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Van Go
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Sanded the floor, filled in all the gaps and stuff... and a full coat of spar varnish. I'll let it dry overnight and put another coat on.
Sanded down yesterday's coat of spar varnish. Decided to add a grid... of sorts. Found the centerline and chalk lined that. Followed that up with a permanent marker and at one foot intervals, side to side marks. Swept and blow gunned it clean and laid down a second, final coat.
That's enough for today... was 99° when I finished.... dead calm. Musta been 10° warmer inside the van.
That's enough for today... was 99° when I finished.... dead calm. Musta been 10° warmer inside the van.
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"Of Course We Have A Plan. You Have To Have Sumpin To Deviate From."
The ATOTO 7 radio/navigation panel I installed came with a backup camera. Good a time as any to install it. It mounts to the license plate holder. When I tried to fit it, it covered the license plate light. Drilled some new holes in it and it's offset just enough.... I hope.
To route the video cable through, I filed a little notch in the plate holder so that when the light fixture is installed it makes for a tight seal.
This whole affair is one big pain in the ass to access. The little plastic screws that hold the light fixture are the type that you push in and (supposedly) screw back out. Yeah... good luck with that. I had to force 'em out from the inside. Bought new replacements but I don't trust 'em... and I don't want to have to tear the door apart again to replace the light, should it ever blow... or WHEN it blows more likely.
So I went and let Advance Auto rake me over the coals to the tune of 20 bucks for a pack of two LED replacement bulbs. They don't sell singles.
Installed it and checked it at dusk. The camera still kinda sorta blanks out the two left digits on the plate. Maybe they're more visible when it's dark. I'll check that but to be honest, this van will see very little night time driving, if at all. My night vision has gotten worse over the years... and Sue's was always pretty bad. This is a day van. Night driving only when absolutely necessary. Anyway, I got a little sidetracked here. Let's continue.....
When I initially installed the ATOTO 7 head, I ran the cable for the camera out the left side of the instrument panel and just looped it up in the back of the van. Well, today I had one of those "what the fuck was I thinking" moments. Cable's ran down the left side and the camera's installed in the right aft door.
Yeah... as you can guess, it weren't long enough.
As it happens, I found a glitch in the new instrument cluster from Circuit Board Medics... the odo and trip meter went dim on me. Worked fine when I first installed it, but I went to reset the trip meter when I gassed up and I couldn't read it. Called the the C B Medics up. They apologized and said they'd get another headed my way. That was Wednesday, it showed up today... good service. So anyway... gettin' a little long winded here...
Since I had to tear the dash apart anyway, I pulled all the camera cable back up and out the right side of the dash, up over the right door and back to the right rear door. To get through the flexible conduit to the door, I ran a piece of 7mm ignition wire up through the conduit, taped the camera cable to that and pulled it through.
I temporarily connected the signal wire to the backup light and sumbich, it works....
Went ahead and replaced the instrument cluster and I have my odo and trip meters back...
So yeah, what a day... what a fuckin' day. I think I'm gaining on it... who knows... whew, I'm beat.
The ATOTO 7 radio/navigation panel I installed came with a backup camera. Good a time as any to install it. It mounts to the license plate holder. When I tried to fit it, it covered the license plate light. Drilled some new holes in it and it's offset just enough.... I hope.
To route the video cable through, I filed a little notch in the plate holder so that when the light fixture is installed it makes for a tight seal.
This whole affair is one big pain in the ass to access. The little plastic screws that hold the light fixture are the type that you push in and (supposedly) screw back out. Yeah... good luck with that. I had to force 'em out from the inside. Bought new replacements but I don't trust 'em... and I don't want to have to tear the door apart again to replace the light, should it ever blow... or WHEN it blows more likely.
So I went and let Advance Auto rake me over the coals to the tune of 20 bucks for a pack of two LED replacement bulbs. They don't sell singles.
Installed it and checked it at dusk. The camera still kinda sorta blanks out the two left digits on the plate. Maybe they're more visible when it's dark. I'll check that but to be honest, this van will see very little night time driving, if at all. My night vision has gotten worse over the years... and Sue's was always pretty bad. This is a day van. Night driving only when absolutely necessary. Anyway, I got a little sidetracked here. Let's continue.....When I initially installed the ATOTO 7 head, I ran the cable for the camera out the left side of the instrument panel and just looped it up in the back of the van. Well, today I had one of those "what the fuck was I thinking" moments. Cable's ran down the left side and the camera's installed in the right aft door.
Yeah... as you can guess, it weren't long enough.As it happens, I found a glitch in the new instrument cluster from Circuit Board Medics... the odo and trip meter went dim on me. Worked fine when I first installed it, but I went to reset the trip meter when I gassed up and I couldn't read it. Called the the C B Medics up. They apologized and said they'd get another headed my way. That was Wednesday, it showed up today... good service. So anyway... gettin' a little long winded here...
Since I had to tear the dash apart anyway, I pulled all the camera cable back up and out the right side of the dash, up over the right door and back to the right rear door. To get through the flexible conduit to the door, I ran a piece of 7mm ignition wire up through the conduit, taped the camera cable to that and pulled it through.
I temporarily connected the signal wire to the backup light and sumbich, it works....
Went ahead and replaced the instrument cluster and I have my odo and trip meters back...
So yeah, what a day... what a fuckin' day. I think I'm gaining on it... who knows... whew, I'm beat.
It's coming along - when you moving in Jim?
Paleomechanic
XS650 Addict
Looks awesome ! I know the struggle of all this as I’m in the end stage of a re-power / re-wire of a 77 vw bus !
I’ve learned slow and methodical wins over re-doing stuff … a few times !
I’ve learned slow and methodical wins over re-doing stuff … a few times !
Soon Raymond. The ever elusive "soon."
Nice progress Jim. Can’t wait to see it when it’s all done up!
Dash is all back together... whew... Temporary backup camera wiring is now soldered in and permanent. Filled the right door with insulation and put it all back together.
So yeah, a few more items to scratch off the list.
Oh... the blue voltmeter I installed in the dash was very hard to read. Replaced it with a green one like I have in my truck. Much better.
So yeah, a few more items to scratch off the list.
Oh... the blue voltmeter I installed in the dash was very hard to read. Replaced it with a green one like I have in my truck. Much better.
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Looking good !!
Pulling dashboards ranks way down on my to do list. So many hidden fasteners and easy to break plastic parts. 
Looks good though, like factory.
That backup camera will surely be appreciated.
Looks good though, like factory. That backup camera will surely be appreciated.
I'd rather slam my pee pee in a car door than take a dash apart on a modern car.Pulling dashboards ranks way down on my to do list. So many hidden fasteners and easy to break plastic parts.
That backup camera will surely be appreciated.
Pulling dashboards ranks way down on my to do list. So many hidden fasteners and easy to break plastic parts.
That backup camera will surely be appreciated.
I'm with you guys. It's a real pain. What I didn't mention is that I got it all back together and found out the right turn wasn't lighting up in the dash.... fuck. Actually had to remove and reinstall it twice this go around... stole a good bulb out of the one I have to send back.
Ya know... jus' in case ya really want to feel sorry for me.
Truth be told, I need a swift kick for forgetting to check the turn lights before I put it all back together in the first place.
You guys are only in Fla and Az... I'm surprised you didn't hear the cussin'...
I might have 50 years ago before motorcycles, race cars and guns stole my hearing.I'm with you guys. It's a real pain. What I didn't mention is that I got it all back together and found out the right turn wasn't lighting up in the dash.... fuck. Actually had to remove and reinstall it twice this go around... stole a good bulb out of the one I have to send back.
Ya know... jus' in case ya really want to feel sorry for me.
Truth be told, I need a swift kick for forgetting to check the turn lights before I put it all back together in the first place.
You guys are only in Fla and Az... I'm surprised you didn't hear the cussin'...
There is a saying I use when I have to do it again.
If I haven't done it 3 times I haven't done it properly
If I haven't done it 3 times I haven't done it properly
There’s never time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it over.
Hmmm. I did not intend to be impolite or insinuate something about Jim’s work. All indications are it’s impeccable. I wish I were blessed with such talent. I’m sure this will turn out better than anything that can be purchased off the shelf.
I think all who read your post understand that it was in jest.
I thought so when I put it there. When I thought about it, I considered that someone could easily consider me an a$$hole for a remark like that, especially someone who doesn’t know me at all.
It’s a line I liked to tell students when I was teaching.
