Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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Great looking work

Thanks Charlie, it has been almost a year since we started this project and there haven't been too many weekends where NO work was done to it...
Looking at the photos the welds show up very prominently. This is not the case with all of the reinforcements. I used the mig on "spot" and all of the welds are very low profile and deep penetrating. It just doesn't show up like that in the pics for some reason.
The last two weekends have seen some actual progress. I guess it is all progress but when you are welding things back together it just seems like you got more done, know what I mean?
Sunday was another good day. We made up a bunch of reinforcement plates. Most of these were not straight and flat fits. A lot of shrinker/stretcher work and a ton of hole punching!
This is in the passenger side dogleg area at the back of the slider door. Lots of jigs and jogs...
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC002F-vi.jpg
After punching a few holes.
http://images61.fotki.com/v219/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
This is at the front of the pass side tub.
http://images60.fotki.com/v367/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
This is the strip at the rear of the drivers side during fitting. Made a few trips back and forth to the shinker/stretcher for this one.
http://images16.fotki.com/v387/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Decent fitup with all of the spot welding holes punched. We got the floor side welded down then used a little pressure to push the top flange tight to the tub.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC007F-vi.jpg
Here it is all welded in and primed.
http://images53.fotki.com/v665/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
As well as the right side front
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
Left side front
http://images61.fotki.com/v380/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
And right side rear.
http://images61.fotki.com/v390/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
All of these seams will get sealed with Eastwoods grey seam sealer and then top coated black.
These guys are in there plenty solid. The whole van rings when I tap on them with a hammer...
Thanks for looking
Mark

Due to all of the hole punching we were doing (my hands were aching Saturday night after all of the holes I punched) we designed and built a little fixture to bolt my hand held hole puncher into. This clamps to the grinding table or the jig tables and sure does make 18ga. an easy job...
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...MVC017F-vi.jpg
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
It's just some scrap 1/4" angle and plate and a 4 x 4 drop. The verticle plate under the handle keeps the punch from rotating.
http://images55.fotki.com/v586/photo...MVC023F-vi.jpg
Set on the base
http://images51.fotki.com/v628/photo...MVC025F-vi.jpg
Welded up and primed with the Eastwood self-etching primer.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
I sprayed the base with some of my "signature" Hammered Black from Rustoleum.
http://images51.fotki.com/v628/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
The handle is a left-over chunk of 1 1/4 tube (with a bend on it). I painted it red (for effect).
http://images61.fotki.com/v384/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
All set up and ready to go! This makes punching holes FUN!
http://images58.fotki.com/v510/photo...MVC0011-vi.jpg

Last week was pretty busy for the van. Lots of things coming together. The fuel tank is all tacked up (and it looks pretty cool...). I wish I could take some pictures but cameras are not allowed in the fab shop.
I brought the bottom home to add some holes for the fuel pickup sump and build the inner baffles for the fuel sump and fuel level sender.
We bent the sump up using pieces of scrap leftover from cutting out the tank. Lots of aluminum to play with.
We cut an angle on the front side of the sump. We had to clamp some steel angles to the bent sides to support them during cutting.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
Here is the hole pattern laid out and I have drilled one hole. You can see the internal baffles mocked into position. These will be welded inside the bottom of the tank.
http://images112.fotki.com/v681/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
And all of the holes drilled and deburred. I used one of those step drills. I should have waited for the Rotobroaches I ordered last week to come in but I wanted to get this done.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
What you see here is the pick up sump set on the bottom of the tank. This will collect fuel thru all of those drain holes I drilled and should be very effective as an anti-starvation device. The pick up fittings will be welded into the left hand verticle wall of the sump. This will be at the very rear of the van.
http://images16.fotki.com/v368/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
Another angle. This is the "front" of the sump looking at the angled face we cut in the bandsaw pic.
http://images55.fotki.com/v586/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
This pic shows the sump and tank bottom mocked up as they will be in the van. The two small holes are where the weld bungs will be. I'll drill those out after I get the bungs I ordered from Summit this morning.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC006F-vi.jpg
With this stuff done I will haul it all into work tomorrow and let the fab shop have their way with it. The tank is going to look very nice. I just hope it works...
Mark

Saturday we did some running. We loaded up the 509 into my Astro and hauled it up to Pat in Kawkawlin. He is going to crack it open and check all of the bearings and re-torque everything just so I know what AND where is before I fire it up.
We are also discussing hydraulic roller cams. I really don't know if I want to hassle with the solid roller that's stabbed in there right now...
We did most of the tank work after we got back from Kawkawlin yesterday. I laid out and drilled the holes this morning but we also hit the tinwork hard today.
Mel worked on cutting out the left front wheel well. It's all cut out here and you can see we already have the left front suspension assembled.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
This is on the front side of the firewall.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
While Mel picked away at that I worked my way around and seam sealed all of the COMPLETED wheel houses... Seam sealed AND primed mind you..
A few pics of the tubs after priming.
The right front
http://images61.fotki.com/v373/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
The left rear.
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
The front of the left rear
http://images51.fotki.com/v103/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
The right rear
http://images112.fotki.com/v682/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
Got a lot done this weekend. I also have all of the new steering parts coming from Borgeson and I am working on power steering pump and brackets.
Thanks for looking
Mark

The tubs and front suspension look great in there Mark!!!! Good to hear somebody got some work done this weekend, I sure didn't!!!!!!!

Hey Dave!
LOTS of work done! I even did a butt-load of honey-do stuff during the day...
Right now I am pulling all of the stuff together for the van's steering system.
Last week I ordered all of the universal joints and DD shaft I need to build the intermediate shaft from the column to the gear.
It's all Borgeson stuff. Excellant pieces! Very beefy.
This is the lower single. 3/4 DD to 17mm DD (Corvette)
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
This is the upper double joint 1"DD to 3/4" DD with the shaft and support bearing
http://images53.fotki.com/v665/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
Here is the upper and lower "kinda" mocked into position
http://images15.fotki.com/v792/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg

I picked up an '86 Chevy 1 ton hydroboost power steering pump and it is hanging on the front of the mock up block.
http://images61.fotki.com/v373/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
Tuff Stuff brackets. Bolted right up. I just need to get a pulley and a pressure fitting.
http://images112.fotki.com/v685/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
I have two Astro van boost units. One from a '95.
You can see it sticks straight out from the fire wall.
http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
And one from a '98 which angles down at quite a steep pitch.
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Is either one better then the other? I don't care either way as far as looks or fitment goes, they are both off Astro's so I know they fit, just wondering if, operationally, one is better than the other.
I like this shot.
http://images50.fotki.com/v1570/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
You can see just how far back the front of the motor is from the wheel centerline.... God! This thing had better handle as well as it says it will on paper...

Well I hauled the tank home tonight for a trial fit. It is all tacked together except for the bottom panel. That was intentional so I could test fit the fuel sender. I wasn't sure if the sender arm would clear the baffles and it didn't. I had to put a bit of a notch in the right hand wall of the baffle. The tank plugged the hole just fine though and there are no fitment issues.
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Looking at the fuel pickup underneath. The plate with the fuel bungs needs to be welded up yet.
http://images15.fotki.com/v792/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
Looking inside the tank at the baffles and fuel drain holes to the pick up sump. The baffle closest to us is the one I had to put a small notch into.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
Here you can see the cover panel with the fuel sender in place.
http://images61.fotki.com/v384/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photo...MVC020F-vi.jpg
The tank fits so Jesse can finish the welding. I will make the filler panels at the back of the floor and hopefully get the left front wheel well rebuilt next week. I took next week off so I plan to hit the van hard.
Thanks for looking
Mark

moving right along looks good....One of these days when I have nothing to do I may show up at your shop.

Originally Posted by cffisher

moving right along looks good....One of these days when I have nothing to do I may show up at your shop.

More then welcome Charlie! In fact, we are having a big cookout Sunday afternoon and you are invited!

Looks good Mark! I have no idea where one hydrovac would be better then the other, probably comes down to whichever one is going to work better for the room you have....

Thanks Dave, I decided to go with the'95 unit. It fit a little better and it still had the bottles on it.
Haven't updated the thread in a while. We have been busy though. Getting a bunch of things done the last month or so. Kind of picking away at stuff. Doesn't seem like you are getting anything done but it's all progress...
The front clip is back on with new body mounts mocked in place. We rebuilt the lower front radiator support using 1 x 2 rec tubing and some 3/16ths plate. I used some nova subframe mounts that I had on hand.
http://images53.fotki.com/v665/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
Even with everything simply clamped in place this is very solid.
http://images110.fotki.com/v606/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
We have also been working on the engine cover. This turned out to be a LOT more work then I thought it would be.
This is the front half as we rebuilt it with steel strips and 'glass. We added a clearance bulge to the drivers side to clear the left rocker cover.
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC017F-vi.jpg
http://images14.fotki.com/v390/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
After glassing. The "colorful" material is cheap t-shirt material we stretched over the form. We hit this with some resin which, after it hardened, was a perfect surface to lay glass on.
http://images51.fotki.com/v303/photo...MVC017F-vi.jpg
After a bit of sanding with a D/A and mocking up the "door" seal.
http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
The plan is to leave this front half bolted to the firewall most of the time. The removable cover was developed to attach and seal to the floor in the usual way with retention at the front, gloving over the seal, using 1/4 turn Dzus fasteners. We robbed a door seal off the donor van to use to seal this edge.
Thanks for looking.
Mark

A lot of thought and fab work will be going into the dash. I have stripped down the stock '88 unit and have trimmed it (had to cut off most of the lower half of the center stack) to fit with the revised engine cover.
http://images44.fotki.com/v1407/phot...MVC001F-vi.jpg
I want to update the look to the later '98-'05 dash. like this.
http://images51.fotki.com/v1562/phot...MVC015F-vi.jpg
http://images50.fotki.com/v1513/phot...MVC013F-vi.jpg
You would think this would be a simple swap but GM changed the entire mounting system inside that 10 year span. The original dash bolts in along the front, under the windshield while the '98 was carried on a magbeam that bolted in on the ends. Plus the HVAC stuff is all redone and won't fit together. I want to maintain the '88 mounting scheme and defrost ducts so I will be cutting the fronts off both IP's and then blending the '98 front to the '88 rear, if that makes sense...
The original defrost duct will work with no mods but the dash vent ducting from the '98 will need to be adapted to the '88 outlet. Heavy sigh...
I will also rebuild the '98 center stack to accomodate all of my gauges and still carry the HVAC controls. Lots of time consuming work to be done...
Here are a few pics of the removable cover after we got it fleshed out with some steel strips. We used 18 ga. steel to make the strips and ran a bead down the center to stiffen them up.
My daughter said it looked like pinhead with all the cleco's holding it together...
http://images114.fotki.com/v74/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
http://images16.fotki.com/v388/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
After it was all welded and riveted together. You can see the clearance bump for the rocker cover in this pic.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
http://images46.fotki.com/v1441/phot...MVC006F-vi.jpg
The band at the front gloves over the rear seal on the stationary half and is held on with 1/4 turns. We made the tabs from 18 ga and ran a bead around the edge. You can also see the bead we ran around the front band to glove over the rubber seal. We clamped all of this in place, over the seal, while we were building it so the fit is good-n-tight and there should be no leakage.
http://images53.fotki.com/v138/photo...jpg?1340022851
The strips are riveted to the rear half of the original cover and we spot welded all of the steel. This thing is stout and will get even better once the 'glass is added.
http://images18.fotki.com/v375/photo...jpg?1340023008
Other than cleaning some brake parts and a LOT of measuring and thinking that's what Mel and I have been doing the last few weeks. The next step is to get the dash built and mock up the seats for console, pedals and shifter placement.
Thanks for looking.
Mark

Lots more fun work to do now Mark!

Great work on an engine cover that will look good and be very functional, too. And thanks for posting all of the details. Seeing the progress pics, step by step, stores ideas that can maybe applied to projects in the future.