Please allow plenty of time for the pictures to load...they're big.
I installed all new carpeting, as the burgundy carpet that was in the van when I bought it had faded to an ugly, funky green color in places...it was atrocious! I also rebuilt the RV table that was in my van; it was in pitiful shape, broken into lots of pieces. I'll probably refinish it one of these days, but for now, I just wanted to get it back in there. Looking at the pictures, it looks as if it's leaning a bit, eh? I guess I need to fix that. The back seat makes into a double bed, and will soon be sporting a new mini-quilt and throw pillows to match the curtains I made.
The old front seats were okay, except the driver's seat was electrical, and I was always having problems with switches going out, gears grinding, and the back of the seat hanging up on the gargantuan seat belt retractor. There was too much play in the spring underneath the frame, as well, so it felt like I was driving a boat. The passenger side seat was the low bucket style, with no headrest. Unfortunately, right behind said seat is a bolt that sticks out from the frame of the lift...right at head level. Ouch! Out with the old...and in with the (slightly) newer seats that I bought at a salvage yard for less than $50 for the pair. Because they show a bit of wear (but no holes), I bought new velour seat covers on Ebay (I love Ebay). They look a bit shiny in the picture, but the camera flash is responsible for that. Now my seat is more solid, and the passenger doesn't have to worry about looking like Frankenstein if I take off too suddenly. You know...bolts in the head...oh, never mind. If you have to explain 'em, they just ain't funny.
My van's heating and air conditioning is "iffy" at best, which is why that little fan is there. Every time I turned on the blower motor, it would blow a 32 amp fuse. You could actually watch the element melt. I replaced the blower motor, so now I don't blow any more fuses, but I either have a loose or disconnected vacuum line somewhere, or there's a vent that's blocked because it just doesn't blow very well. I decided to tint the windows in the back to keep the interior somewhat cooler in this oppressive, muggy, sub-tropical, muggy, humid, sweltering, muggy South Carolina heat. Did I mention that summers are really muggy here? The windows aren't factory, and the way they fit into a channel made them impossible to remove, so I could only tint the upper portion. Still, it makes a lot of difference in keeping some of the sun out. I'll probably tint the rear windows soon, but that might make them too dark; they've been treated with that spray-on tint already. The curtains help to darken the inerior even more, and they'll provide some privacy on the road trips my husband and I hope to take soon (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean?) If you look closely, you can see the gadget attached to the accelerator; it's also attached to the brake. The rod you see runs up to the hand controls on the left side of the steering wheel...pull towards the floor for gas, and push towards the engine for braking with my left hand, and steer with my right (with the aid of the steering knob on the wheel). Easy as cake, simple as pie. The pedals work normally, so anyone can drive my van. Well, not just anyone...ask me nicely and I'll consider it. ;)
Here you can see the dropped floor of the van; it provides the needed room for the wheelchair lift. The floor was previously covered by carpet, but I got so tired of it absorbing the puddles I brought in with my wheels. The solution? Use heavy-duty linoleum instead. Voila! I had linoleum and carpet glue on my arms, my legs, my hands, my feet, in my hair...not a job I'd want to tackle again. My husband helped me put down the linoleum after I cut it to fit while sitting on it in the yard. I cut and installed 100% of the carpet by myself. You can see the scratches on the little table...they're not as pronounced as they look in the picture, but like I said, it could use a little refinishing.
This is a better picture of my passenger seat. Behind it, you can see a bit of my wheelchair lift. Without my van, I'd have a lot less independence, relying on rides from people strong enough to put my very heavy chair in their vehicle. Maybe that explains why I'm so proud of this silly GimpMobile and the work I've done...it means that I don't take for granted the freedom to just arbitrarily hop in a car and go somewhere. By myself.
My darling husband bought me a CD stereo for Christmas that we didn't install until a few months ago. If I was going to have decent tuneage, I needed decent sound, so I bought two new Blaupunkt speakers for the middle of the van. Sweet...and they were under $15.00 on Ebay. Did I mention that I absolutely LOVE Ebay? Can you see where the linoleum looks uneven? The dropped floor is actually several plates welded together, and the welds are covered with a heavy-duty silicone caulk. Unfortunately, it makes the floor seem a bit "wavy", but it's still more functional than having that section carpeted. You can see my sandals in the corner...on any given day, you'll find a couple of pairs of shoes in the GimpMobile because as soon as I'm done with errands or shopping, I take them off. Vive la Barefoot! Don't ask me why, but the wall paneling doesn't extend to the floor, which is why the outer edges of the lower walls are covered with carpeted panels. The gas tank section was difficult, to say the least, because the carpet had to be shoved underneath the paneled wall with the glue on the back.
Now for the outside..."THE TANK", as my kids call it, needs a lot of work. There's no paint on the roof at all, and the rest of the paint on the body is chipping and flaking off. Sometime in its life, it was poorly repainted. One of these days, I'm going to have it painted a soft beige. All over. Solid. Boring, you might think. BUT...my husband and I are then going to paint ivy vines that look as if they're growing out of the paint. You think I'm kidding, don't you? Do I look like I'm kidding? It was either that, or paint Raggedy Ann and Andy on it and call it the "Raggedy Van". The print on the door (to the left of the gimp sticker) reads, "DO NOT PARK CLOSER THAN 8 FEET". It's supposed to deter people from parking so closely to my van that I can't put down the lift, get in, and drive away. It don't always work too good as it oughtta, 'cuz some people either don't never read it, or they park there anyway.
More than likely, you've reached this page because you're tired of hearing about my trials and tribulations concerning the infamous GimpMobile, and you're placating me by visiting. < /tongue_in_cheek > To be honest, I've worked too hard on my van, causing some dangerous injuries resulting in blood clots in my arm. Would I do it over again? Probably. Will I do it again? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! But...at least now I know that I can.
