Torn - '67 Glass Rack Van or get the Sportsman done

I own a glass shop, so when I saw this I got all excited:

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/cto/1449003489.html

This is exactly the kind of van I started to look for 2 years ago. It's been stored inside for a very long time.

I just started stripping the many layers of paint off my '66 Dodge Sportsman. This paint job is going to lead to a lot of work and cash. I have a '65 Sportsman that I can drive around the block, but the body's pretty far gone. I had my guys on reduced hours earlier this year and I didn't want start throwing money at my van until things got a little more solvent. I also past up buying a rather clean $1,500 '69 Dodge Display van this summer because I didn't want another project that would take away from me moving forward with the '66's paint job.

If I pursue this non-operable van, I'll have to dump the parts van, but I'd have two good running vans. I swore I would someday chase down a Van-Up from out west and snag parts off the '65 if needed. Purchasing this would basically kill that dream.

Do I start to go after this '60s vintage glass truck or stay with the hand I've been dealt?

Looks like it might have a rust problem on pass side windshield post??

These old vans can really become addictive!!!!!!!!!! When you find one their really hard to pass up but you can only work on so many. The more you have the harder it is to decide what needs to be done next. Good luck with your decision.

You got that right Mike. How much is the glass rack worth?? What kind of motor trans??

savage wrote:Looks like it might have a rust problem on pass side windshield post??

Yeah, I saw that. Looks clean compared to my parts van lol.

Some people on Vannin.com noticed that the rockers are rusty and that it has 1976 plates on it. They're computers and/or eyes must be better than mine. So if this thing has seen +/- 9 years of Detroit winters plus who knows what happened to it in storage, it may be worse off that I think. It would probably take a lot of time and money to bring this one back.

I just had visions of giving it a one color enamel paint job then having someone hand letter it to the original lettering, then getting some magnetic signs with my shop's name and current phone #.

Its a tough call, I feel your pain. I know of 2 A100s cheap. Pretty sad I cant scrape up 300 clams to rescue them. What are the plans for the parts van? strip and crush or sell whole? Mabee make one good van from the glass van and the parts van. That would be really neat to see an old glass van on the road working again! Or perhaps do up your sportsman as a glass van, might save some dough to get you your A-100 pick-up

savage wrote:How much is the glass rack worth?? What kind of motor trans??

Glass rack would be for nostalgia value only. It's probably homemade, but in 1967 it beat the hell out of using an A frame in the bed of a pick-up. You can see that it uses the van's ribs for structure. A replacement for my stainless steel glass rack would probably cost around four grand, but I could lose that much in a week if I don't have one.

I haven't contacted the seller (yet?), but I would guess a 225 /6 with a manual trans. The V8/auto was a big upgrade back in the day, that's one of the reasons why I love my Sportsman.

What are the plans for the parts van? strip and crush or sell whole? Mabee make one good van from the glass van and the parts van.

Ben, I had to take the parts van when I bought the good van. The guy wanted his garage back lol. It keeps leaking trans, brake and diff fluid wherever I park it and it takes up room inside my shop which can be a PITA. I really do like it, but it's a rust bucket, the rain gutters are shot and it has a lot of Bondo, etc. But it does have the 273 V8/auto which I would like to put in a Van-up someday. It'll kill me to actually see that thing go to the scrapper after searching so long and hard to find a descent one two years ago when I was having my mid-life crisis, so to speak.

Making one good van out of those two definitely happen if the glass van had lots of 'issues'.

I thought about making the good Sportsman a glass van when I first got it, but I'd rather give it a good two tone paint job and see where it goes from there.

splitting projects makes getting them done harder, my 69 is really not finished then I bought the 64 and that is eating all my extra cash

G-Man wrote:splitting projects makes getting them done harder, my 69 is really not finished then I bought the 64 and that is eating all my extra cash

Chris, that's exactly why I kept telling that dude from Mississippi that I couldn't buy his '69 Display van even though I really liked it the price was right (I could have low balled him even further) and he could have dropped it off at my house! I was disappointed, but I knew i had get going again on the Sportsman.

Just seeing that lettering on that glass van, I feel as though it's sad, it's got my name on it and it's calling me.

I hear you I just run into a econo pickup and it was everything for me to walk away. Kept telling myself no more till I get the 64 done

I hear what you are saying... I am stripping out van #4 right now and it is not helping me get my '67 pickup done, but it did give me parts for my '68 van that I was missing and some better parts for the '67 when I put it back together. Being that you are in the business I'd say go for it.

I'm just sitting here reading all this and nodding my head in agreement and maybe chuckling a little. My priority is to get the 65 rad going then maybe switch to the 69 rusty red wagon, I scored the 66A for parts for that and will be putting the gray 65 chevy on the end of the list. but I dont think its all bad to be a little flexible, I don't feel so bad after realizing some of the guys have taken several years to get a good project done or on the road.

Joe did you say 7 years?? That would be my 64 Chevy Nodoor Now I only got 3 more to do,if you don't count the 66 Sportvan- parts van(lowrider)

If you do decide to get it and they can't find the title I have a clean one with the fender plate for a '67

I bet you could get it wayyy cheap....get it, put aside and wait

Thanks for the offer '67, but I still don't feel comfortable inquiring about it. Once I start that train a-rollin' there may be no stoppin' it.

Dan, I thought about that too. I have 2 earlys, 4 cargo van work trucks (one's basically a back-up truck), the beater Cirrus, the wife's 2000 Jetta TDI (diesel), her Wrangler for when the snow gets bad and our boat that we use a great deal over the summer. She say's the Inn has no more vacancies and I really can't argue otherwise LOL.

It's been a sucky week. Have to contact my lawyer tomorrow about a glazing contractor who misrepresented himself and got payment for work that I did. How the hell that happened, I don't quite know, but now I have to pursue that POS for my money. This little incident and a few others may be a sign that I should just keep the wagons circled a little while longer. At least until winter blows over and things are a little more stable.

Well if it make you feel any better I have emailed the guy in warren to try and get you some pics on the way home from work, and he is trying to say he has an offer of 1000. It's a /6 3 in the tree, doesn't know if the spare engine is a /6 or v8, doesn't know if the brake pedal goes to the floor, or if the van is "dry" on the inside.

The administrator on Vannin.com may be going after it as a parts van for his chop top project (he's probably going to need to extend his roof), but I'm sure he would be low balling it.

A grand seems very high for a stripper non-operable van from the midwest , but who knows?

It would be cool if you can PM me his info in case Granny doesn't (or can't) sell it this year. I may have a change of heart if things get more stabilized.

BTW - There also seems to be an extraordinary excess of BS flying this world around lately. It's so deep that I may have to wear my waders into work tomorrow.

I'm with you about the BS, It is listed under commercial vans so most of us van people wouldn't find it there so his 1000. is shaky at best.

You could ask to go snap some pics of it and then replicate the racks onto any early A and then have it lettered...

stumbled these...seem to be more the correct price ranges

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/1442332385.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/1442042566.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/1441185577.html

My parts van has a TWIN!



Yeah, I could make a duplicate rack very easily, it's just that that particular one has history and is jumping out at me. It's also only a day's work to go get it. Could have made a detour or two along the way

As you suggested, I'll probably just find a good bodied panel and tear into it at a later date.

That 1st van posted, looks like it was a Nodoor that they put a bunch of windows in

Here is the guy's email address if you want to try and get some better pics from him. rallison0891@wowway.com

Thanks, I'll see how things go next week.