If you’ve been looking for a really unique delivery vehicle or business advertisement, this van might be a winner. It is from 1955 and was produced by the Twin Coach company of Kent, Ohio. It can be found for sale here on Craigslist with an asking price of $13,500. The van is currently located in Felton, Delaware, however, the 619 area code on the side indicates it may have spent a portion of its life near San Diego, California. Thanks to Ikey H. for the tip on this unique van, now let’s explore a little more about Twin Coach and check out more information on this 1955!
Unfortunately, there is only one photo of the van in the ad. As mentioned by the seller, they were widely used by businesses for deliveries since their cab-over designs made maneuvering city streets easier. Moving companies, dairy companies, and even the post office used variations of Twin Coach vans. The body was made by Fruehauf and the large round body lines break up the enormous flat panels on the side and the Art Deco wing design of the “crown.” This design was widely used on Fruehauf’s trailers and adds a touch of class and visual interest to the roofline.
As mentioned above, there aren’t any photos of the engine or interior in the ad. The seller does say that the engine is a straight-six that was sourced by Twin Coach from International Harvester. They say that it runs and drives, but will need some brake work. The model of this specific van is an FL-20 which indicates the rear floor is level and the overall length is 20 feet.
Overall, these are pretty neat vans and would make a great vintage delivery vehicle or advertisement for a business. Hopefully, the seller will provide more photos and documentation. It would be a shame to cover up or strip the antique telephone collector signage on the side, but I guess that’s up to the new owner. What do you think of this one?
More practical-sized bus that could be massaged into something that more could use and enjoy. I sure wouldn’t know what to do with it; it’s still too big for me but I have no doubt that there is someone who would be willing to take it home and give it the care it deserves.
I don’t think that’s an International engine; Hall Scott built engines to the specifications of various customers, including Fageol. HS also built engines for International back in the 20s until Binder could get its own engine manufacturing up to speed. Here’s a ’29 International HS104C powered by a Hall Scott 152 that is documented to have been part of a fleet used to build the Hoover Dam.
The truck was built on an IHC chassis and the engine is an IHC Blue Diamond.
Mark Johnson
303 886-7643
Oops! Let’s try that one again. The picture didn’t attach. Anyway IH designated the model numbers of its trucks powered by Hall Scott with the HS in the model number…
I agree with geomechs, I think that’s a Hall-Scott 590 motor. They had a unique OHC that was driven by bevel gears. I think the biggest motor they made was a 1091ci., but as a gas job, still only mustered about 200 hp. A diesel half that size could outperform it and get almost double the fuel mileage, and big gas commercial motors faded out. I know the truck looks corny, like one of those chopped up classics, but in the 50’s, everything was hauled long distance by train. It was trucks like this, that took it from the train depots to the back alleys of America, and short, tight turning trucks were needed. Great find, but again,,,a little optimistic on the price, I just don’t see many going for this. Going to need a total makeover, with modern power, tubeless tires and modern brakes. Probably easier to just mount the body on a newer dually chassis and be done with it. Inside? Sky’s the limit. Cool find.
Being into old fire equipment I know Hall Scott motors well. The motor in the pic does look like Hall Scott. What did them in was their drinking problem. In the late forties and early fifties when diesel was just starting to come in for commercial trucks a Hall Scott would out run something like a 220 Cummins in the mountains but at a COST! They were in common use in the fire service into the 60s. Then 8V Detroit caught on. There are lots of old fire wagons around with working Hall Scotts not much else.
I love the “tall forehead, Herman Munster” look of these vans. This is definitely cool, but with only one picture, I would be careful throwing my money at it.
Perfect for hauling your 50’s vintage race car and support team!
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe an old formula junior or an old motorcycle hauler?
Food truck or RV. In either case a money pit. But an interesting one.
Or bike hauler. As long as the track isn’t far.
I noticed the ad and the wheels in the ad.
The engine photo in the ad is a I.H. Black Diamond OHV 6
https://public.fotki.com/ptcheshire/vehicle-reference/international-harvester/00707-3ydhoptww8e.html
https://public.fotki.com/ptcheshire/vehicle-reference/international-harvester/6bg241-2.html
I don’t think it’s an IHC engine either.
I would be tempted to put the body on a 4WD chassis and turn it into an offroad camper… except that would even be limited given the height of the unit. There are far too many low hanging tree branches!
Move to Arizona and camp in the desert and you don’t have any issue with branches of any kind.
Lots of photos in the ad now, and definitely an International six-cylinder engine. Probably has a top speed of a little more than 40 mph, which makes you wonder how it got from San Diego to Delaware! I restored an International Metro van (late 1950s) a few years ago, and that engine is a good one, but geared for low speeds, not highway use.
Unique vehicle, do not see these around anymore. These vehicles were prevalent in the 40s, 50s & 60s, then disappeared. Mainly used as moving and delivery vehicles. This one would require work and money, but would attract attention at a car/truck show. Several photos available on the Craigslist site.
The seller has posted 23 photos to his ad and the pictures he posted plus all the IH badging makes me think it does have IH drive train. It is actually in pretty decent shape from the photos plus it runs and drives but brakes are bad as in the original posting. Overall length 20’ and overall height is 10’6” per the ad so not as tall as it appears in the original photo. I think it has been repainted, looking at the photos you can see some green under the white paint. My guess someone was using it for advertisement and decided it needed to go so the present owner picked it up and brought it home to make a buck off of. Just a wild guess! Interesting but don’t have much use for it. Probably not enough room to hall a car after you take out the space for the cab and engine. My guess you would only have about 12-14’ of floor space. Still kind of cool.
At swapmeets and antique flea markets converted vans and old busses are quite common. This looks to have been used in this manner previously.
You are right about being too short to haul race cars, but not motorcycles. I’d bet it either become a tow vehicle, camper or some sort of mobile coffee/food truck once it has a revamp of its entire drivetrain.
Steve R
Haul/store car on an incline inside.
Too cool for school(bus).
Just love these guys…
I tried to open the ad before but I couldn’t get it to open so I went by the engine pic that was in this post. I was finally able to open the ad itself and, yes, that is DEFINITELY an IH engine. It looks like a BD/BG 240/264. The wheels look like they could definitely be off anything from an L to an S series so this is probably running a complete IH chassis. The gauges even look IH, and lastly, we cannot overlook the IH Man-On-Tractor symbol above the grill.
Geomechs,
The last photo is of the serial number plate from International, showing it is a complete running IH chassis. It indicates the chassis model number is 50-2X6. That should be a 5 digit number, but there is a wire in the way of the middle digit between the 2 and the 6, so we don’t know for sure what the model number is [hence the X].
I see that too, Bill. The 50, I would think indicates a 150 model number and looking at the age of the truck it would compare to an R-150. There’s a chassis book on this era at the shop. I’ll check on it when I get back there in the morning…
Not a BD 264 by a country mile – I have one in my L112 pickup and it looks nothing like this.
Hate to disagree with you guys, but I don’t think that’s an IH engine. The valve ( or cam) cover doesn’t look like a BD or RD, and looks like a timing chain cover on the front. Apparently, I was wrong, HS 400 series motors used a timing chain, not bevel gears. That’s the thing with these old trucks, one can make a mistake, and only a few, if any, catch it. I can’t find any IH motors with the distributor out front like that, even though, Twin Coach was known for IH motors, a site said HS motors did filter in. That aluminum cover looks like Hall-Scott.
Howard are you following the pic on THIS page or the one in the Craig’s List ad? The pic on this page is not the one that’s in the van. This one is a Hall Scott, I’m sure of it, but the one in the actual ad is most definitely a Binder, right down to the grease accumulation.
Okie-dokie, yes, I was looking at the picture on this page. Where did that come from?
Did anyone else notice the Unimog 404 in the background?
yea, that 1 has only a 105 inch WB. I like it almost as much as the 1st – the smallest & used as farm tractor/drive 2 town vehicle.
Now for this guy – I’ve seen em but when I saw the caption “1955” my jaw dropped. I all ways thought they were from the ’30s. Never remember them growing up (in the 50s).
There are 23 photos on the Craig’s list ad now…
If I wouldn’t be afraid of a severe cross wind, this would make an awesome Harley hauler!
Upgrade it to a more modern Dodge chassis, diesel of course, and hit the road! Neat old rig. I have never seen one.
That would be one helluva welfare wagon for that trip to Sturgis and beyond. Keeping the old Binder engine wouldn’t bother me but if you’re determined to go with diesel, keep the chassis and drop in a 466; keep it in the family. You can push those upwards of 300 hp. Install a Gear Vendors O/D and go for it…
When I was thinking of the Dodge drivetrain, I was thinking purely about reliability. But I am a fan of keeping components “related”. I like your idea!
I would still be terrified of a good crosswind lol. This might not be the right vehicle for me lol.
I completely understand the reason for wanting to set this on a modern undercarriage. Probably save some money overall. Unfortunately it’s still going to be top-heavy so you might to take along some extra beer to keep it ballasted…