Digz's 65 panel

After going to Baker's, we came home with alot of ideas and enthusiasm. We had done some sanding to see what was there and found about 11 layers of paint and primer on the drivers side and I decided to hit it with chemicals.

Working from the top down, The roof had a ton of small mounting holes for bubble lights and such, but way less paint so we are just scuffing the roof up other than the places I welded in. For right now we are just taking it down to the floor level. Covering what we have done with etching primer.

On some dry day this weekend I'm going to break out the big sand blaster and do the rockers and descale the underside. All the heavy metal work is at and below the floor line.
I got the old 6 running today fairly good, thanks again to Gotavan for making a key for me.
It will make it alot easier to move around now.
Something I was hoping you guys could tell me , Are there new windshield gaskets available for these first gens? Mine is usable but gettin on the stiff side. My Glass guy didn't think he had a source for anything. The van has turned into somewhat of a family project now and has been been fun to work on.

Maybe I'm creating some future Van Guys !

Don used the Chevy truck rubber on his windshield and it was the proper length. Another guy here was told by the glass company that this windshield is the same as some Jeep and that's the rubber he used. His looked great too.

This company was at a big auto swap meet here and they had a lot of nice rubber laid out. They sell nothing but Chevy truck stuff. They too said the 65 pickup windshield gasket would work, just make sure to specify "no trim" (the pickups had the option of having chrome trim inserted in a groove).

www.arrowheadparts.com
Here it is for $34:
http://www.arrowheadparts.com/QCart/?p=productsMore&iProduct=20448&sName=1964-1966-windshield-rubber-standard

These guys also said they had the elusive wing window rubber for 1st Gens. I see it listed on their site but are any pickup wings the same shape as our vans...? Plus I've heard our wing windows are extremely difficult to rebuild.

Hmm, these look familiar:
http://www.arrowheadparts.com/QCart/?p=productsMore&iProduct=10413&sName=1960-1967-vent-handle-lh

Of course, they've got our tail lights:
http://www.arrowheadparts.com/QCart/?p=productsMore&iProduct=30312&sName=1960-1966-fleetside-tail-light-lens-plastic-w-bowtie

And for those of you who don't know, these front parking lights are an exact match:
http://www.arrowheadparts.com/QCart/?p=productsMore&iProduct=30219&sName=1955-1957-park-light-assembly-amber

Here's a site I've seen advertised in the magazines:
http://www.steelerubber.com
They do list our wing window rubber. Not cheap though. 70-2115-55 $76.60/pr. and 70-2115-56 $43.30/pr.
and anti-rattle "fuzzies" for the door windows: 80-0788-57 $79.80/set

I've been meaning to check thru these web sites. Thanks for motivating me!

Making alot of progress Digz. My 64 had at least 8 or 10 coats of paint on it. The original primer is a pain to get off(right???) I used a 64-66 Chevy pickup windshield gasket on mine. Had glass guy do it ,he cut out 2 in off of it,but I think it would of fit with out doing it??? Looks like you got 3 van guys & 1 movie director???

Thanks for all the info!!,, its filed and saved,
Yeah ,Savage that base coat and primer was the toughest. but with the cost of the sanding stuff as it is stripper is the only way to go 2-3 applications and the paint is pretty much gone.
We did all the main panels and the 2 frnt doors on a gallon, still some left. I stripped a full size chevy cargo van a few years ago and that used less than 2 gallons roof and all, of course it didnt have all that paint on it.
The Director is my youngest grandson, he was helping us again today,, testing out the steering wheel.

LOL I know I just posted a jab at mo1040s color, but Im a dodge truck guy at heart,, thinkin' Hemi Orange or something close. Did get some sand shot at it today.

I'm sucker for bright colors, I was thinking Corvette yellow, but then Id look like yer lil' brother, LOL

go with Tangerine orange...paint code PVE... another dodge color for you ...I was going to go with that color and kinda wish I would have.
good luck on choosing a color...my woman was getting tired of me flipping back and forth changing my mind on colors.

Wow you weren't kidding when you said you were going to break out the "Big Sandblaster" Bet that one does a quick job??

LOL Yeah ,,its pretty quick, but ya gotta make sure ya only use it where the metal has a body line or some support ,it'll warp flat steel. After seeing what i could do with it ,I'd wished I had done the blasting first tho, it worked slick for the door jambs and the underside of the roof rails. rips out bondo pretty good to. it also exsposed some rust thrus I didnt know i had, worked ok for the underside to, I did not spend alot of extra time underneath, mostly where the gas tank goes,I also learned if ya say Ziebart fast enuff it doesnt sound like a bad thing, I think alot of my rust in strange places was the result of that stuff holding moisture where the surface wasnt prepped well first or they just had it to thick.

I'm gettin' rid of that rusted out fuel port.

Found a donor on a chevy truck that was getting scrapped out.

A little cutting, fitting and welding,

I think this is going to look good.

I wonder what it would take to go CAT Powered

I still have to do the inside cover but more to do outside first. LOTS more

That's a cool looking van and I love the new gas hatch! I wish I had the time/space/tools to do sandblasting like that. I'll look forward to reading this thread....

Work has been busy so Ive had a hard time staying ahead of my son-in-laws efforts.
But we are gaining on it.


had a chunk of a repair panel left over if anybody needs it.

I was wondering if Savage has any tips on repairing those ends on the rocker panels.
I have the new outers, but man is this ol girl crusty. I was reading your posts in your gallery about duct tape,, this one had masking tape for a backer with glass laid over it.

anyway , that where we are at, reinforcing the door openings and such, also started work on the engine cover tunnel, figured I might as well ,seeing as the floor needed so much work.

Really nice work Digz, I like your gas filler door. On my Nodoor pass side I got a 108 repair panel (for drivers side it longer) because there no seem like on 1 with side doors. But still had to fab up both inside and outside panels. I took alot of little pieces and welding them together to make right shape for lower wheel well opening. but since then I saw somebody take a rear wheel well repair panel and cut that up to repair the lower front pass WW spot. I think I got some rear repair panels left overs if you need them. I was going to use them on the 65 from NY but gota bunch of panrls from Mark (108 Vanguy) out in CA. Did you get the whole L side panel ,with the lower WW lip ???

That is some serious rust repair... almost as much as my 64 Falcon van Great job!

Thanks! I only bought the RRcorner for starters so I could see what kind of parts they were. I hate the idea of buying such a large panel to only use a tiny fraction of it. But it would be a time saver, the drivers side rocker panel is way long, we are thinking of using the trim offs to stretch the side door panel out. It seems the panels available are all for 108's, so ya just use what ya need to, The rocker panels came with the van, I pieced in some ends today, clamp fit them for now til we are sure i have it close enough. My body guy is anxious to see at least one side done,

Built my corner from the metal I removed to put the sun roof in... alot of careful rolling, tapping and heating and bending but the end result turned out awesome... was the first time I tried to make a repair panel but I didn't think it was too tough... Good luck on your project...it's looking real good. Wish I would of put in one of those gas flaps in before I painted mine:(

How's the van coming along digz? Keep checking your post to to check on your progress. It's cool that you have your kids helping you... My kids are pretty ecstatic helping me work on mine and love seeing dad work his magic on the ol van. love to see some updates....