mgmetalworks
Explorer
Sorry, the swivel base already found a new home.
That style of swivel base works in a pretty wide range of model years for the Ford E-series. It does look tight but if you slide the seat forward and then swivel it works.
MG Metalworks Van Build
- Thread starter mgmetalworks
- Start date
Sorry, the swivel base already found a new home.
That style of swivel base works in a pretty wide range of model years for the Ford E-series. It does look tight but if you slide the seat forward and then swivel it works.
mgmetalworks
Explorer
Sometimes I get an idea in my head about getting something done and I just can't help but go do it. I've been tossing around ideas in my head for how to layout my roof rack but I needed to get some real dimensions so I could have a good frame of reference for all of the design features I want to incorporate. I rounded up some scrap parts around the shop and made a crude but effective measurement tool. The plan was to take measurements along the gutter rail at "known" points. And by that I mean that I put some precision sharpie marks on masking tape 
HAHA!
Here's a pic of the tool
My "precision" marks on the gutter rail
The tool in place for a measurement. I lined up the marks on each side of the gutter rail with the tool and then checked the width.
I had 13 points along the van where I took a width measurement so with that data I created a layout of the gutter rail in Solidworks. I will use this to create the tube frame in CAD with all the mounts and accessories. I plan to have solar panels, LED flood lights, LED light bar, some secure storage and a few surprises that I'm going to stay quiet about for a while...at least until I get the model done.
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The mounts for converting the fronts seats to Siennas are being cut this week. Hopefully I can get the parts by the weekend and make some progress there.
HAHA!Here's a pic of the tool
My "precision" marks on the gutter rail
The tool in place for a measurement. I lined up the marks on each side of the gutter rail with the tool and then checked the width.
I had 13 points along the van where I took a width measurement so with that data I created a layout of the gutter rail in Solidworks. I will use this to create the tube frame in CAD with all the mounts and accessories. I plan to have solar panels, LED flood lights, LED light bar, some secure storage and a few surprises that I'm going to stay quiet about for a while...at least until I get the model done.
.....
The mounts for converting the fronts seats to Siennas are being cut this week. Hopefully I can get the parts by the weekend and make some progress there.
Betarocker
Adventurer
You don't have a laser 3D modeller? You're almost as low tech as an Amish.
hobietony
Explorer
You don't have a laser 3D modeller? You're almost as low tech as an Amish.
Yup, a real Luddite.
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I am pretty excited about the sienna seats for the front, I've been holding off for something relatively easy, that doesn't suck. I'll have to see if your seat measurements work with the amount of room I left myself behind the ones I have now... Carry on!
mgmetalworks
Explorer
You don't have a laser 3D modeller? You're almost as low tech as an Amish.
If the money tree would grow faster I'd probably have a scanner at some point. Its pretty far down the list compared to other tools I want though.
If you're concerned about the space behind the seat or the Sienna seat not sliding back far enough, I think it will be ok. It should be pretty close to the same as the stock seat (front to back that is. Side to side the Sienna is a little wider). I used dimensional data from the Ford Body Builders book and spent a ton of time taking measurements to replicate the positioning of the seat.
....
Since I won't have a swivel on the driver's side and the foot rest is pretty useless there, I disassembled that part and started thinking about building a box under the seat for storage. It looks like I'll be able to turn the foot rest into a flip-down door for access to a pretty sizable "glove box".
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adventr
Adventurer
Great build. I like where this is going, and will be hitting you up for some of those seat mounts...
I saw that you're looking to do some LED Lightbars on your roof rack. I'm doing the same thing on my van, but I'm just doing a small rack for now (80" long), and it will sit at the rear of the van.
I spent some time trying to come up with a mount for the lightbars to integrate them into the rack and protect them from small limbs/debris. Here's what I ended up with; feel free to use them if you'd like:
Looking forward to seeing your build progress. :beer:
I saw that you're looking to do some LED Lightbars on your roof rack. I'm doing the same thing on my van, but I'm just doing a small rack for now (80" long), and it will sit at the rear of the van.
I spent some time trying to come up with a mount for the lightbars to integrate them into the rack and protect them from small limbs/debris. Here's what I ended up with; feel free to use them if you'd like:
Looking forward to seeing your build progress. :beer:
mgmetalworks
Explorer
Great build. I like where this is going, and will be hitting you up for some of those seat mounts...
I saw that you're looking to do some LED Lightbars on your roof rack. I'm doing the same thing on my van, but I'm just doing a small rack for now (80" long), and it will sit at the rear of the van.
I spent some time trying to come up with a mount for the lightbars to integrate them into the rack and protect them from small limbs/debris. Here's what I ended up with; feel free to use them if you'd like:
Looking forward to seeing your build progress. :beer:
Those look good! I was thinking of something very similar I just hadn't put anything into CAD yet. I like the idea though! Thanks for sharing!
BTW... which lights are you going to use? Rigid Industries? Or have you found an alternative that doesn't require selling a kidney?
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mgmetalworks
Explorer
Well...today I jumped on a deal that will ratchet the Cummins conversion up a notch or two. I just bought a 2013 H.O. 6.7L out of a truck that hadn't even been licensed yet (damaged in transport between dealerships). A total of 12 miles on it. It is pretty much what I have been looking for to do this conversion so even if it was a little on the pricey side, I didn't want to pass it up.
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370hp and 800ft-lb of pure awesome. I don't plan to squeeze a bazillion more ponies out of it and I'm not going for a torque record. I just want to get it running in close to stock form and try to get lots of reliable miles and decent fuel mileage out of it.
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Transmission will be a '06-up Allison 6-speed mated to the NV271 transfer case I already have in my van. Haven't found the transmission yet but they aren't hard to find. I'm looking for a rebuildable unit that I'll go through myself.
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Electronics are going to be the hard part. I found a deal on a used wiring harness for the van and I already have a second instrument cluster. The plan is to get everything wired up and talking to each other on an engine stand before tearing down my van. It will be challenging but I've been researching this for over a year now so I know where my problem areas are going to be.
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S&*t just got real up in here!
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370hp and 800ft-lb of pure awesome. I don't plan to squeeze a bazillion more ponies out of it and I'm not going for a torque record. I just want to get it running in close to stock form and try to get lots of reliable miles and decent fuel mileage out of it.
.
Transmission will be a '06-up Allison 6-speed mated to the NV271 transfer case I already have in my van. Haven't found the transmission yet but they aren't hard to find. I'm looking for a rebuildable unit that I'll go through myself.
.
Electronics are going to be the hard part. I found a deal on a used wiring harness for the van and I already have a second instrument cluster. The plan is to get everything wired up and talking to each other on an engine stand before tearing down my van. It will be challenging but I've been researching this for over a year now so I know where my problem areas are going to be.
.
S&*t just got real up in here!
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mgmetalworks
Explorer
Not quite that much. I've been looking for a while and the range is about $6500-9500 for units with reasonable mileage (and some of them don't come with computer or harness or accessories). Since this has almost no mileage and is complete, It was towards the top end of that range. Since I'm doing everything myself (that means everything from fabrication to any special machining needed to all of the wiring and hardware/software problems I might encounter), my goal is to keep the total cost of the conversion under $15k. It will be tight now that the engine took up so much of that but I think its still possible.
adventr
Adventurer
Thanks! I did something similar using HID Flood lights on a previous rack that I built. When I built my rear bumper for the landcruiser last year, I went with one of the 6" LED Bars like you see in the renderings for a backup light, and I was blown away at how bright they are and how even the light output was. Instant-on was nice too!
The light bars that I use, as well as several other people that saw my rear bumper, all come from here:
http://explorationoutfitters.com/collections/led-lighting
I've been nothing but pleased, and for the price, I can afford to put several of them up there. Top notch service from that site as well, can't beat em.
And congrats on that 6.7! That just took things up a notch or seven. :Wow1:
mgmetalworks
Explorer
Thanks for the link! Those are much more reasonably priced than the Rigid Industries stuff.
NorthernWoodsman
Adventurer/tinkerer
mgmetalworks
Explorer
HAHA!!! I love that show! Thanks for posting