Every once in a while we get the pleasure of writing about a custom van from the seventies.  While we encounter a few from the sixties and an occasional eighties variation, vans from the seventies have a distinctive look and definitely have features that place them in that unique time.  Take for example this 1977 Chevrolet G10 van for sale on eBay out of Lakewood, Washington.  Bidding has reached just $6,600 at this point, which may be an indicator that this mild custom isn’t quite as wild as some of the vans we have featured.  However, it does have the most vital component of a seventies custom van: shag carpeting!

Let’s go over the particulars of this particular type of vehicle before we begin.  With the sad decline of factory muscle cars due to emissions standards, insurance increases, and a general changing of attitudes, people who loved vehicles needed a replacement.  At the time, vans were everywhere and that meant there was more supply then demand.

So that supply situation ensured that buyers had access to a plethora of cheap vans.  Add to that a number of mail order car custom parts houses and drive-in movie theaters in every small town and you can see why custom vans became a thing.

By a look at the interior of this van we can see that it was probably more of a family oriented ride than a rolling house of sin.  The numerous extra windows, captain’s chairs, and the octagonal table in the back are a stark contrast to the many vans that are basically a stereo, a bar, and a bed.  While it is nice in a homeade kind of way, it definitely is built to carry passengers.  There are even non-matching seatbelts added to the captain’s chairs.

In the rear we see the previously mentioned octagonal table surrounded by carpeted benches.  It is a mystery as to why the carpet is black and blue in a primarily brown van with a woodgrained interior.  All that matters is that it is covered with the shag carpeting that we know and love.  Another interesting point is that while the table may be removeable, there appears to be no provision for filling up the area where the table is to make this area into a bed.

We also see a multicolored shag border around the crown around the roof of the van.  Inside that border is paneling toward the front and either a short pile carpeting or maybe a suede material of some sort.  We can also see two fishbowl  windows cut into the side and another set of windows cut into the body and door as you move forward.  Notice that there is no provisions for curtains.  Definitely a family van.

The above picture gives you a mechanic’s eye view of a 305 cubic inch small block V-8.  There is also an engine cover inside that can be removed to work on the engine.  The problem is that the cowl and front wheel wells make working on the engine difficult.  With just 93,047 miles on the odometer the new owner hopefully will not have to dive too deep in these tight quarters any time soon.

If you do buy this very well maintained van, the owner has offered to pick you up at the Seattle airport.  From there I think you would have no problem driving your prize home.  While it doesn’t have air conditioning, you do have power steering and power brakes to help you get home with little effort.  Once you get there you don’t have to keep it like it is.  If you want to modify it, re-do the interior, or just add more shag carpeting, you can make it your own.

Just let us know where you find new shag carpeting.  For reasons.