Anyone want some 66 G10 Roll Pan covers? I have unlimited numbers of them if you want.

I love the look of the 1st Gen without the bumpers - See Billski's 66G10:

http://vintage-vans.smugmug.com/Vans/Billskis-66-Chevy/1387760_ogdGQ#68007281_AcFAf

Apparently, he removed the bumpers, cut the bumper mounts, and just patched the holes. So for the 'roll pan look' you're 75% there just removing the stock bumpers. Simple enough to do, but then what? Do a bit of body work on the van, paint it, and someone backs into you at a supermarket and now you got an even bigger patch, repair, and paint job to do as a result. That's Billski's fear and it would be mine as well.

So while I want that look, I fear that the inevitable moment I find a soccer mom Tarus bumper dent in my van, I will "I told you so" myself to the point of cross eye'd mania. So the following is my plan:

- Remove the bumper.
- Cut the bumper supports back beneath the surface.
- Patch the two holes, (plus smooth out the horizontal indented seam in the middle - see my mock up below)
- Do all bondo work and smooth it out - pre paint.
- build a wood mold box around the entire bumper, including wrap arounds that end at the door.
- Spray the bumper with a mold realease agent.
- Pour mold plaster in mold box and create the mold.
- Take that negative mold and make a fiberglass positive mold inside it.
- Use that mold to have styrene plastic vacuum form pulls of as many bumper covers as you want.

The advantage of that is that if you do get backed into, you will have a bit of a scuff, and possibly a dent underneath the plastic cover, but you don't have to bother fixing the dent underneath if you don't want to. You just might want to pop off the bumper cover, repaint it, and pop it back on.

Now, this is a fair amount of extra work to do for me, but luckily its what I do for a living on some of my jobs, so its not that bad for me, so long as there are people out there that would be interested in ordering bumper covers from me. I wouldn't price it ridiculously. Just maybe enough to cover the vacuum form pulls cost plus shipping plus a reasonable mark up for my time.

I will be doing steps 1 through 4 regardless, and if there is little interest from anyone else benefiting from this, I may hold off on it, basically putting it off until I am highly motivated to do so after my first experience of my worst fear, (Soccer mom).

So you tell me. If you're a fan of the roll pan look, would you want to buy a paintable custom formed bumper cover, or two? How much would you pay?

Heavy

I also I'm rolling my pans on my 64 and that also is a fear for me. These covers do you have a picture of them on a van???

I don't actually have unlimited numbers of them Yet. That was the hook to read the proposal. If there were some interest, I'd make them for myself, price them and offer them to who ever wants. I don't have an yet, but I'll make some and post pics if enough people might want them.

I'd like that look for my van!

Very interesting.
i like that look as well and since my 65 needs a bumper ,grill and some work below this may be the way to go.

Keep us up to date on this

mike

I wonder. The 65 looks a bit different but below the grill, would the roll pan surface under the bumper be the same shape? Would a mold of that contour on the 66 suffice for the 65? It would have to be identical below the grill for the form fitting bumper cover to work.

Otherwise, I would have to do a separate mold per year and model.

It's a question I guess for someone out there who owns both, or has a chance to verify side by side.

Heavy

and a generous offer to make such plastic covers. However, since I live in an area that parking by ear and hit and runs are the norm (the police generally won't even take the report), I doubt I'd sleep at night if I was so foolish as to park my van on the street. I bought a pair of 2nd Gen bumpers to put on my 1st Gen because they are sturdier. I really wish I could take advantage of your idea because they really look cool, clean and aerodynamic. Thanks much, Mark

I'd like to see what they look like, I'm trying to figure out what to do with the front end on my 64 so I like the look and the thought of some protection. Let me know about any progress and what kind of price you have in mind. Thanks, Eric

pretty cool, you should build yours and post some pics

so have you figured out yet, are you gonna make them and how much?

well lovely - how much??

Actually, I think you idea could work on another level as well, IF those plactic roll pan molds cold be fiberglassed. If so, one could laminate in some fiberglass, maybe even some steel, aluminum or wood stifferners and make ar really clean bumper instead. Just mount them the standard way and because it would be so close to the roll pan underneath (still stock) they would look/be aerodynamic and cool. Anyway, I hope you can come up with a number that makes you and others happy. Thanks!