In April of 1985, the Bellamy Brothers recorded a song called “Old Hippie.” It must have spoke to a lot of people, because the catchy tune ended up making it to #2 on the Billboard Country chart. Nowadays, most people don’t have a clue as to what a hippie is, and sightings are rare indeed. Fortunately, there is at least one still roaming around Dayton, Tennessee, and this endangered species has decided to part ways with his ride. The ride, a 1967 Ford Econoline 8 door van, is a pretty rare piece itself. Found here on craigslist, this neat old van is being let go for just $6500, or a trade for a Harley or a side by side ATV. I guess old hippies never die, but their tastes change.
Looking at this van, the first thing that you think is rarity. The ad states that only 43 vans in this particular configuration were made from 1961 through 1967. I am not sure if that number is true, but I don’t recall ever seeing one, and would love to know if any of our readers have either. 1967 was a long time ago, and vans such as this were usually purchased for work not play. Owners often worked them to near death, swapped in a rebuilt engine, and kept going until rust or accidents finally claimed them.
This one, despite some rust here and there, looks to be in very good condition for a van of this vintage. Considering that the typical rust areas are above and around the windshield, the bottoms of the doors, and the sills, this one looks to be solid. The seller mentions that the van has very little rust, and there is damage on the right rear panel. You should also note the “Flying Eyeball” which was the symbol for famed pin striper Von Dutch. At least it was his symbol before the hipsters managed to co-opt it.
The picture above shows why this van is so special. If you worked in a trade that demanded numerous trips to a well stocked van, or specialized in moving things, a van with eight doors would be a blessing. While I have no reason to doubt the seller’s word, I cannot believe that such a small number of these were built. They just seem so handy to use. Of course, a number of trucks and vans from the sixties had handy configurations that you would think there would still be a demand for. If the engine hump were a little farther forward, you could probably put a full pallet in there.
On the back doors and bumper rests a lot of “character.” While the dealer tag may be telling us that this van is in the hands of a retailer, the stickers give you a glimpse into the heart of the former owner. Whoever this was had that odd but common combination of hippie and biker that we see from time to time. While the van needs a paint job, it seems sacrilegious to scrape off the stickers and get rid of the flying eyeballs. It would just be wrong.
So, what do you do with a van like this? If it were mine, I would paint the roof, and otherwise preserve every bit of it that I could. Maybe try to pick up a vintage Harley to put in the back, and add some camping equipment. Then, use it to drive slowly across the USA, camping at state parks and using the motorcycle for cruising around. There is a lot of the country I haven’t seen yet, and I am getting to be, like the sticker says, an old fart. Maybe the finer points of hippie life aren’t that bad after all.
What’s up with this area of TN? The Citroen, ’57 Chevy and this van are a stones throw from each other and near Chattanooga. I need to head down there and see if I can find something in a barn before they do.
Not far from the Georgia state line
Thanks Jeff for causing bad memories of loading band equipment into a beast like this. Loading a Hammond B-3 was easier than loading it into the refugee 1948 Chevy city bus, our first band vehicle.
This was a much sought after vehicle in the early day of Motocross. The B-3 stayed in the van when we went to the races. The B-3 player didn’t have the strength to help load it, so he was forced out of the band and into church pipe organ exile.
The van would pull 17mpg on the highway and gas was 27 cents per gallon.
Nice find. It would match my Von Dutch hat.
I carried a B3 in back of my 67 long bed, too, Dick, along with a Yamaha CP70 and a Clavinet and a few others. I loved that van. It never let me down. Some great memories.
There was one of these around,when I was in high school.
A guy named Gerry Gray drove,& hauled his AJS around in it.It
a bright White,with an Orange racing stripe running all the way
around it,at the base of the windows.
I always thought that it was a simple,but cool-looking
design.
Am an early Econoline fan having owned a pickup and 3 vans. Currently the owner of a 65. This would be the 6th one of these I’ve seen but the first long bed, which were also somewhat rare.
I owned a 63 Econoline 6 door and have never seen a 8 door which surprises me because Econolines were everywhere in the town I grew up in. Private contractors / Ma Bell / gas company all used them. They were versatile and cheap on gas.
Rare but “only 43 made between 1961-1968 I have a 65 econoline with 8 doors bought it for 300 bucks in 1975 factory numbers from FORD record that 1365 were sold in the 65 model year don’t know if that’s for both window and panel versions both
The van never was a big interest to me but it does bring back lots of memories of friends of mine, many who have long since fallen through the cracks. My preferred ride back then was my Norton and my Harley motorcycles. Old Hippie is one of my all time favorite songs. I still play it from time to time. And while the original song might not fully apply to me, Old Hippie 3 (see Old Hippie Trilogy video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJt4v3agH0M) really strikes a chord, especially when I look at the guy’s reflection in the mirror. I rode bikes and partied with a lot of guys and girls over the years, and even though I destroyed a lot of brain cells, the lifestyle actually kept me sane….
Amen, brother.
Never heard of one with 8 doors.
Back in the 60’s the Missouri Natural Gas Company that ran out of Farmington, had a fleet of these, I can remember them because my Uncle Leo worked for them. A lot of them went on to local Volunteer Fire Depts. after the gas company got rid of them. They were perfect to use on a draft pump, the inlet hose came in one door and out the other, great if you were fighting a rural fire and had to draw water out of a farm pond or river close by, or even from tanker trucks, of course todays modern fire trucks have that already installed on them no need for the extra truck.
Patina :P
Love Von Dutch eyeball, and he was a hippie before they were called that, he was beatnik.
Memories.. I used to work in a small town Western Auto store that had one of these. I was still in High School in a cooperative training program. We carried everything under the sun in that van.
Great to see this one.
Im guessing because it is the heavy duty model it has the ford big six in it. Does it have the 240 or 300? Is it a 3 on the tree or automatic. The doghouse looks like it has the extension for the automatic.
Back in the day “Hippies” generally drove VW busses and bugs. American made vans were driven by teenagers, surfers, dirt bikers etc. I know I was there!
Well….and a lot of “us” drove ’47-’51 Chevy 5 windows………….especially up in the mountains of Colorado. Jess sayin
According to the numbers I’ve found there were 2204 8 door standard cargo Super Vans produced from 65-67 (no 8 doors in 61-62 and no Supers until 1965) and 232 Deluxe 8 door cargo Super Vans. In 1967 there were 821 standard cargo Supers and 100 Deluxes. Not sure what configuration they are breaking down to, but they didn’t build a lot of any of them – and how many survived?
There were 4813 short wheelbase and 414 Custom package shorties in 8 doors from 63-67. Why do I know or care? I own a 1964 Custom package short 8 door that was special ordered by a florist in Eastern Washington, the color is Calypso Coral (a S/O color) with a column shift auto and the bigger engine which gives it a 9 inch. It’s affectionately known as the Coral Creeper. It could be one of one in that combo but honestly what matters most is It’s just a fun and versatile little hauler :-)
I feel like these will be more expensive soon. Here’s the saved ad http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/view.php?name=1967FordEconoline
If that’s worth 6500 mine must be worth 15000!
I seen my share of these Ford Hippie vans in the 70’s.
Here in the upper MidWest with snow – ice and salty
roads the Winter season feasted upon these with wanton
abandon. Can’t say I seen this particular model but we’re
🆒 – Verified Daddy Smoke Em 🧓🏻 ☮️ – Stay frosty 🍺
Sadly didn’t save an 8 door shorty at an auction a few months back…I did post it on another site…hopefully it survived the crusher….
The large commercial airline food service company “Host/Marriott” ordered several of these for the airports they delivered to, because only Ford offered the 8 door configuration. They installed [welded] angle iron racks inside that held the little food trays, Having the access thru both sides allowed Host/Marriott to unload fresh hot food trays out one side as they also slid in the used trays coming off the plane. I had 2 of these back when Host got rid of them, the entire rear area was taken up with the racks, took a torch & cut the racks out.
If you see one of these with evidence of the welded rack brackets, then it’s probably an airport food van.
Ford definitely wasn’t the only one to offer doors on both sides. The Corvair van could be had this way as could the Dodge A-100. I’ve also seen VW T-2 split window vans with barn doors on both sides (pre-1968), although the VW is exceptionally rare.
One would think that access to the rear from both sides would be an attractive option, but at the same time it would limit the fixed installation of racking or whatnot in the rear. I suppose that this is why nobody produced vans with doors on both sides for many years, and even the earliest minivans didn’t feature a slider on the driver’s side until it was determined that there was demand for it.
In any case I think that the “Opens wide from both sides” vans are really cool, but I’m also a lover of all the FC vans and pickups, regardless of make.
vw t-2
Corvair Van
Dodge A-100
Period A-100 ad. Pretty clear that Ford did not corner the market on vans with doors on both sides.
In the early ’70’s, I got an 8 door Econoline ( although I never knew that’s what they were called) from my then gf’s BIL for nothing. I’m not sure how he got it, but was using it as a storage shed. I had it towed home. When I got it home, opening the dog house, the engine appeared to be at an odd angle and low. The oil pan was resting on the axle. The stubs that serve as motor mounts were rusted clear through ( reason for the storage shed) and I junked it. I had never seen another like it again until just now.
yeah, motors hung in there rather than bein on top of a frame.
8 doors R the best for somethings (I bet it’d B great as a people mover for 1).
Friend just put the 250/4.1 in his daily wrk truck. Soon to be efi’ed (C fordsix.com). Many had same motor as mine in attachment (170/2.8)
COOL ride, a 63 falcon van was my first vehicle. Love the 8 door!
I was looking for pictures of “2 door minivans” and ended up here. My grandfather owned 4 Econolines. I think the last one died in the mid 80s which is when he switched to a pickup. One of those Econolines was one he bought from his BIL and it was this 8 door model. Not sure if it was the short or long one though. The BIL, my mom called him Uncle Mike, worked for Gulf States Utilities for decades but fixed TVs on the side, back when that meant vacuum tubes and a big glass bell in a wooden box. A van with doors on either side was super handy in that business. When grandpa wore it out, he used it as a shed, right next to his other Econolines. They got sold when he sold the land the vans were on, but I think he got more than the scrap metal value for them. Neither one was a hippie, though!
My father had one, an original 67′ Ford 8 door panel Cargo Van. I used to play in it, this was back in the early 80’s. Mother sold after he passed, but I have never seen another one like this.