Welcome to Club Hot Rod!  The premier site for everything to do with Hot Rod, Customs, Low Riders, Rat Rods, and more. 

  •  » Members from all over the US and the world!
  •  » Help from all over the world for your questions
  •  » Build logs for you and all members
  •  » Blogs
  •  » Image Gallery
  •  » Many thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of posts! 

YES! I want to register an account for free right now!  p.s.: For registered members this ad will NOT show

 
Like Tree108Likes

Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build
          
   
   

Reply To Thread
Page 9 of 40 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 ... LastLast
Results 121 to 135 of 589
  1. #121
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Sounds like a productive weekend! Anxiously awaiting the pics!

    Glad somebody is making progress, I'm on that piddly stuff where you work all day and can't see where you did anything!!!!
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  2. #122
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    Hey Dave,
    Thanks, progress has been good all along but, as you know, the little things take time.

    Mel and I hit it hard again this weekend! I got the new battery for the shop camera Thursday so I got a few update pics from last weekend.
    This is a pic of the housing panhard bracket tacked in place. With the panhard bar mocked in.
    http://images108.fotki.com/v205/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
    Another angle.
    http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
    Here is a pic of the whole suspension hanging in the chassis.
    http://images57.fotki.com/v256/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
    This is the outer gusset for the panhard bar frame bracket tacked in place.
    http://images58.fotki.com/v132/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
    The upper shock xmbr tacked in. I will be making gusset plates for this to tie it into the rail better and it will also carry a set of down tubes for the cage.
    http://images39.fotki.com/v1291/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
    Mark
    Last edited by astroracer; 10-24-2011 at 03:45 AM.
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  3. #123
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    This is a pic of the custom decals I had made for Bad Ast Motorsports.
    http://images108.fotki.com/v191/phot...MVC002F-vi.jpg
    I am putting the stickers on all of the suspension parts as they are finished.
    http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
    Storage for the 4 link and panhard bars.
    http://images59.fotki.com/v684/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
    Today and yesterday the chassis saw the light of day AND the underside of a certain Astro Van... We started marrying the chassis to the body Saturday. Cleaned out a LOT more of the crossmembers (all of them to be exact) made a few notches in the forward rail sections and got the chassis shoved up in there...
    http://images54.fotki.com/v77/photos...MVC012F-vi.jpg
    Making way for the new chassis... There were 8 of these "tabs" left, spot welded to the old rails that we cleaned off today
    http://images15.fotki.com/v235/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
    After hitting them with a plug cutter and chisel...
    http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
    Cleaned up with the grinder...
    http://images50.fotki.com/v1523/phot...MVC014F-vi.jpg
    Rail notches for frame clearance. I will plate these in over the winter. The drivers side is a bit more "notchie" then the pass side.
    http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
    http://images59.fotki.com/v683/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
    After a couple of days worth of cutting and grinding we got the frame up in a near semblance of it's actual position.
    http://images59.fotki.com/v683/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
    http://images57.fotki.com/v221/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
    http://images59.fotki.com/v684/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
    I found this...
    http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
    INSIDE the right hand rail section... WHY would a bird want to get in the rail? Probably to make a nest but it couldn't get out... Sad, very sad.
    Thanks for looking.
    Services and funeral are next Thursday at 11:00AM.
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  4. #124
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Nice work on the project, good to see them come together finally, isn't it? Neat looking decal, too!!! Should draw some interest.

    PS--Is there a prayer service for da bird prior to the funeral, I have an appointment Thursday.....
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  5. #125
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    Thank you Dave. There is no planned prayer service but you can send money to the "Birds the Words" charity.
    I hope your grand-daughters are okay... Sorry to here about the strife.
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  6. #126
    1gary is offline Banned Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Roch
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1985 high top Astro van
    Posts
    2,520

    Any body mods planed??. Chop top,channeling,etc??. Given that,now maybe you start the roll bar/cage tacking it in and then remove the body to finish weld it all around.
    Good Bye

  7. #127
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Quote Originally Posted by astroracer View Post
    Thank you Dave. There is no planned prayer service but you can send money to the "Birds the Words" charity.
    I hope your grand-daughters are okay... Sorry to here about the strife.
    "Granpa's Girls" just keep gettin' better every day!!!!

    \Sent a great big cheque to the "Birds the Word" charity, gonna be a big funeral I bet!!! Was the bird Irish, thought maybe there might be a wake!!!! Irish wakes are fun!!!
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  8. #128
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    Hey Gary,
    There are body mods planned, but those will wait until the van is running good and all of the suspension is sorted out. I hope to have it drivable by spring and will spend the summer working out the bugs.
    Cage work is already planned and will progress as soon as the body mounts are in (this week). There is a lot of work to do to the front inner fender structure for tire clearance and the dog house area around the engine. I will be building a whole new dog house and will be re-building the entire floor to accomodate.
    The cage will be built inside the van while it is off the chassis. I built a body cart to hold it over the winter and that is where I will build the cage. The cage will actually drop down thru holes in the floor so I can finish weld all of the tubes. It will then be raised into position while the chassis is re-installed this spring.
    There is still butt-load of work to do. We have actually just scrapped the surface so far...
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  9. #129
    1gary is offline Banned Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Roch
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1985 high top Astro van
    Posts
    2,520

    The cage finish weld I was talking about are the ones by the roof.Often those are welded as best you can considering the ceiling.I was suggesting a cage height adjustment given a top chop.
    Good Bye

  10. #130
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    Quote Originally Posted by 1gary View Post
    The cage finish weld I was talking about are the ones by the roof.Often those are welded as best you can considering the ceiling.I was suggesting a cage height adjustment given a top chop.
    "The cage will actually drop down thru holes in the floor so I can finish weld all of the tubes. It will then be raised into position while the chassis is re-installed this spring."
    No top chop. I've talked about this before. The vans are too wide to make a chop look good unless it is very minor chop. Not worth doing in my opinion.
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  11. #131
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    I worked on trimming down body mount bushings during the week and got the chassis centered up and aligned so Mel and I could get the mount brackets finished up and tacked on today. We got all of that done AND pulled the chassis out and put it back on the rotisserie AND took the van off the lift and rolled it over to the cold side of the shop so I can putter with it this winter. I hope you enjoy the pics.
    Trimming the mounts. I set them up in the horizontal bandsaw and trimmed them down to one inch high.
    http://images41.fotki.com/v195/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
    This is 7 of the 8 mount bushings I did. I still need two more to finish them up.
    http://images109.fotki.com/v146/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
    After squaring up the chassis we measured how much we would need to notch the body mount brackets. 1" by 2" was the magic number.
    Running the tubing through the verticle saw.
    http://images51.fotki.com/v94/photos...MVC009F-vi.jpg
    After getting all of the brackets ready I tacked them to the frame. We re-used the 6 old cradle mounts and added 4 new (two per side) towards the rear.
    http://images108.fotki.com/v205/phot...MVC013F-vi.jpg
    http://images15.fotki.com/v2/photos/...MVC019F-vi.jpg
    We fabbed up the rear mounts from 1/4" plate and some short sections of 2 x 3 tube.
    http://images108.fotki.com/v360/phot...MVC014F-vi.jpg
    These are just tacked right now. I am going to start the finish welding tomorrow.
    As they look in the van.
    http://images53.fotki.com/v249/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
    http://images58.fotki.com/v154/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
    We got the van off the hoist and onto the body cart. It sure did roll around nice.
    http://images109.fotki.com/v146/phot...MVC020F-vi.jpg
    My wife had a good time taking us for rides...
    http://images108.fotki.com/v205/phot...MVC018F-vi.jpg
    Once we got it rolled back in the shop we raised it up off the cart and set it on some jack stands.
    http://images51.fotki.com/v103/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
    http://images109.fotki.com/v779/phot...MVC006F-vi.jpg
    The chassis is back in the shop. With body mounts! Have a few additional brackets to make and finish the welding. That will be tomorrow.
    http://images57.fotki.com/v256/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
    Thanks for looking
    Mark
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  12. #132
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    I like the looks of the 8 wheeled van body, but isn't that going to be kind of tough to steer??????

    Really nice work as always Mark!!!! I'd say you had a very productive week!
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  13. #133
    astroracer's Avatar
    astroracer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    Byron, Mi.
    Car Year, Make, Model: '88 Astro Van-BAD AST
    Posts
    871

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Severson View Post
    I like the looks of the 8 wheeled van body, but isn't that going to be kind of tough to steer??????

    Really nice work as always Mark!!!! I'd say you had a very productive week!
    Thank you sir, yes, got a lot done this week and we still have tomorrow so I hope to have most of the welding done by end of the day.
    Actually, the cart steers very esily. The first six sets of casters are swivels so it doesn't get "locked" up.
    If money is the root of all evil... Women must be the fertilizer...
    Link to my BAD AST Build Thread:
    http://www.clubhotrod.com/suspension...van-build.html

  14. #134
    1gary is offline Banned Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Roch
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1985 high top Astro van
    Posts
    2,520

    So Mark short of a different cut-out for the flooring and dog house for the on center drive train,are you retaining the stock flooring and not tinning it??.BTW looks really good bud.
    Good Bye

  15. #135
    RadRidesByDan's Avatar
    RadRidesByDan is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    175

    Nice work on the chassis and rear suspension. Lookin good.......Im watching this build with a close eye....Im also learnin a few things from watching you too.
    Never take life too serious.....You wont make it out alive

Reply To Thread
Page 9 of 40 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Links monetized by VigLink