Duramax Diesel Powered Chevy Express Van Project Wows Us
Chevrolet Forum member swaps new chassis, drivetrain into his Chevy expedition van build and makes it look easy.
Project trucks/vans/cars are nothing new here at Chevrolet Forum. Heck, you’ll find countless projects going on at any given time. But these builds vary greatly in terms of complexity, and most importantly, end goals. The old saying “from mild to wild” certainly applies here.
But you definitely won’t find anything wilder than the insane project member LCAC_Man has going on at the moment. After all, when was the last time you saw a Duramax diesel-powered Chevy Express van built to be an expedition-style rig?
We first caught wind of the wild project when the OP posted his old rolling chassis and front clip for sale in the forums. And needless to say, this little tease sparked the attention of everyone who came across it.
“Wow. I can’t…..I….Just wow,” said a stunned StanVan. “Looks serious.”
Our sentiments exactly. Thankfully, the OP blessed us with some more details on his insane project. Along with details on how he plans to transform his mundane Chevy Express into a full-on off-road adventure machine.
“Rough fit up of the new front clip. Still a lot of overlapping material to be trimmed down, but this looks like it should go pretty quick. I’ve had a couple people message me about doing this swap. It really boils down to being willing to get everything out of the way so that you can make the cuts/welds. And having a donor vehicle front end as you will have to have the front few inches of the frame to graft on. Along with the bumper, inner fender structure, core support, hood, fenders, grill and lights.
I guess if you had front end damage and had to cut off all this stuff anyways it would be a reasonable mod. But not really something that most would tackle. I’m going to get all this trimmed/fitted but leave it off until I get the body back on the frame. The access for installation of the wiring/hoses will be much easier that way. And I’ll be damn sure to have the front two body mount positions dead on.”
The OP even goes so far as to modify a universal hitch and mount it to the front end of his Chevy van. In virtually no time, the freshly painted chassis comes together. Obviously, the OP has some serious skills, because he knocks out this job in what seems like no time at all.
“Got my body installed on the newer built chassis. The 1.25″ body lift is perfect for the Allison and really improves accessibility in the engine bay. Should have it running again in a week.”
In one work, incredible. So be sure and head over here to watch as this amazing Chevy van project reaches completion. And trust us, it’s going to be good!
