Stripping an automobile for RV parts

[Cabana72]

Alongside my new RV, there is a 1992 olds custom cruiser station wagon headed to the crusher.  I started thinking of parts worth stripping from it seeing as how it's basically being sold for $.10 per pound.

I know a lot of you are... lets say thrifty.  Anybody ever thought of what is worth stripping from a car to use in/on an rv?  Coach or Chasis?  What parts are fairly universal, or could be made to work with some ingenuity?

So far I've come up with:

Fairly universal:

   
• Wiper motors
• windshield washer reservoir
• washer fluid pump
• coolant reservoir
• gas hatchback struts (I dunno, maybe for a cabinet or storage door?)
• random bulbs
• random switches
• radio
• speakers
• battery
• fuel tank float/sending unit
• cup holders
• seat belts
• floor mats
• roof rack
• rigid fuel lines
• rigid brake lines
• transmission cooler

Vehicle specific but worth considering:

   
• alternator
• throttle body fuel injection
• electric fuel pump
• electric fan
• engine
• transmission
• seats

Far Fetched

   
• power sun roof

   
• suspension components

Any other ideas?

   
• (Feel free to move this if it fits better elsewhere, I guess it applies to all chasis and coaches so didn't know where to put it)

[Rickf1985]

Other than the alternator, electric fan and seats there is not much there that will cross over since it is an Oldsmobile. The engine may or may not be Chevy, I am not sure about that year but if it is Olds then you have the BOP (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) bell housing bolt pattern which rules out the transmission and it would be too weak anyway. The stuff is GM so it will not work on your Dodge based unit anyway. Of coarse the seats and fan will but not the alternator.

If you put that list in an Oldsmobile forum I am sure you would get some bites.

[Cabana72]

This particular olds is from the chevy v8 era. But i was thinking this could be more of a general thread for smaller more universal parts. A 12v power outlet can be removed from anything for example.

I figure most people thinking of an engine or tranny swap will know what they are looking for.

One other long shot ill probably have to ask on an olds forum about though is the suspension. This car has some sort of automagical air suspension. Knowing nothing at all about such things i have to wonder if it could be hacked onto an rv. My leaf springs appear to be nearly flat... or if not for riding suspension, could it be made into a leveling system?

[Rickf1985]

Not likely, 3,000lb. car vs. 12,000 lb. RV. Think about it. I know how much you want to make some of this stuff work but is it really worth the time and effort that would be involved?

[Surfinhurf]

Other than the alternator, electric fan and seats there is not much there that will cross over since it is an Oldsmobile. The engine may or may not be Chevy, I am not sure about that year but if it is Olds then you have the BOP (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) bell housing bolt pattern which rules out the transmission and it would be too weak anyway. The stuff is GM so it will not work on your Dodge based unit anyway. Of coarse the seats and fan will but not the alternator.

I have a Olds 455 out of a '76 Cutlass with a T400 trans in my '77 Dodge based Winnie. Works just fine, runs circles around the Dodge 440.

In '77 Olds ran out of engines and had to use Chevy engines.  The "Divisional" engines were phased out in the early 80s.

That '92 should have a GM Corporate engine

[Cabana72]

Well looky there, that's cool  .


I actually have every reason to believe that my engine and tranny in the Cabana are sound and I'm not ready to invest the time in a full drive train swap.  Not to mention it looks like I'd lose power on the deal.  I really only plan on stripping out small things from the Olds.  I don't have a good u pull it junkyard near me, so $2-$50 parts (bulbs, fluid pumps, reservoirs, electric motors etc) can eat a hole in my budget quick, but if not addressed just lead to a junky owner experience.


So far as the 92 Olds heavy mechanicals per wikipedia it's a chevrolet 5.0 or 5.7 v8 with throttle body fuel injection.  I'll probably pull the fuel injection stuff with no intention to use it soon, but it seems people use that TB for all brands of TBI conversion with appropriate adapter plates. At least I'll be able to think about it if I have it.


Also, a little research shows owners had lots of trouble with the air leveling system, so it was in fact a pipe dream to repurpose it on  a MH.


And time to pull stuff?  Bah, it's a good excuse to hang out with my buddy while he goes through a tough time.


On an unrelated note, I'm re-purposing the radiator to heat a greenhouse.  Totally off topic, but the old advice of putting water barrels in a greenhouse to store heat overnight doesn't really work, there just isn't enough heat transfer.  But add a small pump and a radiator to the water barrels and you can effectively capture heat during the day, and utilize it at night.  Elevating/insulating the barrels from the ground also helps tremendously.  I hate seeing "junk" thrown away when it's so dang useful!