GMC Jacke's van

My van is enjoying the sunset and it's last days at the Spa.

Beautiful sky! Nice backdrop for Goldie!!!

I am flying out this morning at 0800 to fly up north and pick up my van! Driving back sometime on Monday. I plan to be out driving from that time forward... been way too long! Pictures of my travels to come

Great news!!! Safe Travels and can't wait to see those Pics!

GMC Jacke spotted in the wild...

So I didn't even have to take a photo to prove I was out! I guess the van was seen... LOL I did make a video driving. The van drives so smooth now and stops RIGHT Now! Just ask the can of coke that is spilled all over the front! LOL L.A. drivers in Santa Anna at 5:30, just cut the old van off... glad I had Power Disc Brakes! Not a problem
I put a new sticker on... kinda like a cherry on top of the Sundae.

After all the front end work putting in the Power steering. The van needed a front end alignment and tire balancing. Rides much better now!

Some friends checking out the new upgrades under the van... Looks like Rich is being eaten by the van!

On Sunday I went to Jacke’s to see all of Goldie’s upgrades! We were under that van for a while, checking out Mark’s handiwork. A lot of cool stuff under there!



Then Jacke offered to let me take it for a drive! That’s a lot of trust in me! For me, the scariest part was backing out of her driveway into the street. I’d never driven a van with no windows in the back!! Fortunately Jacke was in the passenger seat to watch for traffic on that side.

The van drives real nice! The power steering and power brakes are just what you’d expect from a modern car. And of course it’s got a lot more get-up-and-go than my 6-cylinder van! But  I didn’t feel like I could really put the pedal to the metal with the Van’s owner sitting next to me and a passenger in the back!!

Oh, and it sounds mean! The new resonators give it a beefy rumble.

Going to have to get creative to get a sway bar to fit up front, though. The power steering control valve and its four hoses take up a lot of space and that’s where the left hand sway bar link goes. Currently Goldie has the 1st Gen link mounts in place. That might put the link far enough outward to miss all the power steering stuff but I doubt it. She also has the 2nd Gen sway bar parts. I need a reminder of where those link mounts attach. Need to Jack up the van to get a better look. Otherwise I was envisioning using a narrower sway bar that would put the links inboard of the leaf springs, kind of like how the Camaro one is mounted on the rear axle.

So my van got some new two-tone leather on her steering wheel. Feels good when driving...

That surely is one Fine looking interior!!!

Thank you Paul! It has been a almost 5 years now since I began the work on my old Yellow van! I have come to the end of my to do list. Mostly because my wallet is now empty. In the distant future I may add a 3 speed with OD. Also Posi-traction rear end upgrade. I will be in WA going forward so I don't want to be spinning my wheel on the ice. I am sure I can find some help in the PNW area for those additions. The PS and Power Disc brake upgrades were what was needed first.

So a couple of things needed to adjusted after having the Power Steering and Disc Brakes added. My front sway bar was removed and the Belly Pan. The sway bar problem is positioning the bar amongst the new Disc and Dual Master. The location of the link and the sway bar need to be fit differently now on the driver side due to the addition of the extra parts. I did not have the time to leave it for Mark to figure out he is way too busy, and I am moving very soon. Rich is going to try to solve the placement and link issue as well as put my belly pan back on! He has the problem about solved just needs to see it all together. pictures when finished!

Thanks to the design skill of Rich (VanAgain) and Spinner a local vanner who runs EisWerks in San Diego
my new sway bar brackets are finished. I will now be able to fit the 2nd Gen sway bar around all the additions up front of PS and Disc Brakes. If anyone needs original 2nd gen brackets mine will be for sale.

Today I was able to go over to see Rich and work on getting those special new brackets fit for the 2nd gen sway bar to clear all the added PS and Disc Brakes and Dual master. Rich had to make some adjustments to the bracket for fitment. A little grind here and little grind there...

Clearance between PS and the bracket with wheels turned all the way to the left:


This picture is of the entire link top to bottom:


Heres the view front to back showing where the disc brake caliper clears the bracket. It's actually the connector bolt that we had to make room for.

Well Rich came threw again and finished the sway bar install and the Belly Pan plus a few odds and ends that needed attention. We work well together, I am his gofer and idle watcher who throws out ideas that sometimes work, just by luck! "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally" LOL
So here are the great shots of the hard work and efforts today!

So we got the Belly pan on as well as the sway bar. I dropped the front of the belly pan 3" to get extra air flow. I have the temp down with the added tunnel and a fan attached to the radiator plus the 3" dropped front. The second picture you can see the sway bar and the bracket that holds the Power booster for the Disc Brakes.

Well this is my last weekend driving my van in San Diego. I plan on attending the Vans and Coffee event this Sunday! I will miss the people and the beautiful coast of San Diego. I have lived here all my life. Looking forward to my last chapter in my new area of Eastern Washington. I will post picture's of my last hurrah at vans and coffee this weekend!

Have a Great time Jacke!!! And please don't forget the pics! Eastern Washington will be getting a fine addition to the vanning community. I'm sure you'll find some kindred spirits up that way as there seems to be quite a few vintage vans up that way as well. Good luck with the move.

Vans and Coffee great group! Gave me wonderful last memories. I even peeled out for the crowd a little!
I will miss the friends I have made, but I will be back to give some love! Can't get rid of me forever!! "Cause the cat came back the very next day... Yes the cat came back the very next day"...

Excellent pic!!!

Ended up having to drive my van up to Washington! The vehicle transport was a NO Show! So here I am in Las Vegas

Maybe you should visit Kounts Kustoms while you’re in town...

I had a long drive in my van through Idaho... the only thing I did not enjoy was the wind howling in my ears. The window on my side is missing the felt must have fallen down in the door? It was like a high pitched piccolo in my head for 1600 miles... very windy drive all around. I never want to drive against those big trucks on a two lane road at night ever again. Van drove strong all the way to WA. 65-70 at most times. In Idaho they drive 80 and crazy! So I fit right in...LOL
Now at my new home under a mountain of boxes!? OMG gotta downsize martha! I am filling up the local thrift stores around here. I plan on getting out this week in the van to take soem scenic shots.

SteeleRubber.com They have the window fuzzies and rubber scrapers for the front doors , I found them here and put them in last year.







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