Followed by fixing the front, lower corners of the box where the original design allowed water to infiltrate and eventually rot the interior corners I just repaired.

I scribed the curve of the lower box valence on to pressure treated lumber sure to outlast the original plywood pieces.

Sheet metal lapped to push any moisture away from the wood with enough caulking to seal a ship. Then metal roofing screws with rubber washers to hold it all together.

Should keep it all free of rot. I'll clean up the excess caulking once it sets. Still too cold around here.Attachment 3284Attachment 3285Attachment 3286Attachment 3287

And the driver's side.

Done. No more rotten bits.

Next stop front of box, over cab air dam.Attachment 3288

Upgrading the seats from 41 year old to 21 year old.

Bought bench with console combo 3rd seat for $100 including built in seat belts as the van only came with lap belts and we'd prefer shoulder style.

Sold the old pair for $300 so that's a bonus.

Took a million measurements to replicate the fit. Will likely have the seats lower as we're tall.Attachment 3289Attachment 3290

Seats covers are stripped down and run through the wash twice. Works well.

Warm weather let me work on the air dam for the front of the box.

Used up some scrap foam for the sandwich style design.

A few test pieces for the rafters. The air dam will project 8 inches above the box for a future project.Attachment 3291Attachment 3292Attachment 3293

Here I've got the air dam mocked up against a sheet of plywood to mimic the front wall of the box.Attachment 3294

Finalized all the measurements and got the 2x8 that will ride across the perimeter of the roof attached to the ribs.

A buddy came by to review the dam. He has an aluminum brake and will bend up the bottom and side panels along with the corner strips.

I'm trying to keep the weight down so the interior 1/2" plywood will be installed after the air dam is mounted. Essentially only the bare minimum frame will have to get dragged up the roof for mounting.

Sure would be nice to own some scaffolding...Attachment 3295Attachment 3296

Filled in the rest of the ribs with insulation.Attachment 3297Attachment 3298

Cut the fiberglass reinforced panel (FRP) from the front of the box. This strip will become the center part of the angled air dam surface.

The glue must have let go years ago. It just fell off once the perimeter was cut.

Then it was trimmed to fit the air dam.

I put the air dam in the garage as we expect 1/2" rain over the next two day. I covered the front wall of the box with some scrap OSB.

I'll glue the FRP on tomorrow. Then we'll add aluminum above and below as well as on the sides.

The flashing details are still rattling around in my head. Some things just have be be dealt with as they happen during installation.

Attachment 3299Attachment 3300Attachment 3301

Hint on removing 41 year old failed contact cement from plastic panels. Use a cup style twisted wire wheel on an angle grinder. Works well without chemicals or scrubbing.

Glued the old fiberglass panel to the air dam. The remaining areas will be aluminum.

Welded the first corner of the roof deck support angle steel together. Dragged it up to get an idea of final measurements for the entire frame.

I'll finish welding it up, scrape the rust off, pre-drill the holes, paint it, and then line the inside with blue skin membrane. That will keep the water away from the roof to angle steel contact area. I'll lay a bead of caulking on the roof before dropping it into final position.Attachment 3302Attachment 3303Attachment 3304

Pulled, actually let fall, the angle off the roof. Broke a clearance light in the fall.

Nonetheless I continue!

Finished welding the frame together.

Then layed out the uprights for the folding rail posts.

Got 2 put together and sanded down then welded them in place.

Quick coat of spray can paint to cover the raw metal and my day is over. A long day.Attachment 3310Attachment 3311Attachment 3312

A coat of paint to stop rusting after cleaning off the red stuff.

Aluminum on the bottom of the air dam. Contact cement is not my friend. Caulked the folded joint and beat it flat with a hammer and block of wood. Made sure it points backwards so as to not gather rain as the 'Cubicle' rolls on down the highway.

Jammed up on supplies again. Can only get curbside service from Home Depot. Waiting for paint and welding wire. Been 4 days...Attachment 3313Attachment 3314

Finally got welding wire to continue with the uprights on the roof frame.

Decided that the intersection of the roof frame and air dam is too critical to weld up and then verify at final assembly so the half skinned air dam was hoisted up and fastened to the box. I lifted it up by myself. Fun.

The scrap angle steel fits perfectly and will work fine with the roof uprights as planned.

Attachment 3320Attachment 3321Attachment 3322Attachment 3323Attachment 3324Attachment 3325

Next steps are to finish the uprights, clean the roof frame, and paint it. The inside of the frame will be lined with Blueskin to keep air and water off the metal.

Then the frame goes up and is attached to the top of the box walls.

The air dam will be skinned and then permanently installed against the box. The connection to the box will be skinned as well; in aluminum.

From there the roof gets a surprise addition.

Rain due so no more painting or sanding.

Swung to the back end to work on the rear door seals. Factory setup was 1/8" metal strips extending across the door gaps with foam weather stripping to block the dust and weather.

Ripped red cedar fence boards in half to cover the gaps. Routed the back out to make room for the steel hinge straps.

Caulking and paint will clean them up.

Right door will overlap the left.

Drop bolts will hold the doors shut from the inside. The existing cargo cams, levers, shaft, and cups weighed in at 30 lbs. That weight is gone and will add life to the right things.
Attachment 3328Attachment 3329

Keen eyes will note the final window is installed in the rear, passenger side door.

The interior is much brighter now. Even with the bug screens installed. Attachment 3330

Have to clean up the roof issues that will become inaccessible after the air dam is mounted.

I used a torch to melt the caulking in roof edge gutters. Scraped the burnt bits out and then ran a narrow drill powered wire wheel through them to clear out the rust.Attachment 3331

Followed up wire wheel with a spray can application of rust converter. Let that set up for a day and then a first coat of rust paint called recreation white. Suspiciously like the factory color of the Cubicle, but the roof will be invisible once the air dam is up.

The bottom of the roof frame has had 3 coats of paint after cleaning off any rust. The uprights are welded in place. The holes are drilled to line up with the roof joists as it were. Two more coats topside, flip it over, cover the inside surface with Blueskin, and toss it on the roof.

Then install the air dam.

So simple.Attachment 3332Attachment 3333

Leggz and I lined the inside of the roof frame with Blueskin to keep the painted surface from moisture exposure.

This stuff is used to make wall and roof penetrations water tight. It is ridiculously sticky and a pain to apply in long runs or in our case, into the inside corner of a 3 inch steel angle.

We eventually decided to install it 9 inches at a time rather than in long runs. We could work separately and 9 inch pieces were much more manageable.

My Mom had suggested I use "that big yellow thing" to hoist the frame up to the van's roof. I told her my engine hoist it wouldn't go high enough for the job. A little noodling on her idea lead to the next photo. One end of the frame can clear the van roof using the hoist. Time will tell if I can use it to raise the other end too.

The van wouldn't start to move it in for an attempt. The see through fuel filters appear to be falling apart internally and clogging the gas flow.

Tomorrow is another day. Thankfully.
Attachment 3334Attachment 3335

Hottest day so far this year...

Used the engine hoist to get the balance of the roof frame over the back of the roof.

Pushed, prodded, and finessed it along the roof until it met the front edge. Pried it over the edge with a couple of hammers. I put blocks under it to prop it high enough for a huge bead of caulking underneath it tomorrow. Then I'll drop it down right on the roof.

Straightforward and relatively simple installation. Not easy but I did it solo in 4 hours. Amazing part is how unstraight 14 feet of 3 inch angle steel actually is. I had to put a spreader at 7 feet to push it out to the required width.

Attachment 3340Attachment 3341Attachment 3342Attachment 3343

Dropped the roof frame the last inch or so into place onto a thick layer of caulking. Started installing the perimeter screws. I'm using galvanized metal roof screws with the washer and gasket. Each screw hole gets a small dab of caulking before the screw is driven home. I don't want moisture under the frame.

The frame was a tight fit. I had to climb along the roof and jump on the frame to get it bottomed.

I installed a drip edge under the back angle to help steer rain water from the roof away from the rear doors.Attachment 3344

Thunder storms preclude outdoor work so time for a little ciphering with the club cab seats.

The Cubicle came with only lap belts and no headrests so an upgrade was needed. The 98 to 02 Dodge club cabs came with integral seat belts. Important because with no steel roof beam continuing back of the cab the traditional factory van shoulder belt mount doesn't exist. Also 3 more inches of travel means leg room galore for taller people. As well full recline and a spare bench to nap across if needed. The center console flips down for an armrest and up for a middle seat.

Of course the van floor is almost perfectly smooth while the club cab floor had all sorts of lumps and bumps that the seat mounts had to accommodate. A few minutes with a digital angle finder and the dimensions are set. I've got the seat slope at 14°. The '14 Caravan slope is 14° and is fine for long seat times.

The passenger seat mount is 1" shorter in length than the driver's which limits leg room already crowded by the big block's wider doghouse. I'll mount it and the center seat/console back the inch so the front edge of the seats match at the most rearward position for the seats. I hope that gives me enough room to pull the doghouse out. The factory setup meant yanking the passenger seat to remove it. I've never had a van with a bench seat so, like every new idea, you have to keep learning.Attachment 3345Attachment 3346

I have a spare driver's seat base so mocking up the install is painless.

The white studs are the factory pieces. The newer seat uses a much wider footing so I'll weld a 3/16" strap over the new base in line with the original holes and bolt it down. The mounts are much longer so I'll add 2 more bolts through the floor towards the back.

The passenger side factory bolts are much further back so I'll do the same welded strap overlay but add 2 new bolts through the floor towards the front.Attachment 3347

Cut the hole for access to the interior of the air dam. Attachment 3348

Painted the roof and caulked the cab to box joint that will be impossible to get at in the future. Lifted the air dam up, solo, caulked the joint for it to the box and screwed it down.

Prewired the circuit for the clearance lights. Same style as before, to match, just new units.

Next step is to line air dam with plywood and then add the aluminum exterior skin.

Attachment 3349Attachment 3350Attachment 3351

Stretched the air dam clearance light wiring to get it out of the way. Started the plywood lining of the air dam interior. Lots of space for storage.

Test fitted the aluminum cap for the air dam. Rain coming. Of course.Attachment 3352Attachment 3353Attachment 3354

Started the aluminum skin over the air dam. A friend bent the pieces up. I'm reusing the margin trim from the upper wall perimeter. The rest of the box has it so I'm adding to the air dam for consistency. It's an extrusion with holes every 4 inches. I'm dry fitting it all together and will add mastic and/or caulking on final assembly. Nothing worse than slimy, caulking all over everything while you try and hold it all still and drive a screw home. Metal roofing screws with a rubber gasket as per everywhere else on the exterior.

Taped in place first, then cut the margin trims to size. Drill through the skin into the wood frame and drive home a zillion metal roof screws.Attachment 3355Attachment 3356

Starting to look like the original vision I had in mind for it. Attachment 3357

Temporarily installed aluminum cap at the top of the air dam blew off and crumpled in a storm last night so its going to need some love.

Sketched out the remaining aluminum pieces I need and await my buddy's return from the north hinterland to do his metal brake magic.

Did get the lower front seam between the reused original glass skin and the aluminum tip of the air dam sorted out with another piece of reused margin trim.

Once the are all sorted out to size and dry installed I'll paint them. The rust Mark's at each screw hole looks like crap. Eventually all the screws on the truck will be metal roof gasket style screws. I've had to order some hard to find sized screws for the air dam to make up for a couple of design, ahem, miscues...

Great outdoor weather so I'll keep chipping away.Attachment 3362

Here's the crumpled end. This stuff is light.Attachment 3363

Gave up trying to adapt the 98-02 club cab seat mounts to the 79 floor and bolt pattern. Too many changes in elevation versus the flat floor of the van.

Unbolted the seat mounts from the tracks. Added a 4" steel strap to raise the needed height to a 3x3 angle. Cut out a bit of clearance for the track and presto a flat seat mount.

I have a plywood template of the floor with the factory seat mount studs drilled out. I can work inside instead of humping the seats or new mounts back and forth so they should drop in place.Attachment 3365Attachment 3366

I've already burned through a pound roll of welding wire on the roof frame, and propane tank and seat mounts. At least my welding is improving faster than my grinding skills.

Hot day today. Grinder heating up very quickly.

Welded both sides of the driver's seat mount. Worked out the angles and dimensions needed to reuse the center console brackets. Cut them down and came up with a plan.

Checked the vertical height of the lower pivot bolts for the vertical section of the seat. These have to be in the same planes or the seat will bind. Within 0.125" over the width of the seat. Dodge should be so lucky...

Tomorrow more of the same.

Cheers.Attachment 3367

Passenger seat base almost welded up. Ran out of welding wire. Again...Attachment 3368Attachment 3369

A touch out of focus, but here are the bases in their final positions with the dog house installed. Hope for enough clearance with the seats installed to allow the dog house to come away without unbolting a seat.Attachment 3370

A constant blue sky, hot, and little breeze.

What better weather to climb on a metal roof, balance on a narrow board, line up flimsy aluminium bits, and screw the whole mess together?

Aluminum parts from my buddy showed up last week. I got stuck on the seat bases. They're painted and ready to be installed. So the air dam skin was next.

In hind sight I would have bought a sheet or 2 of fiberglass and used that. Aluminum just sort of fell into my lap.

I painted 2 of the horizontal margin trims that cross the front of the air dam. The color change and clean look really make a visual difference from the old, ratty original trims. I still have to pull it apart and seal all the joints so I'll paint the other 6 trims on the air dam at that point.

New clearance lights, an exact match of the 41 year old originals round out the look.Attachment 3371

Cleared out tools, and scrap from the box. Ran the vacuum around to pick up the dust.

Added a top piece of plywood to the wall inside the air dam. Installed some wall loops and an old cargo net from a minivan. No idea how we'll use this space, but the net will keep crap from bouncing around.

Oil and filter change. Synthetic 10W30. Motor holds almost 6 quarts.

Found pesky transmission leak on top of the cooler return line. It sprung a leak after I changed the starter in January. I popped the lines off the retainer clip. About a 1/4" movement and presto a leak started 10" further aft. It took a lot of parts cleaner spray, but finally showed up on the top side of the line. I consider this a factory defect. Too little motion to actually crack a sound line.Attachment 3372Attachment 3373

Love the work and ambition to improve and not play the victim or a pity party cause you have never done something. You dived deep in and got your hands dirty, experimented and learned from your mistakes. Not many I say that to.
P.S. put down the caulking tube and grab some 5200 for those galvanized screws and everything else that needs sealed. A tube of it will last awhile and what you don't use screw the nozzle off clean it out, wrap some foil around the opening on the tube, screw nozzle back on put in gallon size plastic bag and put into freezer till next use. Just pull it out hours before to defrost.

3M 5200 marine adhesive sealant sounds like a good choice as it cures to a rubbery consistency.

I used Dap 3.0 window, trim, and siding caulking. It's a caulking with silicone added so it will stick to previous layers unlike pure silicone. White or clear. The clear gathers dust and looks like crap after it cures. Both are rubbery when cured.

Interesting comment from Weldman on trying new repairs. I've done all of the tasks before, just never in some of the combinations required on this project. Such is the adventure that keeps me going. Some new aspect to figure out each day. The challenge. I enjoy the challenge even on days where I have to back track or yell at my hands for misbehaving.

Onward!

Thing with 5200 vs Dap 3.0 is 5200 will take more harsher environments and extremes and it acts as adhesive too not just a sealant. Seemed way you put in your words that this was first time thing to do such as the welding part is what I was gathering off of, though carry on.