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  • #76
    Originally posted by pdub View Post

    That's what I mean. They'll have to MAKE a class for it!
    Then you will make them make a motorhome class!

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    • #77
      I did go out in the chilly rain and hole up in the van while I pulled the passenger seat. There was a slow period in the rain so I hustled the HHR seat into the shop along with the Ford base and now those two are almost bred together (does this make Vanna a hybrid?). So just a tad to finalize tomorrow and we'll have a matched pair of charcoal HHR seats in there. They really DO feel a ton better, at least to our old fannies.

      Pics tomorrow - too wet to shoot from outside into the van today.

      Dan

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      • #78
        The seat project is finito. Finally - why does everything take at least twice as long as it should?

        It's interesting how much difference there is from side to side, both for the Ford seat bases and inner seat belt mounting and the HHR seats. Still, I get 'er done. Finished pics:

        Looking in the passenger's door at the HHR seats in place.

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        And from the driver's side:

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        Rear shot. I don't know why the color looks so different between them - they really aren't different at all.

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        And The Step. The I mounted the HHR seat where it wanted to be on the Ford seat base and it ended up WAY too high off the floor. I considered several cures and finally decided to "raise" the floor by building the step shown here. The step is plywood and 2X4's ripped to 2 1/2" as the riser. I got some paint that's close to the carpet color and painted it with porch paint then covered it with a rubber floor mat trimmed to fit. I screwed it down with SS trim screws and Bob's yer uncle. It's now pretty comfy for a couple of old folks.

        Click image for larger version

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        I know - I have some vacuuming to do.

        Dan

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        • #79
          Great job on the riser Dan! Well, great job on ALL of it.
          Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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          • #80
            Thanks! Interestingly, the riser (step, whatever) actually makes MORE square inches of foot space than the original setup. I'm guessing that I lifted the foot area up and past some of the curve of the doghouse so it got a bit bigger. Anyhow, I'll take it.

            Dan

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            • #81
              Will you need to remove the step to take the doghouse off?

              Looking real good.. More foot space is always nice!

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              • #82
                First, an answer to Bob - yep, but it's easy to do. As it's sorta wedged in there there's only 1 screw needed to keep it in place so all I have to do is pull that screw (which holds a little bracket) and it'll pull right out.

                But on to the current project. With all the cancer stuff (phone calls, forms, etc.) and the first trip to FL to get set up for protons I've had to work on this in fits and starts but here's the requested table as it goes in. I made it very stout (as always) and still swing out of the way to leave the back seat open for seating. The reason for the table, you're asking? ME has a small keyboard and she wants to be able to do her piano practice even while on the road. We can pull into a rest stop or wherever and she can flip down the table, set up the keyboard (easy to do) and play away. It might also get used for lunch or a computer keyboard stand though not often.

                Some pics:

                In the stowed position. The retained clevis (I guess you would call it) is to keep the top from rotating. The piece attached to the floor is just painted as it'll be covered with the carpet but everything else is powder coated and powder clear coated as well. As you can see, the top is not yet installed as I do the necessary finish (pics to follow). Click image for larger version

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                The stops to keep the top from rotating past flat and 90* (stowed) position. Click image for larger version

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                And with the stops touching. Taken a bit further back. Click image for larger version

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                In the "in use" position. The pin is now holding it in this position. Click image for larger version

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                Top of the top. I have one coat of grain filler on it in this shot, my first try with that. Oak has big pores that tend to show thru the clear finish so I decided to experiment. I wasn't able to find grain filler in town so I ordered it up from Rockler's. Click image for larger version

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                And the back of the top. It'll show when the top is stowed so I need to finish it nicely, too. Finishing is NOT my strong suite so I'll see if this helps. This is a simple piece of 3/4" oak veneer plywood and the edge is simply biscuited on. I set the sides a tad high and use a flush trimming bit to level the sides to the top - otherwise I sand thru the veneer trying to level everything so I hit on this method which seems to work well. Click image for larger version

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                So I haven't been doing NOTHING!

                Dan
                Last edited by DanStokes; April 15, 2017, 02:55 PM.

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                • #83
                  That table stand / swing is pretty cool .
                  Previously HoosierL98GTA

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                  • #84
                    One does what one can. (I'm pretty pleased with it.) I may need to add a pin to stabilize the rotation but I think it'll be OK as is.

                    Dan
                    Last edited by DanStokes; April 16, 2017, 08:37 AM.

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                    • #85
                      Wow, that's a pretty cool project Dan! The seats look like they were made for the van.
                      Tom
                      Overdrive is overrated


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                      • #86
                        And the final product. Lots of apply finish, let finish dry, apply finish, repeat. Lesson learned on this project - when using pore filler, FIRST stain, THEN apply the pore filler. I did a test panel after screwing up the table top and while the pore filler does lighten the stain slightly it doesn't effect the color too much. Next time.......

                        In the storage position (like, when going down the road) Click image for larger version

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                        Pull the pin and swing the table toward the seat and reinstall the pin: Click image for larger version

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                        And then, flip the table to the working position: Click image for larger version

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                        Of course, lots of "I'd do XXX if I did it again", but mostly I'm OK with it. We'll have to see if it's OK to have the "flip function" unrestrained but if needed I can add a pin for the flip, too. ME thinks it'll be OK as is so we'll try it and see. Any tips on a drill guide for drilling tube? I'm looking at a Drill-Rite jig but wondered if anyone has any experience.

                        Dan
                        Last edited by DanStokes; May 1, 2017, 02:05 PM.

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                        • #87
                          Did another project to make Vanna an even better traveling vehicle. Summer travels to Grands are coming up so we figured this is the time to get ready. We've worked out a way to stack stuff in the back when we hit the road but it gets a bit jumbled as the trip progresses so this is an attempt at organization. If it's a flop it all comes out with 12 screws so it's not a big deal to rework if necessary.

                          Empty shelves. The top shelf obscures the rear windows (one in each door) a bit and I'm toying with the idea of turning the backup camera on full time. Note the cable across the top shelf area to keep the stuff from flying forward.

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                          And with typical junk loaded. The lower area will usually be filled with suitcases and the stuff in the lower area will either go on the cooler or in the passenger area. ME carries her own food so the cooler is essential though I'm considering a small 12 VDC 'fridge.


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                          Dan

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                          • #88
                            Groovy man, groovy.
                            Of all the paths you take in life - make sure a few of them are dirt.

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                            • #89
                              Piano.......Ya Say.......
                              "The Friend's of Jesus in a Chartreuse Miro Bus"........(C.W. McCall)

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                              • #90
                                Further refinement that proved to be a project. I tried to convert the back up cam to a rearview cam, basically just keeping it on all the time that the key is "ON". So I moved the trigger signal from the back up light to a switched 12VDC - that ought to do it, right? For some reason it still only came on in reverse. That camera system was wireless from the cam to the monitor and for some reason it wouldn't let go of the reverse-only operation (still a mystery but maybe the monitor needed to get reprogrammed).

                                Anyhow, I got in tough with the bunch at Crutchfield and for just over $100 they sent me a new system that's wired from front to back and has a "camera" wire on the monitor that usually is used for a front cam. All I had to do was plug the rear cam into that plug and (as I've noted before) Bob's yer Uncle! It took a day and a half to rerun the power wire and cam wire to above the windshield so you can look as if at the rearview mirror and see the monitor. I also have some time in making a fancy bracket to put the monitor up there but it's all done now and works great.

                                A pic in action:

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                                ME thinks she'll want the grid on so we'll try it for a while that way. If that proves to be annoying I just cut The Blue Wire and the grid goes away. I took the pic on the entry road into our sub just so there was a "roadscape" in the monitor. I think we're going to like this when the rear shelves are full.

                                Dan

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