What are you doing today? Thread

[knappyfeet]

I got a vantastic new project...

Attachment 269045

I love old vans!

What kind of engine does it have?

Keep us posted on this one… that's gonna look bad-ass.

Plastikosmd...... I love that rig man!! Seems like you're getting a lot of use out of it and it's versatile… real cool

[ATC King]

It's got an inline six. I think it's a 240.

The transmission is an auto 3 speed. Maybe an FMX.


I seen it on the trailer and the bottom and frame looks better than the topside. It's a uni-body van. The second generation Ford van. It has the Twin I-Beam front suspesnion.

I've had something of a challenge to get this on the road in the next few months. I'll be driving out west for the summer and this will have to haul everything. I'll see. The body isn't beaten to hell, but there's some serious rust holes in the skin.

If it looks like I can get it on the road without any major structural repairs, I'll start a thread just for it.

I've always wanted a van.

[plastikosmd]

Argo tracks make for good grooming

[ATC King]

You northerners with all your pretty snow...

Then again, you northerners with all your snow...

[ATC King]

In Arkansas news...

Man Shot in Groin, Found at Donut Shop

https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/mad...at-donut-shop/

[ATC King]

The original...



These were on a quad at auction. I would have bought the quad just for the tires but the feel of the auction was too many people over bidding, or possibly even some ghost bidding going on. I didn't stick around to see what the quad would sell for. There were a couple roached 300 Fourtraxs, one 2WD and the other 4WD, both with serious issues and probably some bidder there that just had to have them come hell or high water.

[ATC King]

I'm working toward figuring out what to do with my new (to me) 1970's SuperVan. I've got to clean it out to assess body damage.



I finally got up the guts to start cleaning it out. It's been a rat refuge for several of their generations and absolutely filled with debris, droppings, remains, and enough chewed up insulation to keep a naked mole-rat warm during a Siberian winter.

These are the first bags filled today and they're mostly full of debris, dropping, and remains, with some bulk insulation.


There's a couple hundred pounds of old parts in there too. Virtually none of it for the van, other than the air cleaner. I haven't found the oil dipstick, but I hope it's still in there...somewhere.

Here's the first wheelbarrow load. At the bottom are alternators, starters, and power steering pumps. It's pretty much as much as I could push back to the house. (Until de-ratted, the van is AWAY from the house).


Some more junk that I haven't loaded up yet.


This is where it's at now. How much crap I stil have to remove. The big thing in the center is the dog house.


Anyone notice how far right of vehicle centerline the engine is? Yes, it's actually that far over and not just camera angle. The rear axle tube lengths are just as far off center. It's pretty crazy looking from underneath.

A before and after of the left side engine. Notice that 90 dgree oil filter adapter so the inline will work in the van.


Here's the right side after some cleaning. That's just another spare starter in the floor. There's already one on the engine.


I'm really having to dig through all the rat crap to keep from throwing any small parts that may go to this van. It's inches deep in some parts. I did find a box that has all the original wheel covers. Anyone want a vintage gold flake motorcycle helmet? I'll spray some Lysol in it for ya.


I am finding some little gold nuggets...instead of just the black ones. I found a Ranger emblem, an old wood pulley (it's in the wheelbarrow), and some little scale that's damaged.


The big moment will be when I pull the plywood sheet from the back and see if I can see ground.


Some good and bad attributes:

I'm still not certain of the year. It does have a dual master cyclinder, thank goodness, but dang it to heck the thing still has four wheel drum brakes.

I thought the transmission may be an FMX based on the possible years, but it looks like a C4 after I got all the junk off so I could get a closer look. Who really knows what has and hasn't been changed at this point.


It's still a points ignition (easy to upgrade with OE style parts). The charging system is remote regulated (would get an upgraded alternator). Manual steering is included at no extra charge. It does have full instrumentation instead of idiot lights. The windshield washer bottle may still be intact, but I doubt the pump will run.

Much of the wiring has been chewed away, but there isn't much wiring on it. The engine will run with only one wire hooked up, besides the starter, so just testing things won't be a big issue.

The throttle cable isn't stuck, the carb is.


One last parting pic. Are you lichen it?


I though of a couple potential names. Swamp Thing at first, but I'm leaning towards Rat King.

[knappyfeet]

So cool...looks like some work but an awesome project.

Diggin all that old rusty junk you dug out

[ATC King]

It was a trade for some easy work, so there's no actual money in it so far.

I do hope I can sell some of what I found in it for enough to at least buy some used tires so it can be towed back an forth to the shop when I work on it. If the engine will at least run and everything else works at a minimum so it'll move under it's own power, that'll speed things up a lot. I'm not trying to make the yard look like, a junk yard, so the van has to be parked somewhere out of the way.

All that rusty junk has been in it for at least as long as it's been sitting, and that's decades. A few things may have been tossed in it since then, but not much. It's covered in leaves on the front seats in one picture from the previous post, but there's a good condition GMC grill insert (later egg crate plastic one) that I should be able to get some decent coin for or trade for some used 14 inch tires.

I didn't post pics of the awesome (busted) Kraco stereo/cassette deck or the Realistic speaker pods screwed to the roof above the seats. Totally classic.

I'll paint a soothing mental picture for you - Kraco cranked to 11 (full distortion, your song of choice), early 1970's Ford E-100 van, gold metal flake motorcycle helmet, and the driver unloading a 250 Elsinore from the back at the local track. Good days, good times.

[knappyfeet]

Looks straight and complete.

The finish is going to be the most $$......all that stripping and prepping.

You can do-it-yourself and save mad money… even get creative and do some lace or marble or striping.. There's no end to the 70s possibilities!

I'm looking forward to this

[ATC King]

Looks straight and complete.

Except for the rusty horror show on the left side. I'm saving that for if I start a thread for it.

Besides being a cool little van, my lifestyle could really use it. The truck with the camper shell is alright, but a van would make living while traveling much easier. It's also got much more headroom than a typical pickup camper shell.

Here's a link with some E-100s.
https://motor-car.net/ford-usa/item/...nd-gen-1968-74

[El Camexican]

Making the yellow work.



I’ve been laid up for almost 3 weeks. I’m pretty sure it missed me.

[ATC King]

That's a nice lookng banana train you have there.

[El Camexican]

That's a nice lookng banana train you have there.

Thanks, I get that a lot… less the train part.

[ATC King]

I’ve been laid up for almost 3 weeks.

Sick? Whatever it was, glad you got over it.

If sick, how much weight did you loose and can you even afford to loose any? I keep a reserve of emergency weight, which I used a good bit of the end of last year as I was sick for a couple weeks. After I came out from under my rock, it raised some eyebrows. I simply lost all appetite and by the end I was extremely weak, to the point it even affected my speech. The crazy fever I had at the end didn't help either.