Chevy & GMC Vans

astrozam wrote:

Herbie wrote:
Visited my friend's shop today. We pulled the headliner and removed the roof rack. Started mapping out where to cut the roof for my DIY pop-top project...


Mapped out the x/y plane of the roof on paper so we can update the CAD model. Next week or so we'll scribe the roof curves for the z-direction...

Looking forward to seeing how this project works out

ME TOO!

phr1$k37 wrote:I did a full deep clean + claybar to polish .. Needless to say, my arms feel like rubber but I am happy! I should take a photo but right now ... I just need a good lower back and arm rub hah ha.

mines due for just that. i usually do it once each spring (i think it's all my arms can take) LOL

crash wrote:mines due for just that. i usually do it once each spring (i think it's all my arms can take) LOL

Well, get to it! You know it makes a big difference!
What do you use?
I hear and have seen the new Turtle Wax Ice ... very nice shine indeed!

I drove it home today. Just got it. It is a 94 with 169k miles on it. AWD and the CMFI ? type induction (anyway not the throttle body). One of the previous owners wrecked the nose and the people I got it from had a heater hose go bad so I got it for $200. A friend of mine gave me 200 for some work I am doing for him this week so I essentially got it for free. Now I am going to get rid of my 85 which was my original project and which I never even got started on.

hunted for elusive body sway. ..started getting mushy in the curves and turns in the front end.
sway bar parts are all still there...didn't lose a bolt from a shock.
dunno, maybe one of my front shocks leaked it's gas

phr1$k37 wrote:

crash wrote:mines due for just that. i usually do it once each spring (i think it's all my arms can take) LOL

Well, get to it! You know it makes a big difference!
What do you use?
I hear and have seen the new Turtle Wax Ice ... very nice shine indeed!

I will I will... LOL I just brought home another project that I have about a month and a half to complete 96 sunfire 4dr that will be converted to a Z24 4dr (with a 2.2L)

at least i got the 99 washed again. the 93 is out with a friend for a couple of days looking for a prospective buyer

as for what I use. after a claybar I use Zaino products . they can be found at www.zainostore.com .. or www.zainostore.ca

Neebie here fellas, I'll find the neebie thread in a minute and introduce myself a bit more!

Between yesterday & today I hardwired my gps & sirius receiver (tucked receiver into the garage door holster in the ceiling console) and was quite anal about hiding the wires, so it was a complete cockpit teardown! Ya ever have one of those projects you put the last screw in, flip the switch & hear a fuse pop... ARGH. Aparently running a charger cord over the map lights is not such a good idea!

Tracked down the short I had in the rear wiper motor, which has never worked, only to find out the internal shaft was stripped, you pull it trip & $35 later & i got a nice clean rear window... crazy how small things make us happy! Removed the grill, sanded to dull, reshot black.. kinda wish I had gone white now... Oh, did I mention the trip to the parts store to but 2 boxes of 20 amp mini fuses to replace the ones that I stole while trying to figure out where that short in the wiring was... yeah, did that too!

Removed an old gear hanging setup I had going, to replace with better hardware... buffed the front directional lenses (amazing how much of that yellowing will go away with some buffing!

Air filter, gas filter, pcv... front door windows tinted (had em done, $60 couldn't argue!) and I think that just about does it!

Not that ya'll really wanted to know all that, but at least I have it documented now so the old lady can't bitch that I sat around doing nothing the past two days now!

discovered a leaking transmission cooler line, in the nick of time! I came *this* close to burning up my new transmission in the 87..

installed new rear shocks on the 87. It's amazing how may rattles dissapear when you install new shocks...

I haven't posted anything about this yet, but a couple days after the intake gasket replacement on the '99, the bottom end started making a bunch of racket, as in I'm sure it spun a rod bearing.

So today I drove up to East Canton in my '94 to pick up a replacement motor for the van...





My wife was pleased that I was able to find a fairly low miles (68K) "4.3" from a 99 3500 Savana to replace the knocker. I saw the van it came out of, and other than the left front splindle being ripped out from under it, the van was spotless inside and out. She's not real sure why I had to get new motor mounts, but thinks the oil pan is due to the donor being RWD. I'll post progress in a topic in the swap forum once I get rolling. I hope she is pleased with the new "4.3" when it's done...

You're only going to get away with this until the first time she drives the van. And if that doesn't do it then I'M TELLIN'.

rubberdown wrote:Neebie here fellas, I'll find the neebie thread in a minute and introduce myself a bit more!

Between yesterday & today I hardwired my gps & sirius receiver (tucked receiver into the garage door holster in the ceiling console) and was quite anal about hiding the wires, so it was a complete cockpit teardown! Ya ever have one of those projects you put the last screw in, flip the switch & hear a fuse pop... ARGH. Aparently running a charger cord over the map lights is not such a good idea!

Tracked down the short I had in the rear wiper motor, which has never worked, only to find out the internal shaft was stripped, you pull it trip & $35 later & i got a nice clean rear window... crazy how small things make us happy! Removed the grill, sanded to dull, reshot black.. kinda wish I had gone white now... Oh, did I mention the trip to the parts store to but 2 boxes of 20 amp mini fuses to replace the ones that I stole while trying to figure out where that short in the wiring was... yeah, did that too!

Removed an old gear hanging setup I had going, to replace with better hardware... buffed the front directional lenses (amazing how much of that yellowing will go away with some buffing!

Air filter, gas filter, pcv... front door windows tinted (had em done, $60 couldn't argue!) and I think that just about does it!

Not that ya'll really wanted to know all that, but at least I have it documented now so the old lady can't bitch that I sat
around doing nothing the past two days now!

You've been busy, good reminder about how hot those little map lights can get

justice wrote:discovered a leaking transmission cooler line, in the nick of time! I came *this* close to burning up my new transmission in the 87..

You got "Big Time" lucky on that Dow, how'd you notice the leak?

rlsllc wrote:I haven't posted anything about this yet, but a couple days after the intake gasket replacement on the '99, the bottom end started making a bunch of racket, as in I'm sure it spun a rod bearing.



My wife was pleased ...

... Bummer after just doing the intake gasket work, oh well i guess it'll be easier now that the motor it out,lol
... is this the infamous man they call Roy?
...Havin the wife happy is 99.99% of the battle

astrozam wrote:

justice wrote:discovered a leaking transmission cooler line, in the nick of time! I came *this* close to burning up my new transmission in the 87..

You got "Big Time" lucky on that Dow, how'd you notice the leak?

I was going to the parts house to get some new shocks, and when I pulled in to the lot a guy pulled up to me and said "i think you have a leaking transmission line". So i parked the van, jump out and sure enough tranny fluid was pouring out. I called my transmission guy who came over, found that the leak was a fitting that came loose at the radiator, tightened it back up, topped off the fluid and checked for more leaks. didn't find any. The tranny never slipped or acted funny on my way to the parts house so i'm hoping I didn't do any damage. If I had of been going anywhere else farther away, i would have smoked the transmission.

Didn't do this today,More like last week -
Installed a Xtreme FI 46mm TBI in the 8 cargo.
Here's the kicker,I bought it locally,& the owner used it twice on his S-10.
So I had to remove the S-10 Throttle shaft & replace it with a Astro throttle shaft.
After allot of measuring with calipers & Modifying the Astro throttle shaft slightly
& tapping out the original butterfly holes to 6/32 & making new butterflies,I knew I had
only one chance of making it right with no mistakes.It went together like butter,Took
the stock regulator & made a Adjustable regulator out of it & installed a new spring &
Diaphram,set it slightly higher than stock tong position.Installed it in the van,Re -set base RPM,& works well.The van is pulling up to 5300 RPM without pinging,Before it pinged
& pulled only up to 4600 RPM.

astrozam wrote:

rlsllc wrote:I haven't posted anything about this yet, but a couple days after the intake gasket replacement on the '99, the bottom end started making a bunch of racket, as in I'm sure it spun a rod bearing.



My wife was pleased ...

... Bummer after just doing the intake gasket work, oh well i guess it'll be easier now that the motor it out,lol
... is this the infamous man they call Roy?
...Havin the wife happy is 99.99% of the battle

Yes, serious bummer, and yes, I have a good idea about the '99 after the intake, and also I'm practicing today by dropping the subframe out of my '91 to steal the oil pan.

I admit, that is I, aren't I adorable?

And I hope my wife is still happy when I get the new "4.3" in the pic installed in her van. Do all 4.3s has 5.7 on the back of the block on the left side?