Tradesmen Van/Truck

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LJS30

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Is it just me or is this kind of cool? I wish they would have kept up with the A-100's all the way through the 80's. Why did the auto industry in general go away from the van with a truck bed design? It would make perfect sense for a city delivery vehicle.

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I saw one of those for sale about a year ago, but I didn't have the extra $3500 for it at the time. It had a 440 auto in it. There is a GM version two blocks from me....but it's a GM.
 
You don't need to ask that question. Cool is in the eye of the beholder. That is cool. I would buy one in a second if the price was right.
 
I think it's pretty simple. They aren't really a truck, and they aren't really a van. The engines are more diffiecult to maintain that a standard cab pickup, and now that "big cab" door slammer trucks have gotten popular, These simply did not sell well

On the other hand I just do NOT understand why Dodge dumped the Dakota, and Ford the Ranger. Around here there are TONS of Rangers and their "look alike" Mazdas

But I do agree they are cool, 'specially the way that one is set up.
 
I don't know why they dumped that line either. The van front end with a truck bed makes perfect sense in my mind. With all that bed in the back having a short front end makes maneuvering a lot easier. I bet something like this just might make it with today's crowd.
 
Those were a custom type conversion for fifthwheel RVrs same as the fords,chevys. They went away from the van front design due to the amount of weight they were designed to haul, they were basicly a one ton truck chasis with a gas engine and later with diesels but as the fifth wheels grew in size and weight they moved up to the bigger ton and 1/2 trucks Internationals,GMCs,Fords to use for their conversions. I think they make great race car fifth wheel trailer haulers especially the diesels.
 
I saw a Chevrolet Corvair version of this last night at a car show. Rear engined with a standard Corvair motor. The bed had seats and a drop down side that dropped down and became a ramp.
 
My Dad had one of these back in the day to haul the racecar with. It was called a "Dreamer" it had a 440 in it and the couch in back folded down into a bed, but ours had a fiberglass topper on back.
I thought it was pretty cool when I was a kid.
 

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alleyoopmgv said:
My Dad had one of these back in the day to haul the racecar with. It was called a "Dreamer" it had a 440 in it and the couch in back folded down into a bed, but ours had a fiberglass topper on back.
I thought it was pretty cool when I was a kid.
Click to expand...

I really think a vehicle like this would be popular in today's market. I say this because look at all the odd designs that have been hits. Who would have ever thought something shaped like a square cube would suddenly become cool?
Okay guys I would call this van/truck hybrid a "VATRUCK 1500". It would come with the following engine options:
1. Standard V-6 (185 HP)(Light Duty)
2. Flex Fuel (318 V-8)
3. 360 V-8 (300HP)(Heavy Duty)
4. 500 CI V-12 (Super Duty)(Diesel)

Also it would come with all kinds of Tremec based transmissions with all the usual options that come in modern trucks. Marketing would boast heavily on the fact that it's no longer your "Grandpa's Truck Design" and the fact that it would be able to work in smaller quarters due to it's shortened front end. I bet this would be a huge seller.
 
LJS30 said:
Is it just me or is this kind of cool? I wish they would have kept up with the A-100's all the way through the 80's. Why did the auto industry in general go away from the van with a truck bed design? It would make perfect sense for a city delivery vehicle.

tumblr_lvk1xg7K0a1qdzcyw.jpg
Click to expand...


WAY COOL! :thumbup:


You can blame the demise of the original A100 style vehicle on Ralph Nader and his book, "Unsafe At Any Speed". In fact you can place the blame for the demise of many vehicles, and the intrusions of mandatory safety equipment on him, too. The book was mainly aimed at Corvairs, but once the ball started rolling...
The "A 100 type vehicles, the early Econolines and the Early Chevy Van and Corvans did have enough "collapse space" for Nader in front in collision tests. So they were essentially forced to redesign these vehicles,
 
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