Chevy & GMC Vans

97: started taking the top off my engine, temp sure started dropping fast after the sun went down hopefully i can get this all done tomorrow.

97:last week removed cleaned and reinstalled intake manifold wasn't too pretty couple of pictures below.
97:today changed leaky front heater valve, while i was taking the hoses off it split in half. The only things that were holding it together was the bolts holding it to the van......

Looks messy!

Its been warm weather this week, decided to wash off the winter crud and put on a coat of wax...and of course the coastal fog rolled in, so no photo at this time.

Cobra,
A chocolate milkshake is my favorite food, I'll pass on that one.

I hope your next post is how nice she runs, fingers crossed for you!

funny you should say that i was just thinking about posting that it's running better than before, need to replace distributer though the gear was pretty worn. Right after the oil flush it was immediately noticeable that it was running smoother and the lifters aren't chattering anymore

That's good news man. I see that goo and cringe thinking what the bearings and cylinder walls will look like.

When I purchased the van it had a crack and chunk missing out of the lower front bumper plastic, finally decided to trim off the damage and make clearance for bigger tires (sometime in the future, have to wear these out first)
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Installed new outside handle on drivers door, its been cracked for at least 4 years since I owned it, figured I better change it before it broke completely.

safari snapped a leaf spring last week. mechanic asked me what I'd been hauling. I replied "nothing, but Joe (the previous owner) hauled a bunch of people and a 5k lbs boat trailer with blown suspension for 8 years". He said "oh...that'll do it"
Picked up a used set of leaf springs at the junkyard and will have my mechanic replace them tomorrow. Getting them out was a HUGE PITA...so much so that I have no desire to do it again.
Also going back to the junkyard tomorrow to get some vortec heads for the cadillac. Found some in a chevy full size van.

Oh yeah, since I last posted, I bought this:

34k mile 1966 riviera. rebuilt engine and trans (12k in receipts). all new brakes. came with a set of rechromed rally rims with proper center caps. needs a repaint (original paint is falling off in spots) and the interior has minor issues, but given the car is 48 years old, it looks damn nice with only very minor surface rust.

Very nice car!

Very nice Riv, those are hard to find, its interesting that they do not share the body shell with any other GM cars.

Did a semi- fluid flush on the power steering, sucked out old fluid with turkey baster, filled reservoir and drove around town, and then repeated. The weather is too nice to work on my van so I took a drive along the coast and thru the redwoods. I could probably back the van inside this tree if it weren't for the root poking up in front.

97: still driving it everyday finally replace the nut that was missing from my glove box that holds it to the engine cover so nice to have the squeaking at highway speeds gone. now for the pesky vibration.....

00 is up to 215k. Had to have the rear diff pinion seal replaced last week.

Went to look at a clean looking 96 hi top explorer conversion safari today with 108k. Got up close and saw one wheel well was pretty rusted. Had a good sized dent on the quarter panel. Interior was muss my the 2nd and 3rd row seating. One set of interior lights didn't work. The wood all needed to be refinished. The 2 leather seats in the front were nice but covered in cigarette ash. The walls and carpet were nasty and covered on dirt and cigarette ash. The guy wanted 4k minimum for it, although he really wanted to do a straight trade for my Riviera
I told him I'd pay 2k max for it (before I saw the interior) , and he refused to let me test drive because he said one guy offered him 4k and another wanted to trade a clean infiniti for it. I told him he should have taken them up then. The van belonged to the guys dad and was obviously taken care of at one point, but it had been ridden hard for a while. The guy smoking and using the interior as his ash tray on the ride along tells me that van was beat on for a while.when we got back he tried again with o get me to straight up trade my Riviera for it. He said he would put bondo on the dent and rust and spray paint that part and "I couldn't tell" before he'd sell it and that I could buy all the seats it needed in leather for 400 new off the internet (uh huh).