Cruiser's Van

[cruiser056]

Hi all,
        Well I have finally managed to pick up a Van, thanks to one of the other forum users (Brad).  Now that I have finally moved house I can start on the Van.

        I will be stripping everything out of my FE sedan and putting it into the van. A warm 186, Toyota 5 speed, Commodore brakes up front, VN disc brake diff and so on.  It is going to be my everyday driver, not a show car, but I have a bit of work to do before the transplant begins.  I welcome any and all comments and feedback as I value the sxperience and opinions of many of the forum users.  I will try to updat this thread as I go along and I am sure I will have quite a few questions to ask.

Michael

[OldGas]

That looks like a good start to a project , and the helper in the background isnt scared to be in the shed either , thats always a bonus

[Just40]

whooo  got to be happy with that

[Hotlips]

  If it wasn't for the last photos showing a roller door, I was thinking it was PARKED IN YOUR BEDROOM (first photo shows chest of drawers; woman looking like she is trying to find space and nicely painted walls).  heh heh heh heh, Cheers Hotlips.
PS Nice wagon in the make

[cruiser056]

We are still unpacking from the move.  I have managed to get everything away from the Van so that I can start pulling it apart, soon we will have the rest of the stuff out of the garage.

The Van has very little rust, and what rust it does have is very minor.  From the rust point of view it is the best I have ever seen for a car to be restored.  It doesn't have anywhere near as much rust as my sedan had and it is regoed & driven everyday.

[cruiser056]

well progress is slow, but the deconstruction has begun!  I have decided to totally strip to bare metal and repair any rust or possible start of rust before going any further.  I am also turning the van back into a windowless van.  I just can't see the point of going to all this work and keeping windows in her.





I am going to strip the floor back to bare metal and re-coat.  Not sure what to use yet as I want to give the best protection from rust as possible.  Wiring is also gone, I am going to install all new wiring.



Windows have been removed.  Just need to sort out replacements sides.



This is my 7 year old daughter Jenna.  She loves helping with the cars, she removed several pieces of the interior on her own and she was quite proud of it too.

[zulu]

Looks like you are off to a good start Cruiser, have to be happy with a minimal rust body.
Is it a PMG van? (ex postie) that red? paint looks to be everywhere, what are the details off the body plate?
You are fortunate that the side windows are only the small ones, they should be easier to fill in.
Good luck with the build.
Regards, Gary

[minifcvan]

There can never be enough fc vans around... Cheers Mark

[Brad]

Michael.
         Good to see you have started on the van. It's nice to know that the car will be reborn instead of rusting away some where or crushed for scrap like so many other old cars.
        Great stuff that you're going down the windowless road. It will be more hassle but worth it in the long run as they look best windowless in my opinion. Keep the pics coming.
                 Brad.

[mikey]

Hey Michael,
                     Your parents named you well, as this is my name too! Apparently they named all the clever kids by this moniker. (Sorry all non Michael's)

Have a look at this paint system for some of the best (if not the best) rust protection around. Don't have a heart attack when you see how much it costs though.    http://www.ppc.au.com
They are pretty clear that the instructions on application must be strictly adhered to for proper results.

I have not as yet used it, but will be,  Other people here have, just do a search on the forum for POR 15 (yes that is correct POR 15) even have a Google look for it, there are many hits.


Kind regards    Michael

[cruiser056]

Hi all!

Well it has been along time since I have added anything to this post!! I have added this pic, but will have to go through and find some more of the build before now.  This is after the van's first drive, it went quite well.  At this stage it will stay in primer until I can source some better front guards and a little bodywork to finish here and there.

The van is running, mild 186, celica 5 speed, VN Commodore disc brake diff, HZ discs on front.  I am currently fitting out the cargo area of the van, but it will be my everyday car for work.

Michael

[Maco]

Hi Cruiser,

Looks like you have done a nice job on the van.

Cheers
John

[cruiser056]

Far from finished!!  But as I have decided this is to be my last one, and the model I have always wanted, I am happy to take the time to finish things off properly.  Unfortunately as I want and need the van as my everyday driver, it will have to be driven around until the time for it to be professionally painted, which will be the last thing.  I know it is a round about way of doing things and more work in the end, but it allows me to use the vehicle in the meantime.

[Ed]

nice wheels cruiser

[collecta]

cool ride Michael,
using it as your daily, will help you iron out any bugs or annoying things before you complete it.
kept a picture for motorvation to one day get stuck into my own FE van.
cheers
Scott

[Brad]

G'day Michael.
                 It's great to see that the van is on the road and not off to the scrap heap only to come back as a Hyundai or something similar. Old Holden's never die because as some one once said " Mugs like you and I spend to much time and money putting them back together " . But it's all worth it in the end.
   Keep up the good work and please post some pic's when you get it painted . Top stuff.
                     Brad.