A lot of the vintage vans that cross our desks here at Barn Finds are of the customized and party-type variety, and when it comes to the cool factor, they really are pretty hard to beat. Who doesn’t love those shag walls, bubble windows, comfy captain’s chairs, and maybe a CB radio mounted overhead. But the owner of this 1969 Chevrolet G20 Deluxe Sportvan 108 put function over form, as he’s 6’4″ tall, and removed the two bench seats, added a wood floor with laminate, and created the perfect weekend camper that sleeps even a man of his height comfortably inside. If you’ve been in the market for a late sixties knockabout van, this one may be worth a look. It’s located in Laguna Beach, California, and can be seen here on Craigslist with an asking price of $7,500.
A big thank you goes out to reader Pat L. for the tip on this one! The seller says that he’s owned this van for 3 years and has loved having it for every minute. He claims it had 53,144 miles when it was acquired and now has 58,551, but in the right column of the ad, it states that the odometer has rolled over, so this may be worth inquiring about. The van was primarily used as a pleasure vehicle for short camping trips along the Southern California coast. The body is said to be solid with very little rust, and for a driver, it has a decent patina. There’s also a trailer hitch on the rear if you need to pull a small camper to your favorite hangout.
The V8 will start and run, but unfortunately, there’s white smoke coming out of the exhaust, and the seller thinks that coolant may be leaking into the engine. He believes it could need a new head gasket, or perhaps a pair of them, but if it’s overheated in the past there’s also the possibility that the heads may be warped. In any event, he suggests the buyer either tow the vehicle or not drive it very far, to avoid damaging the motor further. There’s a new alternator, starter, and battery in place, but also some sort of charging issue, although disconnecting the battery when parked seems to mask the problem.
When you’re not sleeping, that custom floor would be great for cargo hauling, or should the next owner prefer, the seller kept the seats he took out and offers to remove the floor and put them back in. The van has also had quite a bit of additional maintenance performed since 2019, and if the next owner takes care of the head issue, maybe this will turn out to be a dependable ride. What are your thoughts on this 1969 Chevrolet G20 Deluxe Sportvan 108?
It’s great doesn’t say what engine but I got mine back in ‘93 with a 327ci & a four bbl carb.
*Its great! …
I remember back in ‘67 when the local Chevy dealer got a 108 in. The family that bought it actually used it as a school bus for a few years. It had a 283/Auto but I think it was a TH350. The second owner brought it to our place and we gave it a complete tuneup and driveline service. That owner put the most miles on it. In 1977 the van was eventually sold to a local mechanic who was also somewhat of a hippie. He looked after it, camped in it and smoked a lot of dope in it. One day he showed up at work minus the van. Apparently he drove to Kalispell for the Memorial Day weekend, a guy offered him a substantial sum of money so he ended up hitchhiking home…
Friend of mine had 327 4 barrel back in the day,it would haul A.
As a college student, I worked part-time making deliveries for a vending company. In 1969, the company added a six-cylinder, three-speed manual Chevy Van 108 and to its fleet, which had previously consisted solely of Fords. Each night, I and the other drivers would compete for the Chevy. We loved it because it was ferociously fast–indeed, able to grab rubber in all three gears when empty. That truck took harsh abuse from us 19-year-olds like no other vehicle I had ever seen, yet it ran without a problem for years afterward.
Beautiful looking Chevy Van. IMHO, this is the best looking van of this generation. If only more pics were posted. IMHO, when it comes to selling a vehicle, there’s no such thing as too many pics. People want to see as much of a vehicle as they can. I know I would. I’d install more seats and use it as a taxicab. I’d also install disc brakes instead of the original drum brakes.
Not bad for the money, about 1100 miles one way wonder if I can get a discount on a Uhaul auto transport if I agree to haul a trailer to California since they are running out of equipment with everyone leaving
This would be a good price for a decent classic van. I’d be willing to pay in the neighbourhood of this and $10,000.
lol…..I say: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
Too many damn people anyway. As a matter of relevant perspective…in 1978 there were approximately 19 million of us.Now there’s almost 40 million. We can stand to lose a few………million :)
And this van would certainly ( with a new head gasket ) be the way to drive away!
Why can’t we have things like this anymore? If you want a van today, what are your choices; minivan family truckster or Sprinter type van?
Nice to see there are still a few cars out there for fairly decent prices. I’d love to own it and I’m not really a GM fan.
Right? I’ve nothing against people movers, and this would make an awesome taxicab. But I’m not a fan of today’s Sprinter vans and Ram Promasters.
this is great candidate for a full custom van. New motor grand tires on the factory steel wheels window tint new disc breaks 307 plus 350 turbo hydromatic transmission and new holly carb new gas tank and pump rest looks pretty good 5000 right price considering motor!