Reference pics of Chevy 4x4 van engine ?

[rallymaster]

Hello all,

Is anyone here able to let me know where to find reference pics of a Chevy 4x4 van engine as the one supplied in the Monogram "desert rat" kit ??
I'm not really "skilled" for US cars and vans but this one is really inspiring me and I already started something special on this kit.
As it allows to build a complete (?? pics will show how far complete ! ) detailed engine I would be pleased to find references or informations aiming to detail this engine block.
Any pics and/or informations to identify block serie (??) and get a few clues for web search engines will be much appreciated.
Thanks by advance to all kind members trying to help me.

[blubaja]

Don't have that kit, but my guess is, it probably has a small block 350. Usually painted orange. That kit looks awsome tho! I want one now! lol.

[rallymaster]

Originally Posted by blubaja

Don't have that kit, but my guess is, it probably has a small block 350. Usually painted orange. That kit looks awsome tho! I want one now! lol.

Hello Franck,
thanks for your answer, I'll try to seach with "350" as a key word.
Yes it's a nice kit, I'm not really used to monogram (should be my first one in fact) but I must say fit is pretty perfect, plastic is workable and parts in general are fine.
I'm planning to build a special van with this one, with hard decal work if I make it printing my own ones like I wish...


Any informations more or pics would be appreciated.

[rallymaster]

Originally Posted by rallymaster

...I'll try to seach with "350" as a key word...

Brings something which seems to be very close



thanks again for the clue.

[blubaja]

Yep. Welcome dude! You're not going to see much of it when the van is all assembled. But good luck with this!

[rallymaster]

Unfortunately not too much visible, you're right, but I think I'll open the hood, even if it's a very short one on this van and won't let too much visble either, and I'll probably even try to get the front grille and lightpods removable, i'll see how far I go into detailing the engine block and how interesting it will be to keep it visible, anyway most important thing to me is to do it and get the satisfaction of detailing and adding details which make the model a bit more like a real one !
Thanks again for your really welcome and usefull help.

[blubaja]

I'm not too familiar with the kit, as I said before, or vans of this vintage. But my work van has an access to the motor from inside the cabin. Maybe you can open it up, if you want to show off more detail still.

[Toolman56]

Hi, you did not say what year van your working on, here in usa , most vans have a 350-350 turbo auto, as general power source, the earler vans came with 4 cyls and 6 cyls, i got a 350 chev , that will slide right in there, it's going on e bay in model parts mon morn as its was the one, i took out my 34 ford monogram model, 1:25th scale, what scale are you working on ,Everett.

[Toolman56]

Van, hum this comes too mind , if i was custom building this van, i myself would glue up everthing solid from top of windsheild frame down, the whole front clip as one, then make rails outa square tubes that slide into each other and glue these onto the frame rails, then would cut the whole front end off wheels and all right benhind the dash, glue this too one those square frame tubes that slides into the other one, then you can show off the engine by gently pulling the van front too lenght of tubes ,exposeing the engine , trans ect,just a thought i had Everett. would also make a neet trl this way too.

[rallymaster]

Originally Posted by blubaja

I'm not too familiar with the kit, as I said before, or vans of this vintage. But my work van has an access to the motor from inside the cabin. Maybe you can open it up, if you want to show off more detail still.

Originally Posted by Everett56

Van, hum this comes too mind , if i was custom building this van, i myself would glue up everthing solid from top of windsheild frame down, the whole front clip as one, then make rails outa square tubes that slide into each other and glue these onto the frame rails, then would cut the whole front end off wheels and all right benhind the dash, glue this too one those square frame tubes that slides into the other one, then you can show off the engine by gently pulling the van front too lenght of tubes ,exposeing the engine , trans ect,just a thought i had Everett. would also make a neet trl this way too.

Hi guys,

an d thanks for taking car e of my demand !
yes I think there must be an access from the cabin I saw that on some pics found on the web seeming to be taken from between the seats or something like that.
I still haven't completely decided if I open the doors or only the hood or if I should build a fully removable part to show the whole front of the car as suggested...
I don't want to cut too much and take too many risks to ruin the kit, I already completely cut more and more the cabin part and now I'm forced to rebuild it completely...

Originally Posted by Everett56

Hi, you did not say what year van your working on, here in usa , most vans have a 350-350 turbo auto, as general power source, the earler vans came with 4 cyls and 6 cyls, i got a 350 chev , that will slide right in there, it's going on e bay in model parts mon morn as its was the one, i took out my 34 ford monogram model, 1:25th scale, what scale are you working on ,Everett.

As I said it before I'm completely ignorant about US vans, and one part of my problem was precisely to identify a year or a serie or a name of that van serie...
most of my search on the web seem to say it should be a van from the early 80's, I often found pics from a 82 van which is really close to the one depicted in the box.
And the kit has a V8 engine with a round airbox above it.
I'm not worrying too much about that anyway, as I don't expect a complete accuracy, but I mostly don't want to build womething that would be completely inaccurate !!

thanks again for your help.
I may start a thread here soon to show you my work on it.

[blubaja]

Found this pic on a chevy forum. Clearly, the engine isn't stock, but hopefully this gives you alot better idea of how it looks with the inside cover removed.

[rallymaster]

Waow, Franck, excellent view !! A perfect one as it even shows a bit more than the engine and clearly confirms what I doubted seeing the kit parts... Engine room takes all the place under dashboard !!
Pedals are in very reduced place...
One question more for the european ignorant I am...
Do such van use a gear lever on stearing column or a "european-like" one on the floor, because it will be placed just above the gear box and kit seems to supply a gear lever to put on the floor, except if it's in fact the hand brake lever I can't find either... But I thought that hand brake was a pedal too in such cars, as it is in some Jeep...?!?
I really have to increase my knowledge of such vans before being able to build it accurate...!!
thanks again for the help provided.
Time to take and organize a bit some pics and verify I can do what I plan (a fully decaled livery all around the van - so now you know the task waiting for me) and I'll start a WIP.

[blubaja]

You can increase your knowledge by asking questions as you are The gear selector usually is on the column behind the steering wheel for these kinds of vans for the automatic transmissions. I have no idea about a manual transmission, but you're more than welcome to have it on the floor, coming from the trans lol. The emergency brake is most likely under the dash by the floor.

[Toolman56]

Hi, most usa van from all years use a auto shift on the steering colum, left side of the dash, these are the 350 turbo automitic 3 speed , used both for V-8 and 6 cyls or about 80 percent of all vans use this turbo 350, next again the 3 speed shifter for the manual trans is again mounted too the steering colum on all vans, again 80 percent of all vans use this setup and is shifted thru a series of rods, two rods outside the dash hooked into the steering colum by a a cotter pin on end of rod , other end of rod is bolted too a flat plate on side of three speed manual transmission, inside the engine is coverd inside by what is called a doghouse, it normly held too floor and dash assembly with 6 bolts, this doghouse comes off too service the rear of the engine, and other parts of the van, there is a thick blanket of insultion on the underside too keep the heat down and noise, silver in color,for as the e-brake, there is most vans use a foot operted brake pedal too the left by the left door , this e-brake is controlled by pressing this small pedal down too floor, there will be a series a clicks, , it will go down so far this goes thru a cable setup too the rear wheels, the rear wheels will lock up once this pushed down with your foot, these are the only ones that lockup the rear wheels , too relase the rear wheels the small e -brake pedal, you pull on a t-handel , on lower left side of dash and the e brake will relase the small pedal and unlock the rear wheels and will be free rolling again,again this for a usa left hand drive model, i dont know much about ero models yet, hopes this helps Everett.

[rallymaster]

Waow, thanks for these informations.
Right, asking is the only way to get answer, I only hope I'm not too boring with all these questions...!
Thanks again for all your help.