Chevy & GMC Vans

I had a topic started on this project and someone apparently deleted it. WTF? Just wasted a lot of time looking for it and it is not here anymore. Now I have to start it all over again. Whatever mod deleted it, PLEASE leave this one alone. Just because I haven't posted on it in awhile doesn't mean I'm done. It's a PROJECT!

A year or two ago I aquired one of our old work vans. A 93 Shorty that the ins company totaled out. I started working on it in 2008 by cutting out the damaged shet metal and getting replacement panels from my parts van. That's where it eneded for awhile. This week I got back on the project. I scored a 95 LT1 350 with all the wiring and accessories. Tore it down to see what kind of shape it was in. Pretty good. Plus I finally welded on the replacement panels as well as replacing the passenger door since "someone" backed into it.

Wow! Replacing that rear panel is 'big time' in my book! Good job!

Can't wait to see the swap occur too.

Nice job Lockdoc...can't wait to see the finished project!

The amazing thing is that your Ins company totaled it... No wonder our insurance costs us so much! Sheesh

Hey,

Having done this, I may have some first hand experience that can help as you go through the process. Feel free to send me a PM and we can exchange numbers.

-X

I had forgotten all about that van Bill but remember after you posted the panel repair pics. Again, nice work on the repair. When's the 350 going in ? Wish I could be there to help. I'm getting the bug again but it'll pass.

Glad to see you back in the project game! Might have to make a trip down sometime to check her out.

Hey Bill,
I remember the project too. Lots of questions about welding distortion etc if I remember correctly.
Is it possible it was long ago enough to have been on the other site?

Missed you at NECO and had to give all the extra food to Cobra,,,,

Stripped the crap off the wiring harness in preperation of digging in.



The crap that I took off.



Thanks for the offer Xephius. I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions as this progresses.

Well, I think I have the LT1 harness ready for whenever. Tedious work. And factory manual suck! Using one to trace wires is ridiculous. It takes like five pages in five sections to figure out the routing of one damn wire! God forbid you could look under your hood, find a plug or connection, go to your manual, identify it and find where the wires go. Why can't they just have a diagram of the actual harness you are working on? Instead, everything is broken down into components. I can not figure out how to make reading these things easier. If anybody has any tips I'd love to hear. Next will be mating to the Astro harness. It should be simple as there should be like three plugs all togther that have everything I need to splice into. But as soon as I open the damn manual it gets complicated because those three connectors are spread out over the whole book!

A question for those that have done this. The Impala has the VSS going directly from the transmission to the PCM. Then the PCM has a VSS output to the instrument cluster for the speedo and such. The Astro has the VSS wires going to a buffer (DRAC) which is then broken off into several areas. IE: speedo, cruise, PCM and ABS. My thoughts right now are to split the signal at the VSS. One going to the original setup and one going to the new PCM. I would possibly use the signal from the LT1 PCM for the speedo but I don't know if it uses the same pulse count. Either way it looks like if I needed to recalbrate for different rear or tire combos I would need to upgrade both the PCM and the DRAC. My only corcern is that I don't know if splitting it will degrade the signal with feedback from the original DRAC. I don't think it will but what have you guys done?

Here are a couple new pics.

The pile of leftovers.



Finished engine\tranny harness.

That motor is from a cop-car or a taxi, because it has green HD hoses. Look closely at that alternator, it should be a 140 amp. Great pictures btw....

I remember the original thread, I thought it was posted on the old site though..
You are a brave man tearing into a wiring harness.. I have alot of respect for anyone who can tear into one, and rebuild it to suit another application.. looks like mind boggling work.

I was curious about all the green hoses. Yes, it's from a cop car. And yes, it was originally on this site. Didn't have this van back then.

Hey Bill, Good to see your into another project. Looking like another fun ride.

I'm so excited for you Bill!! I was really glad when you finally got a shorty cargo and now I'm more-so-glad you're getting an LT1 !!!