My new 1966 Chevrolet

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Looked good before,looks great now!

Looks Great!!!! Keep those pic's coming

Here's the design I'm going with inside. However, I'm going to put a motorcycle chock behind engine cover and going with a pick up truck hardwood floor that I'm going to build a motorcycle ramp into it underneath. I'll drop a 2 or 3 TV's in her and of course a GPS and a couple of 750 watt amps with a sub...not to make it go boom boom but to make the bases as sweet as my ride.

Yeah Collin's 2nd Gen turned out sweet with that interior.

Yeah, it's kind of the same concept I had in my mind when I started this project.

redsockss wrote:Here's the design I'm going with inside. However, I'm going to put a motorcycle chock behind engine cover and going with a pick up truck hardwood floor that I'm going to build a motorcycle ramp into it underneath. I'll drop a 2 or 3 TV's in her and of course a GPS and a couple of 750 watt amps with a sub...not to make it go boom boom but to make the bases as sweet as my ride.

Were you going to haul a motorcycle in the back of your van? The Collins van is a 108 your van is a 90 . How long is the motorcycle? A 108 has 112" between the back doors and the doghouse, a 90 has 92" with the stock doghouse. Yours may be different with a 2nd gen doghouse. I have a difficult time putting my bicycle in the 90 vans, but my bicycle isn't normal.

That is a real nice paint scheme. (Funny how it is the opposite of your profile pic!) Looks like they did a great job. Sounds like you are going to get your van just how you want it, and fairly quickly, by having the pros do the body, interior and drive train.

It is time for me to get my van to a body shop. This week I went to four shops and got a reality check on what it costs to get a good body work and paint. They ranged from $7000 to $10000. My van is virtually rust free (surface rust only) and pretty straight, but each dent costs money to fix. I know I could get it done for less but you get what you pay for.

I'm hesitant to take the jump. Advice, anyone?

VANagain,After the V8 /trans conversion in my van We media blasted and did all the body work .jams, inside doors and drivers area are all done in final paint.I did not do final paint on purpose untill all mechanical and small stuff is done .I am glad i went this way because if it was painted I would have scratched it on several ocasions.I will be taking the jump in the near future on having the paint done. Bill

Bill, are you saying you did the media blasting and bodywork? And you painted the interior stuff with the final color and are taking the jump to have someone else paint the exterior?

I did body work years ago but could never get it to be perfectly smooth. I want to leave that up to the pros. Someone said there's a place here that will media blast the whole thing for $500. That sounds like a huge time saver. But then the shop would have to get some primer on it right away.

One body shop suggested ways for me to bring the price down. I prep the interior, buy all the primer and paint needed to paint the whole van, then I paint all the inside stuff. Another thing was to sand the roof down to bare metal with 80 grit, since my roof has a thin layer of surface rust. Then I prime it.

I have extra hinges and will replace their bushings (which requires heating them with a torch). Then either I swap them out or they do it when the fit all the doors before paint.

And I'm already planning to remove all the trim, windows, etc. before bringing it in.

I got the entire van media blasted inside and out including the roof for $600.

Bill, including the media blasting, all new glass I'm in the paint job $11,000.

The color's really not the same as before. The bottom is now a charcoal color as opposed to black. Actually it's called Chevrolet graystone and sheer silver.

Vanagain, I'd be tempted to do the inside myself if you are going to put the interior panels in? On the exterior pre paint ,it really depends on if you have the place to do it. If you are going with a different color like white on the roof I'd think about doing that, the base primer is going to be for filling in scratches that 80 grit is gonna leave and it all has to be resanded before sealer anyway. I'm guessing I had about 1400 $ into the primer/paint stuff on a DIY and I didnt do all the inside. Its a tuff call on that kinda coin.
Red , I really like the color scheme it gives it a very New/Modern look.

Redsockss,
I have put my 1999 Buell S3T (55.9 inch wheel Base) in the back of my 90" several times and it fits well. Take the time to measure "Everything". I had to remove the windscreen to get it in so adding a raised floor may add another issue to your plan. If you think your cycle will fit, the load it up before you do any work on the inside of the van and you will find it is tough enough without a raised floor.

Dan

I have a pro street. Very low profile and it fits well without a doubt. I will be raising floor about 3"

VANagain,Friend of mine has a body shop and yes we did media blast the entire outside of the van and the doors inside and out.Anything Inside that won't be covered by uhpolstery was painted in the final color .I am glad I went the media blast route because I am keeping this one forever and I do want it right.Sounds like you want yours really right ,I bet you could do the interior and alot of the other stuff and get the price down to a reasonable amount (still not cheap).
redsocks your van body and paint came out beautiful .While I did not do the body work on my van I did alot of other things to it while it was in the shop and after.I know 11k sound like alot of $$ to most people but with all the work ,media blast ,glass,disasembly,asembly,thats what it costs to do it .
$500 to media blast the whole van is cheap! Bill

any updates red ??????????

LOOKIN GOOD, WISH MINE WAS THAT FAR ALONG