About the only thing groovier than locating a vintage party van is finding one that’s been in a forgiving climate for decades, such as this 1977 Dodge B200 Tradesman here on eBay residing in The Golden State since at least 1990.  Even though we don’t get any information about its prior ownership before then, the seller does mention that he purchased it from the gentleman who called it his since the turn of the 90s, and from the looks of things it appears the last time the van was registered was in 1997, so this one’s not seen much travel lately.  It’s located in Moreno Valley, California, just a few miles south of Santa Barbara, with bidding only up to $5,750 at the moment, so if the competition doesn’t get way out of hand perhaps this short van may end up a reasonably priced commodity for the next thrill seeker.

The two words making me really optimistic here are rust and free, together plus in that particular order, and the seller also says the paint has recently undergone detailing that has brought back some of its shine.  No word if this is actually still the factory finish, but even if it’s had a respray at some point it must have been eons ago as there’s now some robust patina going on.  We also get a shot of the outside before it was revitalized, but whether or not that’s the current or previous owner is not specified.  The body is claimed to be straight, with not a whole lot I’m seeing to make me believe otherwise, and I’m kind of digging the exterior just the way it is.  Sure, a fresh paint job would be snazzier, but this one just brings me back to the good old days of yore.

Things are pretty cool on the inside too, and fairly well preserved.  There’s no shortage of shag and paneling, plus that side and roof upholstery is just screaming 70s party van.  The side windows pop out from inside, and the functional rear seat folds out into a bed with matching covers on the captain’s chairs, although the front units are a little ripe for wear, however, they do swivel.  An overhead console above the windshield houses a vintage cassette Stereo, and I think that’s a Jensen amp next to it, so this van was probably rockin’ pretty good back in the early days of Van Halen and Cheap Trick.

A 318 cubic inch V8 provides power, with some good news and bad here.  It is running, but the fuel in the tank is old so a gas can inside the van has to be connected to the fuel pump to get the motor started.  Don’t try this at home, folks.  But we do get a video of it idling, and the small block sounds smooth and reasonably healthy when revved, so maybe there’s some decent life left once the fuel system is cleaned out.  What are your thoughts on this 1977 Dodge Van?