The seller of this clean short wheelbase 1978 Chevrolet G10 Sportvan is just putting out some feelers to see if anyone wants to take his forgotten project on, and surprisingly, there have been more than a few bidders raising their paddles. I say surprisingly because this Chevy van has documented rod knock and will likely need a rebuild. Heck, there’s even some rust to contend with. But there’s just something about the way it’s sitting there, all safe and dry in the back corner of a warehouse, that makes you want to take it on. Would you try and revive this shorty Sportvan? Find it here on eBay where bidding is at $2,650 with no reserve.

The paintjob is surprisingly handsome for what amounts to a contractor’s rig, featuring two shades of green and plenty of glass to look through. No portholes or slab-sides here, this G10 would actually make a pretty wicked rig with the 5.7L under the hood and the short wheelbase everyone wants. The pictures aren’t the greatest, but we’re able to piece together that the body above the lower extremities is quite nice, and the rust that the seller mentions is relegated to the areas in front of the wheel wells. Even so, it looks easily repairable.

The interior is clean, too, from what we can see, with seats sporting untorn upholstery and a center console / engine cover that’s still intact. It seems like at least half of these G10s and G20s have destroyed engine covers, so it’s a good sign that this one remains intact. The inside of the doors would seem to indicate the paintjob outside is original, and while the mileage listed in the auction is a generic 100,000, the condition inside and out actually looks on the money for that sort of distance traveled. It’s hard to say for sure what you’re working with inside since the seller hasn’t brought the van out into the daylight.

Then again, I don’t blame him. It’s pretty spartan inside these work vans, so it’s not like you have to inspect the mink carpeting or the burled wood trim to decide if you should bid another $50 on top of what’s already been cast. This is a custom build for sure, as the short wheelbase models respond incredibly well to a side of side pipes and Cragars, along with the requisite body kit add-ons like front air dams and fender flares. I’m sure there are some purists out there who would like to see this one restored back to OEM condition, but when it comes to vans, I want the next owner to live the van life all the way through. How would you restore it?