Dirt Bag PA

[Quasicran]

An update on the van. I've spent a lot of time cleaning out the inside and used navel jelly on all of the rust spots. I then primed and spray painted the interior to cover said spots and create a uniform surface for my spectrum sludge to bond to. I also patched all of the holes in the floor. Most of them were small (pencil diameter or less) so I decided to use silicon caulk for them. For the larger ones (quarter to half dollar) I got some galvanized sheet metal and patched them. Not the prettiest of jobs but I figure it will all be covered.

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Next I I used spectrum sludge on the walls and floor of the van. It was really easy to apply when I used half of the activator in one gallon of sludge. Thick but not too thick. Its been pretty cold and the van is too big to fit in my garage so I've left a space heater in the van to help the sludge dry/cure. My two windows from CRL just got in today so that will be the next big project. The weather looks like it will cooperate middle of next week so hopefully I can install them then.

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Sorry about the upside down image. It is oriented correctly on my computer any ideas how to fix it here?

 

[bdog1]

Is that like bed liner paint? Or undercoat? Never heard of it.

Keep up the good work!


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[Shocker]

http://store.secondskinaudio.com/spectrum-sludge/

 

[bdog1]

Thx


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[boardrider247]

How far did one gallon of sludge go?
I need to do something with just the floor of my van. Do you think 1 gallon would cover the floor of a standard length chevy van with an acceptable thickness?

 

[Quasicran]

I used a little more than 3 gallons to do the floor and two walls of my van. I don't think one gallon would be enough to do the floor. Better to get two gallons and do it right than skim and get poor performance. If you have the capacity to spray the spectrum I would recommend that route. Doing the grooves in the floor was a pain.

More feed back on the spectrum sludge for you all. Living in a cold climate I've definitely developed a skeptical view of minimum temperatures. With that being said I pushed the limits on the spectrum and paid the price. Despite putting a space heater in the van, I had a few places peel off of the walls which totally sucks. Luckily it wasn't a total loss so I'll chip off the weakly bonded parts and reapply when I can count on higher temperatures.

On a plus note I'm planning on installing my CRL windows tomorrow so check back in to see if I'm at the bar celebrating or at the bar is sorrow. Haha either way I will try and post some photos for you all.

 

[Quasicran]

I got both the windows in my van today! Over all it was a great success. The CRL window that was fit for the sliding door went in like a breeze, however the "universal" fit window behind the drivers seat was a bit more problematic.

I used hard board to make my templates and figure out where to mount the windows. I'd highly recommend it as the product was durable but easy to work with and bend to the van. Like a few other people on here have done, I used multiple bolts to orient/ position the template on the inside and outside of the van. Dry wall toggle bolts actually worked really well because they could be tightened from one side.

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I used a jig saw to cut the actual opening and an angle grinder to clean up the edges. I have to say I was really surprised at how easy it was to cut. I used CRL automotive window silicon to seal the windows. The sliding door side dropped in seated really easy. The driver side on the other hand had too much space between the van wall and the inside fitting. I ended having to shim most the window on the interior side to get a good fit. I'm planning on adding more silicon to any gaps tomorrow.

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Over all installing the windows went really well. It was crazy to see the difference in fit between a designed for the car window and a universal fit window. The van feel so much bigger on the inside now.

 

[bdog1]

Looking good! Cool retro van.


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[89s rule]

Good job on the windows, making the first cut was the hardest for me. If mine had come with a legitimate template it would have been much easier. I've wondered about the Spectrum sludge, looks like a good product but much of their products are $$$. I have some Damplifier Pro for my van that thankfully I found 2nd hand that was extra from a project.

 

[Quasicran]

Thanks guys! Yea making a cut into the van took a moment. I wish mine had come with a template as well but making one wasn't too bad. I found getting the radius of the corners to be the toughest part to layout. CRL definitely doesn't throw us any bones when it comes to installing their windows.

So far I've been happy with the spectrum product. I can't say its been a night and day difference, but I think once I put in heavy rubber mats on the floor and insulate/frame the walls it will be way quieter. Everything I've read about sound dampening seems to say its really in the sum of all the layers. Each one knocks out a different frequency sound/vibration. I'm thinking about getting something similar to damplifier pro for doing my doors and around the engine. Getting a good coat of spectrum into body panels and some tight spaces sounds pretty tough. I'll have to keep an eye out for a good 2nd hand score like you.

I was wondering if anyone has tried the tire gate hitch mount spare tire holders?

http://www.tiregate.com/hg-series/

I'm worried about the sag mounting my tire on a rear door can cause and I'm not sure if I want to tackle a bumper yet because of time and money. Having a product I can just mount and be done with is appealing. If anyone has used one do you think I could sneak a single bike rack (similar to one you mount on yakima bars on top) behind the tire where some people store fuel cans? Thanks for any feed back and feel free to suggest alternate tire storage solutions.

 

[bdog1]

I put a basic deal together on the stock bumper. Tire, hi-lift and it hides my AC unit in the back door. Sleeved two pipe sizes for the pivot. Nothing fancy, but so far so good!

Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[Quasicran]

That's a pretty slick add on to the existing bumper. Unfortunately my rear bumper isn't very conducive to build on. If I end up building a new bumper I'll definitely use your idea of sleeving two pipes together. Thanks for showing me your design.

 

[Quasicran]

Started work on the pop top frame. I got the angle iron base mitered and squared up. Unfortunately I don't have the welding skills but I have a guy willing to weld the joints for me. I've changed my mind on the back hinge for the top. I'm going to use a through bolt from the shell through the back nob on the angle iron frame. I'm going to try and start on the shell tomorrow. My girlfriend came home and was wondering what I was working on so I told her to make sure the frame size passed quality control. Luckily it did so I can proceed.

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[bdog1]

Following along.......


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT

 

[flightcancled]

Awesome work!


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