What’s incredible to me about the period-correct van marketplace is how many of these in-period machines survived in decent shape with their original details intact. Considering the scene they were born into, the fact that these party machines somehow still show up with their shag carpeting and murals still intact is a testament to how much the owners loved them. This 1979 Dodge Ram Van sports all the details you want to see when building or buying a “vantastic” creation, from the body kit to the wheels to the mural to the shag-covered cabin. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $18,000 and the option to submit a best offer.
Now, the vans from this era have to be one of the most difficult vehicles to put a price tag on. You’re basically trying to create a formula whereby nostalgia is driving the sale price. There’s no clear-cut way to say one modified van is worth more than another unless it has a particular significance to the scene, like that whole “Wild Cherry” debacle from a few years back. The seller claims this Dodge was in long-time family ownership and that he bought it to experience the van life before deciding to sell it on. I feel that loosely translates to, “I bought it for next to nothing and now it’s up for grabs,” but to each their own. The interior is covered in wall-to-wall blue shag carpeting, which appears to still be in outstanding condition.
Captain’s chairs are a must in any van from this era of customization, and this Dodge doesn’t disappoint. The seller reports that the interior is loaded with features, ranging from a fridge, hidden storage compartments, overhead lighting, and fully carpeted walls. The seller also mentions that the murals on the side were done “…at the factory,” which is a detail I’m having a bit of trouble with. Does he mean that an aftermarket company took the van from the dealer lot and began its conversion? That has to be it, as I doubt Dodge had a mural painter on the payroll. Regardless, the end result is that this appears to be a very high-quality conversion, and one that the first owner had performed when the van was near-new.
The seller reports it was elderly-owned and never used for ferrying children. They were non-smokers, too, so the cabin still smells clean and fresh, which is a feature that isn’t exactly guaranteed in a van like this. Aside from some paint fading in places, it doesn’t sound like this Dodge has much in the way of defects. The mileage certainly speaks to a van that was solely used for back country drives or taking to shows, and that is the big differentiator between this and other modified vans from this era: it was basically a showpiece, and treated as such. With all that being said, what’s a fair price for a timepiece like this?
Looks like a nice van. That said this artical is a HUGE fail. Why even bother with the headline “The Mural Machine” and not include at least one pic showing the murals on the side of the van? If I have to click on the ebay ad just to see what your headline is talking about, why even bother to write this up? Really you could have just said, “There is a van listed on ebay with murals on the side, it might be a Dodge, idk. Here is the link”, would have accomplished the same thing in fewer words.
Here I go again, defending the writers. You have 5 words about the van, and sentences on what’s wrong with the headline. Quickly, because I actually like the van and Jeffs writeup. A “mural” to me was always any kind of painted scene or design, and van mural painters were some of the most talented artists. I don’t recall any factory applied murals, all the ones I saw were done separately.
Because of my age( 67), I literally pioneered the custom van scene. Right out of “That 70s Show”( think Kelso) From the humble beginnings of the Econoline and A100, with some old carpet and a thrown out couch, and a Kraco 8 track, usually the most expensive addition, to what I consider the epitome of custom vans, right here. Wisconsin had an outfit, CCV, or Custom Craft Vans. I delivered paint to them, and saw some beautiful creations. People literally loved their vans, as shown. You’d be hard pressed to find a low mileage custom van. Motorhomes were these bulky, cumbersome units, a custom van provided all the comforts, and like motorcycles, were “personalized” to the point, no 2 looked the same. It was a great time, and a CB radio was paramount. Jeffs comment on the smoke gave me a chuckle. For the record, the burnouts with the old A100, grew up and drove this.
Fast forward to today, people are living in these by me, and are a mere shred of what they were. Faded, derelict units, gotten for a dime, but still a roof, and getting worse by the day, I might add.
I painted at CCV in the early 90’s.
Donna and Jay Wright were running paint shop at that time.
We were doing nice work.
This van was converted by an aftermarket company. There are company logos attached to the inner drivers door and the forward side door.
Good eye, I can’t find any info on “Advanced Creations”, but was, I’m sure, one of the hundreds of companies that jumped on the custom van band wagon then.
I was too young to drive when these were hugely popular in the mid to late 70’s. If I were an adult during those days I would’ve certainly worked hard to purchase one. The only dilemma I would’ve had to decide on was whether to purchase a Dodge, Ford or Chevy van Ha!
Hi Keith, that’s just it, you didn’t have to work too hard to get one. They were dime a dozen, $500 bucks, TOPS, and usually fleet maintained. Like I say, the biggest investments were an 8 track( $29.99) an old CB,( no cost) maybe a set of wheels($200), and you were “vannin” for under a grand! Fact is, they catered to people that decided not to work, bless their souls.
The older vans, be they Chevy, Ford , Dodge or GMC (my personal favorites were the split window VW’s) look so much better than the monstrosity that are being produced now. The modern vans best lookers are the Mercedes/Dodge Sprinter Vans and the Chevrolet. The rest are just ugly.