The last month has been very busy. The weather has started to warm up,and I have been able to work without the heater blowing on me.   I've been doing wiring.  Wiring.  More wiring.  I painted the dash about 2 weeks ago and have assembled the dash complete with air ducts and instrument cluster.  The only thing left to do is install the unit that will drive the digital dash and the cruise control.  It was back ordered and I am still waiting for it to get here.  It is a cool unit. New from Dakota digital, It works off of  GPS and has no connections to the motor or drive trail. only power wires and a pulse that runs the cruise and speedo.  technology marches on!  

 

from this  

                                                                           To this

I wanted to keep the dash as close to stock as I could for a retro look The instrument bezel is from a Dodge Sportsman van about 1968 I think.It is Cast aluminum instead of the stamped steel one in the stock A-100. I have since stripped off the green paint and polished it . It looks so cool that way.  I was able to make the stock Dodge steering wheel fit on the Chevy steering column. unless you really know your vans you would never know its not a Dodge unit!

With the radiator and all the hoses and the like in the van it is getting quite crowded under there.  I had to finish wiring the dryer for the air conditioning mounted under the floor.   uggh.  No fun there.

I was getting crap for the yellow spark plug wires on the engine so I got a set of Taylor plug wires that can be custom fit exactly.  I have a real dislike for unruly wires. I didn't use to be that way but after years of trying to find a short or bad connection in wires that look like a bowl of spaghetti,I want my wires NEET! This set up is the best I have come across. They can be cut to any length . loomed together so they don't flop around. The trick now is to run your plug wires under the headers and out the back.  With the wires being black, they almost disappear

The last connections were the trans lines. I had 2 hoses made to run to the cooler . The connections were hard to get at with the radiator under the floor.Laying on your back on cold concrete is so much fun.   lol.      The lines were a little long the first time and I had them shortened, now they fit perfectly

  The wiring in the overhead console cant be finished till I know where it all goes.so I am mocking up the overhead and wiring all the goodies up there. There are 3 monitors for the cameras on the sides and rear, the Sirius radio head, clock, interior light switches, and the power window switches all going in the console.

This is the cruise control module from a late model astro. it will work perfectly with the steering column connections. I can't get it hooked up till the module arrives and then the wiring is FINISHED!.   Dale was down this past weekend and we pressure tested the cooling system and air conditioning too.  It all checks out.  The cooling system is now full of coolant and it doesn't leak.  Amazing!. Ran the engine up to temp.  The fan kicked on just like it was suppose to. Got the trans fluid full. 
       All systems seem to be working.   The radiator needs an overflow tank. Dale came up with the idea of making a tank to fit right behind the serpentine bracket,and follow the shape of the components. I mocked it up out of cardboard and Vance said he will weld it together for me. 

                                                                     That will be so trick!!

I have been working on this project for 3 years.  The last time I sat behind the wheel and drove this thing, I was in Vegas and the brakes went out!    LOL..  (wasn't funny then). SO last night we finally were ready to see if this thing would actually move under its own power.

 I

 WOW  I'm getting close, Today I ordered the material for the interior. 

Next time I'll have her ready for paint.  The pace is about to pick up!   Later!

   The winter has pretty much sucked.  Work has been slow and the last couple months has gotten me down.  I have been whiling away the time working on the early van as much as the money would let me. 
       Been getting some requests for an update.  The past couple weeks the phone has been ringing again,   Mr. Green called ,with a wagon to letter.  This was a wagon used when Jello was first introduced, to promote the product store to store. Spent a couple days on that one.   

 

                                        Another long time customer had a quickie lettering job on another tow truck.                                           

 

Work on the early has been progressing.Got the radiator in. Time to plumb it in with some stainless tubing. Have to make them from scratch.   

 Got the different pieces cut and fit.  Vance got the tig welder fired up and put them together.

 Welded a bung in it for the temp switch that turns on the electric fan



The last wiring to get installed is for the heat and air conditioning. This is as far as I need to go .  next step is to take it apart cause it's time to PAINT THE DASH!!!



 Also had to make a bracket to hold the coil.  If you look closely, it's on the back of the block under the distributor  

 

Got all the hoses for the air and heat hooked up. That was a major job! 

 

Finally got the seat brackets figured out.  I ended up using the slider tracks from the Astro seat bases.Then modified both the stock mounts and the seat brackets to fit into the stock position.



 

 I am rather pleased with this one. I havent been able to figure out a way to put these seats in that worked and looked good too. This was about the third try.  



Danny has raged me about the ugly yellow plug wires so I ended up getting a set of black wires that can be custom fit to get a clean look.

 The last metal work is the engine cover. Matchstick was here last week and we went to Detroit to attend the Autorama,and stripe in the Charity Stripers Jam. 

This can was one of the pieces I donated to the charity auction. It brought $500.

Not bad for an emotional cripple   lol

 The Autorama was featuring past Riddler winners this year.  There were many of the past winners there. My favorite is the Deora. Built in the 60's by the A Brothers of Detroit.  It's built on a Dodge A100 van chassis  lol

Hard to believe this was built 50 years ago!

Also at the show was Gene Winfield. He has been doing several shows where he has a car there chopping the top. Doing all the metal work while we watch. Matchstick has worked with him at several shows doing metal work with him. We got to hang around with Gene for a while,in between paint slinging sessions. 

He is learning fast. In 50 years they will be talking about Matchstick the same way they talk about Dutch.  Hey, he's living in a bus already!   HAHAHAHA

So to bring this full circle. when we got back to my place, we started mussing about how to straighten out the metal I welded into the engine cover of the early. I took out severasl of the "bumps" that the factory put in it to accomadate the different motor componets. It ended up he took them to do some bead rolling on them... OOO Baby I cant wait to see what he does with them

 

The paint begins!

  Had to take a shot of the first pass with the spray gun!  Got a million ideas for the paint scheme .Time has come to pick the ones that will end up on the van. 

  More on this NEXT TIME...

 

  

The wiring in the console gets more complicated as we go.Because of the placement of the door latch,using a solenoid to open the door is somewhat difficult. The window motors and other structures don't leave much room.  So I found a kit from Auto-Lock to convert the windows to remote operation

Hopefully this is the last thing to wire in  the console.  I have to install switches for interior lighting but I have all the connections ready to hook up.

I love this....the remote unit has another channel that allows me to hook up a release for the side door that will work with the same remote. 

   The entire van will have sound deadening mat applied. Sticky rubber mats that keep road noise down and insulate the interior

When making a custom install, there is a lot of trial and error.  So far there has been about 3 errors and 2 two trials on the radiator. but I think this combo will work.   

 

  

We had to give the shroud the steep angle to clear all the obstructions, and keep it high enough off the ground as not to get ripped off by debris in the road.



 

The enging cover is the next thing on the list. If you haven't seen the older post where we shortened the engine cover maybe you should go back and check it out.  Suffice to say the dog house is almost 8 inches shorter than stock. There is some welding to finiosh up and holes to make to be able to bolt it all togeather..  then it will be the first pieces to get painted!   O Boy!

When I show this truck, I want to show the engine. this engine box is deep and all the cool stuff is to low to see.   IDEA.     

  Make a  front engine cover with a cutaway, that I can install when the van is on display.

  With a little fab work and welding , it is all visible!

Vance came down and we finished up some  welding that was needed on the trans mount.  

 Hopefully the weather will warm up enough that I can get the radiator filled and trans lines finished and finally drive  it!!  till next time....

Happy New Year 13!!

Yes, The new year is here.  I haven't posted for a while but I have a good reason.  Spent the last month of the year on an extended trip. Many miles to the 4 corners of the country.  Here is the short version.   

 First stop was the Turkey Run in Florida. Striped a bunch of cars and ended up down at Lew's workin' on the van. I had a bad thermostat . Lew is a life saver.  Helped me change it and got it ready for the next 5,000 miles!  

Then spent a few days at Judith's workin' on Nats stuff and more.

 

Drove to the west coast..Did the Mooneyes show.  Here I gave Ilene Roth the Christmas hillbilly crash helmet Judith made for her.   Very cool!   lol

Spent a week hangin with Jimmy C. Paintin and clownin' around .  What a great time.  Thanks Dena and Jimmy!  Your the greatest....O yea,  Had a burger or two also.  

 

Started this painting while I was there.Not finished  yet. Trying to get it done for the Rat Fink Reunion this coming June. Think I'll make it?   

 

 

 

Went to the Brush off event again.  A collection of some of the best stripe artists in the country. Here is a few of the pieces that were there.

\Each artist brings a panel for trade and we draw to see who gets which one.   a great time!

 

 

\ Hung out with Kenny for a few days.  Went to his place,  the underworld.   Look close in the background.  that's the Hollywood sign.  He's in the Hollywood hills.. The road goin' up this mountain is unbelievable! Curvy , Narrow!  very cool.

We went to the live steam clubs park.  Been trying to do that for a long time. 

                                                                              He took me to Forest Lawn cemetery . Visited Buster Keaton and others.   that was cool to.

  Went thru Vegas and visited Magoo.  Then made it to Salt Lake & visited with Deb. and a trip to Ilene's for more Fink stuff... Then it was back home for Christmas and the New Year.

Sounds quick...Took A month 

These were Taken at the Mormon Temple 

 Beautiful     HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

 

Back to the old garage... its time to pick up where I left off. The the air condition and heater unit is connected to all the hoses but the electrical isn't even started. Since I'm waiting for the shroud and radiator to get done I figured I would do the rest of the electrical.   The stereo needs a few things finished. Got that done and the thing is incredible..It will do everything but make your lunch. Then started by running wires up the windshield to a power block.   

 

I have done a lot of work smoothing out the sides. Shaved door handles, hinges, filled seams.   The last thing I want to do is screw an ugly mirror to the side of the van.  IDEA!  Why not use backup cameras in place of the mirrors?  I found some and monitor screens on eBay.  I made pods for the cameras out of resin and fit them to the doors in the front corners. Check out the pics.  Once they are painted you won't even notice them.  I got them hooked up and they work better that I imagined. You can see a full 360 degrees around the van.  More than any set of mirrors. I can't believe I'm the first to think of this!!  

 

There will be a 3rd monitor in the middle for a camera in the back.  My buddy Tommy has been using this trick on his bus for a rear view .. many RVs have rear cameras.  We've been using mirrors on vehicles for over 100 years.  It's time technology is applied to the lowly van..lol 

 

 

Gotta figure out what I'm going to do with the interior. I have a basic idea what I want to do. but I need to figure out what will work and what wont..  Cardboard mock ups help.   

 Got the heater and air controls mounted in the dash.  Time to finish wiring and hooking up the duct work.

Figured I would get what sound deadner I had on hand installed,  I have more coming   its gonna take quite a bit .

Vance has finished the radiator shroud. Got him a sheet of aluminum and he fabricated a custom shroud with a high volume fan from a ford police interceptor.  Awesome    lol