This update is a bit late, so I apologize for that.
We finally got the van out of the garage! It was supposed to have been done almost a month ago, but the auto parts company kept giving us the run around. They pushed back the arrival date of our transmission and engine about three different times. Eventually it was decided that instead of a brand-new transmission, we would just buy the part that is needed and rebuild the original one. This worked out better since more money went into getting the engine a bit more beefed up which is good.
This does not involve the van directly but another of the more annoying things we have had to deal with is getting charged double for expensive things. We finally ordered the generator and solar panel setup for our power situation. The first time I attempted to order it, Amazon canceled it due to it not being our usual purchase habit. I had to go through a three-day ID verification process, but it ended positively for me, so they told me to place the order again. Well, I attempted the order again and our bank came back looking for verification. I thought the bank had canceled the order entirely but apparently, they did not. I assumed I needed to place the order a THIRD time, so I did, and we ended up with two orders lol Luckily the company we went with (Jackery) was extremely helpful and made the return process so smooth. It was just a headache to deal with lol
When we got the van back, we noticed that there are rust spots on the floor in front of the driver and passenger seat. It appears as though water was left just chilling there and the floor rusted away so much, you can see the road when you are up front. Basically, we are going to have to scrap off the rust and cover that section in metal sheets and some rustoleum to keep it intact. Besides that, the hinges and weather proofing on most of the doors need to be changed, the ABS light on the dash keeps lighting up for some reason even with the breaks appearing to be in tip top shape, there is currently no horn, the brake and gas pedals need to be adjusted, the steering column may need some work, we need to get the windshield replaced so we can finally put up to date tags on it, etc etc. The list goes on and on lol
Yesterday was our first official day of working on the van. We accomplished more than what I thought we would. We took out the bulkhead that was right behind the front seats, we swept out the back, threw away the trash, took down the unnecessary wiring and dome lights the original owners macgyvered themselves, my FIL popped the roof back in place (for the most part, as the past owners seemed to enjoy getting on the roof with poor support on the inside), and we unscrewed the driver seat, to allow us to deal with the rust spots.
We are unable to work too much on it today due to the frigid weather. Hopefully tomorrow will be warmer so we can finally begin to get rid of that hideous rust for sure.
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