So project #Ctwin is gaining some junkyard parts. After a bunch of measuring and online dimension searching I headed to the Ontario Pick-A-Part with reciprocating saw in hand.
There are 3 variants of the Astro Van engine cover. Early, mid & late. I chose the mid year because of it's larger opening and thick construction.
There were a bunch of vans to choose from. Luckily I found a very clean example and began cutting it up.
The cover and the surround.
Doing a little prelim fitment check. It's pretty darn close as is. The under side of the dash will need to be raised slightly. That will allow the engine cover to move forward against what will eventually be a new firewall. There will be some serious consideration here for dash design. The cover must be able to be removed easily. Which will be no easy task once there are seats in place. Initial thoughts include designing a hinged center to the dash that lifts up and away. Another thought is to have two separate dashes (driver/passenger) and then have a removable center console that mates up against the dash/engine cover that is also easily removable.
