1996 Chevy Lumina APV GTP - $2016 Soccer Mom Challenge

Is there any reason you can't shorten the G6 chassis to match the van body?

I love this way more than I should.

Bobzilla wrote: I love this way more than I should.

Nah Bob, I think the only way you could love it any more would be if he'd used a Hyundai Genesis instead of the G6 for a donor chassis.

petegossett wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: I love this way more than I should.

Nah Bob, I think the only way you could love it any *more* would be if he'd used a Hyundai Genesis instead of the G6 for a donor chassis AND PUT THE ENTOURAGE ON TOP.

Fixificated for accuracy.

Left Ventricle wrote: Is there any reason you can't shorten the G6 chassis to match the van body?

Mainly the fact that I'm running out of time to finish this before this year's competition. Theoretically I'd just have to remove the proper amount of metal from the middle and weld it back together along with shortening/rerouting the fuel lines, brake lines, and anything else in the area.

Anything is possible with the right amount of time, effort, and money. I'm running out of the former, can only put in so much effort, and the Challenge limits the later. But that's all part of the fun

Ovid_and_Flem said: I am absolutely amazed at the talent and energy that has gone into this project. I don't know how you did it. But then I realize you're only 26. When I was 26 i did big projects. But nothing like this! Great job.

Thank you. I've had a lot of help and understanding, especially from my wife, with this project. And I just keep moving forward, solving each problem as I encounter it. Eventually all (or at least most) of the problems will be solved and I'll have an APV GTP. It also helps that we bought the two vehicles last November.

Dude, you rock! So does your family.

Well done.

Oh yea, moar!

A little more progress tonight. The front of the body is resting on the car, which enabled me to disassemble and remove the front gantry. The door crossbars will stay until I get the B-pillars fully welded.

And a little sample of the welding on the driver's A-pillar.

Until next time.

So much dustbuster it's awesome.

That aint coming apart anytime soon!

Shortening or lengthening the chassis has a lot of domino effect that makes life interesting. I will think long and hard before I do another chassis swap where the wheelbases are not close enough to leave alone.

Does this car have a post challenge life or is that it's sole raison d'etre?

What are the legalities with making this thing road-legal once you're done assembling it? Buying the Pontiac as a wreck means it came with a salvage title, yes? And I assume the van had a clear title? So what does this get titled as? The world's largest G6?

ShawneeCreek wrote:

I now know that a minivan can be drop dead sexy.

Left Ventricle wrote: What are the legalities with making this thing road-legal once you're done assembling it? Buying the Pontiac as a wreck means it came with a salvage title, yes? And I assume the van had a clear title? So what does this get titled as? The world's largest G6?

But up there at the court house they didn't laugh

'Cause to type it up it took the whole staff

And when they got through the title weighed sixty pounds.

Left Ventricle wrote: What are the legalities with making this thing road-legal once you're done assembling it? Buying the Pontiac as a wreck means it came with a salvage title, yes? And I assume the van had a clear title? So what does this get titled as? The world's largest G6?

Van's vin tag is intact, it's the van. He lives in a county with no emissions inspection so nobody is ever going to look at it

NOHOME wrote: Does this car have a post challenge life or is that it's sole raison d'etre?

That's still up for debate. The original plan was for this to be my daily driver after the Challenge. I could also fix it up more over the next year and compete in the $2017 Challenge with it. Or sell it to someone. Or harvest the G6 drivetrain and swap it into another G6/Saturn Aura/Chevy Malibu/Malibu Maxx with a bad engine/transmission and use that as the daily. We'll see. I need to finish it and compete in this year's Challenge first.

patgizz wrote:

Left Ventricle wrote: What are the legalities with making this thing road-legal once you're done assembling it? Buying the Pontiac as a wreck means it came with a salvage title, yes? And I assume the van had a clear title? So what does this get titled as? The world's largest G6?

Van's vin tag is intact, it's the van. He lives in a county with no emissions inspection so nobody is ever going to look at it

Exactly. The G6 is on a salvage title. I'd just register it as the van. All the state requires is a VIN and odometer inspection, and that's only because I bought the van out of state.

Think of it like a modern version of a restomod/pro-touring car. Pretty much the only thing still stock/matching the VIN on those cars is the body, and sometimes not even that.

ShawneeCreek wrote:

patgizz wrote:

Left Ventricle wrote: What are the legalities with making this thing road-legal once you're done assembling it? Buying the Pontiac as a wreck means it came with a salvage title, yes? And I assume the van had a clear title? So what does this get titled as? The world's largest G6?

Van's vin tag is intact, it's the van. He lives in a county with no emissions inspection so nobody is ever going to look at it

Exactly. The G6 is on a salvage title. I'd just register it as the van. All the state requires is a VIN and odometer inspection, and that's only because I bought the van out of state. Think of it like a modern version of a restomod/pro-touring car. Pretty much the only thing still stock/matching the VIN on those cars is the body, and sometimes not even that.

Much the same as how the Molvo gets registered as a 1973 Volvo rather than a 1996 Miata. Legally, I think of the Miata bit as a Volvo floor-pan repair panel.

I last checked in on page 1. This is amazing.

There's a lot of vehicles people say are Dustbusters, but this is the Dustbustest.

You're doing a good thing here. You are a good person.

ssswitch wrote: There's a lot of vehicles people say are Dustbusters, but this is the Dustbustest.

Awesome. More progress has been made. The B-pillars are welded in enough that I was able to remove the cross bracing between the front door openings. I can finally get in and out of the van easily again.

Next up in the to-do list is closing this gap between the rear of the car and the remainder of the van's floor.

Until next time. Bonus picture of the gap between the rear quarter panel and the tire. Talk about a tight fit. I got lucky (or did I plan it that way?) Let's go with I planned it that way  

In reply to ShawneeCreek:

Maybe it's just the perspective of the first pic, but it looks like if you use the G6's seating position you won't be able to see over the dash, or conversely, if you use the van's seating position, have a long reach down to the shifter?

Good thing Raised White Letter Tires are no longer a thing because I think the letters would rub if they were!

So Spectacular. Thanks for the interior shots because knowing what I think I know, the interior is going to be "interesting". I have to believe the driving position will be interesting too.
With the stock seats in place on the G6 pan can you actually see over the dashboard?

Edit: good minds think alike and seems we were writing the same thing at the same time.

Believe it or not, the base of the van's windshield is LOWER than the base of the car's windshield. And we'll be using most of the G6's dashboard. So no worries about seeing when using the G6 seat bolted in the stock location. The seating position is actually just about perfect. Photo evidence:

And the view from my perspective:

Until next time.

Wow.

Is the G6 chassis already a runner as is? Cause if it is, this is going to wrap up pretty quick eh?