Recycling a 65 sportvan custom.

https://youtu.be/UTrdQv71BF0

Here is a quick vid of my van starting for the first time.

Today was just some simple stuff to get ready for the harder stuff. I dropped off the rally wheels at the powder coat shop. Ill make them pearl white to match the window surrounds. Ya, I'm going for the 2 tone paint job like all the other ones in San Diego. Lol next I pulled the front bumper off. It's pretty hammered, but not on my radar right now. After that I went to the rear bumper. At that moment I realized I had to pull the gas tank. It needed to come out anyways. So down it went. It had a huge hole in it from a forklift picking it up. Wonder where that happened? Lol lastly I pulled the rear bumper. All that and I only broke 2 bolts. I love the simplicity of the early van. Super easy to work on and very self explanatory.

Ok my question to you guys as a public poll. Do you think I should ...

A) find really clean stock bumpers?

B) build my own bumper out of sheet metal?

C) shave the bumpers and build a hideaway hitch in the back,

D) do some sort of bumperettes on just the corners from some other model of car?

All opinions are welcome. Lets hear it gang!

I kind of like the stock bumpers. While they are not an artistic marvel they are not to massive and make a good accent to paint. I'd shoot for finding a set of straight ones, preferably chrome, but even painted right they look nice and you can always get them blinged out later. If you go the DIY/custom route I still think a full bumper would look best. That's my 2cents

Digz, that's worth every penny. I too like the stock ones. If mine weren't chewed gum I'd get them straightened and chromed. I work at a full fabrication shop. I could replicate the stock bumpers but they would be angular to give the allusion of round.

I read a members gallery build thread a while back & they said that they put front & back 1969 Camaro bumper's on their Van. They said they just had to modify the mounting brackets a little.

Very cool handivanman, I'm going to google that now.

that was jrinaman I think with the bumpers, have to believe finding Camaro bumpers could be $$$

I looked on eBay and they are $125 each new reproductions. It way be a good way to go.

Ok, back to the engine stuff. I got the carb off and took it apart. Every passage was closed off. Lol the float bowl was full half way up with rusty smegma... After an hour of cleaning I reassembled the carb, put it back on cranked it over and she fired right up! As it idled fine it does sound like it has a dead hole. Ill run a compression check on it later. Here is the sad little carb.


This is what I found in the Venturi


Here is the new gas tank!


What goes here?


What is that sensor?


If anyone can answer those questions, that would be awesome!

Since I have a day or two before the radiator gets here, ill prolly do the brakes. I really haven't gone up under the car yet cause I can't see past the belly pan. Is it possible there is a power booster on this year van?


The next few pics are just for preservation

How about that odometer!


Notice all the nobs still match? How about that factory cigarette lighter.


Keeping the theme. The radio has the same nobs.


Looks like a seat tab is missing. Thanks for saving me the bolt.

Is this factory A/C? Lol


Inside this box looks like something to operate the step? Am I right?

That sensor is actually a hot idle compensator, supposed to help by allowing a little air in I guess when things are hot to kick up the idle speed. As for the empty hole,, I dunno,, just tore one of these down and don't recall what that is for.

I know you guys love carnage like I do so this is the fuel tank. Looks like the forklift won this battle. Lol

Digz, that makes sense. As for the missing link, I had it running for about a minute and no oil came out. I was thinking idiot light for temp? Since there is no water in it it can't leak right? Lol

LOL ,, I just looked at some reference pics of the 6 I tore down,, that one didnt have anything there either, maybe a bracket?

That factory AM radio is worth some good money if it works. If it has factory sun visors that's a big plus to.

Digz, ill put compressed air in there, if its a bolt hole then the wire was prolly unplugged for the temp gauge that was installed.

HandiVanMan, it does have the visors, they will need some love but they are complete. That's what I'm finding all over. Usually I try to buy really clean body's and worry about accessories later. This van is the other way round. I'm pretty happy with my purchase

I did do the compression check. The #1 cylinder is down to 45 psi. All the rest are up around 150 to 170psi. My guess is the ring is bad, it's just coated in oil.


On a positive note, I did find this!

This might be sensory overload today but I have time to investigate stuff. More questions for the chevy experts.

Is that the sides of the stock radiator still installed behind the Core support that's all bent up?

Wow, I think you're right, they pulled the core and left the frame. better scrap price that way?

I'm thinking that maybe they used the stock radiator frame to hold the aluminum one. Then someone at the tow yard grabbed it. Just by how they were so crude to the core support. That's my guess. Anyways, saves me from making brakets for the new aluminum radiator I'm putting in.

Is the book the van came with options on tire sizes my van came with 700 14 tires. That equals 195 75 14. Which ends up 25.5 inches tall. I've ordered 225 60 15. That equals 25.6 tall. That means the speedo should be pretty close to stock. And the gear ratio of 3.38 should hum down the road pretty nicely. I'd like a tach and some fresh gauges to see what's really going on on my first drive.

Since I'm out of parts, I'm starting the gas tank. Here is a exploded view of the parts ill make at work.

Since my tank is so smashed I'm guessing the stock tank is 9 tall. I'm going to add an inch in every direction. The dip in the top will be for the sender hoses so they don't hit the floor. Ill be taking out the stock tank holders and adding my own cradle. Ill use the stock tank strap hardware but beef up the strap itself.

After 10 min with a calculator the tank should be 23.5 gallons

Great progress! It is always fun to evaluate your purchase, seems like a treasure hunt of sorts. I think if you are sucessful at making your own tank, be sure to keep your plans. I am pretty sure there are lots of guys here that would love to have you make them one!

Tom