whats your new year van plans

i sound like a broaken record but i am really close this time to starting on my 1970 4x4 swap.i inlisted the help from vanish on a few things and lots of advice have not for got about you bill get with you this month.this has been a crazy year for me and my family i never want to move agin unless its feet first from my new house.i lost both my bird dogs Casey and Rooster.word of advice forcloser homes are a great deal but a wife and 3 kids with all there want,s and dislikes takes forever and a day to get a house done in a timely manor.non the less i,m a sold 95% done just got the down stair bathroom and trim work in family room.todate i got a set of 3:73 k5 axles for the swap i priced leaf springs $500.00 4 all 4 to stack new bushings to.my biggest set back in life is thease dam blowen out sholders i have few good days and lots of bad days i get things done but very slow.if it were not for the kids i would not get anything done heavy my 16 yr old mike will be draging the axles around for me when we get started.i don,t know if i mentioned befor i seen the arm doctor this past summer and he did more mri,s on both sholders he wants to cut a 3rd time on my rt and remove some shoulder blade to try to make room for things to move around better.and my left is detached and rolled up.wants to do that one NOW.but the BIGGEST ONE THING WRONG WITH THAT IS i am a high risk to cut on they all most killed me on my 2nd rotator cuff repair took them then to fuiger it out for better words a normal persons inside trough there is a diafram that should be like a smily face mine is a you U and they have a hard time putting a breathing tub in me.i have been told by more than one doctor unless it,s life or death leave the cutting on you alone. any HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERY ONE Bear

Well Bear = good luck on all there!!-After all my 14 ops= ive started thinking all these docs have too many toys to pay for?? HaHa - In this coming year -im going to get all my body work done, Wiring back in. dash pad redone here in house this winter and engine fired & van moveable. Maybe even top removed & van Painted!! As, I must do all myself - im hoping Ive no medical problems- setting me back anylonger as many of us do. happy New Year & Happy Vannin to all

For me I really want to get somewhere on the 64, and want to start Duanes van also

Hoping to get the cab area and floor completed on my truck this spring so I can get it running. good luck to all

road worthy and painted, finish interior trim, have some fun with it , instead of working on it!! happy new years, and good luck bear!! looking foward to your 4x4 build, take lots of detailed pics

To turn 11's in the quarter mile!!!!
Have not raced at the track sense the late 70's..

Get the roof fixed and drive it.

Finish up the dog house side pockets and get some paint on it. swap out (all 4 corners) new wheel cyl, brake pads and break lines and shocks that I so nicely put on my 67, that need to go on the 66. And if I still have time weld in replacement driver side rocker panel and wheel well panel...oh yea and mount new gas tank and fuel lines.
...Happy Vannin everybody.

Well 2012 will certainly be different for my family and I. 2011 ended sadly
for us when the wifes Grandma died of heart failure yesterday at age 93,on my
wife's birthday none the less. She and Grandpa were the original owners of my
66 Falcon van. They were both like my own Grand parents and will be missed very
much. For many years we have taken care of them both and the property on the
limited funds they would allow me to spend on upkeep. I've always cut their
grass for free,raked their leaves,trimmed the trees,painted,and whatever else
needed done just like I would have done for my own Grandparents. I never really
minded it,it's just what family does for family.
Those of you who have been to my house know that Grandma's house is (part)
of my compound here even though I dont own it. For years I've used her 3 out
buildings for storage of various Econoline vehicles and parts,mixed in with
things her and Grandpa compiled over their lifetime. I knew the day would come
when we would eventually own it all as the we were in the will with other family
members to inherit the property but the others arent interested in the property
so we will be buying them out.
The house and out buildings all need a lot of repair so this next year is
gonna be a very busy one for me. The biggest building is a 30x30 2 story block
construction with a very bad roof and a dirt floor. I plan on a complete new
roof,adding a raised section front and rear for additional storage,pouring a
concrete floor and adding electric in preperation for a much needed shop.
My son will move out of our house and into Grandma's 3 bedroom house with a
roommate or 2. He needs more space for all his "stuff" and we can use the extra
room here when he leaves. The house needs a lot of work too but with my son
moving in I only need to make it "good enuf for a slob". We wont miss the mess
here that's for sure. Hopefully he will be a little neater with his own place.
In the long run this will give me a lot more room to get my things organized.
If you know me,you know it's needed pretty bad!!
I feel that Grandpa and Grandma will always be looking over me with a smile
as I fix their place up for the betterment of our family and even the betterment
of the Econoline community. Rest in peace Grandma, you will be sadly missed.

Tim,

sorry to hear of your wife's and your loss. Sounds like a fine person who had the benefit of having good family around her.

On my end, I hope to put a new 9" into the van and maybe even a 200ci engine. These are all new adventures for me but with Fred's advice and encouragement, I might be able to get it done.

Keep plugging along with needed updates and DRIVE'EM!!!!!!!!!

Just gonna keep plugging away at the 66 and I have some stuff I want to do to the 65 when it gets nearer to spring. Re-do tranny lines and seals and maybe some interior tweaks including tunes!

Fortunately,I don't have to do much but wait for spring and put a battery in it, get it to the campsite and crack one open!!

Going to try and do front disc break upgrades, work on the front suspension and replace bushings. Happy new year to all!

well this past summer i did body work complete brakes put on the 9in new mustang gas tank droped in the 250+c4 new king pins brake booster - this summer ill install the trans cooler and the ez wiring harness+all the small stuff like shifter+gas cables and see if it starts lol

Find an Engineer to approve my mods and get the truck registered.

Also find myself a set of FARGO badges for it.

Then paint and drive the wheels of it.

going to work on the interior to make it into a camper after sealing up leaky doors and windows

I need to get around to the interior but I willbe refining a few drive line issues first

M1D

Plan on finishing up the drive-train on the 66 panel as well as the disc brakes and new lines. Then get back to the bodywork and paint before July if no new "Emergencies" pop up. For some reason I seem to always have a "Financial Emergency" around mid spring!

Dan

Bear and Tim (and everyone else really), I wish you better luck this year than last... I think 2011 was filled with trial and tragedy for many. Really, we deserve more comfort and smiles.

For 2012, I would like to frame out an interior for the Shambulance and do frame and floor mods to drop my 2002 Police Interceptor engine and tranny into the Grimstone! I suppose while the sparks are flying on those, I would like to finish all the rust repairs on them.

i too have an operation coming up this year and also have several/many other projects in line that 'should' come before van. fix and sell work truck, finish jag, new door on durango, finish back porch and install hot tub, the list is endless and seams to be getting bigger. that being said, i plan on finishing the 292 build and installing it, i think king pins are on my list (not happy about that one) clean up the under dash wiring, add a second fuse box under or behind seats and install new switches, all matching, for everything that was added over the years. if i get all that done, i will do some interior mods and put a bed in the back. my front doors need repaired where the hinges bolt on and door panals are poorly made so those will get stored in the fireplace while i make new ones. there is plenty more to add to list but i will start with this.

the funny thing is once your able to commit to working on your van it goes pretty fast when your rolling along.my 1970 is been ready for paint for at least 3 yrs now.i,m down to the 4x4 drive line and motor.i got a 3rd gen converson van a year or two back and took a host of intior parts from it my plan was to put the bucket seats and fold down bench seat in the rear and redo the 2 stock frount seats i like those stock seats.my org color pick was dark drab green white roof,bumpers,grill,the seats from were green to what luck right; WRONG i caved in to my little girls color like she wants that mustain blue white roof bumpers,grill.so what hey right she is my little girl she turned 14 last month think how cool she will look driveing it to hi school in 2 more years.so any way i need to rethink the inside green and blue yuck.

New brakes (discs/drums), new wiring, pop-out windows& seals, & if I'm lucky an engine & tranny swap.

I'm going to finish Williams 4X4 Econo and get back on the boards!