Dons day,,,,,,,

thats the good part about this site,,,,,,you get different ideas from different people and then you can choose whats best for you depending on how much money, brains, time, tools, equipment, skills, bravery and a place to work you have,,,,,,,,,,and we are here to help you,,,,,,,,,,

That is absolutely amazing!! I had to read this over a few times to understand how you extracted the bolt. I wouldn't have known that the opening for the fuel pump went through to the oil pan.

But I still have a couple questions:

When you came up one bolt short, what made you think it would be in the oil pan?

What the heck is that thing hanging out of the oil drain hole that looks like a long, bent bolt?

Well,,,,I put the 24 bolts in the pan to hold  the new gasket in place  to set up the RTV,,,,and somewhere along the line one bolt fell down into the pan,,,,,,there is a baffle in it so you cant see  the bottom of the pan,,,,,I put the pan up,,,,,,and when I was tapping the pan up with a rubber mallet to seat the rubber seals on the pan,,,,,I heard a noise in the pan,,,,I pull the plug and run a magnet into the pan and there it was,,,,a bolt laughing at me,,,,saying come and get me,,,,,however, the bolt head and the spring steel lock washer are bigger than the plug hole so it wont come out through the oil pan drain hole.
I decide to make a tool to screw on to the bolt so I can hold it while I run my Dremel tool into the hole and grind the bolt down far enough to come out,,,,,but that spring steel lock washer keeps spinning and  I am not liking the grindings falling into the pan,,,,,,so I go to plan B,,,,a coat hanger through the fuel pump hole and tie the bolt to it and pull it out that way,,,,,,I look at a spare engine and see that there is a lot of twists and turns around the bearing caps, crank journals, oil pump and screen and pan baffle to get that coat hanger go in the fuel pump hole and out the oil pan drain hole,,,,,so on to plan C,,,,,,
I find a parking brake cable with a ball on the end and it is flexible enough to find its way from the fuel pump hole all the way out the drain hole and I tie a wire from the bolt to the ball and ,,,,OUT IT CAME!!!!!

Kinda like watching my first girlfriend take off her bra from underneath her shirt & out through the sleeve. Amazing!

so it looks like replacing a rusted out rocker panel on Suzys van is next on my never ending list,,,,,,,welded in a piece I cut off a 2nd Gen at Pik a Part,,,,,,





























,,,,,THEN,,,,,    I see a scratch on the center rocker panel and decide to dig down to see how deep it is,,,,,,,and after I dig down through over an inch of Bondo,,,,,,I see how deep it is,,,,,,,,,yep,,,,,these vans are just full of surprises!!!!!

thats called Ballast, you need that so you can take the cloverleaf off ramp from the highway at 60 mph.

,,,,,,,,,,and lets talk about PAINT JOBS,,,,,,

When I bought my van,,,,,,it was white,,,,,,,,,my favorite color is RED,,,,,good old Earl Scheib says
"I CAN PAINT ANY CAR FOR $29.95"
,,,,,,so I saves up my money and goes see him,,,,,,he says which of these 4 colors do you want,,,,,RED aint on the list,,,,,,he says RED is $10 extra,,,,,,,so I gots to have my red so I pick out Matador Red,,,,,,,,I tell him I want my van RED,,,,,,then he says hold on there kid,,,,,,sign says any car,,,,,,,that thing aint no car,,,,,,,vans are $10 extra,,,,,,,,so that $29.95 paint job ends up costing me $56.50,,,,WHAT A RIP-OFF!!!!,,,,,,,,,,so here is the bill,,,,,,,the way things used to be,,,,,,,here is that new paint job,,,,,,,,,and how it looked 40 years later,,,,,,,I guess I got my moneys worth,,,,,,,

How Long Did They Have the van .. Too Paint it Don ????

I have to admit... I paid slightly more than that.

I think a day,,,,,,at $29.95 a car,,,,,,,they didnt have time to Lolligag,,,,,,,,

,,,,I wonder if someone could even buy a gallon of lets say,,,, Turquoise,,,for what that paint job cost me,,,,,,

Seen Russell at the Swap Meet,,,,,,,,then went and seen what Zack is up to,,,,,,,

So Don, you're saying the red paint job you have now is the same one since 1971? If so, you kept really good care of it.

Nope,,,,,,,,,the paint job eventually got pretty faded  like you see in my picture of it under the Chicago El tracks,,,,,,then we had a big fire out here in California in 2013 and I had to evacuate and leave the van with fire all around it,,,,,,,the ashes and heat  did some damage to it and when I was able to come back, my van said how could you leave me to burn after all these years? So to make it up to him I took him down to bare metal, fixed some rust and painted it red again in my back yard,,,,,,,,so you are looking at a 2015 paint job right now,,,,,,,,

,,,,now my van is pretty happy,,,,,,,,,

Nice drawing! I didn't know Vanagain did art work?

Well,,,,,,,,here is blast from the past,,,,,,,,Ted has regretted he sold SandyVan and is looking for another one,,,,,,however he says he just bought this 2nd Gen to get by with,,,,,,,,and here is an old SandyVan post,,,,,,,,,,



https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t30069-taking-a-breather

We all met up on the 17th for Vans at the Bay,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jacke was there complaining about how much she misses her van,,,,,,,,,,Surfer Scott brought his little boy Jonah to show him the vans,,,,,,,Rich still is going for that uncluttered dash look,,,,,,,,,,

No wonder Rich keep running out of gas LOL)

,,,I think,you might be right,,,,,,,,,





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,,,and we had a little van show today,,,,,,,,,,,,,













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My van won a trophy that night! Same event where I won "Best Work In Progress" in 2013. Glad I didn't get the same award 4 years later! (even though it is still very much in progress!)

Rich, your van has never looked better!!! Congrats!

I agree, and it looks even better on your left..

,,,So Suzy was sad,,,,,,,her pet cat wont eat,,,,,,face is swollen,,,,,,,has a toothache,,,,,,not in a very good mood,,,,,,,needs to go to a dentist,,,,,,,,and they say dont bring that thing into our office,,,,,but she finds one, 40 miles away,,,,,,but cat dont like to wear his seat belt for the drive,,,,,so she wants me to build a cage to fit inside her Ford minivan and maybe he will take a ride,,,,,nobody likes to go to the dentist,,,,,now cutting a hole in his cage with him watching me was not the safest thing I ever done, so he might come out and inspect his condo and want to go for a ride,,,,,but he likes it,,,,,,the dentist gives him a shot to put him to sleep,,,,4 people carry the 200 pound Mountain Lion into the office,,,,,,pull 8 teeth,,,stitch up his gums,,,,,,and now he is resting back home,,,,,,,,