Vans are pretty goddamn awesome. And using a sort of six degrees rule we can pretty handily file them under the grossly missused "traditional" moniker. How many vans pulled various machines to the drags? How many Econoline or A100 front axles ended up under the front end of something else? How many of us passed second base in one? I miss my Econoline. But sometimes the sun blots out that stop sign....
I bought my '65 Dodge Sportsman van with the idea of doing some camping with it. Sickly minty pea green, and my Mom made some curtains for it. Slant 6 engine. Turned out that my new wife at the time really hated camping, got sold to a guy who used it as a support vehicle for his VW drag car.
i got no pics but i've had a '67 VW and a '67 A-108, and a '79 Econoline... i love them. the A-108 was the best damn Dodge product i've ever owned; i had the damn thing run dry of oil (LA 318, 727) TWICE and it never missed a beat. blew the driver's side exhaust manifold out one day climbing a long hill.... about went deaf from that. kept it longer than any other car i'd had so far, almost five years on and off the road. finally traded it off thinking it wasn't quite safe enough for kids to ride in. stupid me. i'd snap up another in a half a heartbeat.
My mom and dad built a show van called "Spirit of 76" in 1976. They drove me and my sister all over the country to van-ins and shows. It was one of the coolest parts of my childhood. Although the van didn't match any of my dad's 50's Fords at the time, it all seemed perfectly normal to me. I'd love to add a flared fendered, 8 tracking', air brushed, porthole windowed, shag carpeted and wood paneled van to my pile of old Fords. It would be easier to haul band equipment with a van than my old Falcon wagon. I dig 'em!
Just picked this one up it came with trophys from the 70's in it it has a lot of wood work inside and it runs like a champ now Oh and its for sale too
started build in 1969--finished in 1972---sold in 1980---lost for 28 years then I found it sitting behind some peoples house where it sat for 25 years---nope not for sale---going to build it with my grandson---wtf
88 Dodge E200 conversion van = hell of a tow rig that is great for going to swap meets and races in. Wife has an all wheel drive Grand caravan that has a hell for secure feeling on the road and I have a Mini ram (no window spooky van) that should be my daily driver go to work rig when I get the engine in it. Its a great place to hide a Flathead Ford V8 at the moment. Mini Ram van being useful and Hamb friendly.
Although both the year and topic are OT, I'll post, too. I bought a 1969 well-used soda pop vending machine service van in 1976 and made it sort-of H.A.M.B.-friendly. It had a 240 c.i. six that I added a Clifford cam and headers to, along with dual exhaust and Corvair-style turbo mufflers both exiting on the right side. The pipes are VHT black. I disliked the "circus wagon" vans that were typical of the time so I made mine as clean as possible by removing the reflectors and emblems. When purchased, the rear doors had windows and the stock depression for the license plate. I replaced them with windowless side doors -- no body work needed! I did the body work (all filler, no pounding or welding) then had it painted at a one-day place in Nason enamel. The colors were Competition Orange (actually a red-orange) with a white roof and belly band. The wheels are Appliance steelies. Inside it had captain's chairs in black vinyl with burnt orange inserts. The floor was brown shag and the walls/door panels were burnt orange shag. All in all, it was a simple "hot rod" sort of van. I drove it as my only vehicle until selling it in 1987. The photos are ones I took for an article I wrote for the April 1979 issue of Van World magazine describing my modifications.
I had a '65 Ford Falcon van. 289, C-4, headers, super loud exhaust, straight front axle. With fats n skinnies, it looked and sounded like a gasser version of the Mystery Machine. I had an awful lot of fun in that van!
Here's mine. Been working on it for about 4 years or so: shaved handles, wipers, rear doors, body seams, Cad tails, louvered fenders. Stroker 413. Completely chromed everything underneath. It's about as traditional as I could do it.
sweet looking van ! my 1st van was a 77 dodge in caramel tan metallic also had (in order) 78 chevy 68 chevy 76 GMC 67 chevy 74 dodge 68 chevy 3/4t window van 2tone red and white w factory 283, PG, 12 bolt posi been wthout a van now for 12 years, i still miss em
I will fess up I had a 64 econoline with a 429 in the center of it I bought it from a guy from california that moved to Bedias Texas to make crash helments . My dad made me sell it because it was unsafe but it was fun to spank mucsle cars with. I bought 2 a model coupes with the funds from the sell that was the start of this sickness !!
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