Vannin' Home Forums General Discussion Readers Rides A quick flip, and I'm back in business.

i've always been a car guy, but since i got hurt a few years ago, i've been in a wheelchair. i drive an 01 e250 daily, but it's not a show car by any stretch.

i have a 64 pontiac catalina 2+2 that i can drive, but once i get in the driver's seat, dealing with the chair is a problem. it has to be disassembled and the frame either goes in the back seat or on a bike-style rack on the trailer hitch.

that means somebody else always has to go with me to take care of the chair, and hopefully, the frame gets tied down securely. i spend lots of time looking in the rear view mirror, making sure it's still back there.

so the solution is to get an older van, old enough to get into goodguys events, but new enough to get the engine out of the inside and IFS. (before i got hurt, i had a falcon van, so i know the layout)

i'd recently bought a rust-free 69 ford cargo van, but i had only had it for a few weeks before i find out my buddy is trying flip a 69 club wagon. the good news? it's got factory front and rear a/c. quadriplegics don't sweat, so temperature control is a priority.

now i'm in trouble, i've got to get the club wagon and get rid of the cargo van. my buddy says, 'no problem, it can stay here as long as you need'. awesome, but now i've got to explain why i'm trying to sell the ugly van i JUST bought, and get a different one.

last friday, the hard part was done, some young airman came up from little rock to st louis. the only problem they had was when he flooded it at a gas station and it took him a while to get it re-started. six hours of driving it home and he was VERY happy.

the 'new' one isn't roadworthy, but it looks nicer, so my wife's a little (tiny bit) happier.

old one...




new one...


the 01...



the big cat...

Glad it all worked out for you. I liked the panel version.

Cool

Nice

Nice little FLEET you have going there, sorry you could not keep all three vans, but you do have two real nice ones. . . . BUILD TIME! LOL

I'm glad this worked out for you. to me either van will work. To get into Goodguys doesn't it have to be a 1972 or earlier ? I can't remember.

Me too. but some times you gotta do what you gotta do.

The great thing about vanning, is that your van doesn't have to be a "show puppy" for people to like it.

That Club Wagon is really nice and good luck with the build! The more you drive 'em the more you'll wonder why you didn't get into the scene sooner.