The seller of this Chevy van claims that it’s a barn find, but I’m not exactly sure if it was found before or after the high performance 400 V8 was installed! It’s been seriously built and the seller even warns that it should not be bought for a minor. I can think of a few other good reasons why you shouldn’t buy your kid a shaggin’ wagon, but I’ll let you use your imagination. Find this muscle van here on eBay where the bidding is really starting to heat up!
Muscle cars are fun, but they never offered the versatility of a van. With this custom machine you can haul multiple people, boxes of junk, and still make a few passes at the drag strip on the way home! You can do it all in comfort too with those high back captains chairs and dash mounted tach.
With an estimated 550 horsepower, this thing may even shut down some of the most respected muscle cars. That would be a humorous sight indeed! A numbers matching small block is included in the sale, but I can’t think of any reason why someone would want to go back.
After a busy day of errands and drag racing, you can pull the bed out and take a nap. Wall to wall shag carpeting and even some custom wood work complete the look. This could be the perfect muscle car for the guy who wants to go places without ever leaving home!
I love it. I had a Good Times Van in the late 70s and it was so much fun. Only a six cylinder with no AC.
My 79 short wheelbase was a six popper too with 3 on the tree but I also ordered A/C :) The slushbox option was about the same cost as the A/C so I shifted it myself in the cool.
Shagadellic baby! Nice job on the photos. Not for me but somebody is going to get a great van!
Loved my van days !
550 hp from a 400 is too much to be reliable
Agreed…the plug wire routing (or lack of) gives me pause as well.
First time I have ever seen a G20 with 5 lug wheels.
I’m the 2nd owner of a 1973 Chevy G20 van and it has 5 lugs. Got mine for hauling my race car around; has only a 350 4bbl, but will still accelerate uphill with trailer and race car in tow(mine is the OPEN ROAD conversion that has the fiberglassed raised roof; not nearly as nice inside as this one but it has a propane stove and sink that was useful)
…ahhh, all conversion G20’s had 5 lug wheels – ALL! G30’s had the 8 lug wheels. They would’ve used G10’s but Chevy needed the bigger brakes and heavier suspension of a 3/4 ton van because of all the heavy aftermarket conversion interiors van makers (Starcraft, Explorer, etc.) installed in them, Chevy (with other manufacturers following suit) gave them 5 lug hubs so they had their choice of any of the factory custom wheels that were available at the time.
Those vans weighed a lot with all that interior stuff, I think even with that motor a true musclecar would blow it away plus when you get a van at speeds over 80 mph they tend to get unstable, cool van but not as much a muscle machine IMO. My neighbor in the 80’s had a van identical to the one Mitchell posted, his was no power house with the 350 but with the illegal smoke coming out the windows it was a sure fire party machine.
weighed mine and it was right at 5000lbs with the raised roof and a 350 4bbl loike yours
Just remember. Dont laugh your daughter might be in here,
I like it.
I have a ’96 Ford conversion van that we use for trips, and for towing a 12 ft. enclosed trailer. This would probably pull it faster….
According to the build codes sticker, the van originally came with a 400. So the upgrade in power makes sense, by just swapping in a built version of the same motor. The trans upgrade was apparently to a used one that works well. Something that I really don’t understand it the 2600 Stall torque converter. It kind of takes away from the usability of the van, and makes it into a “Cars and Coffee” Saturday morning special. Rough to get the kind of money the seller is anticipating for such a limited use vehicle that is not really a muscle car.
But what I really want to suggest is this: The van is NOT SAFE TO DRIVE in it’s current configuration. Why? Because of the exhaust. Everyone, you must understand that pipes ALWAYS have to exit out from under the vehicle. And they can’t leak. Not if you value your health and brain, and those of the others who may be in the vehicle with you. Does not matter if tailpipes go to the side or the back, but ending under the car, truck, van, whatever is a No No. An easy fix, of course. And the chambered mufflers with dual exits must sound pretty boss.
I read in the detailed description that the seller has the pieces to complete the system with side exits. It makes no sense to me, why with all of the great work done on this ride that the seller did not get that done Before the eBay listing.
As a car seller, anyone with any sense would never leave it up to the purchaser to complete such a relatively simple safety-related task. A buyer with a brain-damaged son (as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning) will certainly go after a seller as being at fault.
Hit me with the negatives if you must, but I am aware of a real case involving the use of a factory-style replacement exhaust system, improperly installed by the vehicle’s owner. As a result of his unsuccessful installation, there was leakage into the passenger compartment. Not one, but two of his children wound up with permanent brain function impairments.
Seller, what are you thinking? Put the pipe extensions on, and be done with it!
Cool does not always equal cautious.
I’m wondering how a 3/4 ton short van drives?
I’d think that,unless there was some weight being carried,
they ride would be pretty unbearable.
A Friend of mine bought a 1/2 ton,short Chevy van
in Black,with White grille,wheels,& bumpers.It looked really
nice in that combination.
You might think that this is a 3/4 ton machine…
But in reality it is not, and it was that way for many years. The 20 series GM vans were more like slight upgrades to the basic 10 series or 1/2 ton units. Heavy-duty they were not. I heard a mechanic joke once about my “5/8 ton” van. He was spot-on, and that was a 1994 G20. Went through many outer axle bearings in that van, only towing a smallish enclosed single axle trailer, 2200#, with maybe 300# of tongue weight. Should have been no problem for a proper 3/4 ton van. The ’96 E150 does much better.
Color me impressed. Super cool van.
I could live in this….down by the river.
I’ll show myself out.
Man. Get a grower’s and dealers permit for CO, and then you really COULD live in a van down by the river…
It’s missing the full size airbrushed image of a half naked warrior woman on a flying horse. Every cool van has to have a full size airbrushed image of a half naked warrior woman on a flying horse.
Bidding ended a under $12K
The van has been relisted, with a Buy It Now of $18.5K, and a “Make Offer” button.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-G20-Van-Beauville-/142110847682?vxp=mtr
Groovy Bang Bus Dude. LOL.
It’s cool, but damn, not 18.5k of cool. A Corvette of that vintage wouldn’t fetch that much and his interior, while cool, is definitely not the premium style I’ve seen in other vans. Oh well, someone will snag at $11k after a couple more listings.
With the exception of missing tear drop windows in the rear panels, it appears to be identical to the “Lil Brown Jug” which was often seen around the campus of UNC-Wilmington and local beaches during the late 70’s early 80’s. Lil Brown Jug was well recognized as belonging to a local undercover narcotics agent during that time.
As a non native speaker I have always been curious of the etymology of “shag carpet”?
Or is it that obvious?