Anybody into custon 70's vans?

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manofmopar340

manofmopar340

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We've had this thing laying around for at least 30 years. I'm just curious how big the custom van craze is these days.Been thinking about bringing this one back from the dead.Tell me what you think.
 

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74 model.Has a 360 that fired right up with a battery and gas down the carb.Has a fiberglass hood,billet grille,gold Cragar wheels,AAR/T/A style exhaust,etc.It was called "The Cave".The bed in the back of it has what actually looks like a cave built around it.I'll drag it out of the weeds and get some better pics of it soon.
 
now would be a good time to bring that van back from the dead ...now that you can still find parts for those .......sooooo many of those vans like that have been crushed and getting crushed and are under appriciated ....I think the day will come that parts are non-existent ....already from having salvage yard experience because my adoptive family is in the salvage business.....we used to have rows of 70s and early 80s vans and now they are hit and miss .......so I would grab them up while you still can. IMO
 
They don't do much for me.......
That being said, i have a friend who is restoring a ''boogie van'' as he calls it.
He said it is hard to find good parts for it especially the one off items that these vans had.
If it's complete and not too rusty, it would be a cool ride though.
 
I agree with the others...I always thought they were really cool, and I remember wanting to build one back in the mid seventies, but I would have had to sell a 340 duster I had, and I just could'nt bring myself to do it. Now days you rarely see any custom vans show up at car shows, and it's a shame. I would venture to say that they will become a collectable in the near future, as everything in the automotive world seems to make a resurgeance, and become popular once again amoung the hobbyest. I would say save it if you can !
 
manofmopar340 said:
It was called "The Cave".The bed in the back of it has what actually looks like a cave built around it.
Click to expand...

You could try dragging your woman by the hair into the back o' that thing......let us know how that works out! :happy1:

I'm not really into the vans themselves so much, but I AM really into the Dodge-van-front-end motorhomes from the mid-70's with the 440's in them. They are soooo cheap, and many times the cab interiors are totally mint.
 
That was my first real job back in high school, 1/2 day of classes and then customized vans and pick-ups the rest of the day at a local shop. Used to win lots of "World of Wheels" shows back in the 70's. Too bad the owner liked to keep the money instead of paying back his loans.
 
I have a friend that is currently tricking out a 1978 Dodge Tradesman Van. I have been helping him and I can tell you that customizing a van is way easier than a car. Your not as limited and you can use basic household building materials.
 
Do it. My brother regrets getting rid of his 1974 Dodge Tradesman 100 with a 318. I wish I would have bought it off of him but they were a dime a dozen at the time.I still keep an eye out for an original 1970s van with a well-preserved Frank Frazetta painting on the side panels.
 
The van does have some etched side glass of a cave woman holding a club and a boob popping out.Has ISCA stickers on it.How would I know if someone like Frank built it?It is pretty tricked out,but looks rough.The west Texas sun is unforgiving.
 
You need to bring that van back from the dead. They've always been cool and you rarely see one attend a show. We had one show up to our Inland Mopars Car Club show last May.
Please post more pics!
 
Around here, those vans have been making a comeback for quite awhile now. The early K-Car based minivans are also becoming collectible now and qutie rare for the very reasons mentioned here. Vans are always the first to get crushed and shredded.
 
It is located in San Angelo.I really would like to bring this one back.I've always liked the custom vans,but I have so many projects ahead of it.I may even try to sell/trade it depending on how things are looking.I have several B and E bodies ahead of it.Have a 70 Caddy hearse(wife's hot rod) and 2 A bodies ahead of it as well.Plus the wife got knocked up and we're trying to buy a house 6 hrs away from where we live now.Actually,if any of you guys are close by,come and look at some of the cars we have.I was about to start putting some of them online.
 
The 71-77 shorty's are very hard to find; the parts are getting scarce, I don't care what anyone says.

I have a real FH3 "Street Van". I know way deep down I'm not keeping it forever, but the thought of getting rid of it hurts too much to face this decade...

(these wheels are on my duster, will definitely go back to Cragar's on the van some day)
 

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there is someone I know local to me who is selling one that I been starring at ....they definitely grow on you fast.

I would like to make a portable workshop out of one.
 

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