Air ride on sad pimped 92 Astro!!

[andyfanshawe]

niiiiice!!!! hey man i got that picture of how i welded the link over on my pictures and also shes on her own suspension now.
Danny

Thanks Danny. Sweeeeeeeeet

Okay, here are some more photos and updates.
Painted the inner wings (epoxy primer and BRIGHT red).


This is the view of the wheel/tyre all the way up (just about level with the side skirts.



This is a photo of the passenger side under carpet filler. You can see what i have had to cut off it to suit the new wheel arch shape. Just about room for 1 foot then


I've had to make and sandblast many brackets, like this one that holds the bottom of the coolant bottle on the passsenger side.


Since the 2 heater matrix pipes are now higher up, i have had to relocate the fuel pump relay over to one side and modify the heater relay bracket.


This is a view down the passenger side of the inner fender showing the slightly relocated and lengthened heater pipes and relocated vacuum ball.

Andy.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Awesome fab skills! Great job!

[andyfanshawe]

Awesome fab skills! Great job!

Thanks

Now (thinking out loud, so to speak!) I need to move the front gfx down and back, to about here:



This will entail reprofiling the front fenders to match. And, since the gfx sits on top of the original chrome bumper, it will involve moving that down and back also!!

Andy.

[nitropyro]

very nice andy!
Danny

[andyfanshawe]

very nice andy!
Danny

Thanks Danny.
Have you done your front end already? If so, is it similar to mine?

Andy

[SoCalli V8]

What do you use to cut your sheet metal Andy, I was just curious....?

[andyfanshawe]

What do you use to cut your sheet metal Andy, I was just curious....?

Hi Darren.
I use an airsaw mostly. Very good and very fast, and no distortion. Sometimes I use a nibbler (not air or powered). In fact if you can find the photo on this thread of myself cutting the passenger wheel arch out, you can just see the airsaw in my hand!!

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

More progress report:
Started stripping out the front of the van. ie gfx and bumper behind it








Here is the front gfx mocked up at the position I want it. Bit different to what I thought earlier. If I flare the wings out a bit at the front and extend them down, they will meet up with the gfx really well. The string is the bottom line if the vehicle.



To be able to do this, the corners of the bodywork need to be rounded off (where the light bulb holder is). Easy stuff though.



We am now off on a well deserved break to Teneriffe, so won't be able to report back for a few days on any more progress. So, easyjet permitting, in the immortal words of the gov of Californ-ia, "I'll be back".

In the meantime, some homework for you all - I need some sexy headlights to go on this van. (That space between the bottom of the bonnet and the bumper is exciting for a lighting revolution.) Rectangular if possible that don't do any bending around corners. 3rd gen camaro h/lights for example. Post up any ideas please :dontknow:

Buenos tardes.
Andy.

[s10-den]

I read over your 30 page thread, man, you have been through alot with that van!Glad everything is working out smooth for you now...

[SoCalli V8]

Quote Andyfanshawe "We am now off on a well deserved break to Teneriffe, so won't be able to report back for a few days on any more progress. So, easyjet permitting, in the immortal words of the gov of Californ-ia, "I'll be back"."

Tenerife, I`ve been there and partied my a$$ off in Playa de Las Americas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playa_de_las_Am%C3%A9ricas have a fun time.

Loving your photo updates overhere....

[andyfanshawe]

Quote Andyfanshawe "We am now off on a well deserved break to Teneriffe, so won't be able to report back for a few days on any more progress. So, easyjet permitting, in the immortal words of the gov of Californ-ia, "I'll be back"."

Tenerife, I`ve been there and partied my a$$ off in Playa de Las Americas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playa_de_las_Am%C3%A9ricas have a fun time.

Loving your photo updates overhere....

Thanks Darren.
Yep, been cruisin around Playa de las Americas in my Kia Picanto and Wife and 2 kids. No partying though I can tell ya! Plenty of nice looking ladies though in scimpy bikinis!!


Hi s-10 den.
Thanks for the comments. keep looking in, things are going to get interesting from here on in!!

Right,........ that viscous fan. Parasitic drain and old technology. So, what about removing the water pump completely, fabbing up a pipe that links the 2 coolant passages together and a T off to the matrix and fitting an electric water pump to the bottom hose and a software automatic controller that detects the temperature and regulates the speed of water flow. It also means I can lose the thermostat. And get a few more MPG

About £300 in total. Don't know the $ for it though! Here is an australian web site that shows it.
http://www.daviescraig.com.au/main/display.asp?pid=47

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Oh, headlights.............Quad setup (4 on each side - 2 up, 2 down). 4th gen camaro lights. White LED marker lights as per the new Audi. All behind a custom built billet grille.

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Battery tray next before I relocate the charcoal canister and round those corners off.

Made out of heavy plate (2 and a half mill), a lot of cutting, grinding, welding, blood (found a way to clean my mucky hands-just scrape all the skin off with a hacksaw) and sweat. No tears though.





The holes are there to lighten it up from the half ton it weighs I only had to drill 1 hole. I used the earth leads stud and threaded hole behind the headlights and for one and one of the original battery tray threaded holes in the inner wing. Off to be galvanised on monday.

What's next....................?

Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

I read over your 30 page thread, man, you have been through alot with that van!Glad everything is working out smooth for you now...

Thanks s10-den!! It certainly is a loooong read. Enjoyable doing the van though. Good luck with yours.
Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Rightio then. What progress has occured over the last few days?
I have spent hours and hours and hours modifying the fender hinges to get the fender to hood gaps perfect. Then I had to bend the fender ends to match the hood contours. Here's a couple of photos of the ends of the hood hinges adjusted slightly and gas welded up.





Next up is the fabrication of the extensions to the old hood slam panel to secure the front of the fenders that are obviously too long. Rather than use the big ugly black panel that goes across the van...........



I chopped it up and redesigned the ends





Looks a lot cleaner. Hood catch next.

Andy.