CaveVan Forum
Pictures and tall tales!! => Show off your projects here! => Topic started by: Cole on July 14, 2015, 09:10:57 am
-
A while back a guy showed up on my door step with TWO Eurovans. One was a low mileage hardtop MV that he wanted converted to a poptop Weekender. Turned out to be one VERY sweet van when done!!
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7722/17214383325_594633aef5_c.jpg)
The second van was a teal 1993 Westfalia that was supposed to be the donor van for the interior trim and poptop parts. When I saw the "parts van" I just couldn't bring myself to tearing it apart! After all, he DROVE it 600 miles to bring it to me! I've torn apart many used up, rusted out, crashed, end of life vans to make my conversions. This van was none of the above. It needed some love for sure, but not "pull the plug" on it type of love.
I dug out another complete top swap I had been saving and used that to convert the 2003. Thus leaving the 1993 van intact. No idea what I was going to do with it at the time.
Here is a touch of what looked like when I got it.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/542/19502721340_34a08cc438_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/385/19504123329_e05196633d_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/562/19502738988_69c8838a49_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/430/19068252104_024e5c2c8a_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/289/19695372141_5709708abf_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/456/19664656106_c99287a791_c.jpg)
Soon, A deal was struck to recycle this van into a mobile art studio van for a San Diego artist.
-
Of course the first thing to do was to drive this 181K mile van around for awhile and dig through the 2" thick pile of receipts to see if it really was a good van!
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/372/19069913773_7cdd02edbe_c.jpg)
Digging through the pile of receipts (and making a spread sheet out of them) shows that this van was actually very well taken care of mechanically. All we really need to do is catch it up on a few items like timing belt/pulleys/waterpump/ fix AC, Trans service, etc.
Most of the real issues are just cosmetic.
After totally gutting the van, I loaded up a KTM and drove the van off to the body shop to have all the rust properly repaired, dents removed and fresh paint put on it.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/486/19664485776_756320a2db_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/299/19695186981_0845d68848_c.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/404/19664411466_82f888a6f9_c.jpg)
New vinyl flooring went in, the front seat bases were painted with the van to match. The white VW grill logo is a teaser on what is next.
Fortunately, I have been able to track down, or had, all good interior parts to replace the broken or worn bits.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/394/19067612864_b98b490076_c.jpg)
New 3 window top bring installed.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/465/19694717451_8447d44a6b_c.jpg)
A little message from the artist on my door step.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/389/19067605444_c5facc8c1b_c.jpg)
She also came over and spent a few hours painting on the floor of the Eurovan with her grand daughter. A mural that would ultimately get covered up by the vinyl flooring, but a fun activity and little secret between grandma and grand daughter.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/306/19691358615_a915c5f320_c.jpg)
-
Wheel teaser!
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3772/19277795984_0958e7fa62_z_d.jpg)
-
Lots more fun stuff planned for this van! But since it was out in the sun yesterday getting new tires I figured I'd take a few progress photos.
Still have some painting and vinyl to do before the cosmetics are done.
Here you can see the brand new 3 window tent, the fresh 16" steels in white. Soon to have color matched teal center caps.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/256/19899585906_1ee843fb5d_b_d.jpg)
-
That van is looking great! Is the new pop top a canvas top or does it have acrylic fibers to protect against moisture / mold?
-
Thanks!
New top is Cotton.
Van is going to San Diego.
Owner is actually doing a Colorado trip in it the next couple days and then I'm finishing up the work before it goes on a long trip to its new home in SoCal.
-
Cole, what a great job on the 93 teal van! What did it cost for the full body repair & paint. I have my 93 pretty sorted mechanically - body work would be great but a local shop guessed a full body/paint would be $8-10K.
-
Paint is tricky. Prices can vary wildly. Perceptions on what is an exceptable quality of paint work vary too.
You can save a lot of money on paint by doing all the pre-prep work yourself and by doing the post-polishing yourself.
I stripped this van to nearly bare minimum and did some prep work myself. I'm also doing all the post polish work.
This kept the cost down quite a bit. I also take this painter a fair bit of consistent work, so that effects what I pay.
All that said, it was still thousands of dollars.
-
Not done yet. But getting closer.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/20470559521_c93cd7a618_c.jpg)
-
Getting funky. I think the two-tone look is hard to pull off on the Eurovan -- but we'll soon see... ;)
-
It had to be different somehow. ;D I personally wanted it to come down the van further. Right now it basically just replaces the stock black vinyl that was on these vans.
Here is one of the before pictures. Notice the stock black trim.
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7674/17026651720_a98e6ddccd_c.jpg)
-
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/747/21018905711_359be5d869_b_d.jpg)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/683/20551646130_03e9e391c2_z_d.jpg)
-
I admit I was skeptical - but I got to say that the two-tone looks very good from the back. The paint is so clean!
What are the color plans for the top?
-
Top was freshly painted the factory Teal color. It's staying that color to make it stand out as a camper van!
-
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/697/21173839925_92a2919e48_b_d.jpg)
-
Definitely has a unique look to it! I'm not a fan of that color but you made it look better VW did. :-)
What is going on with the passenger's side seat bracket? Almost looks like some pvc piping there........ it may just be a short nose thing that I'm not aware of. I haven't spent much time with a short nose.
-
Definitely has a unique look to it! I'm not a fan of that color but you made it look better VW did. :-)
What is going on with the passenger's side seat bracket? Almost looks like some pvc piping there........ it may just be a short nose thing that I'm not aware of. I haven't spent much time with a short nose.
Awning handle! ;)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5749/21243650582_74e0064756_c.jpg)
I like to keep things simple, convenient, stored near where they will be used ;)
-
I like it. Directly below where it's used it pretty close! ;D
-
Nice color combo. Might steal some of that idea on my teal 93. Just got my steel wheels so I need to finish them up a bit then get them painted.
-
I'd love to see more done in a fun way! So post pictures when you get it done!
-
I'm still doing final touches to this van. Took it to get a custom exhaust the other day. :wink: Always an excuse to stuff a KTM in a van
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5806/22333407714_af70b35cdb_c.jpg)
-
Van is finally off with its owner in southern California and she LOVES it!!
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1489/24402700244_29271d3195_c.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1534/25062454516_d2799c672f_c.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1585/25263043670_d32262570d_c.jpg)
FWIW, this van had to take a back seat for the last few modifications. She added them at the last moment but I had to finish up the Syncro first. She was happy to let it sit and wait. That is why it took some extra time for her to get it.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1599/25190169109_a35cd22f3e_c.jpg)