My van

[Flying_Flannel_89]

This is my daily driver 1978 Dodge Tradesman 200. It's rusty, crusty, leaky, and loud, but it gets me around in relative comfort when it's raining (like today) or cold.

It's powered by a junkyard 318 with swirl-port heads, a weiand aluminum intake, Edelbrock 500 carb, etc. I have major plans for thye van, they end up something like this:

 

[Big R]

That's awesome. Are you a drummer in a band?

And how often do you get recruited to help people move (especially when it's raining)?

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

That's awesome. Are you a drummer in a band?

And how often do you get recruited to help people move (especially when it's raining)?

I'm a guitar player, but I have a really big amp lol. And yeah, seems like I'm always lugging crap around for other people. My friend's Tomos Moped died 2 days ago, guess who got the SOS call? Orange Van to the rescue!

 

[Typhoon]

You don't see this style too much these days, but I like it.

 

[Das]

The more futuristic vehicles become the more character these old cages have. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

Thanks for the comments and compliments guys. Couple of unique things about the van: 1978 was the last year for that front grille/headlight setup, but the first year for the larger rectangular taillights, essentially making 1978 a one-year-only body style for Dodge vans. Also the first year for the re-designed interior, so the outside is pretty much the same as 1971-'77, but most of the interior parts interchange with vans from 1979 all the way up to 1997!

Also, thanks for not posting anything about pedophiles, creeps, hippies, or scooby doo. Ask any Vanner, they'll tell you where to go with comments like that!

 

[Big R]

Don't forget the "Shaggin Wagon" from Dumb and Dumber.

One of the guys I work with is a Hemi guy. Has something like 7 or 8 old Mopars but a restored a big Chevy van. Changed out the Chevy emblems for "Heavy Chevy". I'll have to get a pic of it sometime.

 

[verboten1]

Nice, i miss my '77 Streetvan

I also had american Racing Torq-thrusts wheels..
15x8 in front 15X10 in back.

I loved that thing

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

Nice, i miss my '77 Streetvan

I also had american Racing Torq-thrusts wheels..
15x8 in front 15X10 in back.

I loved that thing

Nice van, man! Those StreetVan fender badges are worth $200 plus on ebay these days.
Gotta love torq thrusts, they look good on everything.

 

[Big R]

Hey FF - here's that van of my co-workers. The guy has automotive OCD (obviously)

 

[verboten1]

thanks man, if I can find them, I have hinge pins, and side marker lights that you are more than welcome to...

 

[Speedfiend]

The van is rad. I'm pushing for a custom van in our driveway but the wife isn't on board yet. Vans spark some great memories for me. My coolest uncle had a swanky chevy, fish scale blue/silver scallops, port windows, Corvette side pipes, diamond pleat crush velvet. Uncle Lee was a total bad ass, always had a new hot ass girl with him. I've been collecting pics for ideas, one day.....

 

[Rocan]

Hey FF - here's that van of my co-workers. The guy has automotive OCD (obviously)

man oh man oh man!

i just had a vision! does he wanna sell that thing? ;D

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

Cool chevy van Big R. My good friend Marc just bought a '77 chevy very similar to that one, in addition to a black '74 Ford club wagon he's had since high school. I love the versatility and practicality a full-sized van can provide, not to mention they look badass when done properly. I encourage anyone interested in custom vans to check out the forums at vannin.com, there's a lot of really cool stuff going on over there.

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

New Weiand alum. intake and Edelbrock carb, and
Some shiny goodness:

Still needs all the plumbing hooked up, but I couldn't resist a pic with all the chrome on there.

 

[Rocan]

oooh, perty.

ditch those headers! i bet they are robbing you of 20 horses!

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

oooh, perty.

ditch those headers! i bet they are robbing you of 20 horses!

Thanks. Headers are in this van's future, but I'm waiting till i can find a good set of ceramic coated headers with nice thich flanges. Dynomax makes headers to fit, but they're kinda cheap and I've had cheap headers warp and leak on me before.

 

[Rocan]

are you gonna leave the intake exposed in the cabin? that would be bad ass....

 

[Flying_Flannel_89]

are you gonna leave the intake exposed in the cabin? that would be bad ass....

Haha I've thought about it. I've actually driven around with the engine cover off, the fan blows hot air in my face and it's pretty loud. I'm thinking about putting porthole windows on the sides of tyhe engine cover so you can see the chrome stuff through it, that might be cool.

 

[wagonmaster69]

I learned to drive in a 1975 GMC Vandura half ton.
I ended up putting a built small block and a B&M turbo 400 trans.
Had blackjack headers three feet of pipe with original flowmasters shorty mufflers still have the flowmasters.
It was so loud that when the Whittier earthquake hit and I live the next to Whittier my mom thought it was me coming home from work.
That was back in the 80's I still remember smoking new 5.0 stangs with it.
I wish I could get another one..