60s Vans making come back?

First let me explain that it was ALL Rustmonkey's fault, and that I protested the whole time...

I had originally picked up the van to grab the 360 / 727 out of it before it went to the crusher...

He talked me into getting it running before we took the 360 out of it to be sure that it'd be a good rebuild candidate for my daily driver. Good idea! (on paper!). Then, after we got it running, he suggested that we have some fun with the body before we pulled the engine and sent the rest to the crusher. Convertible?!?! Cool!!! Nah! Chop top van! Yeah! NAH! Too many windows... Then Monster Garage comes on and Jesse James does a WHEELIE VAN!!! COOOOOOOL!!! But, we hit a snag while we're still on the drawing board. We don't have the money for a killer HP engine, slicks, and a rear suspension setup that'll get the front end in the air. So... we go "low buck" and cut the whole "sliding door" section out of the van (48" to be exact), cut weld up our own driveshaft, and weld the leftover pieces of the driveshaft to the tops of the spring plates and the frame rails to keep the back of the van from squatting down as we add every single thing from the garage that isn't bolted down as a counterweight behind the rear axle. Then we remove EVERYTHING that is not truly essential from the front of the van... the bumper, the heater box, and even the wiper motor and linkage. I removed the front shocks and learned that doing a little brake-gas-brake-GAS dance will make that thing leave the starting line like a Pro Stocker!

I tried to post some photos on Snapfish, but our stupid "IT policy" here at work won't let me access the site. But here are some videos that I posted on YouTube last night though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKnkDr601aY (part 1 – side view)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYrA18MZwvw&feature=channel (part 2 - bug's eye view)

I'll try to post some "construction photos" from home later tonight!

I know that it wasn't exactly HAMB friendly, but we had a LOT of fun with that thing before we sold it! Even the elderly neighbors used to sit and watch us and laugh like school kids...

 

Wheelies > Counter balanced gas hopping.

 

Oh we were never PROUD of this thing. It was kinda like riding a rice rocket. Fun as hell, but you don't want your friends to know too much about it.

 

Here is my "Candy Van" a 1969 Chevy G-10

 

my old Chevy.

 

and my Econoline I have now. Do I keep it or sell? So may cars out there.......

 

great thread!!

 

Somebody needs to snag this one, I cant handle another project.
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1651137979.html

 

Sweet.

 

That is looking great.

 

UPDATE: After four long years of living in an airplane hanger painted but unfinished, the life size Hot Wheels SUPERVAN that we built is finally on the streets and finished!! The customer brought it back to us to make sure it was at the easter show in St. Louis last week. We hauled ass to get it dropped and get all the trim and wheels back on it. Here are some pics as of today. Enjoy!

 

wow, thats a good looking van. Love the wheels

 

HOLY SH*T! That thing is BAD ASS!!!!!!

 

Nice job.....

 

At the boneyard the other day....

 

Stabin wagons RULE!

 

Thanks for the compliments! We have been working our ass off to get the outside and chassis done. Now to get the owner to finish the interior.....

 

I had a 74 back in the 70's that was similar to this one. I had a blast in that thing, sort of an apartment on wheels. 350 , 4 barrel and dual exhaust. It was really kind of fun to drive. I always thought this body style was cool. My friends all drove the dodge vans. I traveled all over in that thing, Good times

 

The 70's , a Orange Chevy Van, Shag carpeting, Cragar Wheels, and what went on in the back of the van. WOW, what memories .. I think I remember ? Regardless it was fun I remember for sure.

 

I shit you not, I'm currently pulling that exact carpet style and color out of my 75 Dodge. My dad had put that carpet in back in 76'.

 

Man i hope they make a comeback, I could dig a dodge short WB or even a chevy..nice party waggons,
was picked up by a friend of mine that had one in the second to last year in High School until i got my own ride..good times

 

I am a recent van man as well...recently found this in a salvage yard about an hour away. 71 Chevy (year I was born) with 13,000 original miles (old fire dept van - hardly ever driven but kept running). got it cheap. still searching for my "dream van" but this is a great start and will be a great touring machine for my boogie rocknroll band! anyway this thread has been a huge inspiration and the pictures truly are a blast!

 

This is cool. always wanted to build something like this. It has the room behind the engine. A set of Sanderson 360 degree Late model Stock car headers would really sound bitchen.

 

Here's some recent pictures to hopefully revive this thread

 

Mine is up for sale. Hate to do it, but I need to free up the $ and space for another project.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=471177

 

Shaggin, Is your van bagged? I'm starting a 108 project

 

Choptop, that is a sweet rig you have there!

 

Nah, I wish, Electrodude photochopped it for me.

 

Looks good slammed, I think i'm slammin mine.