By the 1980s, the nicely equipped factory passenger van like my Club Wagon had become a decided minority. The more popular cousin? The custom van.
Whether we call them Custom Vans, Luxury Vans, or whatever, for awhile they were a popular example of a uniquely American concept: Custom-built luxury for the masses. The funny thing about these, though, is that even though they were truly custom-trimmed both inside and out, they were all virtually anonymous – each looking like any other to the average guy.
There are still quite a few of these plying the roads in the midwest. Whether you were a Ford, Chevy/GMC or Dodge guy, there was a custom van in your flavor and in your price range.
This Dodge is a perfect example. It is a Dodge Ram Van somewhere between 1986 and 1993. Based on the color combo, I am betting ’80s. Custom windows, a custom paint treatment, custom wheels and certainly a custom interior job. There is probably not another van like this on the road anywhere. But does anyone care? If this should press anyone’s buttons, it should be mine. But the only reaction I can muster is a lukewarm “meh.”
This one is noteworthy for a lack of rust, given its age and its central Indiana location. But that is about it. These became cheap very fast on the used market, and are most commonly seen either with long-term blue-collar retiree owners who have visited grandchildren in at least forty states, or immigrant handymen (legal or otherwise) who tote both their families and their equipment from job to job, always paid in cash, half of which goes into the gas tank.
With this one, I am betting on retiree, given the combination of its good condition and being parked outside of a Dollar General and all. Had I cared enough to get out of my car on a rainy day to catch the inside, I am sure I could have shown you some deep red bordello-style lounge chairs, varnished wooden cupholders and blinds to pull down over the funky custom windows. But I didn’t, so you will have to use your imaginations. And maybe it is that I spent time in the 1970s, but I am still reluctant to walk up to one of these with a camera. It wasn’t a-rockin’, but no sense in taking any chances.
Judging by the badging, this is a 1986-90 Ram van “customized” by Mark III.
My grandfather formerly owned a circa-1990 Mark III Chevrolet that featured a nearly identical paint and graphics scheme; albeit in fecal brown. Lots of fuzzy trim and wood inside, along with rear slit-like windows that were practically useless and enough factory design cues reminding you that it was an archaic circa-1971 GM box underneath it all. It was equipped with a TV in the central console (viewable only to back passengers, naturally), which wasn’t very useful. The reception varied with every turn and twist in the road, and it was stolen within a year.
I think he eventually killed the van by going off-roading in it too many times…
Yep, looks like a Mark III. The company was one of the few conversion outfits that didn’t use wide bay windows on the sides – the marketing pitch was that this was done to avoid cutting the factory body supports.
Thanks for the retrospectives on these vans. My folks owned three of them when I was younger – a 1981 Ford from “The Van House” in Lincoln, NE; a 1982 Chevy “Citation” conversion (what an unfortunate name) and a 1988 Chevy “Gerwin” conversion.
All were used to tow a heavy (all-steel) Turnbow two-horse trailer; the ’88 was the only one that managed to do so with some aplomb, as it was the only one equipped with a larger engine (a 350.) However, that was only after Dad and I cleaned out a literal mouse nest of twigs from inside the air cleaner housing. It’s a wonder the vehicle ran in that condition; afterwards, it was a veritable speed demon.
Out here we have plenty of the GM Astro/Safari “mini custom” vans – driven by the aforementioned handyman demographic. I have seen a couple that have been converted to full on low riders, with curb feelers and dramatic murals painted on the rear doors. I hope to grab a photo of one sometime to share..
My folks had a customized Dodge short wheel base B100 van to replace our ‘we just put in an engine five years ago how could it need another one’ Westfalia. Decent enough on the highway with the smogged 318 and it tracked towards whatever it was pointed at. One problem, whomever had installed the shag carpeting and the other crap inside had punctured the fuel system somewhere. Maybe the fill hose or the fuel return system or even the tank itself. Who knows? As long as you kept the tank below 1/2 full, the interior didn’t smell like gas. Based on that, I thought it was the tank itself, but my cheap-assed father didn’t try to get it fixed, we just stopped for gas twice as often..
These always seemed like the logical replacement once the “Great Brougham Epoch” was over… real wood! TVs! Shag Carpeting! Bench that turns into a BED!
Did someone issue an Amber Alert?
@Carmine- that was gold!
Pedovan!
Carmine wins the Dodge custom van thread!
The comments have me wondering: is there anything in the Automotive Caste System that is lower than a 25 year old Dodge custom van? Well, other than a 25 year old Chevy custom van. 🙂
Used taxi cabs. Especially the ones still painted yellow with the “ghost” of the phone number and cab company name on the side.
Have to disagree with Carmine on this one. A used taxi may not be the classiest ride around, but I will get the heck out of its way–4,000 lbs of steel piloted by a guy with nothing to lose!
My vote for omega-dog car goes to the 2003-2008 Corolla. The ultimate wallflower.
Definitely a Mark III.
I may be able to scrounge up a pic of my old Mark III Dodge. It was an 85 Tri Brown on Brown/Tan interior High Top with Western 15 x 8 Turbine rims. I LOVED that thing. I stuck a TV in the back and an inverter big enough to run a Table Saw up front. It was a strange bird though, it had the small bolt pattern for the wheels and It was either a 150 LE or 250 depending on which door you looked at(D 150 on the title).
Out of all the vehicles I’ve owned I think I regret selling that one almost as much as my Chevelle.
kustom vans are allways cool
Here in the Northeast, these were generally referred to as conversion vans.
Who’s going to write “Wow, $1500 Speakers for Only $200: The White Windowless Panel Van”?
That happened to me back in the 80’s. Avon Connecticut. White van.
“Hey man, you want in on this deal? They shipped some extras that weren’t on the order and the boss doesn’t want to pay to ship them back.”
This scam is still alive today…
Ran into one of these guys once in the late 90’s nearby my old apt over on Queen Anne Hill where I once lived.
I think they may have tried to sell me a pair of those speakers but were unsuccessful.
This is definitely a Mark III van, converted in Ocala, FL. My best friend’s parents had a 1991 Ram with this same package, but in blue and white and with a raised roof. It was a great trip car, I remember laying in the back on a day trip with them, AC blowing gently, it was nice. Truth be told though, it really wasn’t that luxurious.
After working at a dealer that sold tons of custom vans, I can tell you the best upfitters were Explorer, Regency, and to a slightly lesser extent, Starcraft.
Used in decent condition at the right price… possibly my future home.
We always called these “dirty old man vans”.
TBH I have a soft spot for the the old full size old vans having driven many for a fleet company in the 90’s, but the customized vans, especailly the interior, were made on the cheap and driven by creepy older guys with a cluttered interior to match the dirty prematurely rusting exterior.
Yes I’m exaggerating to a certain extent, but its not too far off an assumption.
A local Dodge dealer specialized in these custom vans through the late 90s. When Daimler-Mopar killed the B Series vans, they couldn’t make up the lost volume and merged with a Chrysler-Jeep store a mile away. The old saying ‘putting eggs in one basket’.
@ dej and Marko….this scam is alive and well in st Petersburg, fl. Just substitute speakers with a freezer full of “100% real new York strip steaks” left over from a customer who decided to cancel their order and we just happen to be driving by and saw you in your yard and thought we would make you a great deal because we don’t want to have to take them back to the boss because he will be upset because because because……its a great deal. Really! Honest. Do you have cash? Don’t miss out!!!
Yes, I also mostly remember these as “conversion vans”. Here in western Washington though, I remember seeing just as many homemade half-assed conversions, some with nothing but the pentagonal windows mounted not quite straight and bare metal interiors (or bow-tie-shaped windows if it was a Chevy), and others with genuine 1/16-inch “walnut” paneling and avocado or ocher shag carpeting.
Friends had an ’84 Ford Econoline van that was customized. I think it had a conventional roof and had the dark blue interior and the light blue, non metallic field with the dark blue striping.
I think theirs was done by Starcraft but not sure and they had it a bunch of years possibly finally getting rid of it sometime in the early 90’s.
My Aunt Dean and Uncle Fred had an ’82 I think it was Chevy conversion van that had the beige field color, a TV in the back and I think brown interior and had an early alarm on it that you had to use a key to arm/disarm and the key switch was on the driver’s front fender.
The best looking of these vans was a photo from a test of the 1983 Dodge Ram shortie van. It was in that maroon red with the stock turbine wheels and I could see that van with 2 simple bubble windows, one on each side near the back, red or maroon interior, a second pair of buckets and a convertible bed/bench to sleep in when necessary and leave it stock on the outside, save for the additional bubble windows.