First off, here’s a great pic of the van, still in Colorado. Maybe this image will give you a better idea of why i love these bitchin’ vans!
Two weekends of work in this posting. I got a lot of help from my dear friend Sara. She is a great guide and counselor.
Started by pulling the old panels. So much work on these. Had to pull hundreds of staples from the outer edge piping seen here, which I saved (the piping), and will re-use.
Just some of the staples. It took way longer than I thought, spent hours pulling all these little buggers.
Then I traced the old panels on the new wood and started cutting – BY HAND!!!
Sara saw me sweating and let me know how crazy I was for doing this with a saw. I did about six panels when she got out her sweet new jig saw and took me to school!
Look at those smooth curves she cut! She is very impressive with power tools!
You can see what 34 years of wear and tear looks like on the old panels. There is a discovery around every corner with this project, mainly because I’ve never done this before and had no idea what to expect. So the old panels came out and I discovered 34 year old pink panther insulation.
The insulation is still good (will help keep the van cool on hot days) but the liner paper was so fragile. Your finger goes right through it by just touching it. So, another surprise, I had to hang some stronger paper to make a barrier between the people and the pink panther. A whole day later…
And I sealed in all the pink panther. Ever hear the old saying “busier than a one-armed paper hanger?” Yeah, I learned that “first hand” last weekend. Long job, and very difficult, but it had to be done. Whew, I was pooped, but had to get started painting the panels. Primer first!
And then the base coat…
Yeah, it’s gonna be pretty gnarly inside. Planning for something really crazy for the pattern, you’ll see soon enough!
No pictures for this part, but I ordered two custom seats for the driver and passenger from this great custom interior shop, Markel’s Auto Interiors. They have been in business here in LA since 1945! Dennis was great and helped me a lot. Click the link above and he can be seen sitting with a white shirt in his very own aqua and white 1960s convertible. He of course made this interior himself. I think I’ll be calling on him for a few more pieces before I’m finished. Can’t wait to show you the results when he is finished making them!
Thanks for reading and pls staying in touch!
