Sweptline.ORG

What kind of A100 projects are you working on?

I'm working on a new race van. The one I'm racing now was originally built in the late 80's.

I'm working on the glass doors now. I'm modifying the glass side doors so they will still be attached together so I take them off, sort of like a glass hood. I'm also going to add doors on both sides of the van. I'm getting old and climbing over the motor to work on the other side of the motor is getting hard to do.

So what are you working on???

Hey EH100! My 16 year old son and I have stripped about 85% of the removable parts off our '66 A1oo compact pick up. We are getting it ready for glass beading soon and then both of us are about to learn how to best restore the rotted out areas and prep it for paint. We are going to tear down the 318 we just took out of it and see if we can get it healthy and reliable (big tasks!). We really want a decent breaking system which the single master cylinder cannot be a part of. We were all high on upgrading to an IFS System until we looked at the old budget. We haven't done our home work yet to see if we can at least end up with power assisted 4 drum brake system that can/will give us what we're after. I've only glanced at some of the info on front wheel disc conversions so far and haven't ruled that out yet. The only other major concern is the steering system, which is woefully inadequate and again have not had time to do the homework yet. So far I am just grateful to be able to spend time with my son and teach him the little I know about what we're doing. His uncle has been an automatic tranny rebuilder for 25+ years and is a great resource for us when we run into the usual stupid question. Between him and my father in law helping equip us for this project it is moving along slow but sure. I plan on taking a weeks vacation when Eric finishes school (bout 2 weeks) and get it delivered to the sandblaster. I posted some pictures about 10 days ago to kind of document our progress then (see photo gallery). I am curious if you are serious when you say 'race van' if you hang this thing out on the quarter mile or what? Having spent more time on this site recently, I'd say the average participant cherishes the competly stock (maybe slightly modified) truck that is solid mechanically and mostly happy with that (which is cool). I can say there is good common sense advice given on things that interest the forum participants (like really challenging technical stuff) that shows they been there, done that!

I just saw your pix on your A100's Rule posting so I guess that answers that question. Whose so good with the welder?

Got this A108 project goin' on:
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal ... &reverse=1

I LIKE THE DEORA PROJECT ...
WHATS THE DEAL WITH THE TOYOTA STEERING.. IS IT GOING TO WORK OR NOT...
MY A-100 IS AWAITING THE MAGNUM 360 SWAP MINUS THE INJECTION BECAUSE I JUST WANT IT RUNNING SOON SO I CAN START ON THE BODY WORK...
JUST ONE OF TOO MANY CARS THAT I CANNOT SEEM TO PART WITH..

I am working on my 65 a100. Not too exciting just a window van with a camper top. I have finished replacing the rotted rockers. Now I am mounting quick release brackets from a 2000 van. mounting them recessed in the floor. Then I can replace the shift cables and wiring. Hope to get it on the road this spring.

Matt

i am working on a 67 a-108 window van
i am currently converting it into a 4wd van
the front axle is in and the tranny and transfer case are ready to go in
now i am looking into stretching the wheelbase and building a new frame and putting the rear axle behind the van body and adding a goose neck hitch there

My brother came up to visit last year and we decided to checkout seom of our old hangouts. As we were driving down a familiar road, we began to talk about a family that we went to church with that used to live there. They drove a turquoise 65 A-100 Tradesman van to church every week back in the late 80's. I always loved that van! My brother even went on a double date with their oldest daughter in it back in the day. To our surprise that nice couple still lived there. We stopped to visit, and after 20 minutes of conversation the van came up. They still had it, and walked us around behind a large shop to where it had been sitting for the last 12 years or so. He charged me a whopping $10 for it (to make it legal he said) and i spent a week clearing out trees and brush that had sprouted up all around it so that I could have a clear path to get it to the main road. We unloaded the insides as the van had become a de-facto storage shed in its sedintary life. Went to start he old girl and we could not get her to fire. Checked the compression on that old Slant 6 and it read 5-15-0-5-0-10. No kidding. pulled the plugs, and soaked the rings in Marvel Mystery oil overnight. Now the compression was over 100 in four cylinders, and the old beast came to life (albeit spewing glorious clouds of oil smoke). I have had a year since then to tinker on it and I drive it shopping on weekends, just ot stretch its legs once in a while. i haven't had to do any major mechanical work, although I am contemplating a budget rebuild for the 225 and a new clutch (BTW I love the 3 on the tree!) I have washed it and waxed it and put 62 plymouth hubcaps on her as one of the original painted ones was smashed to crap, scraped off decades old purple window tint, and pulled out a funky shag carpet and wood panel interior. I still need the drivers side windsheild (it has a bullet hole that I patched with clear epoxy to make it temporarily semi-weather resistant.) Now it looks like a pretty well care for old van now, but honestly some of my favorite pictures I have of it are when i first found it half buried in vegetation.

Thats a good story
how about some current pics?

Yeah, that would have been a good idea!

THANKS!

68 A100 4x4. Conversion done 20 plus years ago. Im resurrecting it. Its been sitting a while. Actually found the the original owners of the van in Oregon and the guy who did the 4x4 conversion! Talking with them now via email to find out more info on the van. Its turning into something really cool! It will be getting a pretty good makeover this winter.

i'm interested, what drivetrain does it have
what axles?

not sure that i mentioned this. but i do also have a 67 lazy daze class c minihome based on an a100 p/u cab

ejtmopar wrote:68 A100 4x4. Conversion done 20 plus years ago. Im resurrecting it. Its been sitting a while. Actually found the the original owners of the van in Oregon and the guy who did the 4x4 conversion! Talking with them now via email to find out more info on the van. Its turning into something really cool! It will be getting a pretty good makeover this winter.

I thought you were selling it. Pretty cool that you were able to track down the owners and the converter. I can't even track down the last owner of my truck.

Deora project is still happening. Just slowly!

Mine is a 67 5 window pickup. I have swapped the doors to 68 since I like the inside door handles better. The engine is a 99 360 Fuelie Magnum that has had the heads replaced, thumping cam installed, computer replaced with the fancy one from Mopar Performance, and headers. The trans is the 99 OD unit that is original to the engine. The rear is a 3.91 Sure Grip. I sandblasted it and painted it with POR-15, and am in the process of doing the same thing to the front axle and springs and sway bar. Brakes are going to be power using a complete underfloor setup purchased off of eBay. Front brakes are discs compliments of Scarebird. The truck is getting power steering installed right now using a Toyota steering gear. I have all of the components to power up the windows. The original heater box was scrapped and was replaced by a Hurricane 2000 A/C unit that also does heat and defrost. The interior is black right now, but I am pretty sure that I will have the seats, visors, dash pad and door panels redone or recovered in white, since I have an absolutely perfect white steering wheel. The original paint is red and white and will be repainted back to factory. The wheels are Keystone Klassics from 1972 with the original cast center caps and the tires are BFG Radial T/A's. I want this thing to look vintage old school, but run like a scalded dog. This truck has been hanging on a rotisserie for some time in my shop now while I detailed the undercarriage. My intentions were to complete the all of the bodywork and paint before taking it off of the rotiserrie, but I have flat ran out of money. I will now finish the mechanicals and drive it while I slowly complete the body.

wow im really looking forward to learn from you all... i just bought my 1st swepty 63 stepside slant 6 & im working on getting it home lol she runs pretty good & sounds smooth needs breaks & clutch blead...

I found my 68 A-108 camper van, high up in the mountains on the border of TN and NC. back in the autumn of 91. it has a fiberglas hi top on it. and though I cant be certain, I THINK it was a TRAVCO conversion. she had a 225 and a 727 auto.the blue cali tags on her expired in 4-78 and I can believe it had sat on the side of a mountain since then.to say it was in sad shape is an understatement. since then, she has received a 77 318, that got hot rodded a bit with a 68 340 HI-PO cam , a offenhauser 360 degree equaflow intake, with a edelbrock 600 CFM carb. I had to use a set of 78 truck 360 exh. manifolds and 2.25 dual exh with flow masters. I used the electronic ign from a 74 D-100, I found a A-100 that came with a 273 that I used the engine brackets and pulleys and alt brackets.and the v-8 gas feed linkage im also having to run a cast iron water pump. otherwise its a stock engine. BUT man, she has more than enough power now! the original 727 got rebuilt with a shift kit.i had a new drive shaft made to replace the old trunnion junk.im in the process of rebuilding the rear 8.75 axle ,using a eaton posi unit and new 3:55 gears. I found a set of 15x8 cop car wheels with 235-70-15 tires. I rebuilt the front springs.i had a 4 core rad made for her.also had the gas tank repaired and got a NOS tank sending unit too. mechanically, im about done.electrically,,, im just getting started. I need to rebuild/calibrate the fuel and temp gauges. rewire it for a square back 80 amp alt.im already running two 1000 batterys wired in series, I need to upgrade the headlights to halogen units. then ,its on to rebuild the body and interior. im considering going to a A518-46-RH overdrive auto trans. my goal is to have a comfy motor home that I can travel in. I have many PICS but as yet I cant figure out how to post them. any way ,in all the time I have had her, I have seen only one other like it. well that's my project that im workin on!