There are custom vehicles and there are custom vehicles. I usually like vehicles that are as close to stock as possible because I’m all about the memories of the era that these vehicles came from. But sometimes a crazy custom catches my eye, this 1967 GMC 4×4 Handi-Van is one of those times. This jacked-up van is on Craigslist, or here on the CL archive. It’s located in Ottumwa, Iowa with an asking price of $2,000 or best offer – the price of extending the warranty for your new car that doesn’t need an extended warranty.. get this cool van instead.
That’s one rugged van, I love it – so far at least. The GMC Handi-Van was a sister/brother to the Chevy G-Series van and this second-generation GMC was made for the 1967 to 1970 model years. I had Dodge Tradesman vans and I always had a bed built into the back for camping, this 4×4 would be the ultimate camping van.
Yep, there’ll be some welding to do, but you were looking for a winter project anyway. Hey, where did the rear side doors go?!
D’oh! Ok, maybe there will be a lot of welding to do. What’s happening with these back doors? Luckily it’s not like these are complicated curves to match up and maybe new doors could be found in a junk yard somewhere. I wonder what it looks like inside those back doors?.. hmm..
Next slide..
Hey, there’s the missing left tail light lens! I love these early G-Series GM vans that came right after the Corvair Greenbriar vans, with a couple of years of overlap. The interior on this one, as you can see, needs work. I’m not sure what’s going on with those dash vents and I don’t know if I want to know what’s going on there. But, everything else looks pretty decent. This is a case where an hour spent on cleaning and vacuuming could have brought more money.
There are no specific engine photos and since it’s in-between the two front seats it’s harder than usual to get a photo of it. This one would have had either a 230 cubic-inch inline-six or a 283 cubic-inch V8. The seller says this is a 307 and that “it doesn’t run but turns over.” Also, there is no title so expect a bit of legwork there. I think this would be a really, really fun project. The price seems like a no-brainer with NADA’s average price for a 1967 GMC Handi-Van being $7,300 and a high retail being over $13,000. A person could make an offer for this van, spend $10,000 on it – doing a lot of the work yourself – and still be way under it’s real value. Surely a 4×4 version would be worth more than a rear-wheel drive Handi-Van? Thoughts on this crazy cool GMC van?
The side doors were most likely welded shut. The rear doors were welded together and are probably hinged at the top. Pity someone backed into something. Not sure how the tranny shifts. My guess is the back shifter is for the transfer case.
I think you’re right on the rear shifter and the doors, Joe. Good call.
The floor shifter is for the four wheel drive. Cool old scool van.
Thanks for the info on the shifter, gmoney, I think you’re right.
This and the Pontiac 4WD conversion are both, in my humble opinion, perfect candidates for the scrapyard.
Ottumwa Iowa was the home of Radar O’Reilly. Don’t think this was his. He couldn’t get in without a ladder.
As these vans were unibody I wonder if the 4wd suspension system is mounted to the unibody or is the unibody mounted on a 4WD chassis from another vehicle?
At one time I had an early 60’s Econoline pickup mounted on a 4WD Blazer chassis. Actually fit pretty good!
bought it’s brother in ’69 (a che**y short WB 6cyl in that ol blue so many had) in ’70 from an oil co.
Outfited it sleeper fashion – no ‘hippy van’ (except for the jolette windows in back) as some kids did. Used as moving-things-co and live in for 2, 3 yrs at the turn of that decade.
One run: Burlington, VT – Martha’s Vineyard, MA in dead of winter w/bald summer tires had no problem. Wife sat on the engine cover, hubby on pass seat’n back stacked box by box like 1 brick wall tight up against the other. Plenty weight even 4 da hills. Slid right inta home base on the island for a day or 2 of Heinagans & that new medicine, tunes and a 9 mo wood butcher job (build a 30 ft geodesic dome for off islander to live summers in).
Blew the motor on I90 changin life from carpentry to 6 yrs college (& career, national travel results). Lost it to the tow co due to storage charges, distances and cash flow (student poverty). 4 WD woulda been nice, but as set up looks a lill tippy. Hafta got to the add 2 see what’s underneath…
Looking at it again it looks like the van is sitting on 1970’s Blazer chassis.
Paint job in the example in this article lends a late-’60s ‘futurist’ look to the vehicle!
Back in 1968, we bought a Handi-Van to use for hauling groceries from the warehouse, and it Did Not have side doors, just the normal ones in back. I had a blast driving the van, but I drove it 500 miles to Colorado, and the fun wore off quickly.
This things screams for Wood style barn doors on the back. Woodsy interior redo…great retro camper.
The 68 Coronet taillights might be worth more than the van, although the left one’s half gone.
Chad, whu? that was really hard to read, the story you told, had to re-read it. But I think the jist is “necessity is the mother of invention.” Cool truck, do you have a clearer picture of it…or is the picture clear and my eyes not working today due to that new medicine?
a friend of mine has a handi-bus, 3 rows seating windows all the way around. Pretty cool old van.
How bad do they salt the roads in IA? A cool looking van could be hiding some nasty secrets.
Had a 66 GMC Handi van it had side doors nice Rally wheels new motor in it 30 years ago cab over the front wheels was great to Drive would have been cooler yet with four wheel drive
Cool van, these vans came with, without windows and a variety of window/door configurations. A 307-v8 would have been available in 1970 or maybe even late 69. Also different body lengths 90/108 and possibly A 110. Though I haven’t seen litature on it. I had a 110, sport van, have never seen another. Someone should reproduce full panels for these, aid in their preservation, restoration. These are very utilitarian and fun rec vehicles.