Bad Ast Astro Van Build

**astroracer** · 03-28-2012 04:41 AM

THANKS A TON GUYS! I am glad you are enjoying the build. I DO wish I had more time to devote to it but I wouldn't be able to pay the bills that way.

I haven't updated the thread for a while so here is what we've been up to. Just kind of picking away at things, lots of little things need doing to get the bigger stuff taken care of...
Got some work done the past few weekends. Welding and grinding on the wheel rear tubs last weekend with Mel getting the spindles set up for the brake abutment adaptor brackets.
http://images55.fotki.com/v648/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images51.fotki.com/v103/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Drilling and tapping holes for those. We had to do some plugging to relocate one of them for better caliper positioning but the other was a straight drill and re-tap for both holes.
http://images51.fotki.com/v299/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
Today I put off doing any welding. Worked on the alternator brackets. The brackets that came with the engine are set up for the drivers side. I have NO room for an alternator over there so it has to go on the pass. side. The pulley is out of alignment on this side so I made up a couple of spacers to push the whole bracket forward 3/4's of an inch.
http://images55.fotki.com/v585/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
http://images45.fotki.com/v1257/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v367/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
You can see the spacers behind the bracket. The belt lines up beatifully now. The next job is getting an adjuster plate down there. It is getting fairly close to the lower rad. hose but I think it's do-able.
Thanks for looking.
Mark

**astroracer** · 03-28-2012 04:43 AM

We also started cutting up the pass side front wheel well. The whole front corner was removed in the process and there is a huge gapping hole in the floor and firewall now. You can see some of the carnage here.
http://images18.fotki.com/v438/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
We did this so we can get the tire wheel into full jounce and steer to set clearances and rebuild the wells.
We also started assembling the front suspensions. Pressing in the lower ball stud and bolting in the uppers, we actually assembled the front pass corner on the van for the first time!
http://images51.fotki.com/v299/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v361/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
The amazing thing to me was that it actually went together and looks right!
http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
Even the calipers bolted up as designed. I was feeling pretty good by the end of the day! Even though we have a long way to go, things are coming together and it seems we are doing something right. Moving forward is good!
http://images17.fotki.com/v374/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images50.fotki.com/v1530/phot...jpg?1332153347
I tried bolting up a front rim but the studs are too short (I knew they would be and I have longer ones from Summit on the bench) I need to change those out so I can get a wheel on.
Thanks for looking
Mark

**astroracer** · 03-28-2012 04:47 AM

Thanks guys, work is progressing slowly. We are into a stage where there is a lot of little things to do before we can get big things done. Last week was spent pulling together all of the parts for the trans build. Runnning the trans and rebuild kit up to Fred in Bay City after work Thursday night. I got home at 5:00pm to a flooded shop (TONS of rain) and spent an hour getting that swept out. I will have to mop and clean the floors before I do any painting this year.
Saturday was spent working on the hubs. Sandblasting, priming, painting.
Before blasting...
http://images17.fotki.com/v284/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
After blasting... Cleaned up real nice.
http://images16.fotki.com/v378/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
I painted them the same hammer black as the spindles. Looks okay. Not that you will see them after they are assembled anyway...
http://images61.fotki.com/v384/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
We pressed in new, longer 1/2 inch studs today and stuck it back on the spindle.
http://images112.fotki.com/v113/phot...MVC015F-vi.jpg
We also spent some time working out the new alternator bracket design. Took a lot of measurements and I designed the new bracket last night.
http://images55.fotki.com/v585/photo...RNATOR1-vi.jpg
http://images53.fotki.com/v249/photo...RNATOR3-vi.jpg
This will move the alternator up about two inches which will get it out of the way of the lower rad hose and still clear the engine cover. I will talk to the fab shop at work about laser cutting these for me...

**astroracer** · 03-28-2012 04:48 AM

Getting the hubs done with longer studs let me get a rim and tire bolted on.
http://images16.fotki.com/v382/photo...MVC021F-vi.jpg
This pic is with the fender in place. What you see here is full jounce
http://images55.fotki.com/v659/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
We also mocked up the steering rack so we could get an accurate lock to lock on the tire.
This is full right lock/full jounce. We developed all of our trim lines from this position.
http://images51.fotki.com/v103/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
This is from the pass side door before any extra trimming. We trimmed enough to give the tire a full inch of clearance.
http://images17.fotki.com/v62/photos...MVC002F-vi.jpg
This is full left lock/jounce.
We'll build a new inner fender to cover the suspension and tie into the firewall and new front structure.
http://images55.fotki.com/v585/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
Mel got the old inner wheel house cleaned up and we'll use that as a base to rebuild the new one.
http://images112.fotki.com/v113/phot...MVC020F-vi.jpg
We got a lot done today. Everything went together very well and we don't have any real issues other then the lack of time...
Thanks for looking! I think this van is going to look BAD AST... What do you think?
http://images16.fotki.com/v258/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg

**1gary** · 03-28-2012 05:39 AM

Yeah Mark-it is coming together nicely.You think your going to driving it by the end of the summer??.

**Dave Severson** · 03-28-2012 05:55 AM

Nice work Mark, especially like the look of the front wheel and tire set up!!! Kind of does away with the plain Jane grocery getter look for sure! Sorry to hear about the flooding in the shop, I know what a mess that makes! I had a shop years ago that was in a low spot, went in there one Monday morning after a weekend of rain to find 6" of water! Took a week to get everything cleaned up.

Good progress on the van, all these little pieces really eat up the old clock, don't they?

**cffisher** · 03-28-2012 06:00 AM

Realy nice work, you can tell it was thought out.

**rspears** · 03-28-2012 06:57 AM

More great fab work, and for sure it's living up to it's name! Can't wait to see it all together!!

**astroracer** · 03-30-2012 08:47 PM

Thanks everyone!, I think the wheels look "right" on there. Simple and uncluttered.
Going up to Bay City in the morning to pick up the trans. Talked to Fred Thursday and he was painting it. Said it was ready and it will be one stout piece. He said I couldn't have found a better core if it was brand new... Good. I will haul the Gear Vendors unit up there so he can take a look at it.
He sent me some pics as he was stuffing the trans...
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...00_1561-vi.jpg
http://images17.fotki.com/v326/photo...00_1563-vi.jpg
http://images24.fotki.com/v865/photo...00_1565-vi.jpg
http://images24.fotki.com/v865/photo...00_1569-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photo...00_1560-vi.jpg
Thanks for looking
I have tomorrow and Sunday so look for updates.

Mark

**astroracer** · 03-30-2012 08:49 PM

A buddy found the trans for me. It's a '71 out of a motorhome... Low miles on it although Fred found evidence of an amatuer rebuild. Nothing major, just a couple of snap rings in the wrong spot and a missing parking pawl spring. He said it was perfect otherwise.
Here are a couple of pics of the Gear Vendors "J" model overdrive I got off eBay. It took me over an hour to uncrate it and it seems to be in fine shape. We'll go through it at Freds shop tomorrow.
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...00_4499-vi.jpg
Manuals, Wiring harness and a speedo adaptor.
http://images114.fotki.com/v1605/pho...00_4497-vi.jpg
The CRATE...
Drywall screws and bolts man...
http://images57.fotki.com/v647/photo...00_4494-vi.jpg

**astroracer** · 03-30-2012 08:50 PM

A box full of Autometer gauges came in from Summit the same day the O.D. did...
http://images61.fotki.com/v390/photo...00_4509-vi.jpg
http://images53.fotki.com/v545/photo...00_4510-vi.jpg
I will be building these into the dash center-stack. I have a '98 dash that is a lot more "curvey" then the '88 was. I will strip the pad off it and recover it in carbon fiber.
Spent time modeling up the dash pad and gauges tonight. This is just a quick and dirty but you can see what I am going for. Everything will be covered with carbon fiber. I changed the color of the gauge pod so you can see it.
http://images116.fotki.com/v700/phot...tyling4-vi.jpg
The lower set of gauges will be built in under the HVAC controls
http://images57.fotki.com/v647/photo...tyling3-vi.jpg
The alternator brackets are getting laser cut shortly. I sent the files to my buddy in the fab shop yesterday. KOOL!

**pat mccarthy** · 03-30-2012 09:31 PM

Fred V is the man.. been doing my 400s and customers trans for 20 years great guy to work with just like most guys from bay city

**Dq383500** · 03-30-2012 10:23 PM

I got my gear vendors out of a newspaper ad, 700r4 setup, works great! just wish i had more power. I wound up ditching the computer set up. just my preference computer worked great, just wanted control, although the unit gave me option of manual.Good luck trying to break it! Super nice project, Can't wait! oh wait I have a 8 speed! you only will have a 6 speed! I win .just kidding!!!!

Originally Posted by astroracer

A buddy found the trans for me. It's a '71 out of a motorhome... Low miles on it although Fred found evidence of an amatuer rebuild. Nothing major, just a couple of snap rings in the wrong spot and a missing parking pawl spring. He said it was perfect otherwise.
Here are a couple of pics of the Gear Vendors "J" model overdrive I got off eBay. It took me over an hour to uncrate it and it seems to be in fine shape. We'll go through it at Freds shop tomorrow.
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...00_4499-vi.jpg
Manuals, Wiring harness and a speedo adaptor.
http://images114.fotki.com/v1605/pho...00_4497-vi.jpg
The CRATE...
Drywall screws and bolts man...
http://images57.fotki.com/v647/photo...00_4494-vi.jpg

**Dave Severson** · 03-31-2012 08:03 AM

You'll really like the overdrive Mark. Friend of mine has been running one behind a 400 for about 10 years now and still hasn't broke it!!! Lord know he tries!!!!!!

**astroracer** · 04-04-2012 04:56 AM

The O.D. will make the van "drivable". I knew I was going this direction eventually. Just didn't think it would be this soon. It all worked out so I guess it was meant to be. I much prefer getting this done now anyway. saves the headache down the road.
I've got a four day coming up this weekend. I promised one to my wife and I hope to get the right front wheel well installed and the left front well on it's way.
Last weekend I worked on the rear tubs. They are about 80% welded right now. I will get those finished up this coming weekend and get them installed also. This will be a big deal. getting the tin work wrapped up means we can start moving forward with the doghouse reconstruction and actually slinging some sealer and paint!
Last weekend was spent tack welding and building the Right Front wheel well.
While I was welding Mel made a pattern out of the last of the green cardboard. We laid that out on a sheet of 22ga and stomp sheared it to shape. After getting it to fit well in the opening we taped a piece of 1 inch heater hose to the tire and spun it to check clearances. We had a close condition at full jounce/right lock as you can see by the witness marks inside the black marker "oval".
http://images16.fotki.com/v387/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
We cut this out with the plasma cutter and decided to make a "bicycle fender" to improve the clearance.
The clearance pocket from inside the van
http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
From underneath
http://images16.fotki.com/v387/photo...MVC020F-vi.jpg
Sunday we made a hammer form out of a piece of 1 x 12. We cut a slot out to duplicate the clearance pocket, routed the edge with a round over bit, clamped a piece of 22ga in place and went to town with the BFH and numerous forming tools made from chunks of lumber and a few body dollies ...
http://images60.fotki.com/v361/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
After a few minutes we had the shape well on it's way.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
Drawing out the corners with a body dollie.
http://images53.fotki.com/v665/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
Fairly complete at this point. Took about 10 minutes to make this piece.
http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
Pulled the "die" apart to check the damages... Of course the parts are flat as we made them in a flat die. Here I am trimming off the flanges.
http://images9.fotki.com/v248/photos...MVC010F-vi.jpg
To get the "fender" to match the contourof the inner well we ran it through the shrinker.
http://images16.fotki.com/v387/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
A little shrinking on both sides pulled it into a perfect arch to match the wheel well radius.
http://images59.fotki.com/v222/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
http://images24.fotki.com/v865/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
Still have a lot of fitting to do but the hard part is done...
http://images16.fotki.com/v369/photo...MVC019F-vi.jpg
Have to do a little more trimming on the old structure to get the pocket where it needs to go.
http://images50.fotki.com/v1515/phot...MVC020F-vi.jpg
This will work very well. A lot of work for something you won't even see. right?
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC021F-vi.jpg
Thanks for looking
Mark

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