We interrupt this series of blog postings to bring you an important bulletin....
IT RUNS!!!!
The GMC Vandura motor home RUNS LIKE A TOP! Spent a few hours at it's rest site of the last 10 or so years, and, considering it hadn't been started for 7 years, it ended up starting fairly easily.
Took an hour of figuring out a few things, adapting the top post battery I had to the side post cables it had, and after 3/4 of a can of starting fluid, and a couple gallons of gas in each gas tank (one apparently has a solenoid issue, thus no gas gets to the engine from it...but the previous owner could not remember which tank had the issue...)
She runs quite well! With only a little over 63,000 miles on it, it should be good for many, many more. Has pretty much like new tires all around, which is fantastic, because the tires are 17 inch, and I understand they are super pricey to buy new.
Needs a fair bit of interior work, but that I can tackle easily. Vehicle mechanical repair's are not really my thing. That said, I can do a minimum with the knowledge I have (limited!). However, given enough time, research, etc, I can tackle anything. The snag is TIME.... that is always in short supply. (Hmmmm...... could it be because I have so many projects on the go?!?)
Again, this is a threadbare-worn-out-shoestring-budget project, and it is going to be assembled using mainly salvaged materials, and stuff I already have around. Those items essentially consists of stuff leftover from other projects that I never finished, dismantled, or only had a "dream" of but bought some cool crap for it anyway.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I am hoping to raise some cash to put into it by selling off bits of the interior that I do not plan to use. The 12v/110v/propane fridge apparently works, as does the furnace & stove, so they should garner a total of $400 - $600 if I can get them sold. Fridge and furnace seem to have some interest, though when I first advertised them, I had no idea if they worked. Now I know they worked when the unit was parked, so I just have to clean them up, get photos of them onto a local website, and market them better.
Oh, damn, I need TIME to do that, don't I?
There are also quite a few other assorted bits, including a funky 1970s plastic 12V light fixture, tiny yellow bathtub/shower, double stainless steel sink, cupboard doors/cabinets, yellow curtains, curtain track, drawer guides, sewage tank, water tank, etc, etc. If you are looking for ANYTHING for a 1970s vintage motorhome, no matter how small of a part, let me know!
I am also thinking of customizing a few things on the van portion, like making a custom grill, mirrors, etc...sort of rat rodding it. SO, some of those 1977 GMC van parts might be up for grabs, too! Let me know what you want/need, and the kind of $ you need to pay for the part(s).... if it is worth my while, and I have an alternate idea for replacing/customizing that spot/part/component, I might just sell you that part you need!
Will keep you posted on my progress! More photos to come at a later date (forgot my camera today...!)
Not sure if this is still active, but how many miles do you reckon you got out of the Vandura? Just bought one with 100K on the engine and can't find much online about engine life expectancy. (I should add mine's a 1977.)
ReplyDeleteYes, blog is still active...sporadic, but active. I think it had 77,000 on it, but I did abandon the project, and the vehicle was left behind on my old property, so I don't know for certain.
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