intro/build thread and our poorboy attempt at a campervan.

[shenrie]

imho, thats not bad thinking at all.

the intake for this pump is a little foam filter and i routed it inside the van for easy cleaning and changeouts, so that would be really easy to oil with that method as gravity would do the work. ill ask the guys at the shop what they recommend when they get back from texas. thier at some championship diesel truck race this weekend.

[shenrie]

welp, got bored over the holidaze. i located me some die cast vans and got the ole hotwheels chop shop going.

as purchased:



after lift, wheels & tires:



after paint



not happy with end result from the paintbooth. if you look closely, you can see bodywork from removing extra lights on the sides and rear doors. so it will be going back into paint soon. trying to figure out a way to do a poptop on it too, lol.

[buckkiller]

Lol nice

[larrie]

Sweet.

[Vegasrandall]

I bought a model of my first car, a BMW 600. it cost me $25.00 more than I paid for the real car in 1966.

[shenrie]

^^^ lmao, most everything you can think of would cost more than my first car, a 71 vega gt.

found a good deal on a pioneer avh-5500 and pulled the trigger and really happy with purchase. just swapping out the deck and nothing else made a huge sound improvement, not to mention the eleventy billion things stereos these days do. theres a good chance i might not ever utilize all teh things this thing does...pretty much like my phone, lol. anyway heres a pic.



also copied another members idea (sorry, if i could remember the members sn, i would give credit where it was due) and made the old stocker stereo into a fake faceplate.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by shenrie

^^^ lmao, most everything you can think of would cost more than my first car, a 71 vega gt.

Too funny.....my first car was a 72 Vega GT in a lovely gold color....

The 16 year-olds in my neighborhood drive Escalades and BMWs and I'm thinking "where's the excitement in that?" That POS broke down all over the east coast of the US. It was truly amazing how many ways that thing puked.

[JWA]

Originally Posted by boywonder

Too funny.....my first car was a 72 Vega GT in a lovely gold color....

Probably dating myself but my first was a '61 Chevrolet station wagon---a king's ransom of $160 way back then!

Originally Posted by boywonder

That POS broke down all over the east coast of the US. It was truly amazing how many ways that thing puked.

If there's an upside to a POS is we learn to wrench our own stuff, whether we want to or not.

Shenrie what modifications were required to fit the double DIN chassis into the stock Ford dash?

BTW I think I saw your faceplace disguise on the FTE site---maybe just something similar? Was done in an F-Series IIRC--great look anyway.

[shenrie]

Originally Posted by boywonder

The 16 year-olds in my neighborhood drive Escalades and BMWs and I'm thinking "where's the excitement in that?"

i live and work between 2 high schools. you dont see many piles in the lots like you did when i was in school. we make it a point to go to lunch at certain times to watch the entertainment only high school kids can provide. not only have we noticed that longass lanyards are manditory as kids keychains, but they treat these vehicles they have obviously been provided by or are owned by thier parents like rentals. my vega was given to me and it was a total pos, but i treated it like gold cause i finially had a set of wheels. kids now expect a car once they get a dl. its sad.

Originally Posted by boywonder

That POS broke down all over the east coast of the US. It was truly amazing how many ways that thing puked.

hey, it was the first car designed by a computer, what did we expect?? back then computers wernt as smart as they are no. lol, im guessing computers everywhere consider that fiasco a black eye on thier industry.

Originally Posted by JWA

If there's an upside to a POS is we learn to wrench our own stuff, whether we want to or not.

i totally agree with this. my dad had me packing wheel bearings and replacing brake pads when i was 5. even with computers and all the wonderful info they can provide, kids now still dont seem to have a clue how to actually wrench. whether it be performance or just keeping a car mobile.

Originally Posted by JWA

Shenrie what modifications were required to fit the double DIN chassis into the stock Ford dash?

basically, all that was really needed was to dremel the top and bottom of the hole where the stereo sits in the gauge/hvac surround a little bigger. directions in the kit that you get for free when you order stuff from crutchfield walks you through it well. modifications to the surround took maybe 5-10 minutes tops. very easy

Originally Posted by JWA

BTW I think I saw your faceplace disguise on the FTE site---maybe just something similar? Was done in an F-Series IIRC--great look anyway.

nope, was definitely another member here as im not familiar with the fte site. regardless, i appreciate the compliment originally it looked a bit better, but during one of my trips out for another test fit the faceplate got dropped out the van and a few of the pieces had to be reglued to the faceplate. you can see superglue "fog" around the little display from a little too much glue. i figured it didnt really matter, once you get close enough to tell, your in my bussiness and your gonna have my stuff stolen anyway, lol.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by JWA

Probably dating myself but my first was a '61 Chevrolet station wagon---a king's ransom of $160 way back then!

My Vega was free but I think I still paid too much.......

My second car was a totally cool '64 galaxy, bright red 2 door with a 289 and a red metal dash, paid $300 for it.