What did you do to/with your van today?

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safari kev
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:13 pm
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by safari kev »

white vans been plugging along
red van overheated bad a couple weeks ago. thermostat went out a couple miles from home, but i was able to limp it home. replaced that, the thermostat housing, new heater core lines (one of them split), capped the rear heater core lines (one of them really split), redid the vacuum lines for the vent diverter, and ended up having to install a new alternator (came today) and alt bracket (old one cracked). also bought some new kyb gas ajust shocks for it, because the originals aint cutting it.
00 safari high top explorer conversion. "shagfari" 235xxx miles on body. 242k on junkyard Jimmy motor.
94 safari hi-top explorer limited. 132k miles.
95 ASTRO choo choo conv. RIP @115K
97 safari slx "surfin' safari" 145k miles RIP
91 safari shorty Tiara conversion. RIP
86 cadillac fleetwood brougham. 67k. It thinks its a hot rod.
83 lesabre limited. 71k miles
66+68 toronados
66 Riviera

Captn. Crunch
I sleep in my van
Posts: 557
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:10 pm
Location: southeastern ct
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Captn. Crunch »

Idler pulley disintegrated and threw the belt. No power steering, brakes or cooling fan. Was ten miles from home so I'd floor it, get all the speed i could, kick it into neutral and shut off the motor. Repeat til I got to my brothers shop. Replaced pulley wheel.
Captn. Crunch
"I don't beat my rig-I use it to it's maximum potential"
1994 Safari conversion (sold) and miss'n it!
1999 Safari SLE AWD junked
2003 GMC Safari AWD SLT
cast iron Torsen equipped front diff
S-10 leafs-G80 rear w/3.73’s
2” body lift w/Falken Wildpeak AT’s

97CargoCrawler
I sleep in my van
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Location: Near Los Angeles, CA
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by 97CargoCrawler »

Lil bit of this, lil bit of that.

Image
1997 SAFARI 2WD CARGO
Image
"I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." Nikola Tesla
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mdmead
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by mdmead »

97CargoCrawler wrote:Lil bit of this, lil bit of that.
Okay, you can't throw the above statement out there along with a new pic and not give some details and build pics of the latest mods....

And don't you still owe us more info on the mirrors install?...
Matt
Selah, WA
-96 GMC Safari AWD Hi-Top Conversion -->Stalled 5.3L swap & 5" lift
-74 Ford Bronco -->Far from perfect but mine!
-99 V-10 Ford Super Duty Super Cab 4x4 -->Stock with 285 Cooper ATs
-00 Ford Focus Wagon -->The Red Turd
-95 Ford 24' Class C Motorhome -->My big block sleeper
-07 Can-Am Outlander XT -->My yellow 4x4 quad for work & play
-04 Ski Doo REV Summit -->Still several chassis behind!


No new projects until the current ones are done!

97CargoCrawler
I sleep in my van
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Location: Near Los Angeles, CA
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by 97CargoCrawler »

mdmead wrote:
97CargoCrawler wrote:Lil bit of this, lil bit of that.
Okay, you can't throw the above statement out there along with a new pic and not give some details and build pics of the latest mods....

And don't you still owe us more info on the mirrors install?...
It's hard to see in the pic, but I have a new Nikola Tesla figurine made from yarn hanging from the mirror.
1997 SAFARI 2WD CARGO
Image
"I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." Nikola Tesla

SilverBullet1997
I get chills without my van.
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:40 pm

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by SilverBullet1997 »

Thanks Tom for the wonderful trail ride today.

Image
Here is a couple videos of my first van offroading at Tahuya WA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkFaZXo2KL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zn5ppLI6g
R.I.P 1997 Astro AWD SilverBullet 4-9-1997 to 2-17-2015 - Cause of death: Rear-ended
1999 Astro AWD SilverBullet II 1-4-1999 - Present

5" lift, 31x1050r15 tires. 7 inches over stock

Captn. Crunch
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Captn. Crunch »

Spent the day with my feet up on the bench as I ordered parts for the van. A very nice fellow on a zr2 site is shipping me the tccm, wiring and plugs from a np236 equipped blazer. Everything but the switch to see if an np236 will live in a safari awd. Ordered the switch. Ordered some nice drilled rotors cause everything else keeps warping. No snide comments on driving style please. Ordered a set of struts for the rear hatch cause the stick thing isn't cuttn it anymore
Captn. Crunch
"I don't beat my rig-I use it to it's maximum potential"
1994 Safari conversion (sold) and miss'n it!
1999 Safari SLE AWD junked
2003 GMC Safari AWD SLT
cast iron Torsen equipped front diff
S-10 leafs-G80 rear w/3.73’s
2” body lift w/Falken Wildpeak AT’s

Captn. Crunch
I sleep in my van
Posts: 557
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:10 pm
Location: southeastern ct
Has thanked: 1 time
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Captn. Crunch »

Well the pile of parts is getting impressive. All the parts to access low range in the 236 are here. The hatch struts and rotors. Still waiting on new ac compressor with evap and some other things I forget. Will probably start swapping out tccm and plugging things in tomorrow. No permanent install yet just run some wires and press the buttons. If it works ill need to find a place to mount the switch
Captn. Crunch
"I don't beat my rig-I use it to it's maximum potential"
1994 Safari conversion (sold) and miss'n it!
1999 Safari SLE AWD junked
2003 GMC Safari AWD SLT
cast iron Torsen equipped front diff
S-10 leafs-G80 rear w/3.73’s
2” body lift w/Falken Wildpeak AT’s

safari kev
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:13 pm
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by safari kev »

red van is at 129k miles. been putting around in it. new rear shocks are in, but it really needs new fronts (bought them but havent had time to install them). got my overhead compartment installed with my 6 channel amp in it, and 0 gauge ran from the battery to the roof.
00 safari high top explorer conversion. "shagfari" 235xxx miles on body. 242k on junkyard Jimmy motor.
94 safari hi-top explorer limited. 132k miles.
95 ASTRO choo choo conv. RIP @115K
97 safari slx "surfin' safari" 145k miles RIP
91 safari shorty Tiara conversion. RIP
86 cadillac fleetwood brougham. 67k. It thinks its a hot rod.
83 lesabre limited. 71k miles
66+68 toronados
66 Riviera

photo_van
I sleep in my van
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Location: 7000' in the Mountains of California
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by photo_van »

Finally got rid of those silly clamshells once and for all, well, half of them anyway. Riding on the halfshell.... and, no more photos...
1998 AWD/4WD
4" lift, 31x10.50's, NP 242j/c hybrid, 4.10 gears, S10 front disconnect, rack & pinion steering, trans cooler, rock sliders, ARB fridge, house battery and 100w solar, swing out rear rack with foldout camp table, bed and passenger swivel chair
dirt bag camping rig
1981 Toyota 4x4 pu
1974 John Deere 710

Captn. Crunch
I sleep in my van
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Captn. Crunch »

New drilled and slotted discs up front. New ac compressor and evaporator. Tried to post picks but some silly crap about board attachment quota. I musta posted four pics in three years oh well they looked handsome-shoulda seen em
Captn. Crunch
"I don't beat my rig-I use it to it's maximum potential"
1994 Safari conversion (sold) and miss'n it!
1999 Safari SLE AWD junked
2003 GMC Safari AWD SLT
cast iron Torsen equipped front diff
S-10 leafs-G80 rear w/3.73’s
2” body lift w/Falken Wildpeak AT’s
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Stroverlander
I sleep in my van
Posts: 308
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:18 pm

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Stroverlander »

For photos, since the attachment method seems broken, try uploading to Imgur, etc and cut/paste link, easy.

Photo_van, I'm interested in seeing what you did for leaf spring mounts.
2004 Astro LT AWD Stroverlander

photo_van
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by photo_van »

Bought two pairs of ubolts from Amazon for $25 total (had to cut them down). Got a second pair of stock Astro, under axle saddles from jy. Trimmed the old clamshells to use for the top plate. Re-drilled the cradle on the axle so that the bolts would sit flush to the perch. The bolts are at the most, 1/8" more proud to the inside than the old clamshells. This should still allow for the springs to pass into the fender well under full articulation.

In hindsight, it would have made things easier if I had tracked down some one piece under axle saddles that would fit....

I also made a bushing of sorts so that the spring index bolt is now tight in the perch.


ImageImage
1998 AWD/4WD
4" lift, 31x10.50's, NP 242j/c hybrid, 4.10 gears, S10 front disconnect, rack & pinion steering, trans cooler, rock sliders, ARB fridge, house battery and 100w solar, swing out rear rack with foldout camp table, bed and passenger swivel chair
dirt bag camping rig
1981 Toyota 4x4 pu
1974 John Deere 710
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WoodButcher
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by WoodButcher »

That looks great, nice bit of engineering. :supz:
'93 Safari shorty, 350 swap
'05 Astro AWD, lifted, 6 liter, cammed, ported and programmed for fast.
'69 G10, straight 6, 3 onatree, jumped at me when I had a pocketful of cash looking for a spare astro. :)

Captn. Crunch
I sleep in my van
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Captn. Crunch »

Logged on to all data at my bro's shop and pulled up the wiring diagrams from my 99's tccm plug and the same plug from the donor 4x4 blazers tccm. The plugs are identical and all of my circuits match those of the blazer. I now have to install wires into my exsisting plug and run the wires to their final destinations. Swap tccm's and I'm electronic 4x4 with auto four wheel drive
Captn. Crunch
"I don't beat my rig-I use it to it's maximum potential"
1994 Safari conversion (sold) and miss'n it!
1999 Safari SLE AWD junked
2003 GMC Safari AWD SLT
cast iron Torsen equipped front diff
S-10 leafs-G80 rear w/3.73’s
2” body lift w/Falken Wildpeak AT’s
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