We need a Van thread.

Awesome! Thats how the whole search started. I bet theres some cool bike haulers on here.
We needed a van for trackdays and this is where the madness ended up. I'm NOT gutting it for bike strands!

I'm finding out that sun visors and bubble windows are damn pricey these days.

 

think Ive posted this here before.Was an early 70s shorty with a straight six,3 on the tree and drum brakes all around.Swapped later model front end with discs and a beefier rear end.Put a warmed over 350 and a warmed over 400 auto in it.Reskinned all the doors and made the side slider gull wing.Did all the cutesy body work along with the 8 light deal and sprayed it in my driveway.Put almost 700,000 miles on it trapesing around the States with my race scoot in the back doing mostly AMA stuff.

 

Did you sell it to the A-Team when you were done with it?
That thing is cool.

 

got the A Team thing a lot but it was plated and on the road 2 years before that show hit the TV

 

Got back in the game a couple months ago. Had a e350 extended with the 7.3l for 11 or so years and sold it a few years back. Truck beds suck for hauling bikes. Found Humpty Dumpty a couple months back. I need to insulate and panel the walls so no one can hear the screaming.

 

Siiiiick!

 

Here's my two vans..lol

1st is a.
1 owner 1981 E150 extra body 4.9 inline 6.

300+k..all original motor/drivetrain ..NEVER been rebuilt.! She old & needs to be babied..



2nd 2003 7.3 Diesel w the Camberg Engineering long travel desert kit.
Custom Radius arms & bent I beams. Approx 6" lift.


Just powder coated all the parts. These springs are 27" tall
I have the exact identical cargo van as this one but 35"
tires, same bumper mirrors,.. the main difference is mine is an extended cab it's 2' longer .

We had 4 dirtbikes in this + riders..and all gear.

Extended body vans are the way!
But vans are a absolute proverbial nightmare to work on.
Especially the diesel the engine is 950 lb it is not for the faint of heart to try getting in & around to work on it...
The Ford mechanic told me Quote: " I'm so f***ing glad Ford stopped making those
!! working on those mother f***ing things separates the men from the boys"....

Vans are a blessing and a curse... lol.

I'm kind of to the point where I'm So utterly sick of tired if working in motorcycles and cars and trucks.
I am not far from buying a Prius and a trailer....I ain't kidding either..

 

Over Macho Grande?

{old man voice}
Before any 'kits' existed, we were chopping radius arms and torching I-beams to bend them. I have the echos of 10,000 rivets air gunned off, still ringing in my head.
No, I'll never be over Macho Grande.
{/old man voice}

 

I’m definitely envious of the OP. That thing is quality.

 

With the cost of gas this thought has crossed my mind also.

 

I'm not poisoning this thread with my beater, but I admit it's pretty fun to show up at the track in a rusty 2004 sprinter and roll 1299cc's of pure sex out the back...

 

My little nightmare.

'18 Ody. Honda 1, Challenger Hellcat 0. If you are challenging someone to drag race to the next light, make sure theres no police car right behind you.

Shod with Pirelli Scorpions. Yes it drives like a go-kart. 300hp, paddle shifters and a seriously throaty intake growl. Want to do a track day with it for shits and giggles. Will be fun to see the look on the street clowns with M3's, 350Z's and other popular coupes and sedans that show up at track days when a mini-van passes them on the outside.




BTW its amazing how much the popo looks away if I'm 10-15 over.

 

Sounds like you might be competing with @Robby-Bobby, do you also shoot above your pay grade with the chicks you meet/date/marry?

Are you claiming to be well endowed too?

 

This is nothing compared to the amazing piece of work the OP has but it’s pretty versatile and had fun building it up with my little dudes. It looked a wee bit different when I bought it a couple years back.

 

Lol, on the Free Candy sticker ..

I had one that said.

"Show me the Tacos & Tequila 1st, BEFORE I get in the van".

Vans are losing their (creeper) status..!!
Young teenage/ 20-30 year olds kids are always complimenting me on the 81 van, it's rust bucket too..people just love it ?

The new creeper vehicles are beat up 80s Ford Expeditions, Chevy Tahoes ,Suburbans, Escalades..and definatly MOTORHOMES! Big time!!..
Every tweaker/paroled dirtbag & family seems to live in one and drive a beat the Fk up Expedition type SUV..

Vans are cool again

It's probably still the case for older women ...but I've had Vans for many years for work vehicles and company cars , and I've observed..if you were parked in any parking lot anywhere and if a woman with a basket, walks towards the van ..there pre- conditioned automatically go one or two aisles AWAY from a van .
It's a valid observation..I always hated that..vibe.

Just last week two chicks on Harleys pulled up alongside the Ol rust bucket and said " Dude, That Vans. SICK !
So fun to have.. a beater that people just love and I got it for free.. that's better yet !
I don't get it? To me it's not worth much more than free.. but I've been offered pretty darn good money for it .

I can't drive it more than 25 minutes without somebody complimenting me or giving me the thumbs up?

I like that Black van, w windows! If I do get another van it's going to be one with windows & complete factory interior, and and when prices come down, ll have my eyes peeled for one of the baby 2.5 Duramax diesel powered Chevy Expresses...maybe...?
On second thought I don't want to go anywhere near a newer diesel ..no thanks ️

 

Well, vans are replaceable.

After mine getting ass-packed last night, looks like I’m shopping again.

 

That sucks man. Van life has ruined the used van market. Did any of the bodies get damaged in the crash?

 

Haha! I’ve nicknamed mine the ‘dude magnet’ because I also can’t drive my van without a ‘duuude! Nice van!’

 

Doors jammed shut, cops couldn't open it up to see the "cargo"...