Thread: New Shop Truck

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Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I'm surprised you didn't start on an ark as close as you are to the Mississippi River. Altogether we had close to 10" and I really feel sorry for the farmers.

Luckily nothing near my house but I couldn't get to work Wednesday because all the highways were closed. Oh well, just had to spend the day in the garage assembling an engine. It's already gone down quite a bit around here. it seems to happen every few years; residents and businesses are used to it and usually are prepared.

Got the motor sitting in place, i need to modify the crossmember, cut the hole for the shifter, and start getting everything hooked up this week. Unfortunately the headers I got won't fit so I'm just going to save a few bucks and put the exhaust manifolds on it. Hopefully it'll be ready for a test drive in a couple of weeks.

Got my crossmember lined out and hole cut for the shifter. I need to build a different shifter handle angled more toward the driver but it looks like it's going to work out good. I think I'm going to be able to make the headers work after all; just need to cut off one tube on the drivers side and re-angle it.

I like the shifter, gonna be cool once it's sorted out.

Will the headers be wrapped? I'll bet that dog house gets HOT!

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Originally Posted by falconvan

...I need to build a different shifter handle angled more toward the driver but it looks like it's going to work out good.

Can't you put a thin, shiny nut on the shifter shaft below that handle, then as you thread on the handle snug up the nut from below to position it where you want it?

Actually I meant the shaft rather than the handle; need to get rid of that forward slant and make it a little longer.

That will be one of the coolest driving vans in the US!!

Thanks! Hoping to make the Power Tour with it; 29 days to get it finished up.

I wish you luck! It is crunch time. Haha

Got the headers to work; not much clearance but there in there.

You'd do well to put some heat wrap on those. It'll keep your feet cool.

Originally Posted by firebird77clone

You'd do well to put some heat wrap on those. It'll keep your feet cool.

There's a pretty good layer of heat shield material under the floor plus I've got some to put under the carpet. As far as going through pulling that header back off; I don't think I could force myself to do that. Lol!

I'll have you know that I was at our salvage yard last Sat and I seen the Astro van line up, I smiled and thought of yours. I like different builds like this.

They're not the most stylish looking things but they're cheap, plentiful, have an enclosed hauling space, AND you can easily put a V8 in them. All good shop truck qualities.

My buddies laughed at me when I got my wife a mini van...... I guarantee I've hauled more stuff in that thing than they have in their pick ups in the last 6 months or since they've owned them. It will not get a V8 though.