Why Do You Drive A Vintage Van?

I don't know if this has ever been posted before, but why do you drive a vintage van?

i have always liked '60's vehicles and owned dozens over the years. the old lady and me go on lots of roadtrips and end up wherever looking for a motel. i closed my bussiness a couple years ago and went on dissability, wanted to sell the stakebody truck and buy a toy. the van is the classic i want, provides a place to sleep and lots of storage, motels and restorants add up quick on a road trip. it is easy and cheap to work on, last project was a jag and it is neither cheap or easy to work on. and the van is fun to drive and looks cool as hell. after buying it i found that everywhere i go, i get thumbs up, waved at or people wanting to talk about it. it is fun to drive, and it leaves me endless options for little projects to keep me busy. not only does it provide all of that but i found vanners to be some of the nicest people i have met. any van show i go to i am treated like family from complete strangers. this forum is the same. everyone helps everyone and wants nothing in return. i am hooked and will always own a vintage van from now on. i first wanted one when i was 13. my stepbrothers both had vans and so did all their friends. i always wanted a first gen. chevy panal but always had too many other projects and not enough time. now that i have one, i lost interest in the jag and it is 95% done, just isnt important since i bought the van.

I drive mine because it gets 45 smiles per gallon!
(Your smilage may vary)

Got my 66 Falcon in 73, and I don't get rid of much. Still have the original wife from 77 even after getting the 67 Econo PU.
If I don't fix the 74 Bug she may be packing. lol,
Will once again be the hippie van with the toons at the 40 Anniversary, class of 72 bonfire in the woods.
Sam

JUST FUN TO DRIVE. AND I HAVE OWNED A VAN MY ENTIRE LIVE FROM 15 YEARS OLD. NOW I'M 55. SO WHY CHANGE NOW.....AND I'VE JOINED CUSTOM COACHES LTD. VAN CLUB IN 1976. BEEN PRES FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS OR SO.

My oldest brother had a first gen when I was 5. Had all kinds of fun in that thing.

For myself I have always had a love for vintage vans and trucks. The older the better. But since I purchased the 67 and then a 66, I have had nothing but fun putting these vans together. When I tell people what my vintage project is they all ask " is that the one with the motor between the seats?" And all I can do is smile. Their response is always " COOOOL". Next thing you know I am on their computer showing them the VV site and my van...lol...and all the other rides in here. Some have even asked where they could get one. I guess if I had to some it all up I would say I am addicted to these old vans and trucks. They are simple and fairly easy to work on and only as complicated as you make them out to be. Wouldn't change this for the world. Meeting new friends in VV that share a fellowship for vanning and trucking that can't be beat.

for me it started with a 1962 vw bus which i sold but never really got over snub nosed vehicles. Something about the look that i really like and i like feeling like im sitting in the road.

Did a search on google a couple of years ago and found the econoline, g10 and A100 and bought my 1964 econo last year. Has been fun restoring it the last several months.

Mine started when I was 14 and there was a 64 chevy window van(like donivans ) on a back road, I tried to buy it" never going to sell it". Finally bought a 3rd gen chevy van(which I still Have) to fill the void, never really filled it. A few years later my cousin bought the original 64 an wrecked it(still pissed about that). Fast forward 25 years owned a ton of cars, truck,van. Finally decide I needed an early. I bought my 64 handi from an ad that g man put on here. I drove it for the first summer, house paint , tired 305 v8, smoked, leaked but cool as hell. I pulled it apart to paint it about a years ago, should see the road next summer. Cool thing is now these vans find me, I bought a couple and found them good homes. When mine was on the road I was alway's asked " is it for sale" I used to have one of them years ago . Bob

I'm nucking futz ... one of them catches fire even when I wash it ... lol

J=M

I learned to drive in a 63 econoline that belonged to my dad.we moved from Fl to PA in that van.He was a Ford guy and so am I. I have owned A 63,67,72,and two 61 econolines one of the 61s was a pick-up.many other interesting cars and trucks along the way just like old stuff I guess

EconoCarl wrote:I drive mine because it gets 45 smiles per gallon!
(Your smilage may vary)

DITTO!

Just an Econoline Head...and got it BAD!

having past experience in late 70"s owning 2 1sr gen fords & 1 other !st gen chevy , including a 64 ford w/a 396 hooked up to a turbo 400(owned it for 1/2 day). all of em shagged out ,party vans.
now at 51 yrs old , and a 3 yr old christian , i prayed for a couple months about could another early work w/my wittnessing for God ,thru when conversations come up around the van ,include what God has done for me, and help me in my wittnessing for Him (to where i/m not the greatest talker),not pushing God done someones throat,just telling what blessings Hes done for such a wretched punk as me .And i/ll be 1st to say i know God doesnt need anything to spread his word. i just prayed about buying the van , Not for pride or vainity, but knowing a little about them to hold my own in conversation , that way it can help me get my wittness on , by blending it in to it.also use at church whenever needed hauling anybody , or when we need to move stuff there,and might be able to share it w/church
and w/out a doubt God has blessed me w/ awesome conversations w/ new friends at cruises ,including been pulled over to let me know my van is cool,(turning into a 30 min fellowship turning it over to theLord in prayer before the guys wife called asking for the chicken he was supposed to be picking up).
Bottom line , I thank God for giving me the oppourtunity to use this van to Glorify His Name .

Back in 74 I had a 66 ford van and after that a 64 chevy and a 76 ford. I have allways liked vans and trucks. About two years ago, I went to the Charlotte auto fair and saw a bunch of early's but no fords. That show peaked my interest again. A freind of a freind had a 62 econo p/u that I was going to trade a BMW for, but at the last minute he backed out, so I started looking on the internet. I found my 64 econo p/u in Michigan. I worked out a deal with the owner and went with trailer in tow. From where I live in SC it was a 12 hour ride to Mich. After checking out the truck I loaded it up and made it back to the south side of Indy. before I stopped for a couple hours sleep in the back of my truck. I was back home and driving the 64 the next afternoon. I still have a lot of work to do on it, but I enjoy driving it while I work on it. The thumbs up and smiles make all the work worth it.

I started out with a couple cars until a couple years after high school, but I loved my Dad's vans (80's Econoline Customs). Started playing music and having to haul gear around, and I came to the conclusion that I needed to switch back to vans (85 GMC). While working on it, I saw pictures of Vanishing Breed and fell in love with early cab-forward vans and trucks. I'm hooked by the smiles I get when I drive them now. I'm hoping that the 2002 drivetrain transplant into my 62 Merc Econoline will keep it alive until I can't drive anymore! Then, I will park it by the river and live in it!

My first "car" was a 1965 GMC panel... I had a relapse !

Joe,Yes you did !! Bill

Well ... my Falcon needs all the help it can get. It has caught fire about 4 times, electrical issues causing the same, whilst breaking down in a bad part of town a woman of questionable repute jumped into my van ... as I was dealing with the carbulator ... I looked up and said "Excuse me ... what are you doing in my van?" she said I thought you stopped so I could jump in" ... I said no, no, no ... "I have vapour lock" ... she said with a big smile "I can help you with that!" ... I suspect she didn't understand ... so I gave her some smokes and sent her on her way ... sheesh

that is funny,the part about the woman not the break down

Thanks for laughing ... it is a true story and I don't mean to hijack this thread. I have no witnesses but people can vouch for my integrity ... (ahem and cough)