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Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
#23944 October 05th 2005 3:47 pm
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,168

Vanaholic
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Vanaholic
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,168
My first van came when my grandpa died in 1983 I inherited his van, fact he taught me to drive in the van...so there I was 18 and a rolling love wagon...sweeet. First thins was ditch the hub caps..so off to the Western Auto for some chrome wheels and new skins...of course the van was only a 6 banger so not much engine mods other than a glass pack out to duals. So I'm at a stop light and this guy in a van pulls up next to me and say's hey...nice van ever thought about joining a van club...some may remember him Charlie Brittin. I said I would be interested.. I was invited to attend a truckin CITA birthday #8 in Charleston IL, other members of the club convinced my parents into letting me go and promised to take care of me...sure first thing they did was buy me 2 cases of berr and off we went. As i rooled into the grounds light were flashing people were drunk and the band was playing..I thought can this get any better I'm in heaven..next thing I know someone is standidng on my running board handidng me a bottle of Schnapps. Later that night after many hours of partying I went to a site where they had a traveling bar..and meet Gary Cason.. I thought he was the Jolly Green giant...never meet someone that tall...I continued to party with the traveling bar through the night...man I had a blast and to this day i still have a blast at every truckin.

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Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
vanatic05 #714674 September 26th 2016 12:12 am
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42
S
newbie
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newbie
S
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42
Back in the mid-80's to mid-90's I was IDBA/IHRAdrag racing Pro Gas and Super Comp motorcycles traveling to about 10-15 states east of the Mississippi. I suddenly lost my job at the time, but still loved racing. I was forced to downsize from a dually pulling an enclosed 28 foot air conditioned trailer staying in hotels and motels while eating out all the time, to an extended Ford E350 van with a bed (hammock), a homemade sink, Coleman stove and dorm refrigerator. I figured I would simply 'tough it out,' but that opened my eyes to the possibilities of vans if well ventilated and packed right - packing the van became a fine art! I was then able to decrease my budget by less than half and run my operation more efficiently. While that lasted for only 2 years, I would never forget not only how much money I saved and how less cumbersome traveling became, but how much fun I had in the van as well as camping out with fellow racers and friends. I got back into vanning out of necessity again in 2005 when I got divorced and sold the house. You see, I had to find someplace to live but I had Sophie the Rottweiler from the marriage that no apartment complex or private landlord would accept. There were those that would take a dog, but only if under 25 lbs. Some would make exceptions for larger dogs but NONE would make an exception for a Rottweiler, Pitbull, Doberman, Akita, etc. It was either drop Sophie off at the pound and live like a human being, or become homeless. Well... there was absolutely positively no question. I once again bought a van and LIVED IN IT for almost a year until I met my fiance - who had her own house AND a big backyard! My experience in that van was once again priceless. The van AND my Rottweiler got me through a very very very tough time emotionally and fiancially. From that point on I knew there would always be a van - and a Rottweiler - in my life!


What you are is what you have been.
What you’ll be is what you do now.
- The Dalai Lama

It is better to travel well than to arrive.
– Buddha

I've met the most incredible people in my van!
- Scott Paladini
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #714676 September 26th 2016 12:47 am
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18,286
Likes: 558
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18,286
Likes: 558
In 85 I bought a Safari to load the kids in as a daily driver & vacation vehicle. In 1990 I got a divorce took the van & my daughter, the wife got her Camry & the drug scene (she traded her car for a bag, she ended up getting 35 yrs, still in Jail). In 93 I got a 86 4X Ford step side truck , feeling I was missing some thing in my life I went lookin for another van, went to a govt auction in '02 found my '93 G30 4X EXT.
My life was complete.
7 yrs later I found my '92 & I couldnt go get it fast enough. Never have had a car or truck again. I have driven a 454 Chevy van daily ever since.
1 for the dirt, 1 for the streets.


SUNSHINE VANS-VAN DIEGO
ADRENALIN BY THE GALLON & CHASIN RACIN
ONE FOR THE DIRT & ONE FOR THE STREETS
'93 CHEVY G30 454 4X4 SPORTVAN EXT 146" WB
'92 CHEVY G30 454 BEAUVILLE EXT 146" WB
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #714722 September 27th 2016 7:22 am
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,696
Likes: 172
Old Timer
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Old Timer
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,696
Likes: 172
Bought my first van in may 1976 and first van run in October 1976. Just did my 322nd van run at Last Chance this past weekend.

Last edited by newkirkinc1; September 27th 2016 7:24 am.

Jim & Lucy Newkirk
1965 Chevy Bad Influence
1981 Chevy-the Love Shack
2012 Chevy Van , 2020 chevy van
2020 Chevy van Sapphire Sweet.
Club Vannerz.
vanninvanner@comcast.net
1 member likes this: frscke1
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #714725 September 27th 2016 8:07 am
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 21,211
Likes: 25
N
Supreme Master
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Supreme Master
N
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 21,211
Likes: 25
Bought my first van (1970 Dodge A-100) in 1997. Started actual vanning in 2005, took a year off last year, but going to Fall Fest 2 in October.


Nate Breece
1 member likes this: frscke1
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #714730 September 27th 2016 12:17 pm
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 9,855
Likes: 234
carpal tunnel
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carpal tunnel
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 9,855
Likes: 234
Wow! This is an old thread!!
I posted here 11 years ago!! I stated then that all I owned were Fords but now we have three GMs and an HHR! lol
Still got the old Ford too. AND...we still miss our first, a '56 Chevy panel. (it was rattle-canned red, white and blue laugh )
It was 1969 and Penny and I were 17 years old...........
Friday night, two dollars worth of gas, bread/beer/bologna, some ice in the cooler and head for the lake.......not a worry in the world. smile

1 member likes this: frscke1
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #714733 September 27th 2016 12:42 pm
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 4,805
Likes: 123
Uncle Rust N Dents
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Uncle Rust N Dents
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 4,805
Likes: 123
I guess I was born into vanning in 2001.
I was driving my wife at the time to dinner for our 9th wedding anniversary, and on the way there, we saw a late 60s - early 70s VW Westfalia sitting in a parking lot with a "for sale" sign in the window.
We doubled back, looked the van over, and called the guy about it.
He was about an hour away, so we made arrangements to meet after our anniversary dinner.
After dinner we went back, drove the van, made a deal for $700, and drove the van home.
My wife said that it only seemed fitting that we bought a car on our anniversary. LOL

We had a lot of fun in that van, but it had its shortcomings. I was frequently saying,
"It would be perfect if it was only a little bigger..."
"It would be perfect if it had a little more power..."
"It would be perfect if this rear area was flat, and not humped over the engine..."
"It would be perfect if it only had A/C..."
Basically, it would have been perfect if it had been a full sized van.

My wife and I ended up divorced in 2002 (not because of the van) and the Westfalia came with me.
I sold it about a year later (for $1600), with the idea to buy a full size van in the near future.

Well, about 10 years later, the money and the opportunity finally came together, and I bought my '92 G20.


[Linked Image from farm3.staticflickr.com]
1 member likes this: frscke1
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #804203 June 07th 2023 8:30 pm
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18,286
Likes: 558
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18,286
Likes: 558
Lets hear you story .....


SUNSHINE VANS-VAN DIEGO
ADRENALIN BY THE GALLON & CHASIN RACIN
ONE FOR THE DIRT & ONE FOR THE STREETS
'93 CHEVY G30 454 4X4 SPORTVAN EXT 146" WB
'92 CHEVY G30 454 BEAUVILLE EXT 146" WB
Re: When yours all began. Your Vanning birth.
Glorydays #804232 June 08th 2023 7:35 am
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,696
Likes: 172
Old Timer
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Old Timer
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 32,696
Likes: 172
Started in October 1976, been hooked ever sinse.On our 30th van, 379th event our favorite vans we have and had Prohecy 76 chevy,saved the Nautilus 76 dodge , Loveshack, 65 chevy Bad Influence and Our new 2020 Chevy Sapphire sweet. See ya at the 50th Nats yay

Last edited by newkirkinc1; June 08th 2023 7:36 am.

Jim & Lucy Newkirk
1965 Chevy Bad Influence
1981 Chevy-the Love Shack
2012 Chevy Van , 2020 chevy van
2020 Chevy van Sapphire Sweet.
Club Vannerz.
vanninvanner@comcast.net
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