5:52 am
DeathorVictory. Bro your van is looking good . ( What is that pic that " sorta " looks like Stonehedge ? )
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - July 14th 2021 1:52 am
Looking good! Curious about the big stone structure too. Looks cool.
The van is at the shop getting a new water pump, timing chain, belts, hoses, etc as the water pump started leaking badly on a drive. While it’s there, I’m trying to get interior stuff done that I don’t need the van for. Some of this I started earlier while I still had it but prepped a bunch of things I continued now it’s been there for a bit.

Fitting the swivel seats was fairly straight forward, I used 1/8 steel strips to bolt to the base and then drill holes to accept the seat since it was much wider than the base.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

After mocking both up and checking that they work and swivel, I noticed they sat much lower. Quick check showed them 3” shorter on these bases so I bought some steel tubing and made “blocks” to raise them up the desired height.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Now that’s done, I’m going to disassemble and send these to local blasting and powder coat for a satin black finish. Most of it will get covered but if they are all re finished, they will disappear on the black carpet very well.

I mentioned in another post that I cut the divider walls down. I made 2x4 trim tops for each side that are getting wrapped in foam and then fur. It will finish off the tops and be soft.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

The walls look a little funny half fur covered and out of context but once they are in the van and fully finished, it will create a nice divider that is lower and open. This is a little and very quick sketch I did to make sure I was headed the right direction. Lower walls, and curtains that swag to the sides and can go all the way across, speakers down low and still a nice rear area. I’m going to order this crushed red velvet for the rear walls, some of the ceiling and the curtains. [Linked Image from ]
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - August 10th 2021 5:18 am
Hope all goes smooth and it turns out as planned. Always enjoy the pics.
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - “Painkiller” - August 10th 2021 6:49 pm
Man this is going to look killer. I can't wait to see it all done.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 10th 2021 8:55 pm
I just can't wait to finish it. A project that has taken forever!
Posted By: frscke1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 10th 2021 9:44 pm
Little at a time .. a little at a time ... and before you know it, its done !

Well they are never done ... lol
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 10th 2021 10:42 pm
Originally Posted by Deathorvictory
I just can't wait to finish it. A project that has taken forever!

You're further along than I am.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 22nd 2021 11:22 pm
Finished the carpet padding and carpet this weekend. Stapled down and then I glued the carpet on the wheel wells. Total work about 10-12 hours total to get all the details right.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Re installed the bed framing and secured it much better to the subfloor so it will never move if ever an accident happened. Then I got the upholstered panels back up and the cut down divider walls.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

I also carpeted the center bed divider too and will make a bed skirt to cover this but for now it looks great.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 22nd 2021 11:39 pm
Cool.
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 23rd 2021 2:11 am
Looks great man.
Posted By: frscke1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 23rd 2021 3:37 am
Good Job ... man o man thats looks way different that when you got it ...KUDOS
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - August 23rd 2021 1:30 pm
Nice work. It all blends and flows.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 03rd 2021 3:46 am
Far from done but got a lot done for our recent club Campout. I got lights wired into the dome light circuit for ambiance at night and overall the van was a hit. Turned into the weekend party van and so many people stopped by.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Also finished the seat bases late the night before, all powder coated and brand new hardware. Once I upholster the seats, I may integrate a little skirt to conceal more of the base but they work great and made hanging out in the van so fun! I’ve never had lights or captains chairs so this was a really fun upgrade I worked my ass to get done
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: CatFish Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 03rd 2021 5:17 pm
Wow! That's looking very old skool in my book!
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 03rd 2021 6:24 pm
Nice work man. Looks great.
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 05th 2021 6:41 pm
Sweet work!
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 06th 2021 4:10 am
GORGEOUS! Loving it man. bow
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 06th 2021 3:11 pm
Nice work Brother. Keep the pics coming.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - September 06th 2021 4:23 pm
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Got the base ply ceiling up for the last time. Wiring pigtails have been ran. Last part will be the front headliner panel. The original one is ripped and kinda warped after all these years so I will use it as a template and then it’s onto more ceiling pieces and finishes.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - October 02nd 2021 8:39 pm
Rug was finished and picked up! It really brings it all together [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: cornfarmer Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - October 02nd 2021 10:08 pm
Nice. Care to share what that ran ya?
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - October 02nd 2021 10:55 pm
$400.
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - October 02nd 2021 11:15 pm
That's awesome man.
Posted By: kursed Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - October 18th 2021 4:01 pm
Looking freaking awesome man.
Posted By: GrrageCat Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - November 05th 2021 6:56 pm
Wow, just read the thread and wanted to say killer job man! Bitchin'
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - November 05th 2021 11:53 pm
Looking good!
Posted By: 93GMC Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - November 18th 2021 10:46 am
I enjoyed seeing what you did and man it looks GREAT!
Posted By: 1959 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - November 18th 2021 1:20 pm
Looks GREAT! I dig that stitch pattern in your rear doors.
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - November 18th 2021 4:13 pm
Holly Molly. Your interior is Primo. That rug is off the hook ( no joke intended ) Nice work.
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - February 14th 2022 4:10 am
New seats were recently finished and installed. I had him add fringe on the bottom to cover the upper swivel base components

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - February 14th 2022 5:57 am
Nice Brother. You're van is looking sweet. Your custom rug is a nice touch
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - February 14th 2022 12:20 pm
Looking awesome!
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - February 15th 2022 12:16 am
Very nice indeed!
Posted By: lukester Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - February 20th 2022 2:18 am
Man, those seats look great.
Posted By: OutlawZ Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - March 06th 2022 7:00 am
Damn that is a killer looking Dodge!
Posted By: Death or victory Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - May 03rd 2022 12:05 am
Got invited to the 1 Moto Show here in Portland, OR. The event was this past weekend and overall it was pretty good! Wet weather on Friday and Saturday’s which limited open door display but the response while we were there was really phenomenal. We poured shots of Makers for anyone who was interested. This was the 13th year of the 1 Show and by far the biggest and most people. I wish I knew the attendance level but seemed to be well over 10k if not more. My fellow club member got to show her bitchin dodge as well. We both got custom show boards painted for us by a local vanner who is a good friend and talented sign maker.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: newkirkinc1 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - May 03rd 2022 2:00 pm
Thats great!
Posted By: Wedgy Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - May 03rd 2022 4:06 pm
I say, Jolly Good Show!
Posted By: Charlie 99909 Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - May 04th 2022 2:02 am
She’s come a long way
Posted By: SDMickey Re: 1987 Dodge B250 - Painkiller - May 04th 2022 5:34 pm
Nice work. Good job
© Vannin' Community and Forums