1991 Multivan TDI build

[Multiman mv]

[Zeitgeist 13]

[Multiman mv]

[Multiman mv]

Our 11 year old black lab copilot, Jem. She was the runt of her litter and weighs in at 52 pounds of pure muscle. She could sniff out a pheasant, a quail or a roughed grouse from a mile a way. Just saying the word, “bird” puts her into a whirligig tailspin.

Here she is saying, “come on dad take me to wirk with you, please, please, please.” I say, “of course just as long as you stay off the seats!”

[erste]

[elizer]

Lol I have a cocker mix and if I say bird he does a million spins and stops and stares at the nearest tree or Bush

[Multiman mv]

[Multiman mv]

[Multiman mv]

Here is a photo of where I routed the thermometer sensor. I had just enough slack to route the wire down the steering column, behind the carpet, under neath the dynamat and out the old hole where the stock drive by cable setup exited the body.

[GreggK]

Hi Nick,
I've been deciding on my insulation behind the interior panels. Can you say your happy with the insulating and sound dampening of the Dynaliner? I was looking at a few different ideas. I experimented with spray on Lizard skin products already but I still want one more line of defense.
Thanks GreggK

[Multiman mv]

[Multiman mv]

I was able to test my outside thermometer location while on a road trip yesterday. The location I chose definitly doesn’t make for accurate readings while under way. I guess I kind of assumed that heat from the radiator would affect the reading. I’m ok with it though because I don’t necessarily need an accurate temp reading while driving. I usually check the temp before starting the van up. Maybe some day, I’ll lengthen th temp probe and locate it in a location that will give a more accurate readout.

We packed up the van and hopped on a 6 am boat yesterday morning and headed for the Berkshires. We made the 3 hour drive in good time and the van performed beautifully. We usually drive in the 62 to 64mile an hour range yet yesterday we were able to drive it comfortably around 70 to 72 mph without it getting too loud. We went kind of blind without booking a place to stay and decided to check out the town of Great Barrington. Great little town with plenty of places to eat and fun shops. After a great lunch and checking out the Butternut ski area we found a great inn in Stockbridge just down the road from Great Barrington. We rented a little detached sweet just behind the main inn. It’s a beautiful, old Victorian building complete with tiger maple four post bed and even a heated, outdoor pool and hot tub nearby. I wonder what their propane bill is like? We are spending Sunday and Monday teaching the kids to ski. This is their very first time. It should be a fun couple of days!

Last night we went to the Great Barrington Brewery to go sample some of the local brews and dinner (the beers were good but the food was...) and afterwards while approaching the parked van, a car parked two spaces away, which had four, 20 somethings inside, rolled down the window while potent herbaceous smoke billowed out the window and the driver said, “oh man, is that your van? That thing is dope. That is sick man, so sick!” He went on and on, while a guy in the back kept saying “seriously” to everything the guy in the drivers seat was saying. It was pretty hilarious. It was like a scene from Dazed and Confused. I had a similar incident in Vermont a few years back where two guys came up to van dropping F bombs left and right while exclaiming how “bad ass” our van was. My kids were laughing but then proceeded to drop f bombs while imitating the guys. Needless to say I wasn’t too amused.

It’s always fun to see and hear someone appreciate the work that has gone into the van.

One of the Berkshires giant sycamore trees. Western Massachusetts has some mighty hardwoods and is known for large sycamores. While heading up the chair lift, my wife and I were marveling at the variety of trees. Yellow birch, white birch, big tooth aspen, beech, butternut, black walnut, tulip poplar, shagbark hickory, Black cherry, different varieties of oaks, eastern hemlock, spruce, white pine, hop hornbeam and giant sycamores. A tree lovers dream (and a cabinet makers dream.) The widest tree east of the Mississippi resides in Sunderland Mass and is a Sycamore known as the “Buttonball tree” because of the ball like seed pods that it drops. The tree has a girth of over 24 feet and still growing. It is estimated to be between 350 and 400 years old. I’ve scene this specimen in person and it is truly a majestic tree. This one below, while not that big, was still an impressive specimen.

[GreggK]

Hey Nick,
Thanks for the input. I've been trying different Dynamat products. On my last van I used the Monstaliner on the interior floors from just behind the front seats all the way to the back of the van. I then used Dynapad on top of that in the middle with a piece of 3/4 plywood thru bolted to the floor with the Monstaliner applied to the wood as well sandwiching the Dynapad That was my first attempt at sound proofing a van and it was pretty effective but I didn't like the idea of drilling through the floor. I would also take two people to fasten and un-fasten the wood. I also think I used Second skin dampening pads on the floor in the front of that van.
back in the fire wall I used a product from Jegs called "Cool it". That was thermo and acoustical adhesive backed product. I think it worked well but I didn't have anything to compare any of it to. I even put some of the left over "Cool It" behind the radiator where the heater valve was. I've never used anything in the body panels beside R-30 fiberglass insulation.
On my current van I've already sprayed some of the Lizardskin sound control in the body cavities. I also used the sound control and their ceramic insulation spray up in the firewall area but I'm skeptical so I still want to try to add something else , maybe the Dynamat hoodliner. I put some of that up behind the radiator and have a bunch left over.
When I saw you were using the Dynaliner I looked it up and thought you were on the right path so thanks for the advice.
As for my conversion, its crawling along. Weather and work keep me from making the progress I'd like to be making but each time I get out there its always positive. I was really getting carried away with the Smallcar A/C install so I decided to just make the system function and deal with the aesthetics of it later. When I'm up and running I'll be taking a trip up the coast to see Jon and company. I'll hit you up and maybe meet up in person.
Take care, GreggK

[T3 Pilot]

FYI re: sound deadening and insulation

https://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com
_________________
1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[Multiman mv]

Im looking forward to delving into that sound deadening showdown link. Thank you very much for the info.

A great day skiing with the wife and kids. I was so proud of my little ones. Both of them fearless and proficient. I guess it’s been all the scootering and surfing that has helped their balance. It was a great day. I was most impressed with my wife’s snowboarding abilities. It has been a while but, she ripped. My skiing was a little rusty though I was never that good at it. I know just enough about skiing to have fun with it.

Our beloved Vanagon looks so small compared to this beast of a sports mobile we spotted at the car wash.

[Multiman mv]

[Multiman mv]

[Farfromslow]

I use Soundeadner showdown exclusively for all of my vehicles and customers, great products and great service

[Multiman mv]

[Farfromslow]

Yes that 1/8” closed cell is used between a panel and the mass loaded vinyl as a break which helps to prevent the transmission of noise mainly due to vibration, the MLV is what really reflects the sound and yes it does work. They also carry a hydrophobic foam which can be used in voids such as A-pillars and behind panels that does a good job. I also use something called a black hole tile in those areas that I believe works wonderfully.