It doesn’t get much cooler than this if you’re into patina and short wheel base vans. This is a project, for sure, with no drivetrain installed at the moment, but this 1981 Chevrolet G10 van is worth saving and getting back on the road while not doing a thing to the perfect exterior. First of all, short wheelbase vans are always in style, but throw on the baked-on graphics from an old business with that classy script lettering and the cool factor just goes through the roof. The Chevy looks great on OEM steel wheels and even retains a vintage dealer plate frame up front. It’s set up for an LS swap and hasn’t seen road use since the 1980s – let’s change that, shall we? Find it here on craigslist for $3,500.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Otto M. for the find. The vestiges of the home entertainment past are alive and well with this van, as it serves as a reminder when RCA and Zenith TVs were in almost every home across America, and that a local repair specialist would come to your door – maybe it was even your neighbor! – instead of a Best Buy-owned truck from the “Geek Squad.” The Chevy comes with the parts needed to fix the front end, with the seller noting that both the correct ’81 grille as well as a ’71-’77 grille should you wish to go with the backdated look. The good news is that the Chevy doesn’t appear to have any body damage, and being a California truck likely means there’s no rust to deal with, either.
The interior looks fair, but photos aren’t great for telling what’s going on inside. The Chevy has all the vibes of being a project truck that was taken halfway apart and then stalled, which isn’t a great point in which to take over a project. Hopefully, any changes meant to prepare the truck for an LS swap didn’t extend to messing with the interior. Of course, the beauty of a workhorse van like this is that they were usually pretty spartan inside, so there’s likely not even that much to remove or replace in the first place. The Chevy has the look and feel of the short wheelbase school buses that used to be everywhere, but the lack of windows going down the sides all but confirm that this shorty G10 began life as a work truck and has always been intended to be a contractor or repair man’s best friend.
Oh, yes – can’t forget the GE logo as well. All of these household brand names we used to see everywhere. I can remember walking into a Lechmere or Circuit City store and seeing the walls of TVs and wondering how you could possibly choose from one versus another. Back in the day, a repairman who drove a van like this may have actually come to your home and offered you some advice as to what to buy, or at least attempt to fix your broken TV. The seller notes that the Chevy comes with a “..fresh fuel tank w/ EP381 pump, FPR and filter all ready for an LS swap,” which begs the question: would you continue to see the motor swap all the way through to completion, or bring this one back to stock condition to be the ultimate tribute vehicle to the former “Gordon & Silva” TV repair shop? Does anyone remember this company from back in the day?
Link to the building where Gordon & Silva was at one time. Of course it has been torn down to make way for a Starbucks, Subway and apartments.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23136132@N04/7585391170
Those cargo window-less vans were true shag wagons. No seats except the front two.So you had a blank canvas to work with as to how to build the inside. Good times!
I miss the artistry of hand painted trucks (particularly tow trucks).
“Zenith..The quality goes in before the name goes on”..Or RCA..”the most trusted name in electronics”..Ahh good times. TV repairmen have become obsolete and so has this van until someone gets her up and running again.
Instead of repairing, just about everything is throw-away now, from TVs to shoes.
Back when TVs were built like furniture, 2 1/2 foot deep and weighed a ton.
Wild Cherry . Look it up
Needs a side door as it’s rotted at the bottom and a LS/auto with a couple of turbos. Surprise the trashcan muffler cars
Remember seeing these vans on the road in the day and My folks purchased a washer and dryer from them. Then you could go next door to Akai’s bakery for a pastry, or walk across the street to Lou’s Village for eating and music entertainment. This area was called “Midtown” or the Burbank area and not considered one of the best areas to live in. I’m guessing the current owner may have purchased the van as used from Mancini Motors in Sunnyvale, a popular Chrysler/Plymouth dealership. A very cool find, get it up and running and have that original paint all buffed out anf leave original. There only original once.
I grew up in the Bay Area, and I totally remember Gordon & Silva. Never had one if their vans come to our house though. My dad always fixed our TVs back when you could take the tubes down to Lafayette Electronics to test and replace them. But G&S was THE place to shop for appliances and the ones to call when something broke. Great memories.
And yes, I dig the van! If took it on as a project, I’d fix the grill, patch the rust, tune up the motor and leave everything else exactly as it is. Uber cool!
You can tune a shorty, but you can’t tuna fish. Or something like that.
The van is actually a GMC. Semantics to be sure but you can clearly see the Van Dura logo on the front fender and GMC badge on the left rear door. That said, (yes I’m detail oriented) great van. Save the patina, go nuts with the interior and power it with whatever makes you happy.
I’d keep that nostalgic paint, clear it and do the engine and interior the way I like it.
Sorry but $3500 for something you’d have to pay to get taken to the junkyard? I guess i dont get it, but to me at the ask this should be a runner and not a shell.
Located in South Bay area