Major upgrades

I'm doing it. So I'm installing a late 60s Chevy manual steering box(much beefier than the stock one), I'm installing new floor boards, I'm relocating the radiator and installing a new electric fan, I'm rebuilding and turbo charging the 240, I'm building under carriage storage between the wheel wells like a bus, I'm installing new to me side and rear doors with Windows that open, a roof vent and an all new interior. I've been reading that some guys on here have ordered the floor boards from classic fabrication and was wondering if anyone has installed them yet? Also I was wondering if anyone has any leads on a nice stock or custom looking head liners? Or any one that has had some luck making there own. Pics are always awesome.

Took the seats out and started ripping out the interior today
https://i.servimg.com/u/f37/16/33/79/22/img_2011.jpg

This is a core of the Chevy steering box I got mounted to our steering column

We had to do some pretty good torch cutting to get it to fit this much more to come tomorrow

This little guy is getting moved tomorrow up to the front behind the grill where a normal cars is located. To make room for a turbo or a pro charger.

I hate to be the "fly in the ointment" but it seems to be my nature. Won't moving the radiator that far forward impede airflow? These things already have overheating issues and I suspect the turbo will magnify that.
My negative attitude aside, I love it! A supercharged 240 should scream!!!! Show me more on the steering box swap. I hadn't heard of it before. On airflow, some guys are putting a "scoop" in front of the engine housing. It looks like a transmission hump in front of the dog box. It opens up the airway frome the grill to the dog box.
Keep at it. Hopefully this will fuel my project which has gotten a little stagnant. Been on it about a year now. Keep those pictures coming!!!!!!

Jim

I just did my headliner using the guidelines found here.
https://vintage-vans.forumotion.com/t2768-easy-up-headliner?highlight=headliner+how

I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I thought you were moving it to the front of the doghouse. I reread it & understood you're moving to the grill! Now, I'm more in the "great idea!" camp. Will you need a different shaped radiator? As I understand it, the crossflow is more efficient.

Jim

Didn't get as much done as I had anticipated today. Got the dog house off and the radiator out. Mocked it up with the fan under the floor in the new location. Has anyone ever moved the throttle linkage under the floor? That would make for a much better radiator mounting. Also cut some more on the frame in the steering box location. Got a plate cut and tapped for mounting the box to.

The first two pics are a view of the new box through the grill and the last one is from the pitman arm side.

This shows how bad I need some new floors. Also plenty of room up front for a turbo or a pro charger with the radiator Gon.


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Nice project and I love the header on that 240. I'm currently installing a Chevy TBI system on my '65 e-pup using Megasquirt for engine management. Once I get it running good with EFI, I plan to install a small turbo back next to the transmission on the passenger side. There's a lot of room under the floorboards there and having a remote setup would keep the heat out of the doghouse and let you keep the radiator in its stock location. That kind of setup would work great with your header. Just my 2 centavos.

Thanks JD yeah that could be a better place to locate the turbo I will definitely look into that. Either way the radiator is getting moved. This van has been my daily driver and my adventure rig for 12 years. I have boiled it over one to many times. Its time for a real fix. JR I went to the best radiator shop in Redding Rod's radiator looking to spend some money. He told me to give it a try with the stock one that way if it doesn't work I'm not in it that much money. He was another none believer lol not a fan of my crazy project. It was cool though he said he owned a van back in the day. He didn't like the radiator idea because he said in the four years he owned his it never over heated.

JD are you planning on using an intercooler?

I have a small intercooler I'll hang somewhere. Haven't decided how it will work. Maybe just in front of the turbo parallel to the floorboards with some sort of air scoop to direct air up and thru. That wouldn't be the most efficient, cooling wise, but would be easy to package.

Yeah I just went and looked under mine and you are right there is a ton of room right there. The only issue I see that would need to be figured out is the piping. I think I want my intercooler up front with my radiator. I'm trying to modify the dog house as little as possible. So if the piping is do able that might be the way I go. I need to do more research but I'm also looking at a pro charger which mounts to the front of the motor.

Ramain,
    Please don't mistake me for a "non-believer".  I'm really just a "natural-born sceptic".  I'm very excited about yours and JD's projects.  Enough so that I may beg an invitation to see JD's after he gets a good start on it, since I live semi-nearby.  These types of projects just get me thinking.
Thanks,
Jim

PS. I might even ride my motorcycle to Wyoming to see yours, given the chance.

Oh no JD not at all. Either way sometimes the non believers offer some of the best views lol.

Good luck with the conversion, looking forward to hearing your results.

So it's been a long time. The van is back at the welder to help me mock up a pitman arm hopefully tomorrow. I welded up the 20 gal gas tank and then got the bottom rhino lined. I like the look a lot!!!





The motor is still at A&I Engines been there for over three months they are still waiting on the custom pistons holy cow!!!! The alternator brackets, motor mounts, thermostat housing, water pump pulley, and the plate between the motor and tranny, and the radiator/doghouse support are all at the powder coating shop California coatings. Tying to decide on the fuel pump set up that I'm going to use on this project. Internal vs external with surge tank or some sort of baffles in the tank. What do you guys think?

It's a little late at this point to do internal baffles, considering all the work you've done on that tank. I guess you could cut a big hole in the top, drop in baffles, tack weld them in place then weld up the hole. Even a sump would require boogering up that nice Rhino lining job.

I'd say the surge tank is your best bet, but I'm a little biased...

I really don't know what to do. If I go sump then I have to cut a hole in my floor or drop the tank when my pump goes out in the woods. Or I have to have two electric fuel pumps with a surge tank lol. I'm not gonna lie I don't like either of the options. But the good news is I just dropped some major $$$$$ on a Borg Warner 6258 turbo with a B1 twin scroll housing five min ago. Wooooo hooooo yeeeee haaaaaa

In the end, the absolute best option would be to buy an EFI-ready tank complete with in-tank pump big enough for your application. Then figure a way to mount it and make it work. I did the surge tank project because it cost me less than $20 and I'm too cheap to do it the right way...

Another option would be to install a small sump on the bottom of your tank. You'd have to clean off the Rhino coating. But it's not a tough install. Drill a couple holes in the bottom of the tank and weld on the sump. You can buy them on line or would be fairly simple to fabricate your own. You have your in-line high pressure pump draw from a barb at the low spot on the sump. Here's one example I found:

That doesn't sound very fun either. Probably going to go with something like this.
https://m.summitracing.com/parts/aei-18689
Cut a hole in the top of the tank and one in my floor for easy access.