Introducing the Van-That-Can- 2000 E350 V10 EB Passenger Van
- Thread starter desertspeed
- Start date
desertspeed
Adventurer
I am planning on laying some carpet down in the drawers when they are done. Same stuff as I used for the top of the platform
Thanks, so have you! Ready to be done with the interior...
squirelmurphy
Member
Looks great. CRB always does amazing work. Your interior looks very well planned, it will be great in Baja.
What is your plan for a spare tire? You don't want a full size spare?
What is your plan for a spare tire? You don't want a full size spare?
92path_68CJ
Crawl-O-Matic
I can't figure out VANFLPE, could I get a hint? :smiley_drive:
desertspeed
Adventurer
Thanks, I can't wait to try it out. I am running 285/70R 17 tires, so my full size spare still fits in the stock location underneath.
Thanks!
A play on my favorite place, San Felipe. My family vacations there all of the time, and travelling down there with 2 kids and 2 dogs is what prompted us to get the van in the first place.
BajaSportsmobile
Baja Ironman
I loved the VAN FLPE plate when I saw that. My Blazer is BLZ BAJA and I've been trying to think of a good MX theme for the SMB.
desertspeed
Adventurer
Thanks- I was pretty stoked that it was available. Check your PMs- I want your thoughts on the BW 1356 behind the V10.
desertspeed
Adventurer
A couple more pics with the platform top installed.
desertspeed
Adventurer
Almost done..... I got the drawer faces powdercoated the same as the rest of the rack, and picked up a couple of handles from McMaster and attached those.
The hardest thing to figure out was a latching system- the way that the drawers are built makes it impossible to use a standard draw latch. I found this on McMaster and it was the best solution- a cable latch with two pins that release when the handle is pulled. I did have to make three custom brackets to attach the handle and the two pins to the rack as the ones that came with it wouldn't line up with the tubes. The bolts for the bracket are just temporary.
Here are the two pins, one for each drawer. The last thing I need to do is attach the strike plates to the side of the drawers in the back.
The hardest thing to figure out was a latching system- the way that the drawers are built makes it impossible to use a standard draw latch. I found this on McMaster and it was the best solution- a cable latch with two pins that release when the handle is pulled. I did have to make three custom brackets to attach the handle and the two pins to the rack as the ones that came with it wouldn't line up with the tubes. The bolts for the bracket are just temporary.
Here are the two pins, one for each drawer. The last thing I need to do is attach the strike plates to the side of the drawers in the back.
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desertspeed
Adventurer
I haven't updated this thread in a while, but I am starting to work on finishing up the 4WD conversion. I plan on taking the van to a good driveline shop in San Diego (MIT Driveline) to install the new tailhousing on the trans and install the xfer case, as well as re-gear my front axle and modify the driveshafts. In preparation for this, I wanted to do some of the smaller jobs, including cutting the floorboard and installing the shifter, as well as shorten the fuel tank. I did have a couple of issues, so hopefully someone else will read this and learn from my mistakes.
1. Shifter install- per Chris' video instructions, I attached the shifter bracket to the transmission and made a duplicate of the bend on the shifter out of a wire hanger so that I could mark where to trim the floorboard from underneath the van. Prior to doing this, I had cut the stock trans crossmember and welded in the 3" spacers that came with the UJoint kit, which effectively lowered the trans by 3". I thought that this would give me the proper height of the tranmission so that the throw of the shifter relative to the floorboard would be correct. However, what I did not realize is that the 4WD tailhousing raises the trans mount 3", effectively bringing it back to approx. stock height. So, the hole that I trimmed in the floorboard was too large for the trim piece and shifter boot that came with the kit.
After calling Chris and figuring out where I screwed up, I just ordered a larger trim/boot from Jegs to cover the larger hole, so no big deal. The take away on this is do not try to install the shifter until the trans is modified and the xfer case is installed. 100% my fault, I just misunderstood the directions.
2. Fuel tank shortening- after I dropped the tank and washed it several times with soap/water, I trimmed the tank using the template with the UJoint kit, and dropped it off to be TIG welded, which all went perfectly. It was suggested to me that I use some sort of coating on the interior of the tank to prevent rust from the new plate- after some research online I went with the KBS Tank Sealer Kit http://www.kbs-coatings.com/tank-sealers.html. It is a three stage process, and after the second stage (Rust Blast) I noticed some grey flakes coming out of the tank while rinsing- after I drained it and let it dry, I realized that what I thought was just a galvanized tank actually had some sort of OEM coating on the inside. The Rust Blast had stripped away the coating on about 1/2 of the tank, with the rest peeling up in various amounts. I spoke with tech support at KBS, and they told me that I needed to order additional Rust Blast and to keep doing that same treatment over and over until all of the OEM coating is removed.
I don't know if another brand of coating would have been a better choice, or how many times I am going to have to use the Rust Blast to get it all out, or if I should have just not messed with trying to add any coating at all. I guess time will tell.
1. Shifter install- per Chris' video instructions, I attached the shifter bracket to the transmission and made a duplicate of the bend on the shifter out of a wire hanger so that I could mark where to trim the floorboard from underneath the van. Prior to doing this, I had cut the stock trans crossmember and welded in the 3" spacers that came with the UJoint kit, which effectively lowered the trans by 3". I thought that this would give me the proper height of the tranmission so that the throw of the shifter relative to the floorboard would be correct. However, what I did not realize is that the 4WD tailhousing raises the trans mount 3", effectively bringing it back to approx. stock height. So, the hole that I trimmed in the floorboard was too large for the trim piece and shifter boot that came with the kit.
After calling Chris and figuring out where I screwed up, I just ordered a larger trim/boot from Jegs to cover the larger hole, so no big deal. The take away on this is do not try to install the shifter until the trans is modified and the xfer case is installed. 100% my fault, I just misunderstood the directions.
2. Fuel tank shortening- after I dropped the tank and washed it several times with soap/water, I trimmed the tank using the template with the UJoint kit, and dropped it off to be TIG welded, which all went perfectly. It was suggested to me that I use some sort of coating on the interior of the tank to prevent rust from the new plate- after some research online I went with the KBS Tank Sealer Kit http://www.kbs-coatings.com/tank-sealers.html. It is a three stage process, and after the second stage (Rust Blast) I noticed some grey flakes coming out of the tank while rinsing- after I drained it and let it dry, I realized that what I thought was just a galvanized tank actually had some sort of OEM coating on the inside. The Rust Blast had stripped away the coating on about 1/2 of the tank, with the rest peeling up in various amounts. I spoke with tech support at KBS, and they told me that I needed to order additional Rust Blast and to keep doing that same treatment over and over until all of the OEM coating is removed.
I don't know if another brand of coating would have been a better choice, or how many times I am going to have to use the Rust Blast to get it all out, or if I should have just not messed with trying to add any coating at all. I guess time will tell.
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Overthetop
New member
I just read through the entire thread and really like what you have done. I do have one question that I must have missed the answer somewhere 15 pages ago. What was it about your van that made it so difficult to do the 4wd conversion?