Build Project: Suzie!!

[black start]

i forgot to mention in my update:AC guy passed in today. looked at the condenser and advised against using it and the drier (he's looking for the easy way out imho) but i will buy the new parts cause i know how faulty AC parts doe give real headache and cost more in the long run

so im looking for a new 14 X 24 universal condensor

drier (filter) bottle

and expansion valve for the evaporator............anybody, please feel to quote me, i already got prices from parts to go

Parts2go is bess price for new a/c parts bro.

lol....you bigging up yuhself?


anyways you all really have good prices, so do your thing

[PARTS2go]

You need a multi flow condenser. The people who sold you the condenser probably really happy you bought it & got it off their hands.

The single flow we have for $200, you spent $85 too much but those work with the R12 unavailable gas. R134a new gas operates with much higher pressures that's why the industry now uses much more efficient multi flow systems to handle the higher heat load.

We are the #1 auto a/c parts Caribbean distributors, we wholesale many a/c parts retailer shops & tech shops throughout the Caribbean.

The condenser is the radiator for the a/c. You may have saved $300 on the condenser but it will cost you repetitive compressor failures & changes due to the inefficiency of your condenser to handle the heat load. It's like installing a small radiator...you will have engine overheating problems eventually costing you an engine change or expensive repair.

Do not use 415b refrigerant. It is highly flammable & not compatible with the materials.

Find a good a/c shop to put things together for you. A shop that uses pure R134a & not a tank just labelled R134a or 415b. You need PAG DEC oil not ester oil. Many professional a/c shops have refrigerant identifiers & could prove the purity of the refrigerant they are using.

Cut corners with a/c & you will watch your money flowing down the drain. We are not just trying to sell our parts to you, we supply you with the correct parts & support for you to fix it right the first time & save you money.

Ask me for any advice you need, I will help you although you not supporting our business, it kinda hard to see a brother spending money & don't know what he doing or getting himself into.

[neckto]

You need a multi flow condenser. The people who sold you the condenser probably really happy you bought it & got it off their hands.

The single flow we have for $200, you spent $85 too much but those work with the R12 unavailable gas. R134a new gas operates with much higher pressures that's why the industry now uses much more efficient multi flow systems to handle the higher heat load.

We are the #1 auto a/c parts Caribbean distributors, we wholesale many a/c parts retailer shops & tech shops throughout the Caribbean.

The condenser is the radiator for the a/c. You may have saved $300 on the condenser but it will cost you repetitive compressor failures & changes due to the inefficiency of your condenser to handle the heat load. It's like installing a small radiator...you will have engine overheating problems eventually costing you an engine change or expensive repair.

Do not use 415b refrigerant. It is highly flammable & not compatible with the materials.

Find a good a/c shop to put things together for you. A shop that uses pure R134a & not a tank just labelled R134a or 415b. You need PAG DEC oil not ester oil. Many professional a/c shops have refrigerant identifiers & could prove the purity of the refrigerant they are using.

Cut corners with a/c & you will watch your money flowing down the drain. We are not just trying to sell our parts to you, we supply you with the correct parts & support for you to fix it right the first time & save you money.

Ask me for any advice you need, I will help you although you not supporting our business, it kinda hard to see a brother spending money & don't know what he doing or getting himself into.

well bro i hear what u saying and thanks for the advice

the condenser that the van had on it was this exact universal one which i realized after making the purchase. so i not doing bad by replacing with the same thing.

it may not be ideal or newest technology but i guess i'll be the guinea pig yet again. also its not a new vehicle so its a 10yr old compressor so maybe the older gas system would be ok? from what u saying i would also need to change the compressor too right?

what i want to know is how come when i called i was not given any of this information nor told about the condenser options? also, if the other condenser is total crap then y r u still selling it?

[PARTS2go]

I saw the pics of the van & the condenser is designed for the phased out R12 gas. We sell them for the same reason you bought it, some people don't want to spend their money. Our retail staff are just that, they are not technical.

It does not matter how old the van is, what matters is there us no R12 refrigerant & you cannot operate R134a in a system designed for R12. It will not cool properly & damage components.

Let's say there is no more gasoline, would you just fill up with diesel?

[neckto]

I saw the pics of the van & the condenser is designed for the phased out R12 gas. We sell them for the same reason you bought it, some people don't want to spend their money. Our retail staff are just that, they are not technical.

It does not matter how old the van is, what matters is there us no R12 refrigerant & you cannot operate R134a in a system designed for R12. It will not cool properly & damage components.

Let's say there is no more gasoline, would you just fill up with diesel?

so im asking again, because of the unavailability of the old gas, that means i have to change all my components including the compressor then?

[heavyweight280]

probably too late, but I find dry ice makes removing that tar /sound deadener much easier. I did that on my Z, and it saved a lot of time. Just let it sit for about 15 mins, then whack it with a rubber mallet and it brakes into nice solid pieces

[neckto]

probably too late, but I find dry ice makes removing that tar /sound deadener much easier. I did that on my Z, and it saved a lot of time. Just let it sit for about 15 mins, then whack it with a rubber mallet and it brakes into nice solid pieces

waow..........so it lets go of the metal too?

[heavyweight280]

probably too late, but I find dry ice makes removing that tar /sound deadener much easier. I did that on my Z, and it saved a lot of time. Just let it sit for about 15 mins, then whack it with a rubber mallet and it brakes into nice solid pieces

waow..........so it lets go of the metal too?

for the most part, yeah, nice and clean too. It helped get all the floor done. Just scatter the dry ice over the area, wait a while, then hit it with rubber mallet, not to hard, and it breaks, some times in large chunks, like tile. No clue how many hours it saved, cause that stuff is hard to get off i still have some on my transmission tunnel and all the vertical areas. Still gotta chisle them off

Either way, as I mentione, this project is really inspiring , would love to see this finish

[neckto]

probably too late, but I find dry ice makes removing that tar /sound deadener much easier. I did that on my Z, and it saved a lot of time. Just let it sit for about 15 mins, then whack it with a rubber mallet and it brakes into nice solid pieces

waow..........so it lets go of the metal too?

for the most part, yeah, nice and clean too. It helped get all the floor done. Just scatter the dry ice over the area, wait a while, then hit it with rubber mallet, not to hard, and it breaks, some times in large chunks, like tile. No clue how many hours it saved, cause that stuff is hard to get off i still have some on my transmission tunnel and all the vertical areas. Still gotta chisel them off

Either way, as I mentioned, this project is really inspiring , would love to see this finish

would've liked to try this method too for myself, well good luck with the rest of the removal i know how painstaking it can be, and thanks for the great tip im sure a lot of ppl will benefit from that.........this is what it's about

[neckto]

update:

managed to get a little done after work yest evening

not much, just get the pre paint prep work going



removed the rear windscreen



starting to want to take out the dash and front glas too but sticking to plan





completed the welding and clean up the vertical sections too

looking good already, still panting tho cause i dont like silver

[Cooper]

By the time you finish this vehicle will look like it just came out of the showroom

[droppa]

yuh real goin all out and doing this in-depth and thorough hoss, i hope when you done this build you dont sell it, but actually take some time and enjoy the fruits of your labour!!!!!!!

[neckto]

By the time you finish this vehicle will look like it just came out of the showroom

that's providing i don't try painting the outside myself too lolz...... i still trying to man up to taking that part on

[neckto]

yuh real goin all out and doing this in-depth and thorough hoss, i hope when you done this build you dont sell it, but actually take some time and enjoy the fruits of your labour!!!!!!!

yea bro, u was right too she done growing on me........

[jpec]

why don't you want to take out the dash and front glass? you might as well do it since its all basically down to skull and bones

[neckto]

why don't you want to take out the dash and front glass? you might as well do it since its all basically down to skull and bones

i wanna but we agreed to not do that from before so i sticking to plan.......i'll most likely open it up from the front to clean up and repair etc.

[neckto]

update:

Finally finished the preping this afternoon and as able to put on the primer. for how this floor was i dont think regualr 2k paint gonna cut it so we going hardcore in here too, zinc oxide primer, then industrial enamel. then the flash band, then the 2 k paint system on top it all.













also got the drier filter bottle for the AC

and finally remembered to prime the bonnet hinges and fuel tank goose neck too

[jpec]

decided on an exterior colour? looks great now, can't wait for this to be finished. tops work man

[neckto]

decided on an exterior colour? looks great now, can't wait for this to be finished. tops work man

so far all i cme up with is white with some of the blue dust like in the engine bay and probably a blue wrapping around the lower half

[jpec]

hmm...what about pearl white with the dust and no blue wrapping around the lower half??.. a lot of possibilities

[neckto]

hmm...what about pearl white with the dust and no blue wrapping around the lower half??.. a lot of possibilities

whichever option looking better for the price with the white, when the white done if it looking good then i wouldnt bother with the blue

[jpec]

hmm...what about pearl white with the dust and no blue wrapping around the lower half??.. a lot of possibilities

whichever option looking better for the price with the white, when the white done if it looking good then i wouldnt bother with the blue

sounds like a plan! you changing the rims btw?

[neckto]

eventually i would, not a priority tho. this project is very demanding budget wise as is

[neckto]

update:

sprayed on the industrial enamel black on the flooring

and mounted up the condenser and fan and put bk the bracket etc



changing the fan too, going with a bigger 12" fan one time
















i hope i got the placement of the fan correct. is there a reason for it to be placed a little to the side instead of directly in the center of the condenser?

i also made a bracket for the brace going over the fan to fit properly since the repair we did underneath was fabricated a little narrower than the original cross section

[ruffrider27]

project: Suzie cost you how much so far ?

[neckto]

will do a costing at the end, im not sure at the moment. avg around 35K or so by now - minus labour off course that's priceless!!

[Bizzare]

wow, this is really amazing. Rel passion going into this project.
reminds me of the major restorations we did back when I was younger.
While reading this ched i smelling filler and paint.
Hire meh tuh run paint on the outside. glossy finish with no runs guaranteed

[neckto]

wow, this is really amazing. Rel passion going into this project.
reminds me of the major restorations we did back when I was younger.
While reading this ched i smelling filler and paint.
Hire meh tuh run paint on the outside. glossy finish with no runs guaranteed

how much would u charge (labour) to do the final filler/putty and to paint n fnish and to line bk up the doors, bonnet, bumpers etc properly?

[Bizzare]

nah I was jus joking
we quit doing auto body repairs a while now.
over 3 yrs since i hold a paint gun.

[neckto]

update, sorry no pics today.

Got kept back going to buy materials and did a couple little things this evening which took longer than anticipated. so i forgot about pics

Cleaned and primed and painted drain caps which were coated with wonder the night before, put body guard on the floor drain holes and caps and stuck them back in - hopefully the tar will reseal the caps

put some body guard on the patched floor areas and corners of flooring. i will give that a two days to dry. then put on the flash band dampener.

primed, paint and replaced the piece of metal on the floor which i believe to be a weight of some sort

primed and painted the bonnet hinges and the diesel tank goose neck

repaired and reassembled the headlight brackets and temporarily mounted the headlights - had to find clips and adjustment springs which took forever

sort out most of the electrical in the front and get the head light working on both beams and the park lights. just have the bumper lights to check.

re-installed the horn and get it working.

so just the bumper lights, AC fan and compressor and head light's park light sockets to replace and the engine bay and front electrical supposed to be complete, oh yea. temp gauge to be checked by electrician