So the title limbo sort of put me in a tailspin but I believe that Vermont will be solving all that for me. I've spoken to them and they have assured me that there's no reason they won't give me plates so with a bit of trepidation I'm plowing forward...
In talking to MG I decided to go with the bigger front brakes of a more modern 2016 F-250. I used to have a older Land Rover Disco that I took wheeling and the only thing less powerful than the engine was the brakes. I can vividly recall numerous times of standing with both feet on the brake as it hurtled towards some kind of collision. In the end I started just aiming it off the road at the first sign of danger. Now I have a family so that option is off the table.
MG found a front axle and it showed up so it was time to start the process. I had taken the van into Vision Diesel and had them fix the leak and the AC which was disconnected. I picked it up from them and drove straight over to MG's to drop it off. Three weeks to go before we leave for our family trip to Colorado. Two weeks is how long it will take according to MG to get this built out. That gives us a one week slush fund.
Did I mention that this is the first 7.3 that MG has built? That I'm going to end up spending $15-20k to convert a van that I technically don't have any paperwork on? That I'm planning on driving to Colorado towing a trailer in two weeks? What could go wrong?
To bolster my confidence MG calls me after a day with my van to ask if I'm sure I want to go through with the conversion, "It's not the cleanest van, the body and interior are a bit rough..." I appreciate the honesty but I remind MG that this van will be used. If you look at any vehicle that I own it should be clear that I am not the person preserving them for the next person. I am the person that uses them as they were intended. My all wheel drive KTM is on it's second motor and has been hucked off cliffs, raced, ridden and generally abused. My BMW cafe racer was put on the track in pristine condition and crashed while leading it's first race. So while in the end it might seem crazy to dump $15,000 into a $3,800 van I look at it the other way. I wanted the cheapest solid package that included all my bullet points: 7.3, extended wheel base, passenger, high roof, big windows and white. Check, check, check, check, check and check.
With my blessing the van was delivered to Jsweezy's shop to start the transformation and the first order of business was to pull the transmission so it could go to MG's guy to... what exactly are they doing to the transmission MG? I can tell you anything about a motorcycle but trucks are a black box to me. I'm planning on learning as I go so I'll try to enlighten along the way.
So that's the transmission and I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be silver. The oil leak was getting to the point of a quart every 2-300 miles and it filled the galley between the cylinders. I chose to look a the bright side: that provided a layer of corrosion protection for the undercarriage.
With the tranny out it was time to attack the front end.
Josh's shop is something to envy - the space is amazing and clean. MG's shop is a bit smaller but way more crowded. My shop is so crowded that I have to go outside to change my mind. With the van on the lift the wheels come off Josh begins the process of stripping the van's front end. Here's where my plan of dumping a dozen or so quarts of oil all over the under carriage started to bear fruit; Josh said he'd never had an easier time stripping a van down. Would that have been possible without a generous soaking of motor oil? No, I don't think so.
And there you have it - front end stripped and ready to go.
Once the rear wheels came off and the van was elevated (not as high as normal as Josh doesn't work out of his wheelchair for the most part) I thought I'd just take a quick preview of the wheel situation. You might remember I'd sourced a set of used F-250 wheels. I wanted to powder them black but the cost was getting out of hand with estimates getting close to $100 a wheel to blast and powder. That plus the wheels cost me was, at this point, more than new wheels and the width of the rims (7.5") would limit me to 33" tires at the outside. After a lot of hemming and hawing I pulled the trigger on a set of new wheels and tires.
I want the van to look all business, no flash, so that meant black wheels. I considered steels as they're the most business you can get but opted for aluminum to offset the fact that, in the end, I felt the van had to be on 35's and any unsprung weight I could save was probably for the best. It's a big van and as an artist my world revolves around balanced proportions and proper aesthetics. 33's felt a bit small, 37's start to look cartoonish and 35's are the "right" size for a lifted 4x4 van. I came this conclusion after reviewing about 10,000 photos over the course of a year so I'm good with it.
It was at about this point that MG discovered that the front axle we'd purchased had a slight bend in it. Something you wouldn't really see unless you put a straight edge to it. It's unfortunate but MG has a few leads on a replacement already so fingers crossed we find something because the van's front end is already gone - no turning back now. The clock is ticking...
Gregor
