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Messing around with the rear diffuser. Obviously the license plate will hang much lower than the rest so this limits my design options. While in the garage I glanced over at my Corvette and a light bulb went off in my head. Eureka! The Corvette trim piece became my starting point. Still have to make the other exhaust panel. This piece is just a buck so I can make a mold of it. So it doesn’t really matter what this is made of since it will be thrown away. I am using a sheet of 3/8” PVC for most of it. This is easier to work with than wood since it bends easy once you heat it up and you just glue the pieces together with PVC glue. Once the piece is finished I will fill, sand, prep and spray gel coat on it.
Took the week off of work to try to get something done on the van. I spent the last year of my weekends rebuilding my deck to a masterpiece and now it’s finished. So I will try to work on the van a bit even though the summer heat is here (and I HATE the heat). I logged 59 hours on the rear doors and rear door jamb. I still have work to do on the outside of the left rear door but the right door and entire door jamb is all bodyworked, gapped, and in epoxy primer.
Ok. So here are a few pics of the deck. What started out as replacing the old composite deck boards turned into fixing some wall rot; pulling out all the old posts (which were sitting in the dirt); pouring footings for the posts; making a new and larger lower level; new stairs; composite post sleeves and upper railing supports; stainless cable wire railings; and lighting. Took me around 650 hours but I built a $60k deck for $10k so it was worth my time.
Spent a little time on the rear doors this weekend. Block sanded both doors that had the initial bodywork and epoxy primer. They blocked out nice with just a few high spots so I know I am close. Sprayed a few coats of primer on the front and back of both doors. Hopefully I will block these out one more time and then they will just need one more round of primer/blocking.
Had some rust pop up at both lower windshield corners. These areas had some minor pitting which I welded up years ago. Obviously there was more going on and new rust popped up. Ended up cutting out both corners and making new ones. Glad it happened now and not after paint.
A few weekends of filler work and blocking on the front. Got it in primer. This still needs some work but it’s probably 85% there. Will be much easier to fine tune it now that it is one color.
still following along!! this is such a cool build! and to see another "troz" fan! curious... do know by chance if the lower body sides of the van match the "truck" version? I have a friend that is re-doing a truck & he is having a heck of a time trying to find descent replacement panels for the truck?? excited ot keep seeing progress....
still following along!! this is such a cool build! and to see another "troz" fan! curious... do know by chance if the lower body sides of the van match the "truck" version? I have a friend that is re-doing a truck & he is having a heck of a time trying to find descent replacement panels for the truck?? excited ot keep seeing progress....
Working on the left hand side door. This upper panel was warped to heck by the sandblaster. I tried to flatten it out but it was way beyond my metalworking skills. Only option is to cut it out weld in a new section. I’ve got it tacked in and will be taking it slow to keep the heat down.
Working on the left hand side door. This upper panel was warped to heck by the sandblaster. I tried to flatten it out but it was way beyond my metalworking skills.
Based on the skills you've shown again and again in this thread, I'd say that means it was impossible to fix.
07-02-2022, 09:01 PM
and to see another "troz" fan! curious... do know by chance if the lower body sides of the van match the "truck" version? I have a friend that is re-doing a truck & he is having a heck of a time trying to find descent replacement panels for the truck?? excited ot keep seeing progress.... 
