1963 GMC Step-Van 7

[VWNate1]

Wow, what a great project ! I just found this thread to - day, 8.15.2018 .

I lived in Rural New England when this rig was new, very few made it beyond 5 or 6 year old before they completely rusted away ~ that yours is still so intact is amazing .

Question : the little black car in the back ground of posts # 53 and 67, is it an Austin A55 derivative ? . I love it .

You should post photos of exactly where the chassis VIN is to be found .

[Aberdare]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Wow, what a great project ! I just found this thread to - day, 8.15.2018 .

I lived in Rural New England when this rig was new, very few made it beyond 5 or 6 year old before they completely rusted away ~ that yours is still so intact is amazing .

Question : the little black car in the back ground of posts # 53 and 67, is it an Austin A55 derivative ? . I love it .

You should post photos of exactly where the chassis VIN is to be found .

Thank you... but everything below the belt line on the van body is just rotten... A testament to how cheaply made the Union City Van bodies were made. Putting it back together again is going to take some time and a lot of fabrication.

To answer your question; The black car beside the trucks is a '55 or '56 Austin Cambridge.

In keeping with Legal Requirements, as a Licensed Journeyman and certified to do Vehicle Safety Inspections... Posting photographs of the exact location of hidden identifiers for motor vehicles is a criminal code offense in Canada - so I will have to respectfully decline.

[VWNate1]

No kidding .(about the hidden VIN)

You must be younger than I as I well remember rusty vehicles in the 1950's and 1960's, dangerous ones often .

Using S & H green stamps in lieu of the safety inspection sticker, paying $15 for an illegal sticker, brake lines parting under sudden stops, putting my foot on a four year old Ford Galaxy's rear bumper and having the FRAME break away ~ this on a car that was running and driving, for sale for $350 at the time .

On and on .

I'm not saying your van isn't rusty and in dire need of the works you're doing but I remember far worse .

[Aberdare]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

I'm not saying your van isn't rusty and in dire need of the works you're doing but I remember far worse .

Rusty sometimes hides far more dangerous conditions, hence why I decided to lift the body off the chassis and start with a good solid foundation.

As promised, here's a few pictures of the new forward sub-frame floor and I also refitting the engine cowls to see how well I did fabricating the sub-frame. I didn't do too badly with the forward outriggers higher by 1/8th of an inch on both sides... I can easily make an adjustment for that with some spacers between the frame and the forward cab mounts. I had a couple of leftover pieces of steel shelf that will work perfect as bottom anchors for the partition wall. I will need to fabricate the driver side step, then install both the left and right steps onto the sub-frame, before I fold over the ends of the steel floor and screw them all together.

... but check it out! New Floor! Just need to fabricate a new shifter cover and make sure I leave some room for the PTO control lever to be installed later.