Lookin' for this body...

dave boley · August 28, 2008, 01:45:47 PM

I have had this idea for about a year now and the main thing that keeps me from getting started is finding the main ingredient. That would be a '61 -'67 Econoline short wheel base cargo van body, preferably with no side or rear windows. It would be nice to find this within 200 miles or so but I would consider others. Title nice, but not necessary.

I would completely strip out all the mechanical, electrical, and interior stuff. Rip out all the steering and suspension. Then I'd put a T-bird IFS and IRS under it with a box tube frame. I'd put a really nice, but not too radical SB V8 as close to midship as possible with the tranny direct connected to the fixed rear differential, and box it in like the engine in a boat. I would do away with the front doors, make a split gull wing side door on one or both sides, floor in the area where the old dog box was, build in the front like the cockpit of a moderm jet liner, chop the top, kick the windshield way back possibly using one fron a modern day mini-van, sculpt in power side windows from something like a big old mid '70s ghetto cruiser, cut in air scoops on the sides directly behind the front side windows, maybe leave the rear two or three feet of the roof at normal hight and blend in some kind of slanted roof window like a Vista Cruiser with two really nics captian's chairs clear to the rear and maybe some smaller tinted windows on either side and rear window undecided Maybe make it dual control in the front if I'm going for the aircraft cockpit look. And I almost forgot, full air suspension.

If anyone has any straight on side, front and rear pictures or drawings of one of these vans, I'd like copies. If I had that I would Photoshop it to get a good idea what it would look like. All the pics I have found are angle shots.

OK, that's the product of my twisted mind. I have now exposed my insanity for all to see. They say confession is good for the soul...

Later...

wayne petty · August 28, 2008, 03:44:52 PM

but where are you....

a super ford van sounds great...

decades ago there was a fellow with a short wheel base A series dodge van... that had a supercharged dual quad 440 in it... the air filters almost hit the top of the van inside... he had dual rear tires kinda tucked under ... and when he got on the throttle... it would drag the rear bumper... and he would do it with a bunch of friends in the back... it was well padded back there thank goodness.. if you were in so cal from 82 to about 87 you would have seen it.. ultramarine blue (almost black) with a big lightening bolt on the side... he would pull it with his painted to match old school bus...

dave boley · August 28, 2008, 04:45:06 PM

Quote from: "wayne petty"but where are you....

a super ford van sounds great...

I'm in SE Ohio. I expect what I want is probably in California someplace but it's a bit of a stretch to gho for something that far away. It would cost me over 2K in diesel juice plus expenses. My location is in my profile.

Later Man...

GPster · August 28, 2008, 05:10:52 PM

I thought Wayne had one in his back yard, piled full of parts that he hasn't seen in years. GPster

dave boley · August 28, 2008, 06:08:08 PM

Quote from: "GPster"I thought Wayne had one in his back yard, piled full of parts that he hasn't seen in years. GPster

Most of them you find like that are pretty rusty.

wayne petty · August 28, 2008, 06:14:30 PM

parts piled up.... nope... not piled... sort of stacked... jammed in... thrown on...

i did know a guy named.. leo (RIP) he had a personal junk yard and parts service... his yard was so full that he had a truck crane on the top of the 8' fence as there was no easy way to get stuff through the doorsways... anything larger than a driveshaft or spindle had to go over the top....

when the northridge earthquake hit... the pile shifted the fence out over the sidewalk... i went past his shop and saw the fence leaning out. i could not stop to see him at that point.. but i did try to call to offer my help... his place was on adams blvd... where the santa monica freeway bridge fell.. so all the traffic was routed on adams blvd... i kept calling.. but all i could get was buzy signal... i did manage to contact his friend down the street a few days later... seems the city told him to move the pile... just like i knew they would... he did it him self... had a stoke in doing so... and was not found until the next day.. when his friend drove past and saw his truck still sitting there from the night before.. he will be missed for a long time... i should have driven by and dropped in ... but hind site is always 20/20

tomslik · August 28, 2008, 06:31:00 PM

there's a supervan on ebay right now.
i'd post a link but i don't have it here...

Crosley.In.AZ · August 28, 2008, 09:38:31 PM

Interesting idea on the power train.

A friend built a sand rail with the IRS stuff from a T-bird and sb chevy after I mapped out the idea to him. We had a power glide trans in the rail

The rail ran real well and was reasonable $$$ to build.

sirstude · August 28, 2008, 10:25:11 PM

I will check with Buzz here next week when he and I get back. He probably has a few if he didn't crush them this summer. He pretty much kept the Ford stuff, so probably will have some. Should be rust free up here. Still a long haul.

Doug

dave boley · August 29, 2008, 09:21:08 AM

Quote from: "sirstude"I will check with Buzz here next week when he and I get back. He probably has a few if he didn't crush them this summer. He pretty much kept the Ford stuff, so probably will have some. Should be rust free up here. Still a long haul.

Doug

The long haul would not be a real problem as I can probably scare up a transport job going out there. I haven't been to Montanna yet, it'd be a good chance to cross more states off my list, got 12 to go... Price and condition would be the only issues left to consider.

Thanks sirstud.

Later Man...

chimp koose · August 30, 2008, 12:08:18 AM

At the fun run here in august there was an old econoline truck . Chopped and bare metal with a nasty 428 mounted in the box. quite the visual impact!

dave boley · August 30, 2008, 07:37:39 AM

Quote from: "chimp koose"At the fun run here in august there was an old econoline truck . Chopped and bare metal with a nasty 428 mounted in the box. quite the visual impact!

That would have been something to see. Got any pictures?

Later Man...

Jbird · August 30, 2008, 01:33:46 PM

Quote from: "Crosley"Interesting idea on the power train.

A friend built a sand rail with the IRS stuff from a T-bird and sb chevy after I mapped out the idea to him. We had a power glide trans in the rail

The rail ran real well and was reasonable $$$ to build.

When I built ugbugly I used Tbird IRS. I got the whole subframe mamba jamba assembly, diff, axles control arms, brakes, spindles, and the bolt in subframe from the junkyard for less than $400.00. I didn't use the brakes or subframe. For the money I thought it was a good deal. They have an 8.8" limited slip rear end which, if you do the math, is only .2 smaller than a nine inch so they're plenty strong. Jbird

dave boley · August 30, 2008, 03:32:27 PM

Quote from: "Jbird"
Quote from: "Crosley"Interesting idea on the power train.

A friend built a sand rail with the IRS stuff from a T-bird and sb chevy after I mapped out the idea to him. We had a power glide trans in the rail

The rail ran real well and was reasonable $$$ to build.

When I built ugbugly I used Tbird IRS. I got the whole subframe mamba jamba assembly, diff, axles control arms, brakes, spindles, and the bolt in subframe from the junkyard for less than $400.00. I didn't use the brakes or subframe. For the money I thought it was a good deal. They have an 8.8" limited slip rear end which, if you do the math, is only .2 smaller than a nine inch so they're plenty strong. Jbird

Yep, those T-bird IRS and IFS parts come in real handy for a lot of projects. There were a lot of them sold and there still seem to be a lot of them and the Cougars out there on the road. I hope the supply lasts. There is one sitting down the roads from me I ought to stop and ask about. For my purposes I dont think there will be any problems with the 8.8

Later Man...

chimp koose · August 30, 2008, 07:15:19 PM

Dave sorry no pictures ,but 50longbox from this forum was at the same event ,maybe he took a shot of it?