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.
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.
Nice!
If you get new wheels/tires, I might be interested in those that are on it now. Keep me in mind......
Nice solid start. Can't wait to see the progress.
Really nice ride, the floor looks solid, some POR will keep it looking nice. Looks badass with no windows too.
Nice score
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!
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
Hahaha
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.
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.
@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.
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?
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.
Congrats on the van! Sure wish I could find one of those Dodge vans around here.
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.
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!
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.
Found a small amount of surface rust but nothing terrible I little wire wheel won’t fix.
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
Wow that floor is in excellent shape!
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?
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.
Sneak preview of some beefy rear tire action. You are reading that right, 285/70/15.
Save this space for a wheel update very soon!
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.
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
Looking forward to seeing those tires . New wheels too ?
Oh yeah. They’re getting mounted up tomorrow and I’ll have them on by tomorrow night if all goes well.
excited to see these tires!
Another teaser....
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.
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.
Next phases coming up in the next 2 months, I can’t wait to keep progressing on this van!
those wheels are nice! where did ya get them?
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.
yup....you got a killer deal...will be following your build for sure...looks great with tire and wheel size....keep on keepin on
Good lord that stance is beefy!!
Feel some action in my pants...
Looking damn good
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....
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.
Enjoying the new stance on this girl! Drove it to work and got lots of looks.
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!
I love it! Looks so mean!
KILLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEER dude!!! Nice work!!
wheels look awesome, amazing how straight those panels are
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
Drilled pilot holes at each location.
Drilled larger holes per the tap size and tapped each holes
Test fit each hole for thread connections (removed the thread lock later)
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
nice,finished ,clean installation.....looks great...now i gotta get one
Nice look, that is a mean looking rig with the wing, professional install on that piece to boot..
I like big butts.
Nice job on the install, looks awesome!
Working on the exhaust. Snagged a set of headers that I’m going to clean and ceramic coat
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.
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
I think the widows would look awesome!
Cool! That van is really coming together.
Looking bad ass!
This van is sick! I dig the windows, its like a frickin Rocker's van!
oh yeah....nice compliment to the norcal for sure....
Looks great man. Those ports would be killer too.
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.
Washed, sanded and degreased.
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.
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.
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.
Drivers side sprayed on way better but barely. It got all over my hands and was just a messy spray altogether.
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.
What a difference! Looks great, nice job.
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!
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
^ the 3M stuff definitely dries to a nice finish. Here is a picture from when I was putting my front suspension together.
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.
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.mp4I 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.
Very stoked on how this van is shaping up. Greatly appreciate all the help and encouragement from many members here. Thanks for reading
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.
That van is coming along very nicely! Those portholes look great! You are doing some nice work.
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....
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.
I like the pipes are those Megs tips..van looks killer man.
They are stainless megaphone tips that I purchased from Jegs. Thanks man, really coming together now
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
Lots more to go but made tons of progress and it’s ready to camp this coming weekend.
Nice work your doing there.
Nice re-vanning job there!
Busting butt on that build..going to the way back style on the interior. That is real nice.
Finally landed on a name for this van. It’s based on a Judas Priest album “Painkillerâ€. 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
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.
I'm loving everything you've done to this van. One word badass!!!
Carpet is in! We have a few last details until it’s 100% but it’s so nice to be in this thing now.
Man digging the shag. Heck you got a mint in carpet.looking totally badass.
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.
very clever and should make for a clean install....keep on keepin on...
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.
That looks awesome brother.
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.
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!
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
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?
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
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.
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.
Upholstery looks amazing. Can't wait to see what it looks like all done and installed.
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
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
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.
That is freaking awesome.
That looks so nice . i cant weight for pics when its done some more . keep us updated .
Perfect! Colors compliment each other nicely. Love the brass/bronze buttons as well.
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 12â€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.
I am sure it will look great but judging the rest of the interior it will be badass.ðŸ˜
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.
That’s sweet and clean.
Love those old gold vein mirrors, they should fit perfectly in there.
“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.â€
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.
Awesome work man. Those Big Ron wheels are sweet.
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.
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
Chrome finish was still pretty good, used a little never dull to help it out a little after I cleaned it.
Heck yeah, that's a huge difference. Shiney Shiney!
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.
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
it's metal, thanks for the tip, i'm going to definitely try that out thanks!
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...
Prime
First coat of black
Had to wait another few days to get the last coats of paint on but the main grill body is now fully painted.
I have the chrome headlight trims to mask and paint but the headlight covers are cut and fit
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
After clear
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.
Thankfully the existing hole was cut out nicely.
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
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.
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.
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
That is a killer Dodge, yep I had my safety glasses exactly where I always do..in my front pocket..lol
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.
Painting the underside of the hood and will repaint the top of the hood tomorrow.
I did a mock up of the grill yesterday, very stoked to get it finished! More pics soon
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.
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.
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.
Cleaned and painted it up and really shined up well. 0000 fine steel wool did amazingly well on chromed plastic.
My lady is a talented painter so I enlisted some small trim painting help
I repainted the hood, cowl and lower Valance while it was all apart. They were all pretty chipped and beat up.
Before...
After! So stoked on this. Custom cut light smoke acrylic lens covers finishes the look.
Those light covers are sharp as hell.
That front end looks great! Good job!
Wow; you scored for $1500.00. Super nice.
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.
Grill came out sweet man, killer difference.
Nice job on the grill. Keep us updated with pics on your future upgrades.
Likes the interior, And the grill looks really cool, always liked light covers
Also got my wiper cowl from Kurt! Can’t wait to get it painted and mounted!
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!
Dude your visor looks wicked cool and of course I like the Chevy !
Super clean. Lookin' good man.
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.
The Worst ! I'm at work and can't open the link.
The Worst ! I'm at work and can't open the link.
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.
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.
It’s molded perfectly to fit the van, this is where paying good money for good fiberglass comes into play!
I like the chopped feel it gives the Van from the inside.
The wipers juuuuuuuuuuust fit.
https://i.imgur.com/2TgzZbx.mp4 (Click to see video)
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
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.
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
Dude. IDT That's not legal in California...
Yo this van rulesssss. Did you have to raise the rear to fit those tires at all?
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
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.
Flares are really going to tie the van together!
Sweet, that’s the berry Shaw, right?
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.
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.
Its discontinued and they only have whatever is left at this point, just FYI
Deathorvictory. man your van is looking great and the color blends in the interior flow. Nice choices.
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.
That looks great! Carpet really ties in with the wall panels. Van is looking awesome
Man this one has come a long way since I was last here. Bitchin' work.
The Front looks "Mean" and pipes looks wicked cool. Nice work bro.
I can't wait to see you finish the interior.
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 ??
What a NICE Dodge ! ! Welcome back ... cant wait for more pic's ... even pic's of the mts !
Awesome van. I definitely enjoy these pics. Hope to see more.
DeathorVictory. Bro your van is looking good . ( What is that pic that " sorta " looks like Stonehedge ? )
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hope all goes smooth and it turns out as planned. Always enjoy the pics.
Man this is going to look killer. I can't wait to see it all done.
I just can't wait to finish it. A project that has taken forever!
Little at a time .. a little at a time ... and before you know it, its done !
Well they are never done ... lol
I just can't wait to finish it. A project that has taken forever!
You're further along than I am.
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.
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.
I also carpeted the center bed divider too and will make a bed skirt to cover this but for now it looks great.
Good Job ... man o man thats looks way different that when you got it ...KUDOS
Nice work. It all blends and flows.
Wow! That's looking very old skool in my book!
Nice work man. Looks great.
GORGEOUS! Loving it man.
Nice work Brother. Keep the pics coming.
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.
Rug was finished and picked up! It really brings it all together
Nice. Care to share what that ran ya?
Looking freaking awesome man.
Wow, just read the thread and wanted to say killer job man! Bitchin'
I enjoyed seeing what you did and man it looks GREAT!
Looks GREAT! I dig that stitch pattern in your rear doors.
Holly Molly. Your interior is Primo. That rug is off the hook ( no joke intended ) Nice work.
Nice Brother. You're van is looking sweet. Your custom rug is a nice touch
Man, those seats look great.
Damn that is a killer looking Dodge!