rebuilding of a wreck..actually 2 wrecks

[ozbox]

i thought it may be an idea to do an ongoing post on the rebuild of our promo business van...
we started with 2 wb vehicles..one van which had been run over by a truck....:eek:.we paid $875 for it..



and one ute which was a rusty piece of crap but had good running gear as in 350 chev turbo 400 and running on gas with 7 months rego..we paid $1150 for it....


we removed the body from the ute but left all the running gear swinging including things like the booster etc...


we stripped the van and only left the front doors on and the windscreen in..everthing else including wiring was removed..



next we cleaned and painted the chassis and the underside of the van to make em pertie...this isnt going to be a show van but will be a daily driver promo van for classic oz wreck our business..


.
the van had dealer fitted a/c so we stripped everything inside and replaced it all with good clean parts from an hx i was wrecking..weused an unbutchered hx harness and had a customer patch in the gas and tailights...thanks agro..
we fitted all new body to chassis bushes from rare spares which as per usual with there stuff we had to modify them to fit..
we fitted new engine mounts and gearbox mount while the body was off..
we pinched the best of what i had in panels and mixed up a bunch of hj hx hz parts for the front end..
we purchased a spoiler from rares which was a right pain in the arse to fit and i still havent finished fitting it properly yet so i will take some pics down the line of how badly they fit and what i have to do to get it to fit..
we have used a hj statesman grille which was cracked and broken and i massaged and glued it back together and then recessed the chev badge into it..
some little bits that i ahve collected over the years are being dug out of the box for use..we fitted a pair of remote cable controlled mirrors like used in hq to hz not wb..
i had a pair of bubble tailight covers which we have used and also a bubble rear window..

[ozbox]

looks like i filled up that post with pics so i have had to move along....

where we are at with the van is....

it is legally registered in nsw as a wb van with a 350 in it...how i achieved this from a utility was to do a blue slip for a body variation and a wieght variation hence i did not have to put it thru new registration as the chassis between ute and panelvan is the same...
we have just changed the diff from 3.55 to 3.08 ratio and i have just cut the nose to give it that squared off look like the premier/statesman nose cones...



my next step with the van is to replace the upper and lower control arms with some from a wb statesman i just purchased to wreck that has brand new bushes and ball joints that have never been down the road..
at the same time i will be replacing the stub axles with stubtech 2 inch drop stubs which i just purchased...
i like my vans low and i decided this time i would like some suspension unlike the last van i had..


received my drop stubs today,nice lookin and they should be for the bucks...

[agr071]

Saw the WB getting loaded onto a car carrier this morning.
Shame to see the sunvisor go as well. :(

[ozbox]

thats ok agro i will find another one for this van..bein an ol codger i gotta have me granny hat to stop the sun fadin the curtains in me van....:twisted:

[jennie285]

that is a really good job...it looks excellent....maybe I should send up the yellow van in September with our daughter who is up there for Prac for a month....for you to restore....
Bye the way all the parts arrived here safely the other day...thanks for that...:D

[adam perth]

greg, what do you think the mirrors are off in the pic of the$875 van when it arrived?

are they are type of HQ - HJ mirror? or a repo one?

[ozbox]

greg, what do you think the mirrors are off in the pic of the$875 van when it arrived?

are they are type of HQ - HJ mirror? or a repo one?

adam,they are a plastic chrome head with a crap type tin arm that attaches to a cheap arse plate...supercheap type mirrors...:shifty:

[ozbox]

ok ..i have managed to drive the van a couple of times..first time it spat a fuse for wipers and heater demister fan which i believe had somethin to do with the main power wire to the coil falling out of the dissy...rebuilds like this always have teething troubles..

anyhow i have had a new exhaust fitted,old style full twin system..sounds good...i have also been doing some more bodywork which is now in hifill primer putty..