[Ironsides]

Didn't see these Photochop Forums before actually logging in and using site, cool.

My hacks so far.

Stock

2" lift

2" lift and white out windows Plasti-dip

Plasti-dip thinking

Plasti-dip thinking some more

Cleaned up the window white out as if having used advertising 60/40 perf adhesive backed printable vinyl.

Obviously have cargo van envy issues.

All this talk lately of reflective low heat coating and materials, got me re thinking everything.
Thinking want to go polished aluminum accessories, camper top, roof rack, grille guard, rear tire rack, ladder and match my cladding, hmmm more photo hacks to come, then I can print them life sized on adhesive vinyl and save myself a lot of work!

 

[smokinjoe]

That last one with the blacked out wheels and lower body I actually did to mine recently.

I had to patch some rust spots/holes and bondo then platstidip is like 100 times easier than paint. Plus you can do the wheels on the van & only need 2" masking to do the lower body ( it barely oversprays at all).

A quick surface clean with TSP and the whole job done in like 40 min.

You must really like cargo vans. I like the windows myself.

 

[Ironsides]

Thanks man, I will look for your van next time when logged on PC.

 

[Ironsides]

Had to doodle some more. Work the big picture, get a grill guard, tire spare and roof rack involved.
I like it, time to build it.

That ought to keep it from looking like soccer moms.

You must really like cargo vans. I like the windows myself.

Thing is I like the cargo look and privacy, like being able to see out as well.

 

[smokinjoe]

This is how mine looked after real life plasti dip on wheels and lower. Really like the look and super easy to keep clean.

 

[Ironsides]

I see.
The dip or even paint isn't going to be lighter or darker in places, it just is.
Thank you.

Dark makes things look heavy.
And the dark cladding makes it look longer too, I won't want to do any until it's lifted.
I'd like for it to look sporty.

Due to the light in the pic I took to lift hack, I really had to tweek and make several layers. I don't really have time to do all that, but I did.
I also played with the tire combo as if I masked off the rim edge, pulled the caps. I made a couple mistakes in the saved project image that requires do overs, so I had to stop. I'm thinking the black dip with metalizer and clear coats so they stand out.
I saw some center caps on similar Chevy 1500 aluminum rims with fake bolts. Or no caps...

Or clear coat the caps.

Lightening the base colors to recolor the painted parts and choosing color depth, it's worth it, before I start wasting money and materials.
Really just playing until I generate $$$ funds needed.
My lady likes the van as it is, doesn't want it lifted, thinks it's pretty and would rather stay in a hotel and use the van for transporting people and things only. When it is lifted it needs side rails with bed liner grip paint for steps too.
The roof rack for one, when I fab that, I'm really going to need to study it, obviously not even sure at this point how big it will be or if it will ride atop a camper top.
The front bar, don't know, fab or buy one, I know I want a winch, not a bull bar, a functional grill guard, no headlight protectors.
Rear tire hanger, prefer swing out, maybe for a ladder and need a nice jack somewhere, already got stuck once in the mud, deeper ruts, I need gear, spent a day using a floor jack and filling ruts.
But I do not weld yet, no materials, no plans, I have a long way to go, that's why I'm just hacking and not writing up a build topic, I do know I want a reliable, able van for light camping, transport my mountain bike/gear, move my inventory and still tour and sight see with family.

 

[icebrrg3rd]

Hey, gotta have a plan, if you just randomly throw stuff on it might not look right, get the parts to compliment each other. Making stuff on photoshop is a good way to see if you like the combinations.

No funds? Welcome to the club. Some here dream and might never do anything to their vans, others start with little items and build up. Start accumulating parts and adding them. Took me almost 5 years to drop a V-8 and 5-speed in my van, I had started collecting the needed parts for a few years before I did it. And it still needs more to finish. I have a stash of stuff that will be added one day, just need some more items and then time to do it.

As for welding skills, look at cargocrawler or lumpy. They went out and bought welders, practiced a bit, then started making stuff. I took a class thru a tech school a long time ago, and have just recently gotten a welder and have been fabbing stuff too. So just do it.

Good luck with your van, as for your lady not wanting you to change your van, my wife dislikes mine and will not drive it. I consider that a success story.

-Andrew

 

[Ironsides]

Yep, it's going to be a while, no problem.
Thanks for encouraging words and sharing. :thumbup:
Your wife doesn't like to drive the van, hehe, too bad she misses out then.

We were up in the mountains, summer, just weeks after getting the van, balding tires, unsure of abilities, ourselves, didn't let her drive, but I know she wanted too. She'll want to more I hope when she see's the why and what fors. Twisty turning roads, sheer drops and van was a big fat roly poly, just want to make it capable. We crested a hill, turned and saw deer grazing, just feet away, can't do that with a roaring beast that eats four cylinder imports for breakfast. My goal includes to make it 'nice' and keep it resellable too. Day may come to upgrade to AWD/donor, who knows, may have to swap my custom parts, I'm really looking forward to it, I don't mind.

When I get online, break times, eat, read, laugh and try to get familiar where everything is and a scope of how big the projects are. I've read many topics of all you repairing, replacing, rewiring, troubleshooting, modifying, improving, cutting, welding, building from scratch and doing a lot of good work with pictures! That's not easy.
I've been into the engine, transmission, exhaust, suspension, body, interior and electronic topics reading everything.

The most interesting thing about these vans is the lack of consumer market ad ons, which is what makes each person, their van, their challenges, their wants and their outcomes unique. There are awesome vans here, killer sleepers, big bad screamers, racers, high quality electronics, serious camping rigs and a lot of really well maintained stock, specials and conversions.

So many ideas, got to plan. Thanks man.

 

[Ironsides]

This should just about cover it :lol:

A LOT more power, goes anywhere, will not get stuck in mud, comfortable over any terrain, private rear windows with solar, x-ray, gamma resistant tint, all new gasketing, sealed the outside air conditioning vent put in scrubbers, fused carbon ceramic undercoating shielding and a deflector array. :ugeek:
Sometimes the warp goes out, throws a P1701 code, have to rely on impulse thrusters, probably just a bad solder in the core crystal alignments, I'll get the droid to check it out.
Deflector wiring harness wasn't connected when I test drove it, felt like it didn't have any brakes.
Adjustable ride height only accepted increment adjustments of 'meter/thousands', thought it was just a conversion misunderstanding, figured that out after a $500 hot air balloon taxi ride to go get it back... I will never start it again unless I'm in it.
Kept the stock driver window, gotta be careful where I open it.
Passed emissions in every star system. :thumbup:

 

[ssbf1]

Look out Space X

 

[Ironsides]

Hahaha Space X

Thanks, your roof rack, aluminum, powder coat, under 100 lbs, that's nice.

 

[Ironsides]

I'm placing this here because I actually did the bumper and this photochop image doesn't belong on my build thread.

I particularly disliked it after uploading because it's a driver side cut/paste over the passenger side and I wanted to be the first to put a 1500 C/K bumper that I know of on one of these vans.

Original post content that was removed:
"Oh yeah, I did research what a rat rod is, kind of unfinished work in progress, kind of modified, kind of low budget, kind of mash-up of parts -old and new, kind of cool and felt that's what my van is so I also decided when I'm done it needs Eastwood Satin Black Rat Rod Urethane paint job. That should take care of the last of the mini-van appearance issue and white van/window deal I've been struggling with, thinking black kind of blends the glass in. The slant/angle on these hoods scream Quentin Tarantino's Mike McKay character's 1970 Chevy Nova skull and cross lightning bolts hood paint job, because it would be so visible... I know, my van isn't "Death Proof", I don't crash into cars driven by pretty young ladies, I won't do the angry duck hood ornament, I don't worship death, it's not that badass nor do I even have the horsepower to back it up, I could eek out a few horses with new intake and a better muffler to at least complete the look and feel... but damn it would just look so SWEET!!! LMAO"

If you haven't seen the movie: Grindhouse (2007) is an homage to 60's and 70's B movie double features with Quentin Tarantino's 'Death Proof' and Robert Rodriguez's 'Planet of Terror' https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462322/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1