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 train, 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!