Drive it, or tear it down and get busy?

OK, so here's a poll. I bought this beautiful (that's a lie, it's a total piece of crap) Chevy van as a donor for my '47 Diamond T project. It really runs nice, and if I cleaned the interior so it didn't stink like Rotwieller and cherry air fresheners, it'd be tolerable inside. Should I drive it this winter and keep my Silverado out of the salt, or tear it down and build the Diamond T?

 

Carpe diem.

 

no question..build the T

 

Its pandora's box, once you start you are committed......

 

I'd much rather be driving the Diamond.

 

I would take the van down. I assume you need the drive train? The price of scrap is high right now and there is lots of metal in that van even minus the engine/trans. Pull what you need, and I'll bet you still get a couple hundred at the metal recycler.

If afterwards you decide you have a real affection for 80's Chevy Conversion vans (I kind of like them) you can probably find another one relatively easily and cheaply.

 

When you fill the 30 gallon tank in that van a few times, that may help you with your decision. It is kind of tough though tearing apart a nice running vehicle. I always feel kind of guilty when I tear apart a running vehicle to part it out.

 

All I can picture is a bad episode of CSI when cleaning that van!
KIll it. Do the Diamond without question.

 

Build the VAN!

 

The van runs, right? Can't you sell it and buy something even more dead? The more you profit up front, the more car money you have later

 

I am with 64Deville use what you need and scrap & sell off whatever else you can while metal price is high and craigslist or ebay other stuff radio, seats etc.

 

I had one of those given to me a few months ago, just to get it out of the guys yard. Got it home flipped it over and cut all the important stuff, flipped it back and torched the front center out of it, jerked out a running 305 (trans was bad). Pulled the steering column, threw some scrap in it, and got $424 across the scales. Not bad for a day and a half's work, and got some good parts also.

Brian

 

fire up the torch...the world will not miss that conversion van, it will however rejoice in the rebirth of a diamond....

 

Yea dont drive the van man tortch it get what you need and dont forget to wash your hands after your done.

 

if the van already had a wizard on it id say keep it, but it dont and ya got it for a doner so done already

 

If you can use that thing to score some pandora's box, forget taking it apart. It's a Shaggin Waggon Baby!

If you're married, take it apart.

Good luck

 

pull the drivetrain out of the van and scrap the body

 

It's com'n apart ASAP!!!! I don't know what all the stains are from on the velour seats, but I have an idea it's even worse than the bedspreads at a "No Tell Motel" I already have the ultimate "Shagg'n Wagon", seen below...

 

scrap the van! fill it with scrap iron & it'll 'crush' out real nice $$$!!!

 

The van man.

 

I like that wagon! That is way better than the van. I'd hate to drive that van much with the price of gas. I'd scrap it if I was eager for the parts.

 

went to school with pandora. never did get to see her box though!

 

Thumbs down to the van. If you start on the van it will become another project. I used a similar van as a donor for my A roadster. A sawsall come in handy at engine pulling time.

 

Build the T. The van may be nice but the truck would be way more fun. If you don't get started on it now you'll eventually kick yourself for all the time you wasted on the van when you could have been working on the T. Ask how I know.

 

Scrap that baby and don't look back. The scrap metal and drivetrain is way more valuable than another ugly van. Let's see pics of that Diamond T!

 

Most vans suck in the snow, and I see you're from up north. Build the D-T.

 

Shouldn't be any worse in the snow than my Suburban, they're more or less the same underneath - does it have a locker rearend in it? If not, then it will be useless. Hit a Chevy site for the RPO code (G80? I forget) for the locking diff. It will get lousy milage, but if you're not going to use the chassis under your project, you may as well run that in the salt and snow and put some miles in it.

If anything scrap is going to keep going up, every source I've heard from is saying the same thing, places are actually raising their prices now because people aren't finding the junk to bring in - usually in the summer it comes down because it's easier to get to the stuff. Maybe by the end of the winter the thing will be worth $500 a ton.

 

If scrap goes to 500 a ton before I get around to parting this thing out, I'll make money just pulling the drivetrain and front suspension I've got all the left over stuff from the '36, fenders, what was left of the frame (I'm saving the axle and wishbones for a future project) and the rest of the pile of scrap steel to throw inside, that it'll weigh as much as it did complete The "part it out" vote is WAY ahead of the "drive it" vote, so I think the question is settled.

I wasn't considering even trying to make it look cool, just use it as a winter beater, but I do think I'd rather have the DT project well underway during the winter months. Since my "good" car is now 8 years old, I guess trying to save it now is a moot point. It's an '00 Silverado, and I was shocked when I pushed the trip meter and it's got 110K miles I put about 7K a year on it (driving hot rods during the summer), so it'll last me another 8 years if I put new rockers on it (bubbling) and take care of it. That's alot of Hot Rod Fund money!

 

Build the Diamond T : )