1996 Chevy Lumina APV GTP - $2016 Soccer Mom Challenge

P3PPY said:

I have no idea about the build other than the paint but I LOVE it. And those wheels look fantastic too

The build can be summed up in a few pictures.

Rusty old 1996 Chevrolet Lumina APV...

...plus a wrecked 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP coupe with 6 speed manual transmission...

...plus 50 reciprocating saw blades...

...and a pound of welding wire...

​​​​​​..and some paint and you get the APV GTP.

Repaint it and put the stock 18" wheels back on and you get the APV.R

I made some more progress tonight. About 70% of the pinstripes are done. I just need to do the driver's side below the window line. Hood in progress:

Passenger side done:

Until next time.

-Sean

Pin stripes are worth it. They make it pop. 

Can the alignment up front be done without a lot of drama(heat smoke swearing lenght of chain phone poll)?

Sorry for not going back to read, but did you use a hardener so you can buff it out?  If you did ..... wait for it ...... that will buff out.     It's looking great.  Good job.

The front toe has been set without issues. Camber and caster haven't been checked. But the front passenger wheel is going to remain 1-2" behind the driver's side unless I replace the (rare) subframe and bend back the front frame "rails".

Yes, I did use hardener in the red and blue paint. I worry about buffing it though. Wouldn't that spread the color around? Aka, into the white or other color? And what about the pinstripes that are on it now? I'm curious.

Realistically, it's good enough for a race car and there's not much time left. It will probably stay as is.

This is one of the best creations (of any kind) I've ever seen and the grocery stickers make it all that much better!

And with that the pinstripes are done along with the paint job. All that remains is paint touch up, cleaning, detailing, budget and build book, and some prep for the car show portion of the competition.

Until next time.

-Sean

In reply to ShawneeCreek :

Refresh my memory:  are you raising rear ride height?  It looks a bit tail-draggy in some pix.  

The rear was raised a few months ago with G6 hard top convertible rear springs plus all of the interior had been removed from the back. It's pretty close to level. I'm guessing you're seeing distortion from my phone's wide angle lens. Or the tuck of the rear wheels.

I visited my in-laws this weekend and was able to use their Cricut to make some vinyl stickers. All racecars need the driver's name above the window, right?

And one last, finishing touch. All minivans need a sticker in the back window. 

-Sean

Nice, I like how this has progressed 

In reply to ShawneeCreek :

You should add a stick figure family to the back, but make them out of orange cones. And have them getting run over by the van.  

Hitting the road. Stopped for a cool picture at the local gas station.

See you in Gainesville on Thursday!

-Sean

That should turn heads the whole way there. See you in Florida!

That's looks really cool. I love the grocery list on the side skirts.

ShawneeCreek said:

Hitting the road. Stopped for a cool picture at the local gas station.

See you in Gainesville on Thursday!

-Sean

Quoted instead of replying because goddamn that's a whole lotta MURRICA right there!

EDIT:  well, except for the Toyota pickup

Ugh. We had some damage during transit through the remnants of hurricane Michael. It's fixable.

If I've got time I'll do it before the autocross or between the morning and afternoon sessions.

-Sean

Managed to get it fixed last night just before dark.

Car show time. All you people at home are missing out on some home made banana bread from my sponsors Bananas, Bread, Eggs, and Mrs ShawneeCreek.

-Sean

Saw it in person yesterday, it's so unbelievably fantastic......

I saw an autocross time from the AM runs and it looked like you posted a very respectable time. Kudos for getting it here and the livery this year is fantastic 

Judging went well. I was allowed the extra minute on top of the base 3 and still didn't have a ton of time. I hit the main points though. We'll see how it all shakes out tonight.

Also, we weighed the van. In $2016 with full interior: 3549 lbs.

Today as raced: 3329 lbs. 220 lbs lighter.

-Sean

This is great. Love the theme and the work on presentation. 

The banana bread was damn good too. 

Awards banquet is complete. We came home with 3 trophies: Longest Drive (1,143 miles), Challengers' Choice, and 2nd place Concours (which currently reads 2nd place pm autocross (to be fixed later)). And we placed 10th overall.

First off, the longest drive isn't necessarily a trophy to work for (it's a lot of gas and seat time on the highway) but recognizing the effort is nice. It's going to be a long drive home.

Second, I'm honored to receive Challengers' Choice. I didn't set out to win it. I just wanted to make this crazy van a little more cool and send it off in style. Thank you to all who voted for me. I'm humbled that you all liked it so much.

Third, I'm happy to have done so well in the Concours. I lost out to the very worthy opponents of Wreck Racing.

I'm going to go hang out at the pool and relax. Once I get home and sleep on it a bit I'll formulate a plan on what is next for the van.

Until next time.

-Sean