This 1969 Chevrolet 108 Van had been sitting for 20 years prior to being put back on the road recently. It can be found in sunny San Diego, California and is listed for sale here on eBay, where the opening bid is $3,500 without a reserve.
This van has the looks of having been a working truck all it’s life. The seller speaks of purchasing the van after it had been cleaned up and started after being off the road for 20 years. However, apart from two unusual holes in the roof that have been crudely patched, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of major body damage.
These vans have very clean lines, and I think the green color makes the shape attractive. I think I’d keep the white bumpers and wheels, but would at least make the center caps match each other. The huge mirrors are a little gaudy but would help with navigation! The 350 cubic inch V-8 and automatic should move the van around nicely.
I’m wondering if the seats are from some later vehicle as I wouldn’t have expected headrests. You can see one of the crude patches in the top of this picture. I’m not 100% sold on the price, but I do think this is a usable classic that could be improved over time. What would you do with this van?
Sorry…Gotta say it…
“Zoinks Scoob!!”
I feel better now….
Those are not the original mirrors or seats. And they did not come with a big block. It would have come with a 307 or smaller. I own 68 Chev 108 and the original engine is the 307 2 barrel. The price is not bad. I paid 2K for mine but it was ugly. It was camperized very badly, but the owner could not see the potential and dumped it cheap. They are getting to be valuable now with the Van life coming back big time. 3K would be a very good price.
How did you find yours to be camperized badly? I ask because my dad let go of one that he’d built years ago probably really cheap. His was a combination of a 90” and 108” stacked to crest headspace and had the look of a camper
Nice van, I want it. I’d put in quad 6 X 9s and shag carpeting, a Foghat 8-track, and a gas, grass, or ass bumper sticker. Oh and an ice chest with a case of Stroh’s. You 50+ guys know what I’m talking about.
Do you have enough hair to get a shag cut?
One of my first jobs, still in High School probably 1967, driving a slightly older one of these for a florist shop on Long Island, NY. That was a 6 cyl 3 on the tree. Heck of a lot of fun! But I think with a 350 auto it could be a dangerous ride. I seem to remember it not being the most stable vehicle I’ve ever driven!
This would be a cool ride for someone and maybe CHEAP.
This model of Chevy Van (66-69) has pretty much disappeared
Paint it silver and put two slices of bread sticking out the top….
Chebby…..that’s Funny!
How would you not know if the radio works?
If the speaker is blown, damaged, or not hooked up the radio could work but it would need a speaker. Also, it may have a blown fuse… once replaced the radio may work.
His statement comes from a very lazy seller that hasn’t taken the time to find out.
As a past Pres of West Coast Van Club (SoCal) back in the early days of Vanning, the ‘patched’ hole in the roof is where at one time, a crank-up alum roof vent once existed, so I’m presuming the other hole is the same. Personally, I like the 90 inch wheelbase vs this 120, and also prefer the earlier (’64 thru ’66) 1st generation higher headlight model, with its flat glass style in either the Chevy or GMC versions. The ’67 thru 1970 models were the last of these forward control vans. That said, either the 1st or 2nd generation lower headlight models can be radically customized, such as this one recently finished for driving, ‘n on the show circuits ’round the country.
Oops, I meant 108 wheelbase not 120.. Oh, ‘n here’s an earlier 64’ thru ’66 version, a friend of mines Chevy/Van.. this photo was taken at the 1st National Truck-In in the early 70’s outside Denver, CO. It also had had a V8 shoved in it instead of a 6, ‘n no it was not a 4×4, and even with those big tires, it handled just fine.
I have been a plumber for 40 years and I started out with my dad in a van just like that. thank you for the nice memory
My first 4 wheeled vehicle was a 1969 Chevy van. It was the heavy duty version with a V8. I was the first of my friends to have car and we’d pile have a dozen or more people in and loved taking it to the rock quarry for cliff diving. I could remove the rear seat and put two motorcycles in for the weekend. Because the engine was between the seats, it was fun to scare people by braking up to the rear bumper of the car stopped in front of me because people were not used to their feet only being a few inches behind the windshield.
Thanks for the great memories.
I’ve been looking for a straight bodied ’69 Chev/GMC panel van like that one for a long time. The very few I’ve come across where too much money for what it was. Had I the $3500 or more if need be I’d scoop that green machine right up because the green ’69 window van I own ended up on its side long ago and nearly everything else in it had finally been replaced or rebuilt. I had 600 miles before the wreck. Still drive it but want/need another. Thanks for posting this.
I had one of these (68) with a 292 and a 4 on the tree. Yes a 4 speed. I guess they only made a few hundred of them. The linkage was bagged out-and would get jammed all the time.
These things can actually look pretty good. This is a pic of my brother’s recently restored ’67–if the pic comes through.
My Dad had a 69 Long body that was the parts van for the body shop. I remember driving it to school during my years there. I also remember that you stayed warm in the winter and hot during the summer, because that motor hatch sitting right between the seats.
My opinion:
That 69 108 Chevy Van originated in NYC. A cement company that was called “Colonial Sand and Stone”., which at one time was one of the largest in the USA.
My father worked there and when the company fold/was broken up, he and a few of the other construction workers were able to purchase the same service vans at a company auction.
http://dailydieseldose.com/autocar-mondays-colonial-sand-stone/
“The Colonial Green is their own mix; It is a DuPont color, I could get it for you or you can call Mack truck or Western Star an they will give you the paint code. Colonial Concrete located in Newark NJ still uses the same colors except for the mixer ( now the drum is International red, white and Colonial Green). We used to get all our paint from Brooklyn NY, National Paint Co. Colonial’s Rad, bumper, frame and wheels and rims were International Harvester Red, there mixer was Navy gray all National’s the Green was DuPont’s”.
I still would want to own this van.
Absolutely 100 percent agree with you!
Wonder what happened to the van and who ended up with it. Just restumbled across this old link on the site.
Me too. I have to dig through some boxes of old pictures and post some of my fathers “108”. Have a great day!
I bought a ’67 120 back in the late ’80s when I was in high school, straight 6 3 on the tree, no windows in the back. I immediately pulled the 6 & 3 spd & shoved a BBC 427 w/a M21 close ratio 4 spd (didn’t ever get around to adding a reverse lol) that worked fine on the tree. Installed a 4:56 rear gear & a mini spool. Now mind you I was 17 yrs old & had an absolute blast in that death trap. There wasn’t much around town that could keep up with that tin can red light to red light. Great memories