69 ford van

[zenndog]

1969 Ford e-300 Club Wagon

This is my Ford Club Wagon Van. Itwas given to me by a friend who'shusband had passed. It hadn't been started in three years and was parked undera redwood tree and full of stuff.

I asked her one day if she was going to sell it and she said if you canstart it or you want to tow it, you can have it.

I took a look inside and saw that the original engine had been swappedout for a Ford 400. To do this the dog house was widened two inches.

I took the battery out and told her I would come back the next day. Iput the battery on the charger that night. I also had an extra battery so icharged that as well.

I went up the next day with some starter fluid, 5 gal of fresh gas,batteries and tools.

I cleared out the back, helping her sort out tools and such andtrashing junk. then I fit the doghouse to make sure it worked ( it was underthe stuff in the back ).

I reinstalled the battery

I removed the air filter and dribbled in some gas......nothing,wouldn't even turn over.

Checked the wires, giggled the shifter.......fired up!!!!!!

Poured the rest of the gas in the tank and ran it for a while.

Brakes worked!

Drove it down the hill to my house.

Cleaned it up and waxed it

Here is a pic, not the best, I was actually taking a pic of the bike infront of the van

But wait.....The van looked pretty good, and ran well, considering.

The passenger seat was junk, from some sort of later van. It only hadtwo bolts holding it in. The rear seats were long gone. I went to U-Pick Partsin No Hollywood and found a three passenger seat with seat belts in aconversion van for $15. I also found a 72 Econoline with the proper passengerseat and pedestal, $15. Picked up some other odds and ends from the 72. All inall a great day.

I drove it like that all last summer, maybe 7-9 trips from LA to SantaCruz.

two weeks before Christmas I bought a replacement lighter on a whim, yaknow, to fill the hole in the dash. On A Whim!

two days later......

The lighter got pushed in and the fuse/breaker didn't pop. Had fireextinguisher, no charge. Slow painful burn. The wiring harness and the gaugecluster burned. Cracked the front windshield.

Well, I should have called it good and had it towed away but I havestarted down the proverbial rabbit hole.

I have been cleaning up the interior and cutting out the wires. FigureI will get an EZ wiring kit and rewire it all new. I will post some pics.

[zenndog]

Here are some shots from the outside

Here is the step that pops out when the side passenger door opens

Here is the inside, getting close to being clean and stripped down

Here is the back seat that I bought from the junkyard.

I am making a list of the various original parts I want to replace. Ifound a guy who is parting out a few vans so I am going to get a price fromhim. I haven't found any in the junkyards yet. The biggest bummer is thewindshield, $299 for a new one, haven't found a used one yet. I already boughta gasket because I was planning on replacing it before the fire......glad Ididn't get to it!!!!!

[fourfiveten]

Good score,nice van. I like the colour.

[freekwonder]

Love it, sucks about the fire but glad to see you are bringing her back to life.

[josh_t]

That things a beast. Sucks about the fire, but since its a 69, the wiring shouldn't be too awful hard. I wish i could lend a hand.

[zenndog]

I had an Offenhauser intake from an AMC hornet, I sold it on Epay and bought an aftermarket wiring loom.

 

Here are some more pics

 

This is a project for the van that I was starting before the electricalfire

The van has 16.5" rims, which are very expensive to get tires fornow. Plus one of the rims has a ding which causes a slow leak. The tires stillhave some life but I bought some 16" rims at the u-pull junk yard toprepare for the day when the tires needed to be replaced.

My plan was to get a set of moon discs as hub caps, the style thatactually attach with the Dzuz fasteners. That will probably be on hold now.

On a side note, here is a link to his project which is pretty cool

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,6487.0.html

Here is what I did so far, this was from two months ago

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70/zenndog/1969%20van/P1000323.jpg[/img]

I just did the outside, the insides were black, I just cleaned them up.Not to bad. The Dzuz fasteners require welding on three mounts but before Icould save up for the moon discs the fire happened. I figured I would just wirewheel the paint off, reprime, repaint after welding, the paint would for themost part be hidden anyway.

 

[zenndog]

Some more random shots of the damage

Thats all for now! At least most of that junk is cleaned up now.

 

[zenndog]

Engine shots

 

Here is something you may have never seen and probably will never seeagain

I don't know if there is anyone who has ever worked on a Ford Econolinevan, but the Ford guys here may notice something odd about these pictures

Here is the doghouse....does it look funny?

Check out the motor

It was swapped in 1989, I don't think they brought it through the front.I think either from the bottom or through the interior from the back doors.

Side view

If you are guessing Cleveland, you are getting warm

351M.......a little warmer

400?

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is a Ford 400 with a C6 out of a 1972 Torino

Whoever installed it had to widen the Doghouse and pound out two"bubbles" for the backs of the valve covers to clear.

The engine is a very tight squeeze. I actually cleaned up thesheetmetal which had been cut away and cut some more out to let more air passover the top of the engine. The installer added aluminum angle iron to the sideof the engine compartment under the dash to allow the widened doghouse to seal.Here are two detail shots

I have already been working on the van, so I have many pics to post.

 

[hitch]

I hope you get it back to safe driving shape. One tons were pretty rare, should make an incredible work truck or tow vehicle. Congrats on the find.

[zenndog]

It is coming along.

 

It is a very functional vehicle, that's why I am fixing it up.

 

The van I found in the junk yard was a E-200. The suspension looked like tooth picks compared to the suspension on my van. It was interesting to see the difference.

[zenndog]

Here is another post

 

This is from two weeks ago, I am working my way up to the current photos.

 

Found a 1970 van in a local junk yard

Picked up a bunch of parts. Windshield, ignition. wiper switch,defroster vent for under the dash. heater control, light switch, and some otherstuff.

Ordered a universal wiring loom

Started on replacing the passenger side headlight bucket with the one Ipicked up from the junkyard off the 70.

here is the junkyard part

had to chisel it off the grill. The buckets are riveted to the grillsheet metal. You can see the scraps of aluminum

Here are the wee plastic parts that I need to replace. The headlightadjusting screws and three plastic "nuts" that hold on the trim ring

here is the rusty bucket

This retaining ring is from a 72. The original was cracked. I thoughtit was wrong but I think I just had it on wrong. Either way, it is coming offnow

Here is the bucket with out the light

Tools to drill out the rivet. Punch the head of the rivet, drill

ta da!

[zenndog]

The trashed bucket

Now to start cleaning up the replacement

Have to drill out the rivets. I drilled them from the back, no need touse punch

The pieces of the bucket assembly

Sanded the surface rust, primed. I sprayed the other side first andflipped after a few minutes

I didn't have any black spray paint and I didn't want to leave it inPrimer so I sprayed it silver. It isn't visible anyway

Had to reuse the old trim ring inserts for now but found some Chrysleradjusting screws that worked ok. Had to trim them a little

Maybe I am being stupid but I left the inner bucket that holds the bulbalone, the stock paint seemed basically intact. Don't ask me why.

 

[zenndog]

Picked up this rust neutralizer. Never tried it before, why not now?

Wire brushed the rust. Two coats, let sit 24 hours. Tape off and prime

Done for now.

I didn't have time to rivet it back on but had the tool ready

I am actually planning on taking the grill off so I can replace thetiming chain and front oil seal. But I replaced this while the grill was onsince there is one screw on the headlight bucket which attaches to the fender.

Thats all for now. The wiring loom will arrive tomorrow I think. Ishould have some more interesting pics during the week. I need to finishcleaning up the dash area and then sand a prep it for repainting. I bought therust neutralizer for the areas under the dash so I need to spend some more timegetting dirty.

No big deal, headlight bucket reinstalled

I took the cracked windshield out and cleaned off the butyl residue.The auto parts store sold me a tube of urethane glue instead of flow out butylso I need to exchange it. I also plan to paint the dash before I reinstall the"new" windshield from the junk yard.

 

[zenndog]

Some updates.

Finally getting back on the van. Need to finish cleaning up the burntstuff from the dash.

Jumping the gun a little I started sanding the rusted patch. This iswhere the fire was burning under the dash, here by the creek under the redwoodsit rusted fast even inside the van.

Here is the last control left to remove, the burnt choke cable. Iscrewed with it for a while but I need to reach in with the grinder and acutoff wheel and cut the nut.

another view of the dash

The old column support had a trans temp gauge and a couple of mysteryswitches, none of which ever worked. I found a new undrilled support in ajunkyard van

I sanded both and here they are side by side

Getting ready to spray after sanding and removing the choke cable

Starting to prime

That is all for now. I was rushing to get this done on Thurs andFriday, I only had about three hours total to get this done between otherthings but felt like I had to get the dash painted so I can install thewindshield from the junkyard van.

I had to go to LA for the weekend so the primer can dry this way for acouple days.

 

[zenndog]

Semi gloss black on the dash

I decided to spray the column as well, that needs more work. Will postpics as work proceeds.

Now this thread is caught up, I sprayed this today!

[josh_t]

we need to all sell our datsuns to you temporarily. you seem to do thorough and proper work and it looks great. It looks like you know what you are doing.

[zenndog]

Thanks for the compliment Josh, but I am average.

There are many talented guys here on Ratsun, I tend to think I somewhere in the middle of the curve. And that may be thinking highly of my skills.

 

I have some more cleaning to do in the van, above the inside of the windshield. Still some soot to clean off.

 

Then I have to clean the junk yard wind shield.

 

Then I think it is time to get it installed

 

I plan to mess with the column more also, meaning sand it more and paint it. I plan to remove the steering wheel and paint it also, and fill the cracks.

[josh_t]

i wish i had the motivation, money, tools, and supplies to do this stuff. i know how to do it but i'm lacking all the rest. i'd probably have my car close to finished by now if i had all of that. all i have is time lately.

[Dat Lurka]

nice van! needs a mural.

[Guest 510kamikazifreak]

. :D :blink: :lol:

[zenndog]

Quick update

 

Decided I needed to take off the plate at the base of the column to paint it right. Look what I found. This is why I call it " down the rabbit hole". Right?

 

Here is the plate removed

 

 

Note the base of the column.....it is supposed to be attached to the bracket! Rusted out.

 

 

 

 

There is my quick update! I will be off to the junk yard on Sat morning to check the van there, hope it is still in the yard! If not, then I will need to remove the column and take it to my friends to weld it up. Maybe that is what I will do antway.

[Dat Lurka]

3 speed column?

[Guest kamakazi620]

3 speed column?

automagic YO!!!!!!!!! hey man +1 on the resto!! Looking Great!!!!

[boonedock saints]

Quick update

 

Decided I needed to take off the plate at the base of the column to paint it right. Look what I found. This is why I call it " down the rabbit hole". Right?

 

Here is the plate removed

 

 

Note the base of the column.....it is supposed to be attached to the bracket! Rusted out.

 

 

 

 

There is my quick update! I will be off to the junk yard on Sat morning to check the van there, hope it is still in the yard! If not, then I will need to remove the column and take it to my friends to weld it up. Maybe that is what I will do antway.

 

 

Zenndog,

 

love that ride, if u ever get sick of it...PM me I have a vision for this van....lol

[zenndog]

Quick update, no photos

 

The Van at the junkyard was gone baby gone so no easy fix for the column

 

I cleaned the soot above the windshield

 

I bought a mirror mount for a new larger rear view mirror I found at the junkyard and the glue to install it

 

I cleaned the windshield today in preparation for installing it

 

I bought some used Autometer gauges for the dash

 

Will update with pics when i make some progress<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">