What is this red knob and my dose of reality

What is this red Knob?

that is the rare and very expensive 4 way flasher switch,,,,,,,,and from what the rest of what I see,,,,,the most expensive part on that van......

I drove 140 miles to look at my van with new eyes. Having spent the last week reading the very interesting threads on 1st Gen vans. I have to say that I might have just bought an over priced parts van. I guess that's how we learn. I will load some pictures I have to save them from my email.

This is what I am talking about,,,,,,,and we like old worn out vans,,,,,,,and to see them come alive again!!!

Well I bought this van to use for fishing and camping.

I just hope that I can stop the rust before it falls apart.

Well the 4 way flasher helps my pain.

Is this belly shield common?

you see how VanAgains van looks now,,,,,,,,well,,,,,the property values sure dropped when I 1st towed it to his house,,,,,,,,

I'm new to this site so I am not sure if I am following proper etiquette but I have seen a lot of people on this site and it doesn't seem like there is a lot of conversation going on, maybe I am hanging out in the wrong places again. lol

I have seen a lot of that on this site and it does give you hope. The purpose of buying a fixer upper is the journey and it will be what you want when it is done. Just wonder if I should keep looking and buy another to fix up. Man I hope my wife doesn't find this site.

cant tell with all that stuff on it,,,,,,a REALone with its splash shields looks like this,,,,,,

Not sure I have the splash shields, but now I know what to look for.

I wasn't really talking about this post, just in general there are so many people on the site just wondering where all the conversation is going on? I'm on vacation and so I've have been reading on this site like I would a really interesting book. I'm going to
Arkansas in the morning and yet I am still up trying to learn all I can about these old vans. You have certainly helped in my education not just from responding to my questions but your advice is welcomed through out the site. So I have read a lot of your posts your willingness to share is amazing. THANK YOU.

well,,,,the World don't really care about old vans,,,,,just us people here that own them,,,,,and I don't think that they have the time to talk about them every day,,,,,,,but there surely is something interesting each time you visit the site,,,,,,,but a lot of conversation goes on behind the scenes,,,,,Private Messages, E mails, texts and phone calls,,,,,but  what you see is what you get,,,,,,

So what would you like to see more of?,,,,,,,,,questions, answers,,,pictures,,,,,,,,there are other sites specifically dedicated to Dodge, Ford, and Chevy vans,,,also Corvairs,,,,,,,I think people probably got more important  things to do with their  time than to spend on van stuff,,,,,,,and they usually come here for answers when they run into problems,,,,

I had the same "Sick To My Stomach" feeling also when I first got my early and realized what all had to be done lucky for me no body work just all mechanical but 2 years later I can honestly say it was well worth it and I could have never done it with out Donivan's and other Members help on this site and out of all the hot rod's & muscle cars I have owned over the years nothing gives me the attention and pleasure of driving my Early Van (hope my wife does not read this either) A new project can be overwhelming sometimes but hang in there and concentrate on one thing at a time and you will eventually get through the list and in the end it will be "WELL" worth it you could not have found a better "Early Model" site for parts and info..!!!.Good Luck.. ...Joe Van....

Oh man , a lot of us have had the WTH did I get into woes ! But there have been some rather miraculous saves as far as I'm concerned and great innovations for up grades and repairs. Post pics ( we love pics) and ask away.

When I got this van almost 2 years ago, I was fortunate enough to have/get both of these items, even with everything else that was wrong with it. It had the dealer installed 4-way flasher kit ($250 up today!) and then I found the correct splash shields from a member here.  And yes, they do help it run cooler, 10-degrees difference with them on or off with the belly pay in place.  They must force the fan to draw more air through the radiator than up from the bottom. Some pics:
Red Flasher knob and original chrome accessory bezel mount:

There is a whole mojo to these flasher knobs, mine says "Signal-Stat" in white letters, the compnay that made the flasher kit, but some have three small white Chevy bowties made for GM, mine might have been an aftermarket installed by an early owner bought elsewhere than at the dealer or the dealer had both.  I have seen the bowtie ones in Vettes and Impalas of the same era.  I have also seen the bezel in black steel, not chrome and the flasher on the back of mine is square, some are round? go figure!
Splash shields in place:


Note how they extend back and attach to the engine mount crossmember with a 3/8" (9/16") bolt into a threaded hole on the cross member.
You will progress fast once you get into it and things are not as bad as they seem, you'd have the same stomach woes with any vintage car, I have had several and its always the same thing and part of the pleasure you get is when you find that hard to get part or fix something yourself that was easier than you thought it would be....just wait until you spend a few hours laying sideways under the dash figuring out all the wiring, duct work, etc....speaking of which, a good early on project is to take your fan box apart and make sure the levers and baffles all work, mine were stripped out, the levers didn't move the baffles, easy repair with some small welds or screws and washers....also check the heater valve, most are frozen and the flip lever does nothing, easy to replace for under $20....you will roast in the summer if you can't turn that valve off!

Magic Potion wrote:I drove 140 miles to look at my van with new eyes. Having spent the last week reading the very interesting threads on 1st Gen vans. I have to say that I might have just bought an over priced parts van. I guess that's how we learn. I will load some pictures I have to save them from my email.

If the body is solid and the engine runs and the trans is good, its far from being a parts van! Even from that small avatar pic you posted, it doesn't look like a parts van!

Magic Potion wrote:

That's the tank filler and overflow hose tubes, not bad looking, light patina on the frame is OK. Looking at your other pics, that is mild body work, many have started with way worse rockers. They still sell replacement rocker panel skins if its too far gone but if you only have the corners, put it on your list and get it done eventually. Great that you have the bottom belly pan, very hard to find, now start looking for the side shields, they turn up from parts vans. The front of the pan attaches to snap in spring steel speed clips with 1/4-20 thread inserts, most auto stores or swap meet vendors sell them if they are missing, there are threaded holes in the frame for the sides and rear, I like to clean them out with a tap first if they are all rust filled. Rust around the windshield is common and can be dealt with.

Magic Potion wrote:What is this red Knob?

Looks like you need a new signal switch and horn button.  If you get a new aftermarket wheel mounting kit with the correct cam and contact for the horn, you can get the horn working from the button and not the easy-way-out button a previous owner put there.  These parts are available for a stock wheel if you want to put it back original.  I had do re-do my whole set up to get the signals, brake lights and horn working from the center button, a good project! Also, looks like you have the rare window washer set -up option? The wiper knob has the center button that activates the washer motor. Do you have the nozzles outside? most of the panel vans don't have this, but the window passenger vans did. The water bag hung under the dash and on some it was inside the doghouse on others, see if you can get that system working, very cool.

Magic Potion wrote:I drove 140 miles to look at my van with new eyes. Having spent the last week reading the very interesting threads on 1st Gen vans. I have to say that I might have just bought an over priced parts van. I guess that's how we learn. I will load some pictures I have to save them from my email.

Don't feel you are alone in this regard. I purchased a nearly $8,000 version. Having to redo everything down to the tires and wheels.