Recycling a 65 sportvan custom.

This all started as a post I read in early vans for sale. So I called the guy in Salt Lake City and bought the van site unseen. Next I got the van shipped to SoCal and now we are ready to recycle and repurpose the 1965 sport van custom. These pages will be dedicated to the restoration and modification of a neat old van.

Here is the original ad.

For those of you interested in the events leading up to this page. Here is the beginning.

https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t34233p75-1965-sportvan#154572

I took a few hours off today when the van got here. With 4 flat tires the first order of business was to get it rolling. So I pulled the wheels and tires and headed to the used tire store. I just needed tires that hold air. So they disposed of the dead rubber and put on some take offs. Next I cleaned the wrecking yard numbers off the windows and put the headlights back in. Those things helped the appearance of the little sportvan so the neighbors don't bitch. After that I cleaned out what looked like someone's recycling bin. Tomorrow ill give the van a good vacuuming and ill start the investigation of the running gear.

THAT SIR IS A GREAT START!!! Good luck with the resto and enjoy the expirience.

Dirtstar1 YOU really did find a Nice Solid Van!!! That grill damage is minor it could have been a LOT worse anyone who buys a vehicle with out seeing it in person first is taking a big chance. I think YOU did REAL GOOD. ..Get your friend to straighten the front grill and shoot some primer to make the van all one color and I think you will be surprised. . ......JOE VAN.....

Yea dude ROCKIN VAN!!! just making it one color even if you spray paint the whole thing will make it look 6 million percent better if you are truly worried about the neighbors and it also improves your motivation! Joevan hit it on the head. Plus that van LOOKS KILLER! GREAT JOB amigo!

Thanks guys. I was thinking the same thing about the spray paint. Lol we are guilty of using the semi gloss rustolium in quarts and shooting the whole car for about 20 bucks. Lasts about 2 years. I may do that over the rust, dents, and imperfections then choose my battles as I see fit. After work I'm going to sanitize the inside so I can investigate the engine this week. I may even put the charger on the battery this morning. Who knows. It might charge up. I was surprised when I opened the bat box to find one. Ill keep you guys posted.

I used to use rustoleum semi gloss on everything I first got for several years. Then one day I accidentally used "rustoleum satin" and holy hell it holds up EVEN BETTER!!! Where I am it seems to handle heat, fading, and water better for longer. Seems to keep its color longer too, where as semi gloss fades chalky pretty quick, the satin can be touched up a year from first application with almost no telling where you touched up. Not bad for el cheapo spray paint. Hope you have the same results I have!

Thanks gothboy for the heads up. Ill look for that.

Question for the chevy guys, what are you getting the dual master cylinder from? The 67-70 G10?

Oh, what size tire fits best with no rubbing? I was thinking something like 225 60 15

yes correct! for standard brakes =not discs.

Thanks twinpilot001 ill order that today. When I was doing the tires I noticed the rear brake like was severed. And dry as a bone. Knowing that ill just service the brakes and get on with my life. Lol

ON the tire size it depends on the width of the rims you are going to use and the look you are trying to achieve. You can put 225/60/15 on a stock rim but they will be very low profile you can put a 255/60/15 on a stock rim in the rear and they will be 27.01 inches tall and then you can put 215/70/15 up front and they are 26.01 inches tall if you want the staggered look.. .. Other wise you can put 245/60/15 all the way around and they will be 26.55 inches tall and either ones should not rub on front or rear.. .I have 275/60/15 with 10 inch wide rims in the rear and 215/70/15 with 6 inch wide rims up front..............JOE VAN...

Cool joe van, I ordered 15x7 rally wheels. I didn't want to go too wide for 2 reasons. I want a cheap easy to find tire. The second reason is, I want a low rolling resistance and low enersia. Ill look at 60 series tires and 70 series tires and see what one looks better next to the van before I choose. I prolly won't go wider than 225 though.

So I looked inside the dog house for the first time since getting the van. I feel like I've got the Van looking good enough that the neighbors won't bitch. Lol as I open the hatch, the engine is all there and looks unmolested. I knew the air cleaner was off cause I found it while I was cleaning out the van. Carb looks good, all linkage is hooked up. Distributer is there and wired correctly. Then my eyes glance over to the big oops. No radiator! I had always intended on putting an aluminum radiator in the van, but not tomorrow. Lol so after work ill pick up a battery and try to get that engine to start. Ill do a compression test, set the points, splash some gas down the carb and see if she sounds worthy of a new radiator. If the motor is totally F'ed ill jump to plan "B"

Any recommendations on an ignition switch? Is it the same as 60-66 chevy truck? I'm finding a theme here. Should I just get tumblers or a new entire switch?

While we are talking about keys, can I rekey the door locks?

PM sent.. ..

You should be able to get a locksmith to make you a key for the doors and I think the key for the ignition swith is the same as the door key. The key for my 69 Chevy & Gmc vans works on both of them. You might be able to buy them cheaper at a parts store I would say but then you have to start taking door panels off and remove the locks to replace them so I would probaly just get a locksmith to make a key.

It would be nice to have everything all keyed alike.

Dirtstar1, Welcome to the San Diego 65 Chevy Van Club! www.truckandcarshop.com has the iginition for your rig...Order an ignition switch 62-04710, a retaining nut...62-04705, an ignition switch cylinder...60-04611and order their 1960-72 truck catalog (free),,,,lots of good stuff in there. Good luck!

Thanks for the heads up Surfing guy. I'm going to browse the online catalog tonight. Nice build on your van.

Each day I get home and try to put about an hour of work in. Partially so I don't burn out, and so I can still spend time with my girlfriend. So today I got home, opened up all the doors, unbolted the doghouse lid, and proceeded get this thing running. I pulled the ignition switch out and the coolest thing happened. It was labeled on the back. With a couple of pieces of wire I had the van hot and turning over. So I blew out the carb with compressed air, shot some starting fluid at the carb and cranked her over. The van pepped right up! That was enough to know that plan "A" is till in effect. Ill pull the gas tank, find a radiator, change out all the rubber lines and see what shape the carb is in. Since the gas tank is smashed flat, I'm going to build one from scratch. Ill try to get a few more gallons in it if I can. Mine will be square cornered and filling every void under the van. Lol

Question. Do you guys have a carb kit that you like to use?

Oreillys carries Walker brand kits. We use that a lot at the shop along with gp sorenson. Both pretty good.

Dirtstar, so far you're doing pretty good by this "unseen" van! Congrats, I'm really glad that it's going pretty smooth so far for you! You'll have her street worthy in no time!

Vanny, I'm really just winging it. Without van veterans like yourself I wouldn't have attempted it.

Wheelie, it looks like ill be getting a carb kit. I re routed the fuel from a gas can to the pump, then got all the crappy gas out of the lines and can't get gas past the bowl filter. Ill pull the carb tomorrow and go through it. It was 4 quarts low on oil. Lol it runs smooth on starting fluid, but we won't know anything till we get it on gas. Ill prolly run the garden hose in the block so I can hear it run when I get to the point the carb will support that. In the meanwhile I got lots to do before the radiator gets here.

After reading this post, https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t32617-cruises-and-shows2013 I ordered the ae6066 American eagle radiator. It's the same spec as the champion radiator in the earlier post. It doesn't have any brackets on it, but the sides are load bearing and can be pop riveted to some tabs to hold the radiator in the van. Ill take a bunch of pics as it goes together.