party van?

[Oss]

While on the Pacific Coast Highway in 2014 on my roundabout route to GOTF from NY I saw an old chevy van parked on the beach side of the road.

I walked up to it on the sidewalk and found 3 teen/early 20's kids inside, 2 boys and a girl.  In response to my questions they said they had been living in it for a year and were enjoying surfing life in california very much

The van reeeked of decent pot  (shag carpet holds onto odors like a wet dog)

So that got me wondering, especially considering the age of many here, have any of you ever owned or helped with a van in the 60's or 70's - what kind of van and did you do the carpeted floor walls and ceiling-stereo-hidden compartment- love van conversion ?

or soup up the engine?  maybe paint it up big time?

As for myself I had a 57 Olds and later a 73 Monte Carlo and spent my free time keeping them pristine and running

A non political fun topic for the day

Lets hear some stories

[f6john]

    Did my partying in a 1964 Barracuda. Rear seat back folds down and door between trunk and interior drops down. I didn't drink or smoke but still have a lot of memories of that time in my life.

[Moonshot_1]

While on the Pacific Coast Highway in 2014 on my roundabout route to GOTF from NY I saw an old chevy van parked on the beach side of the road.

I walked up to it on the sidewalk and found 3 teen/early 20's kids inside, 2 boys and a girl.  In response to my questions they said they had been living in it for a year and were enjoying surfing life in california very much

The van reeeked of decent pot  (shag carpet holds onto odors like a wet dog)

So that got me wondering, especially considering the age of many here, have any of you ever owned or helped with a van in the 60's or 70's - what kind of van and did you do the carpeted floor walls and ceiling-stereo-hidden compartment- love van conversion ?

or soup up the engine?  maybe paint it up big time?

As for myself I had a 57 Olds and later a 73 Monte Carlo and spent my free time keeping them pristine and running

A non political fun topic for the day

Lets hear some stories

Non political?

Everyone would have to give up their aspirations of running for President if they post their stories here!

[Rams]

Any stories that may be around about exploits or adventures in my youth are highly exaggerated and I deny all if not proven.   The statement that I have no recall of that particular event and what does it matter now, both fit this situation.   Leaving it at that.  

BTW, any admissions here can and may be used against you at some point in the future.    

[old2soon]

When I was Stateside in the 60s while still in the Navy I enjoyed some of the surfin life available there in southern California. Nuff said. RIDE SAFE.

[f6john]

http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/5861809931.html    Here is someones chance to start making some new memories or relive the old ones.

[Oss]

Oh for cryin out loud

Your story goes like this

I had a friend who I have since lost contact with who...................

Safe and deniability is retained Ron and John

[Wizzard]

I had a 55 chev first,, 265 V8 and powerglide tranny. Virtually indestructable transmission. Car was cream and yellow. Put tons of time in every car I owned.
Then came a 63 catalina with Tri power setup. 3 dueces and it was a tuning nightmare, ,but when in tune that old 389 would scream. Went through many tires.
Then came a 68 olds 442 Hurst special. Probably my favorite running car. I called it the goat eater as many a GTO challenged me and lost.
Went to college and traded for a 72 chevelle malibu 350 and was probably the prettiest car. Had that through college and at age 22 got married and traded that in on a brand new Chrysler Cordoba with fine corinthian leathers. Jet Black and I lived on a gravel road in Iowa. What was I thinking,
It would take a book to write the stories from these cars and further,, not sure I want all of them in print. Trying to forget some of them still. 

[sheets]

That 21 window bus is worth some serious money today. I had a maroon and white `67 camper van for a couple years. Louvered windows and all. Not a party rig, was the family car - wife and two babies at the time. Wish I still had it. Have been driving a `73 super beetle for the past twenty-two years.   

[J.Mencalice]

1972 Ford Econoline E250 Super Van.
Paneling, carpet, sun roof (no A/C), roof vent on the rear, 302 V8 & 3-on-the-column, Cassette deck w/quad speakers, plastic Jesus on the dash and a 23 channel CB down under.
Dubbed: "The Mondo Van" by Tom the crazy anesthesiologist.
Saw duty until last year when it was sold to a local.
Bought in Hermosa Beach, CA; lived on the Strand.
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll through the 70's and 80's. Ohhh baby, baby.
Wandered/camped the West and settled in Glenwood Springs, Colorado in 1977.
From surf van to ski van to volunteer firefighter revolving red light.  Loved the Mondo Van.

Good for those kids, rock on and smoke'em if you got'em

[J.Mencalice]

While on the Pacific Coast Highway in 2014 on my roundabout route to GOTF from NY I saw an old chevy van parked on the beach side of the road.

I walked up to it on the sidewalk and found 3 teen/early 20's kids inside, 2 boys and a girl.  In response to my questions they said they had been living in it for a year and were enjoying surfing life in california very much

The van reeeked of decent pot  (shag carpet holds onto odors like a wet dog)

So that got me wondering, especially considering the age of many here, have any of you ever owned or helped with a van in the 60's or 70's - what kind of van and did you do the carpeted floor walls and ceiling-stereo-hidden compartment- love van conversion ?

or soup up the engine?  maybe paint it up big time?

As for myself I had a 57 Olds and later a 73 Monte Carlo and spent my free time keeping them pristine and running

A non political fun topic for the day

Lets hear some stories

And young man, how did you know that the pot was decent? ???

[f6john]

    Appears no one is talking. It would all sound like bragging anyway.

[Oss]

willowpad you have me blocked from sending a PM

so you will never know what you dont know  lol

[Jess from VA]

My first stage was foreign sports cars (Karman Gia, Austin Healey Sprite, Triumph Spitfire)...absolute junk except the VW was great.  Then American muscle.  Then, if I got one more ticket I would lose my license, so I sold my hot rod and got a '67 dodge A100 van (three on the tree) off a liquidation lot (formerly a Sears service van).  

With my brother the carpenter's help, I put in wood paneling, insulation, and lime green shag carpeting throughout; a bed, a bench (both hinged tops for storage), and a sink.  The 220 slant six was very reliable, great mileage, and never a single hickup.  Got an Earl Schieb bright green paint job (for like $49.95).  Even though I drove it fast (the best I could), I got no tickets in it ever, and my points all disappeared.  Took many college road trips in it, and got laid in it occasionally.  Sadly, it was stolen off my University campus parking lot, and never recovered.

My best story in this van was taking two girls to the drive-in in it (my girl friend and her room mate).  I backed it in to the parking spot so we could lay on the floor on a mattress and watch the movies with the rear doors open.  We killed the better part of a fifth of vodka, I made out with both of them from the middle position on the mattress.  Later we all went skinny dipping in a pool.  (I had better stamina back then.... but their stamina was seemingly endless  )

I then went back to American muscle, got more tickets, and then returned to a 72 one ton windowless Ford Econoline (did nothing to it at all), and all my points disappeared again.  I did have some chronic issues with it and sold it later.

This may actually be the one-off Earl Sheib bright green I had on mine (had no side door windows, only rear).  Reflecting back, this may have been the single best all-purpose utility vehicle I ever owned.


Now my buddy was a gifted carpenter and finisher, and he did a beautiful half ton Econoline (like a '62), but no father would let him take his daughter out in it during HS.  They all told him to come back with his dad's car, and then he could take their daughters to the movies.    

[baldo]

I never had my own van back in the day, but my brother did. I used it a few times, had some good times.

I've customized a few back then. Which would entail lots of button velvet wall panels and shag rug on the dashboards. I shudder now remembering what was considered cool back then....

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

[baldo]

I never had my own van back in the day, but my brother did. I used it a few times, had some good times.

I've customized a few back then. Which would entail lots of button velvet wall panels and shag rug on the dashboards. I shudder now remembering what was considered cool back then....

[The emperor has no clothes]

I never had my own van back in the day, but my brother did. I used it a few times, had some good times.

I've customized a few back then. Which would entail lots of button velvet wall panels and shag rug on the dashboards. I shudder now remembering what was considered cool back then....

Bob, are you butt posting again ? 

[Jersey mike]

When I was a kid, somewhere around '77, I would have been 12 at the time, my neighbor next door bought himself a new Ford van. He was friends with my brother, but my brother had left home years earlier and my neighbor would let me hang out when he was fixing up his van.

I watched him put in the paneling, the custom lights and the built up bed area in the back though he never really told me why he needed a bed area I figured that out later on.

Little by little I watched that truck transform into a cool ride with a nice set of rims and tires too, it was a candy red or maroon, can't remember too well.

In '86 I bought a new Chevy Astro van and my friends and I put it to good use. It had built in coolers in the rear that were self draining and held a six pack or an 8 pack of nips.

One of my best memories of having that van is all the NASCAR road trips we took.

One trip in particular was a Labor Day weekend going to Darlington,SC. It was a Friday night and my two race friends wanted tried to talk me into going all night. Sometime just before bar closing time 1am, I said we should go to the Southern 500, boy were they pissed I made them wait all night. So before we left the bar we grabbed 3 cases of beer and went to our homes and threw some clothes in a bag and were on the road by 2am or so. Now we've been out drinking since about 6pm and were still hitting the sauce as we drove and we were have a great time. Around here drinking and driving wasn't what it is today, it was almost a required acquired talent and I was very good at it.

Well anyway, we were traveling on the NJ Turnpike at about 3:30am and we were the only vehicle on the road and I had Florida tags at the time when a NJ State trooper found me and followed me for about 5 miles. I had my trusty cruise control set and would on occasion bump it up and down using the controls not the brakes or throttle. I was getting a bad feeling when we hit the 5 mike mark and my buddies were in the back laughing and drinking thinking we were screwed and not just for the booze but the other things we brought too.

Well anyway, we get to the ramp for last rest area and there stood my guardian angel, a hitch hiker, just standing there with his thumb out and a cheesy smile on his face and he actually gave me a wave as I drove past and the trooper had no choice but to pull over and get him off the turnpike. In a couple minutes we were over the Deleware Memorial bridge and home free.

By the time we got through DC and into northern VA, I was too tired to drive and tossed the keys to one of my buddies who swore he was ok nut only to find out a few hours later we were God knows where and hours out of route sitting in a McDonalds parking lot. Tha t was a hell of a weekend and made it home on spare change for fuel. I loved that van and the memories of youthful fun.

I still drive a van today, an '03 E150 Chateau.

[sandy]

In '74 I bought a '73 Dodge 200 cargo van. Put my own interior in it. Carpet up to the roof. I was married and had 3 kids. That van pulled a speedboat, camped, traveled for Christmas and vacations. In '83 I got a '79 Ford super econoline for the same purposes. When the kids were grown, I went to pickups.

[gordonv]

Just dreams of glory. Bought a 62' Ford Econoline panel van in 79' (I was 16). Added a nice (cheap) stereo system and house speaks with long wires. Pull up to the playing field, open the doors, and place the speakers on the roof, listening to music while playing sports.

Was going to do the whole nine yards. Inside panel, raise bed, cooler, etc, etc.

Wrapped it around a telephone pole 3 months later, coming back from the military range, when another driver cut me off. Center passenger, sitting on the engine hood, was ejected out the missing window, only injury was slivers in his shoulder from the pole. Was strange standing up and walking out the front window, as the van was on it's side.

Pulled the 170 cu in motor, and put it in my 61' Falcon 2 dr.

[VMODON]

bought a new 75 chevy van for the move from NY to Phoenix. Joined a van club here in Phoenix, Canyon State Vans... Clubs were big out here in the 70's. did a lot of rallies in AZ and CA... One of the members was a heck of an airbrush artist. I was a truck driver, He painted a NYC skyline on one side and an AZ desert on the other. Those were the days my friends I wished they'd never end..... But they did... Peace.. Don...

[0leman]

I had a 55 chev first,, 265 V8 and powerglide tranny. Virtually indestructable transmission. Car was cream and yellow. Put tons of time in every car I owned.

I had one of those, except it was a coup with a 63 small block engine, 4 speed. Got it in '66.  If it had better tires and suspension, it would have been dangerous.  Some good times especially at the Drive-in-Movies.

[Bearinthehouse]

Mine was a 57 Ford ranch wagon  We took a 390 4speed out of a wrecked 67 mustang The biggest sleeper in Ventura county.. had a rack on top for the boards it was fun times...

[baldo]

I never had my own van back in the day, but my brother did. I used it a few times, had some good times.

I've customized a few back then. Which would entail lots of button velvet wall panels and shag rug on the dashboards. I shudder now remembering what was considered cool back then....

Bob, are you butt posting again ? 

Big butt, no promises...

[art]

Not exactly a party van but I just bought a 77 Dodge camper van and was on my way to Socal Monday night up in the no.Ca. mountains when a deer crossed the road between the traffic. I missed him by 5' . We were lucky and at 60 mph it would have been messy.

[f6john]

Not exactly a party van but I just bought a 77 Dodge camper van and was on my way to Socal Monday night up in the no.Ca. mountains when a deer crossed the road between the traffic. I missed him by 5' . We were lucky and at 60 mph it would have been messy.

pics a must

[art]

Sorry, I gave up on photoshop.

[f6john]

Sorry, I gave up on photoshop.

     Dang, maybe you should try photobucket!