Posted By: theraif
what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 07:35 PM
seems like i see the 1st two for sale here and there but seems like i never see street vans 
am i just missing them
am i just missing them what happen to all the street vans
Posted By: moparts
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 08:16 PM
Rust ?
Like how many Aspen and K Cars do you see these days
Like how many Aspen and K Cars do you see these days
Posted By: A12
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 08:23 PM
..
Posted By: AndyF
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 08:36 PM
They wore out and went to the wrecking yard. I saw lots and lots of street vans in the yards during the 80's an 90's. All the fiberglass mods that people did back in the 70's was cracked and ugly by the 80's and 90's. All those bubble windows and port holes were leaking on the shag carpet and the van smelled like cat pee so away it went.
Posted By: Dartforforty
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 08:36 PM
Posted By: stumpy
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 09:12 PM
Here's one I used to belong to. https://www.vanning.com/
Posted By: topside
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/24/20 10:57 PM
Nice looking van, A12.
Never owned one myself, but back in the day there was always somebody in our group of friends that had one.
And we sure did use them, perfect for a bunch of us goofballs going somewhere together.
Never owned one myself, but back in the day there was always somebody in our group of friends that had one.
And we sure did use them, perfect for a bunch of us goofballs going somewhere together.
Posted By: 5thAve
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 12:42 AM
When i was growing up there was a couple down the street from us who had a van with a mural on it as their daily driver. They were in their 70s or 80s.
Around here they all rusted out years ago. The only vans now are the last of the Econolines and Savanas and most of them are pretty rough too.
Around here they all rusted out years ago. The only vans now are the last of the Econolines and Savanas and most of them are pretty rough too.
Posted By: Uberpube
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 12:49 AM
Originally Posted by A12
For me I see a lot of them around but I guess you have to drive one or own one to be more aware of them. There's lots and lots of commercial utility vans and the personal owner vans tend to blend in and not get noticed. I still own and drive my '85 van a lot and always check out all of the personal vans I see on the road or parking lots. I get more people asking or giving me the "thumbs up" or "what year is your van", "like the wheels, is that a 4x4?" "Our dad had one like that, (two brothers at a gas station) can you take a photo of us next to your van with my phone" which I did 
. More people approach me with the van than any Mopar or vehicle that I own. I saw a guy stop as he was entering a store and wait until I parked it, then seemed tentative about walking across the parking lot then what the heck he did and started talking about it and how he worked at the local Ford plant and probably helped to assemble it. VANS ARE COOL.........well OLD VANS ARE COOL! Not so into the "sprinter type" for now too Euro and not (North) American truck like for my taste.
. More people approach me with the van than any Mopar or vehicle that I own. I saw a guy stop as he was entering a store and wait until I parked it, then seemed tentative about walking across the parking lot then what the heck he did and started talking about it and how he worked at the local Ford plant and probably helped to assemble it. VANS ARE COOL.........well OLD VANS ARE COOL! Not so into the "sprinter type" for now too Euro and not (North) American truck like for my taste. All that van is missing is the Free Candy sign.
Posted By: GMP440
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 01:19 AM
Posted By: Rhinodart
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 01:28 AM
Mr. Norm started the van craze when he ordered 1,000 vans from Chrysler to be sent to Indiana to the customizing shops. So where are they all now? I parted out one of them, where are the other 999? The answer is above, RUST! And it took all the other vans with it. Some made it out west and down south, very few from the Mason-Dixon line north...
Posted By: parksr5
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 03:00 AM
Originally Posted by Uberpube
Originally Posted by A12
For me I see a lot of them around but I guess you have to drive one or own one to be more aware of them. There's lots and lots of commercial utility vans and the personal owner vans tend to blend in and not get noticed. I still own and drive my '85 van a lot and always check out all of the personal vans I see on the road or parking lots. I get more people asking or giving me the "thumbs up" or "what year is your van", "like the wheels, is that a 4x4?" "Our dad had one like that, (two brothers at a gas station) can you take a photo of us next to your van with my phone" which I did . More people approach me with the van than any Mopar or vehicle that I own. I saw a guy stop as he was entering a store and wait until I parked it, then seemed tentative about walking across the parking lot then what the heck he did and started talking about it and how he worked at the local Ford plant and probably helped to assemble it. VANS ARE COOL.........well OLD VANS ARE COOL! Not so into the "sprinter type" for now too Euro and not (North) American truck like for my taste.
. More people approach me with the van than any Mopar or vehicle that I own. I saw a guy stop as he was entering a store and wait until I parked it, then seemed tentative about walking across the parking lot then what the heck he did and started talking about it and how he worked at the local Ford plant and probably helped to assemble it. VANS ARE COOL.........well OLD VANS ARE COOL! Not so into the "sprinter type" for now too Euro and not (North) American truck like for my taste. All that van is missing is the Free Candy sign.
Or, I brake for children or, here, what's this rag smell like.
Posted By: A12
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 03:16 AM
...
Posted By: Sunroofcuda
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 04:51 AM
You'll need to find a good old van & BUILD IT!!!
Those were fun days! I never had one, but I had a few buddies that did. If this van is a rockin, don't bother knockin!
Those were fun days! I never had one, but I had a few buddies that did. If this van is a rockin, don't bother knockin!
Posted By: moparts
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 04:26 PM
Quote
You'll need to find a good old van & BUILD IT!!!
Did that been there , problem with a van it needs AC or you don't want to drive it in the summer , biggest reason why I sold mine
Posted By: HemiSportFury
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 05:10 PM
Here was our 76 short wheel base van. Four of us plus our German shepherd slept in it on camping trips. Great vehicle for traveling, but like others have said, rust eventually got it although I kept it for 17 years and 150,000 miles. It was the first new vehicle I bought. I did the conversion myself.
Posted By: burdar
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 05:16 PM
I know of two here in Iowa that are being built. Should be pretty cool when done.
Posted By: cudaboy340
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 05:55 PM
My female school bus driver had a Street Van back in the '80s. It was maroon with Keystone Classics. I think it was a '79.
I agree that rust was a big part of why they disappeared. Also, gas mileage wasn't great. SUVs and minivans didn't help, either.
Marshall Vans was a big conversion company based out of Carlisle, PA back in the day (I don't think they are related to the Marshall Vans in Cali that exists today). I used to work for a body shop that did a lot of the paint on them (I think they used multiple body shops) but that was long before I worked there. My old boss used to tell me how he would line the vans up and paint the graphics on a couple of them at the same time - using the same colors. He would even have buddies come over to help. Anything to get them out the door.
From about 1989 to 1994 I worked at the local Ford dealer that sold quite a few conversion vans. I think the builder then was Capitol Conversions. They were expensive but everything on them was so cheap.
Ed
I agree that rust was a big part of why they disappeared. Also, gas mileage wasn't great. SUVs and minivans didn't help, either.
Marshall Vans was a big conversion company based out of Carlisle, PA back in the day (I don't think they are related to the Marshall Vans in Cali that exists today). I used to work for a body shop that did a lot of the paint on them (I think they used multiple body shops) but that was long before I worked there. My old boss used to tell me how he would line the vans up and paint the graphics on a couple of them at the same time - using the same colors. He would even have buddies come over to help. Anything to get them out the door.
From about 1989 to 1994 I worked at the local Ford dealer that sold quite a few conversion vans. I think the builder then was Capitol Conversions. They were expensive but everything on them was so cheap.
Ed
Posted By: Mastershake340
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 06:24 PM
I still see a Street Van from time to time at car shows. Most recently a nice blue on at Moparty in September.
I remember seeing some Mr Norms custom vans back in the 70s when they were the rage, but haven’t seen another one in decades.
I remember seeing some Mr Norms custom vans back in the 70s when they were the rage, but haven’t seen another one in decades.
Posted By: AndyF
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 08:40 PM
Originally Posted by cudaboy340
My female school bus driver had a Street Van back in the '80s. It was maroon with Keystone Classics. I think it was a '79.
I agree that rust was a big part of why they disappeared. Also, gas mileage wasn't great. SUVs and minivans didn't help, either.
Marshall Vans was a big conversion company based out of Carlisle, PA back in the day (I don't think they are related to the Marshall Vans in Cali that exists today). I used to work for a body shop that did a lot of the paint on them (I think they used multiple body shops) but that was long before I worked there. My old boss used to tell me how he would line the vans up and paint the graphics on a couple of them at the same time - using the same colors. He would even have buddies come over to help. Anything to get them out the door.
From about 1989 to 1994 I worked at the local Ford dealer that sold quite a few conversion vans. I think the builder then was Capitol Conversions. They were expensive but everything on them was so cheap.
Ed
I agree that rust was a big part of why they disappeared. Also, gas mileage wasn't great. SUVs and minivans didn't help, either.
Marshall Vans was a big conversion company based out of Carlisle, PA back in the day (I don't think they are related to the Marshall Vans in Cali that exists today). I used to work for a body shop that did a lot of the paint on them (I think they used multiple body shops) but that was long before I worked there. My old boss used to tell me how he would line the vans up and paint the graphics on a couple of them at the same time - using the same colors. He would even have buddies come over to help. Anything to get them out the door.
From about 1989 to 1994 I worked at the local Ford dealer that sold quite a few conversion vans. I think the builder then was Capitol Conversions. They were expensive but everything on them was so cheap.
Ed
Yeah good point on the role SUV and minivans had on killing off the vans. Ask your wife to drive the kids to school for a week in a street van and then let her drive a mini-van or a SUV and see what happens. Even the nicest street vans were crude compared to an Explorer or a 4Runner or a Range Rover.
Posted By: A990
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 08:45 PM
My sister bought one new in 77 or 78, and drove it all over the west for dog shows. It had over 300k and pretty rusty when she finally moved on to something else. The Denver winters weren't kind to it at all. I haven't seen one in years I doubt there's very many left.
Posted By: Rhinodart
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/25/20 08:55 PM
My new fake street van, 2000 with a 5.2 should be nice and slow...and it's RED! 
Posted By: Dan Halen
Re: what happen to all the street vans - 11/26/20 09:58 PM
My '77, totally rust free with original paint (yuk). I converted it to a 383 with some cam and compression and a 8-3/4 rear. Sold it to a friend a few years back, he's thinking of selling.
Posted By: SRT6776