Projects The Goon Wagon build--Wheelchair accessible F-1

The Goon Wagon project is finally moving. We plan to build a wheelchair accessible ride that we can cruise in together. Sorta like the Kripple Kart that KripFink rides in. [Thanks to Paul and Jeff for the support.]
I posterd a thread back in '08 looking for ideas for a w/c accessible ride and i got an awesome response. We then began looking for a project and ended up working a deal with a fellow Texas HAMBer for an F-1 Panel.
My work and Goon's health have kept us from any progress. Tha fine folks at San Carlos Hot Rods have taken on the task of helping us get this build done.
The first few pics are from when we got it in February. The ones with the panel on the lift are from this weekend. I will keep posting pics as we go along until The Goon is cruising in his new ride.

Thanks, TD

 

SWEET!! This one has a chair in the back too. Electric winch in the back and hand controls. (and a bitchn' dual quad nailhead...)

Good luck, -Abone.

 

Nice ride 'A-bone. Did you have to do any modifications to get your chair in your ride? Post some pics if you gott'em.

 

Just subscribed buddy.Go man Go,I'm a rootin' for ya.Give the Goon my best.

 

Well The Goon is back on his wheels again. He had some minor setbacks while recovering from the surgeries he had last moth. He is still recovering but showing good progress.

I went to SCHR after a couple weeks after dropping it off and I found they have been working on the floor. The ramp will be set just behind the rearend. The biggest clearance issues are in the entrance of the Panel. The Goon is only 5'4" if he were to be standing. He measures 52" from head to floor while sitting on his chair so there will not be much need for head clearance after he is passed the threshold.

I will be adding more pics as my son recovers more and he can get out to the shop.

 

Woah, deja-vu! If it's any help I'm 57" in the chair so I don't think the Goon will have too many problems. Besides, I would imagine once the project is done you will find, like me, that for safety sake and to secure the rear of his chair, you will probably guide him up the ramp anyway, and should there be any clearance problem (for some reason I can't figure out, I seem to sit very slightly higher in my chair some days than others) a gentle push on the back of the neck just to help him duck a bit will sort it out. But, as I said, that's a whole 5" difference.
Later,
Paul.

 

UPDATE!!!! Woo Hoo! The Goon Wagon build is coming ali
long just fine. The floor is almost done. The Goon is very excited.

 

nice, looking good
ed

 

What a great build, love this body style. One of our group just got his on the road. Very cool!! I am going to attempt to post a picture of Andy's new rig. Keep up the good work and healing power comin to ya from the Roadburners group. ~Sololobo~

 

Hey Man, that is looking absolutely superb. I really like the roll pan attached to the doors idea. I'm really stoked for you, keep at it. I know how excited you all must be.Has the Goon been inside her yet? Here's a photo taken the first time I got in my '54. Hopefully my expression will show him how good it's gonna feel;



This a wonderfull thing you are doing for a loved one,and it is SO gonna be worth it
Later,
Paul.

 

I'll never say I don't wanna do something cuz my feet hurt again
You guys are cool!

 

Time to start looking for what seats I'm gonna use for the driver/passenger. I plan to go with some sort of bucket seats so there is a space between the seat in case someone has to jump to the back to tend to Goon.

Any ideas? Tahoe [too bulky?]....Dodge Caravan [too tall?]

 

My brother, 48, is a Quadriplegic and has had to to spend all his travel time looking about straight down the windows since his accident 30 years ago. As he 6'3" when standing( hah!) and damn tall in his chair even in his raised roof Ford van, I'm thinking the only solution would be a conventional van with bubble in the top ala BD Roth, or Divco or Matro van with windows ala Suburban.
Nice to see an unconventional use for hotrods being developed. Do it!

 

Sweet build!!! Awesome job building this!!!

 

nothing, but nothing slows down a bunch of hot rodders and their friends...man, all you guys are the real deal...hats off to ya all!

 

I second that. You guys inspire me. Keep rollin'.

 

There's a kid around town that has a '48-49 Ford panel and I think they rebuilt and lowered the frame on the drivers side and dropped the floor over it. He rolls his chair right up under the steering wheel and locks it in somehow.
This is his daily driver and it's running a SBC on nitrous.
I've heard his dad has a gas rail set up for him with handicap controls also, they just sling him up on a cherry picker and lower him in it.

 

I had a very good friend I tended to for years who was a quad. He had a Ford van made that he could drive in Kallyfornia. It had a remote steer stick and a big square button box he could tap with his brace stick to unlock door or open windows etc. It was really state of the art in the early 80's. The floor was dropped so it angled to the front lowering his chair to the drivers position. He too was over 6ft. He drove that van across the country with us. It really made him independant. Its nice your doing this.

 

Thanks for the encouragement guys. We are stoked and very anxious to get this baby on the road...not to mention to get The Goon out of the house to get some fresh air. Getting him to go out other than to doctor's appointments is like pulling teeth. Once the Goon Wagon is done I'm sure things will be different.

Here is a pic of him as he is starting to get on his chair again.

 

Great work man !!! im working on a 59 Dodge townpanel,the one in my pic at the left is a 63. Good luck and keep on truckin.....................YG

 

I like what you did with the frame and the ramp in the back. Nice work gang. The Goon is lucky to have you guys around. Is he getting his hands dirty as well? Building my dad's Riviera was the best therapy I could have had.

 

That's awesome! American ingenuity at its best

 

Man I SO know that "hermit" feeling.Once you get this baby done,I know from experience,he'll be looking for any excuse to get out in her
Paul

 

Quick update....We've been getting all the parts together to button up the engine and trans. Things are starting to move a little quicker. Here are two pics of the ramp.

The third is a rendition of how Goon wants his ride to look, done by his good friend Craig Wilderman.......with a little tweeking by The Goon.

 

Here is a better pic of the panel with the lettering and goon logo...

 

Not sure how I missed this one?!?

Way cool! You guys are rockin, keep it up!!!!!!

 

That is just way to cool and tell Goon his Logo is great!

Kevin
LFD Inc.

 

That thing will be awesome!! Lookin good.

 

Man I worked on process equipment over seas for about 9 years and decided I was in need of a break. So I seen a job ad for a tech with electrical and hydraulic experince so I callled it was a company that did handicapped vans and wheel chairs and lifts. I worked for them about a year they were really good at sales but did not care about service. It was neat to build the vans I learned a lot with my history of building old cars I knew that there had to be cooler rides for these guys. I would like to see someone take an eldorado front clip or a newer cadilac front cilp with a perimiter frame drop the floor use a dropped trailer axle in the rear with air bags. electric accuators on the rear doors hand controls and a docking mount for the wheel chair. I have seen newer vans with this eqipment sell cheap dropping the floor would keep you from raising the roof !! P.S. if I can help P.M me

 

Well it has been a while since the last update but here we go. The Goon has had a slow recovery over the past few months but was recently able to get out to the shop for a trial run on the ramp.....and he didn't fit in the panel. Even though the floor has been dropped.

Not many more options that we can think of but here are some pics of the ramp.

We are open to ideas/suggestions on how else we can go about fitting this guy into his ride.