Not that I needed to start another project with all I have going on, but my situation allows me to indulge my A.D.D. I traded for this little van last summer. Gave a running driving ranger 4x4 for it. I got the better deal!! Although my shop is full, as some of you know I teach body repair. My guys start their second quarter Monday. Even though the're learning, I'm gonna let them have at the van! This is going to be my daily driver. Going for a mid sixties shop truck look. Very mild. Like I said, a daily driver. Although I appreciate modern cars very much, I really want something old, and kinda cool to drive pretty much year round. It was disassembled when I got it. I don't like basket cases, as they are usually missing important parts. This one turned out to be very complete and all the parts bagged. Tons of new motor parts. Owner was getting ready to rebuild it and had some health issues. He sold it to a guy that was overwhelmed by the project, so I did the trade. Got the parts all sorted out, organized and stored today. Tomorrow she gets towed to school. We'll do the body work over the rest of the school year, then I'll do the drive train next summer. Progress will be slow, but I post the work my guys do from time to time.
The van has plenty of lumps and bumps, and a little rust, but all in all a very solid start. Of course I had to have a talk with the dog about being under the truck without jack stands!!
Some of the parts were in this wooden box. Looks to be pre 1920's. I gave it to the wife. She loves that kinda stuff!....
Looks like a cool project for your students. Why not toss the straight six and put in a 5.0 and AOD? That'd help the students learn fabrication and electrical conversion, plus make it more fun to drive every day.
Much as I'd like to keep the 240 6, your right, OahuEli. I have a modern drive train with a auto already. I need the auto trans as a life time of pounding metal hasn't done my hands any favors. They drive and steer pretty easy, so I'll be keeping the suspension. Low with a little rake. We train for modern collision for the most part, and have limited time so it will be just the body work for my guys. I work in as much fabrication as I can, but we have a lot to cover. The rest will be up to me next summer. Any local guys need a 240 3 speed pm me.
Hi . There is a lot of guys up your way that can help . Check out the Econoline groups . All the parts you need will be at one of the groups . Have fun on the build .
I hear ya. While the six banger can be reliable et all, (read; ho hum) a V8 and auto will give you longer range and more piece of mind in a long haul. I've long wanted to find an Econoline of similar vintage and stick a 429 and 4 speed in it just for the hell of it.
Tear down and inspection today. Put her on the hoist. Found no rust in any of the under body structure. Good news for a unibody! Rear corners are rotted pretty good. The left lower body panel is pretty well gone. I don't know if anyone repops this panel? If not we'll have to make one. We'll start stripping paint tomorrow. I'm sure we'll find some more ugly!
check out millsupply.com for every available body panel available as well as macsautoparts.com for pretty much every econoline part still available.
Thanks! Macs has the side panel for 99.00. How's the quality? I called, they said the panel has the 90* flange on the top. Can anyone confirm that? I wasn't 100% sure the woman on the phone, or the third party looking at the part fully understood what I meant. I haven't been happy with many of the patch panels I've used lately (or tossed and built just one myself ) We got the doors striped today. Lots of dents and dings. A shit load of holes to fill. Poor thing has had every type of mirror ever made bolted to it at one time or another! Not to mention a spare tire! We'll have to do a couple of lower skins, but no surprises.....yet!
Macs gets their panels from Mill Supply. Same price both places. The panels I bought from Macs were really nice. I only had the passenger side lower panel and it did NOT have a 90* flange, but the left side might, or it was another option. If you already have a 240, a 289/302 swap will be easy. I did a big post a few years ago about engine swaps in 1st Gen Econolines. Look it up to see what's involved.
i must say that i bought all the panels back in the day that are available, both rear fenders, both rear corners, the big drivers side lower, and the small passenger side lower and they were all absolute.....shit! HAHA. sorry man, im just being honest. they are definately not a simple remove and replace.....but if you have the skill to take on the job in the first place...you more than likely have the skill to manipulate the pieces to make them work. dont even get me started on how shitty the rear corners are.....but....in all fairness..they are still to this day being stamped from a 50 year old mold.....and hey...what other option is there? i was actually so pissed about the krinkles that are on the corner pieces i bought from mill supply that i went to the place they stamp them in akron an hour and a half one way. i showed them the pieces and the guy showed me a pallet of them.....that all looked the same way. he said "hey man, what do you expect....the mold is 50 years old.?" and away i went home.....determined to make them work. haha.
Cool little van... and it came with slot mags! x3,482 on the 5.0/aod. Oughta be a fun little runner, please keep us informed!
Thanks guys! Yes I'm keeping the slots!! Might go 15s in the rear. They fit the build plan perfectly. And thank you for the info on the repop parts. Pretty much what I expected. I went ahead and made a test piece today. The kids were impressed with how quick and simple it was. Our brake is only 48" so we'll have to make it in two pieces, but we'll make our own part. I'll have to gas weld it together, but once done it will install like an original part. Important when teaching not to put the kids too far over their heads! Don't want to frustrate them with crap parts. I'l bring my helve hammer to school to build the rear corners. The administration is finally warming up to fabrication and restoration, so I might as well push it a bit.
I brought the side and rear doors home for a little sand blasting. As expected they were worse than they looked. Nothing too terrible, but all four will need bottoms and lower skins. One of the rears has enough damage, holes and rust under the licence plate reinforcement to need a skin almost to the body line.
The guys have made a little progress. Got the lower side panel cut and on it's way out. This will be interesting! This will be a first fab project for two students. They pushed out some collision damage and repaired the reinforcement pilar today. Another guy gets to build a new wiper opening.
Oh man, you need to do a vinyl wrap with "centerfolds" covering it's flanks. You in need of a PhotoShop for a visual?
Could you make their legs spread as the doors opened!! It's taking every bit of restraint I have not to go totally 70's with this Chip! That might just push me over the edge. I came real close to building a "spoiler" for the front! How about some scallops? Bring me back a decade!
We got her cut apart a bit more today. Whats behind rust? More rust! I love how these "simple driver" builds go! All is good. My guys are doing a good job so far, and are excited to work on it. We will make the parts as needed and build from the inside out. Haven't decided at what point I'll break down and blast this thing, but it's going to need it.
We will straighten the wheel opening and weld it into the new side panel once we get it built. Also got started on the rt rear corner. The piece with the hole for the bumper bracket was removed and straightened, and a few bits replaced behind it. It will get welded back on after the pilar gets repaired.
Thanks for the support guys! Looks like I have good news & bad news on this project. Bad news is the lawers @ school I work at have decided that we are no longer allowed to have anything we own in the shop. My students can work on other peoples cars, but not mine. I had to have the van brought home the day the decision came down. So I had to store it, bare metal, and cut apart. The good news! I'm retiring my shop at home. No more work for the public as of June 10. Before I covered and stored the van for the summer, I was able to do some layout and measuring. As of right now the plan is to bring it in the shop this fall for sectioning. I should be able to take 5-6 inches out of the old girl. We'll see how things go, but it looks like this summer and next winter should be pretty productive without customer cars eating up my time.
The Jalopy Journal
