Cars in Yards: Groovy 1970s GMC Vandura van begs for rebirth at 41st Vannin' Nats

How Junkyard Life got their groove back. Alright. That’s it. We tried to tell you years ago that vanning was alive and well. Vanning: The mid-1970’s van customizing craze that exploded and seemingly disappeared. Now it's proven to be alive and well with van events and gatherings all over the country. Just as we said it was, or at least would be. More of a way of life than an automotive genre. We knew it the whole time and now we want in on the ground floor. How is this for a ground floor? A blank canvas, if you will.

A vintage 1970s-era customized 1974 GMC Vandura is ready for its second owner. 

Look what I found
   Behold! A 1974 GMC Vandura! Jody and I heard about this GroovyVanDoovy from our fellow gearhead, Junkyard Life buddy, Jason. We knew somewhere in the far regions of the lost and forgotten fad world there had to be one short wheelbase Vandura left over. Jason’s lead turned out to be very true. There it sat – born in November of 1973, purchased new in 1974 by Eugene Hart, the brother of the gentleman who was kind enough to let the rascalian Junkyard Life guys into his yard for a look-see. Eugene purchased it during the infancy of the van explosion in the 1970’s. He needed a work truck, so he bought one. A base model, bare bones, a seemingly naked, spartan-equipped GMC Vandura.
  V8? No.
  Air conditioning? No.
  Automatic transmission, at least, right? No again.
  Carpeting? “That’s how they get you,” my dad would say. So, no.
  Eugene welcomed this plain vanilla white, six cylinder, steel wheeled, manual shift “three on the tree” GMC van to the fleet. (note: the RPO codes did reveal an optional “auxiliary seat.” Was that a back seat or really just a passenger seat?) Then it hit him and the rest of the country. I must cruise!
  This Vandura emerged from the paint shop in a deep maroon hue. Porthole windows were a huge part of the van craze. It had to be done. I know, I would have. It also received a custom grill, a roof rack and a rear ladder. The brother of the original owner tells us of several wheel and tire combinations that graced the Vandura through it’s prime. Jody and I would demand nothing less than some aluminum slotted mags. That would make us appear tougher than the car dorks that we are. It also got the mac daddy of 1970’s “must haves”– chrome side pipes! (author’s note: chrome side pipes actually came in second on Ron’s 1970’s “Must Have” list. They were second only to Marcia Brady.)

This 1974 GMC Vandura has custom side pipes. My Grandmother would say “put this in your pipe and smoke it” or really more like “Put your foot on this pipe and burn the daylights out of it.”

Far out, van!
  Many van enthusiast went far out and groovy. That is – VERY far out and VERY groovy. The faint of heart or imagination need not apply. We are talking shag carpet. We are talking crushed velvet seats. We are talking mini-bar in reach of the hot tub or water bed. Only that’s not what we are talking about here. Judging from the outside visuals, we fully expected to be greeted and treated to shag town on the inside. However, it was all business inside this vintage 1970s van. No carpeting, paneling or anything synonymous with that era of vanning. 
  So, does this van need a melding of Junkyard Life meets Graceland on the inside? We are close to making a move on a van such as this. You wouldn’t want our decorating skills to go to waste, would you? We've been digging through our stash of 1970s car mags, which are loaded with vans, looking for inspiration. We're even dreaming about a trip to the Van Nationals. Stay tuned and check out our other vanning tributes we have coming soon!

Ron Kidd
— Junkyard Life

  

Know of a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a car or junkyard?  Send emails to Ron at Kidd403@bellsouth.net or Jody at junkyardbull@gmail.com.

Can we create our own custom van masterpiece out of this 1974 GMC Vandura?

No hut tub or shag carpet inside this 1974 GMC Vandura.

Peeling paint and flat tires do not help the resale value of a vintage 1970s van.

Stick shift van with easy access to the six banger engine.

Imagine flames, stripes, airbrushed dragons and slot mags on this 1970's van.

Side pipes were popular during the 1970s van explosion.

This six banger GMC Vandura had twin side pipes installed in the 1970s. The side pipe on the passenger's side has been removed. You can find it in the back.

An inline six cylinder engine powers this ’74 Vandura.

Money was made during this van customizing American obsession installing these small nautical style windows. Porthole windows weren’t very functional-most of them didn’t open.

1974 GMC Vandura emblem clings to this one-owner van.

This 1974 GMC Vandura van has been parked for more than 15 years.

Vanning Fun Facts:

1. The 1970’s take credit for the vanning craze, although vanners were customizing vans in the 1960’s when vans became a more popular production vehicle… think peace signs, flower power and sit ins. 
2. Vanning was a great pastime for young single folks, giving them self expression, places to go and other vanners to meet. Vanning was an early form of social media on four wheels. 
3. Vanning was also popular with families, thus cara”van”-ing to camp sites, beaches, lakes and rivers. With room to spare!
4. Vanning became so popular that most manufacturers began to capitalize on the idea of making the vans with popular touches right from the factory. However, they didn’t sell well due to vanners wanting to make their own unique vans. 
5. Several Oldsmobile Vista Cruisers and Buick Sport Wagons lost their glass roofs to custom van builders. One older gentleman told us of a van shop in the 1970’s that had a row of Vista Cruiser wagons about to get chopped. This makes us sad. 
6. Hot Wheels produced several custom vans in the 1970’s including a few prototypes with company logos such as the Yamaha Motocross van that was made for promotional purposes before the idea was nixed. 
7. Hot Wheels built custom vans for regular production with awesome paint schemes and even custom body touches (see Vanning Fun Fact #5). We own several here at Junkyard Life. 
8. Several parents faced a point of contention when many they refused to let their daughters date a guy who drove a van. This cut the daughter’s dating options in half due to so many guys driving vans during the 1970s. My own grandmother put her foot down when my aunt wanted to go out with a vanner. When I asked about this, she bluntly stated, “That’s right. I wouldn’t, not happening.”

A custom pink van was created for the ladies on the 1970s "Charlie's Angels" tv show.

Wild custom vans of the 1970s
  Paint, wheels, body mods and trick interiors were signature elements on some of the most imaginative customized vans of the 1970s. We dug out photos of some of the wildest show vans from the disco decade. Take a look at what we found in our old car magazine stash.

This chopped 1971 Chevy custom van was voted Van of the Year at the 1974 NSVA. It featured a bed, tv and 430-cu. inch Buick engine.

Rompin' Stompin featured a Mercedes Benz front grill, fender flares, wild custom paint and radical body mods.

1977 Tradesman 200 custom van known as "Rhapsody in Blue."

The "Warlock" is a 1975 Chevrolet custom van features a top that has been chopped by seven inches.

Factory-built "custom" 1970's vans:
  Nice try. The big three American automotive companies were caught snoozing at the wheel and wanted to capitalize on the fad. They offered custom (extra cost) features, made to order, straight from Detroit. However, vanners didn’t see that as a shortcut. Having a van like the next guy was a shameful crime when it came to self expression 70’s style. So the pre-made custom vans did not sell well. “Custom” and “factory” are contradictory terms. Vanners declared you can’t have it both ways.

1975 Dodge van ad features beach scene with trippy paint on new Dodge van.

Vintage 1976 GMC cutom van ad featured wild paint to encourage you to buy their van and do-it-yourself.

Smug dude looks popular in this 1976 BF Goodrich tire ad that featured a 1970s custom van.

1977 Ford van ad features custom van.

1977 Dodge van ad featured custom paint, wheels.

Ford added custom paint, wheels on vans in their 1975 ads.

Vans were BIG and everywhere
  Vans were everywhere you looked in the mid-1970s. On the road, on TV, in magazines and even as toys. Aftermarket parts suppliers, such as Hurst and Edelbrock, enjoyed the van boom to sell their wares and advertisers were eager to jump on the "van" wagon, so to speak, too.  "Hot Rod" magazine catered to the trend by creating a monthly van section in 1976. Check out these blasts from the past during the custom van hey day.

Edelbrock poked fun at the van phenomenon in their ads during 1975.

Hurst ad from the 1970 featured shifters for vans.

"Hot Rod" magazine column by editor John Dianna focused on importance of vans in 1976.

1976 ad about learning van customizing.

1970s Hot Wheels collections are sure to include some vans. Remember the Super Vans, Vette Van and vans with Vista Cruiser roofs?

Know of a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a car or junkyard?  Send emails to Ron at Kidd403@bellsouth.net or Jody at junkyardbull@gmail.com.

Junkyard tour: Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts, 1973 Dodge Charger 440 junkyard dream car

Find your dream car in a junkyard. The Junkyard Life team was a hundred miles into a day-long, junkyard crawling road trip when we hit pay dirt in Woodstock, Alabama. Oddie Hubbard, the 72-year-old owner of Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts, gave us a tour of his place, and the story behind a mysterious black Mopar that had been tucked away at the junkyard for decades.

Make friends, find cars
  We've learned that junkyard owners and counter men can be downright difficult to deal with, and that's on their good days. Say the wrong thing and you will never get passed the gatekeepers of the greasy kingdoms. I’m talking about yards where you don't pull-your-own parts. We were lucky on this day. 
  Oddie gave us a squinty-eyed once-over and determined we were suitable guests. After some junkyard small talk and the obligatory, “got any old cars?,” he led us into the 'off limits' area of his yard.
  “Wait right here,” Oddie said, as he shuffled across the black dirt.
  He disappeared through a side door of a metal building, leaving us to wonder, “What the heck are we in for?”
  A few moments later we could hear a chain rattle, then spin, as the large, steel, roll-up door lifted before us, revealing a 1973 Dodge Charger 440 entombed in a dark storage building filled with transmissions.

This all-original, low-mile 1973 Dodge Charger 440 has been parked at Stinnett's Auto Parts for more than 20 years.

Big block black beauty B-Body
  “Wow!” A time capsule of Mopar's youngest and often overlooked Dodge Charger was crammed between dozens of transmissions and two Harley Davidson police motorcycles.
  “It's a 440 car,” Oddie said.
  “Now we’re talking,” I reply. “A big block Mopar in black.”
  The entire car appeared all-original, with just a hair over 52,000 miles showing on the odometer. The paint, Rallye package stripe and interior still looked mint. The 440 Magnum emblems on the hood and the ominous black hue had me believing that I would find a four-speed and bucket seats. Not so. This 440 Charger was ordered with a split bench seat and a column shift automatic.
  Oddie gave us the lowdown on the 1973 Dodge Charger 440 Rallye that he bought from a car lot more than 20 years ago. Oddie worked at the lot and the B-Body Charger was a trade-in with an interesting back story.
  “A probate judge in Alabama owned the car but his son kept getting speeding tickets in it," said Oddie. "That didn't look too good, so he had to get rid of the car."
  That's where Oddie took the keys and relieved the judge of the embarrassing, lead foot shenanigans his son enjoyed in the Charger. Life and career changes have dictated Oddie's decision to sit on the Mopar muscle car.
  I had to ask Oddie if he would sell the Charger. On that day he would have. He even tossed out a number. Since that visit, he has changed his mind about letting go of the Dodge and I can’t blame him. A big, black Dodge with a 440 looks tough and its like money in the bank.

Stinnett's Auto Parts in Woodstock, Alabama has 600 foreign and domestic late model vehicles in their inventory along with an all-original 1973 Dodge Charger 440 in storage.

Stinnett's family-owned and operated
  Stinnett's is a family operation. Oddie Hubbard bought Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts, which sits five miles east of Vance and the Mercedes Benz plant, in the early 1990s. You may find any number of Hubbard family members around the front counter during the week. Oddie's son, Pat Hubbard, 48, answered the phone on a recent afternoon and Oddie's wife, Era, was just within earshot. 
  Oddie worked in construction, the timber business and at a car lot before getting his hands dirty selling parts. When asked why he got into the junk business, Oddie didn’t hesitate to answer. 
  "Just did," said Oddie. "Don't know why."
  Stinnett's junkyard has about 600 cars, foreign and domestic late models, on the yard. Oddie pointed out that the word 'junkyard' wasn't a term most modern day automotive recyclers used. 
  "Salvage yard is what they call them, nowadays," says Oddie.

Mopar's big 440-cu. inch engine pumped out a 280 hp rating in 1973.

We pull the parts and save you money
  Oddie’s son, Pat Hubbard, is a wealth of junkyard wisdom and knows that time is money. Pat doesn't understand why someone, even a local mechanic, would drive 30 miles to the pull-your-own parts yards in Birmingham for the same parts that Stinnett's could pull for you, saving gas and time.
  "People don't realize they are spending more in the long run," says Pat. "You figure your rate, then factor in driving time, plus your paying a helper to go with you. That's four and a half hours of labor costs spent on driving and pulling a part." 
  Pat talked to a local Woodstock area mechanic who said he was going to Pull-A-Part instead of Stinnett's. "Don't make no sense to me," said Pat.

– Jody Potter, junkyardlife.com

Know of a car or a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a barn find, car or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.


Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts
Open: Monday - Friday
Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone: 205-938-7849

Address:

25721 Highway 5

Woodstock, AL 35188-3130 
(*Note: web/gps search gives your wrong address, see map below or link)

Map for Stinnett's Auto & Truck Parts:


View Larger Map

 

More 1973 Dodge Charger Rallye 440 photos

Distinctive red “Rallye” stripes along the sides of the big black 1973 B-Body cannot be missed. The Rallye package was primarily a gauge and trim upgrade.

A column shifted TorqueFlight 727 automatic transmission moves the 440's ponies to the rear wheels on this 1973 Dodge Charger. Hubbard's ’73 Rallye features a split bench seat.

This ’73 Charger 440 Rallye has 52k miles and a 150 mph speedo.

The 440 Mopar engine sits untouched and unmodified in the ’73 Charger.

440 Magnum emblems are buried under the dust and dirt on the Power bulge hood of this junkyard-owned 1973 Dodge Charger.

How long would you let a Mopar with a 440 sit?

A/C was needed to cool the hot shoe that drove this 440-equipped Charger.

A power bulge hood is a sign that this Dodge Charger packs some muscle.

You wouldn't think 440 muscle when you peek inside and spot a standard steering wheel, bench seat and column shift auto in the Dodge Charger.

Add a judge, speeding tickets and a junkyard and this is what you get. A mothballed Mopar from the end of the muscle car era covered in dust, surrounded by transmissions.

The VIN number on the ’73 Charger for the numbers chasing crowd.

The 1973 Dodge Charger featured redesigned tail lights with vertical slats.

Motorcycles and transmissions crowd the space around the 1973 Dodge Charger at Stinnett's Auto Parts.

Chrome mirrors and Rallye stripe were part of the Rallye package on Dodge Chargers.

Is that a custom personalized tag from 1994?

Dodge sold 119,318 Chargers in 1973. The largest total production of any year Charger.

Twin bumperettes are easy to remove and a popular way to improve the ’73-’74 Charger's looks.

The R/T package was no longer available on the Charger in 1973. 

A single snorkel air cleaner tops off this 440 Mopar power plant.

The ’73 Charger is almost 18-feet long. The Rallye stripe makes it look even longer.

Know of a car or a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a barn find, car or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.

Big Block Barn Find: Super Sport Chevelle roars to life for original owner after 30 years in storage

 
Unlocking a 1970 hot rod time machine.
The neighbors were startled when the 396-cubic inch Big Block Chevelle shook the walls of their home. The loud, blue, muscle car, belonging to Skip and Janet of Akron, Ohio, had remained silent and still for 30 years. The reclusive Chevy was purchased new by Skip in 1970, driven for eight years, then tucked inside a barn for safe-keeping. The barn, now in dire need of restoration, was no longer a safe haven for the family treasure. It was time to fire up the beast in the barn.

A Fathom Blue 1970 Chevelle SS-396 emerges after decades in a barn.

 

Same but different 1970 Chevelle 
  Another barn find SS-396 caught Janet and Skip's attention soon after their dust-covered Chevelle saw daylight. While doing a little online digging, they stumbled across a junkyardlife Chevelle barn find story. To their delight it reminded them of their own blue, big block, 1970 Chevy barn find.
  Janet laughed. "We OWN a barn find like that!" Skip, Janet's husband, is the original owner of this 1970 Chevelle SS 396. "It just came out of the barn," said Janet. "It's been in storage for 30 years."

A vintage photo of the 1970 Chevelle at Yogi Bear campground in Orlando during the early-1970s. 

Family photo a flashback to 1970
  A photo taken at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resort near Disney World in the early 1970s is proof that the Chevelle was the family car. Skip and his ex-wife and daughters made the 1,000-mile trip to Orlando from Ohio towing a Shasta trailer. The small travel trailer provided cozy accommodations for the family, while the Super Sport Chevelle hauled unforgettable muscle car memories. 

Skip, the original owner of this 1970 Chevelle, was smart enough to leave it stored inside, safe from the harsh Ohio winters.

Barn and Car Restoration
  Skip and Janet's Chevelle was forced from its long-time home because the barn needed a complete renovation before it deteriorated any further. Removing the prized, one-owner Chevy took top priority before the tattered barn could inflict any damage on the family car. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to give the Chevelle a frame-off restoration as well. The barn and Chevelle renovation/restoration plan was set in motion.

Beginning in 1970 the SS-396 now had a displacement of 402-cu. inches. Chevy held onto the legendary SS-396 name.

Get your engine running 
  The temptation to fire-up the big block one more time was too great for Skip to ignore. "He pushed the Chevelle outside before he turned the car over to the restoration crew," said Janet. "He just dumped some gas in the carb, filed the powder off the points and hooked it up to a fresh battery." Skip turned the key and it roared to life after 4 cranks.
  The SS fired right up after just a few minutes of TLC. The loud racket from the big block was enough to cause a commotion.
  "The neighbors were startled and came out to look because there are no pipes from the exhaust manifold on back," said Janet. "It definitely has that 'muscle car' sound... oooooh yeah!"

Skip and Janet's ’70 Chevelle SS gets a frame-off restoration.

1970 Chevelle SS specs 
  When Skip bought the new 1970 Chevelle SS he paid around $4,000. "Big bucks at the time!," said Janet. 
  The big block brute is equipped with a column shift, Turbo 400 automatic transmission. Stuffed between the fenders is the original 396-cubic-inch engine, factory-rated at 350 horsepower. A Posi-Traction 12-bolt rear end gets the power to the road. Interior options were minimal on Skip's Chevelle. Simple pleasures. A black bench seat and Rally gauges.
  Skip and Janet's Chevelle is painted dark blue, known as RPO Code 28 or Fathom Blue on 1970 GM paint charts. It was delivered without stripes and they were never added to the bulging cowl induction hood. "Skip calls his Chevelle a "sleeper" because it looks like a family car, but it'll leave 'em in the dust," said Janet.

The ’70 Chevelle was dismantled before restoration. The original black split-bench seat will have new foam and seat covers. 

 
Chevelle's road back home 
  Anyone who has dealt with a classic car restoration knows that time and money are key ingredients but getting the job done right is the top priority. The SS was sent to a trusted, local shop for the rebuild. The photos below show the Chevelle’s current restoration progress. Skip and Janet are eagerly awaiting the Super Sport's arrival to their newly-renovated barn. Janet promises an update when this one-owner SS-396 is back home.

– Jody Potter, junkyardlife.com

Know of a car or a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a barn find, car or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.

Big block Chevelles are muscle car gold. Skip's one-owner SS-396 V8 engine was rebuilt during the restoration.

New trunk and floor pans added to the 1970 Chevelle SS during the extensive restoration.

12-bolt Posi-traction rear end was rebuilt for Skip's ’70 Chevelle SS.

This 1970 Chevelle’s 396-cu. inch Big Block engine was rated at 350-hp.

The Chevelle’s paint and body work is made easier on a rotisserie.

Skip, left, checks on the progress of his 1970 Chevelle SS. Ray, right, is  spearheading the project.

1970 Chevrolet SS Production Numbers:
Includes Chevelle coupes, convertibles and El Caminos

• 53,599 - SS 396 (RPO Z25)
• 8,773 - SS 454 (RPO Z15) 

Total Super Sports, all engines: 62,372



1970 Chevrolet SS Production Numbers by Engine option:
Includes Chevelle coupes, convertibles and El Caminos

• 51,437 - (350hp) SS-396 V-8, RPO L34
• 2,144 - (375hp) SS-396 V-8, RPO L78
• 18 - RPO L89 (aluminum heads option added to L78 engine)
• 4,298 - (360hp) SS-454 V-8, RPO LS5 
• 4,475 - (450hp) SS-454 V-8, RPO LS6 

1970 Chevrolet SS Production Numbers by transmission option:

Includes Chevelle coupes, convertibles and El Caminos 

• 5,410- Muncie M22 Four-speed "Rock Crusher" transmission 

Know of a car or a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a barn find, car or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.