What are you up to?

Been working on cleaning up my bone yard LM7 engine and Monte SS 200R4 for my 68 90" SportVan.

Got rid of all the Emision stuff, the power steering pump. Lowered the alternator, made up a surpentine belt system that works right.
I choppped up the factory casing to saave the idler pully location and changed the pully to a grooved one. Also had to drill and tap the engine block to make a place to mount the alternator. [/url]


Installed the engine mount addapters, crank shaft addapter, modified the flex plate to fit the 200R4 Torque coverter; you can see the drilled holes that look off center of the stamping


This unifit 200R4 had extra casting that hit engine bolts




The TV cable is short so I will have to get a custon one of those also.



built a stand for storage because I just landed a federal possition I have been working on for 4 years  so I will be loosing the shop I have been working from and will have to find a house with my own shop.




M1D

M1D,Been waching your 68 Sport project on VCVC. You have Really been moving along.
Hope to see your updated pics here soon.

redecorating the neighborhood

Hey M1D=?? Whats the Federal Position called?? Vehicle inspector???????

TCCA (Aviation) Officer/technical inspector, secret level TI6 and thats all I am permmited to say.
It looks like i will have to pack up my 68 and put it into storage for a while, at least a year because I will be travelling around the country doing training for the first two years. However the up side is I should be able to get a property with my own shop now. I'm thinking big shop, small home and plenty of van parking spots.

M1D

Congrats M1D. To bad you got to put your van in storge for a year, but will be Well worth it with your own  Big shop,small house.

Congrats M1! Great idea with the BIG shop...can't wait to see some pics when you come back! Good luck with the new postion!

All ill say is = if his wife has anything to say ???????????? It WILL be the other way around!!!!!!!!!!!

No wife! I am done with that agony. I now live freedom and independence, by choice.

Big shop it will be. Maybe no house at all, maybe a large garage, commercial building or warehouse half carpeted with the biggest screen TV I can find, and ten couches so each of my guests get their own couch to sleep on after eating, drinking beer, farting out loud and watching the game!
I'm talkin "Man Cave" or should I say "Van Cave"


M1D

Yeeeeeehah M1!!! Is it OK if we live vicariously through you?

I've been tinkering on this.




Working on lower rust issues now. Power roof vent I got in a swap with one of the guys here for a roof patch to replace it !

OH NO   Joe's gone over to the(Purple) Dodge side!!!!!!!!! Nice van what year is it late 70's??

"74" It's a factory Plum Crazy van. My guess would be sold off the lot already customized, interior was Plum shag carpet front to back, sides and ceiling going by the staple holes in the roof paneling that was left. V8 Auto and engine so far seems good to go. This thing had 1-1/2" of poly foam on the floor! Fall in and pass out? A little more rust than I had anticipated. The usual but mice had moved in and tore some stuff up and made some extra bad spots here and there. I need to find some high back captains chairs from that era good enough to recover. I dug into one and hickory nuts fell out! Should be fun, Deb is in charge of interior refit. (She's on board with this one)

Going to be Nice Joe ... Love that Color !!!!!!! keep them Pictures Coming ..........

I've been following your dis assembly and reconstruction on another page as well,Joe.I'm really liking this van,bud.You won't know how to act with a/c and other amenities.Keep up the great work !

Unfortunately no A/C in this van. I'm hoping those big Dodge floor vents and all those holes and pop out back windows compensate some .LOL

Few pics from Toms(Millwright71) shop. Check on how his van is coming along & check if mine are in his way yet??, & try out new camera
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That's a great looking line up you guys have there.

Got to Thank Tom for letting me store 3 of my vans in his shop over winter,& helping me get the 67 running, moving,and stopping again. He Really wants to get his 66 on the road this summer, & Fry the tires off.
I already called Shotgun

Now that sounds like a Great plan! Nice looking stable!

have you guys felt like your project is going nowhere and put it all the way down in the list, or just give up on it?

I think I lost interest but then when I look at it I see the potential, honestly, it is a cool van.
I have a ford 62, drove it daily for a year, enjoyed every day. but now for some reason I just feel like ...
a smaller vehicle could work better for me, I never haul anything bulky, mpg wise, have done most of my commuting pedaling my old 10 speed bicycle lately.. we do have a family vehicle.. just thoughts..

but that is my dilemma, to keep or not to keep.
went back to working on it about a month ago, got the sway bay links, the bushings, the u-bolts, details here and there, but it just feels like im doing it but not enjoying it.

mariovan wrote:have you guys felt like your project is going nowhere and put it all the way down in the list, or just give up on it?

I have been in your shoes.. I had a great Dodge A108



loved it.. but after about a year or so i just seemed to loose interest in it.. so i got rid of it.. maybe a month went by, was browsing some photo's of all the past vehicles i have had (way to many to count),
when i got to the pic's of the van i just stared at them and said why the hell did i ever get rid of it..

I'm in Ohio so these early vans are hard to find.... and a really good solid one is unheard of.

I have been kicking my self for the past 6 years wanting a van again, and thank God i found this little rust free 67 Econoline



It needs little things fixed here and there but that's part of the fun with them... and the reactions you get from people when you drive them around is pricless....

I guess what I'm saying is DO NOT GET RID OF IT !!!!!!  if you got the room and it's not costing you anything to leave it sit, then keep it.. I know for a fact i am not getting rid of this Econoline, if i loose interest i will just store it in the garage till i have a new vision for it.

I have sort of the same problem. I haven't lost interest or anything like that, but don't have a garage to work on it and it seems I am controlled by the weather. It takes me a long time to get one thing done on it and then there are all the other home projects that have to take precedence. But I swore I would never get rid of it no matter how long it takes to get it finished. It is this site that keeps me going, and seeing all the other vans in here, all at different stages, gives me the encouragement to keep going. I try to set a goal each year to do at least SOMETHING on my van just so I can say I have one more thing off the list. This year that damn dog house WILL get finished and a tunnel in place so I can keep it moving forward. I recon at this rate I should be driving it daily by 2025...lol. Just kidding...it will be a lot sooner then that. DON'T give up mariovan. Keep the faith Brother.

I get side tracked easily by having to many things going at once.As long as it is still on "The List" it ain't over yet. My rule is, and it applies to any hobby or interest, is to make it as fun and/or comfortable to drive/do as you can. Then you will want to spend more time doing it. If you need to change things up to make it more appealing to you, do it! I have my semi-finished 65 I drive as often as I can and the 64 sits waiting "again" as I have taken on a 74 dodge to re-do. I have bought and sold and swapped several others as I realized I would not have time to do them justice. If a van is in your blood one will always be around or not far away. If you decide to let it go and let someone else take it over you can always come back. JM2C

Speaking of getting side tracked some update on the 74.

Got a new windshield in this winter. Took them 2 tries as it was a learning experience for these young fellas, and myself.
Did some more rust repair. Mice made nests and rotted stuff in weird places.

Turned out OK there.

Recently I have stripped all the door glass, bumpers and badgeing off to get ready for a chemical strip.

The right rear quarter will be the next challenge. Some old damage that was repaired with the interior intact. Way to much filler.