1972 CHEVY Camper Van ** Owned by Frank SINATRA ** Star of movie AMERICAN FOLK**

Price: - Item location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Description:

1972 Chevrolet G20 Van

Yes this is the van from the movie AMERICAN FOLK. The actual, bona fide, absolutely one-of-a-kind vehicle used in the making of the movie. And the history of it stretches well beyond just the filming. It's a pretty incredible story really. I'll tell you as much as I know...
Frank Sinatra was the original owner of this van. I couldn't tell you exactly why Frank Sinatra would own a van like this but that's what happened so don't shoot the messenger, OK? Well apparently Frank didn't use it too much so while he was filming one of his movies he sold it to the head of wardrobe & costumes, a guy who had worked on a bunch of John Wayne movies. This happened around 1974.
Well this guy used it a few times in between movies but it was really his son who took an interest in it. His son would take trips up to Alaska to mine for gold every 5 years or so. So he convinced his Dad to give him the van and he tricked it out and tailored it to fit his long trips up North. It was in this retrofitting he installed a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a wood-burning stove (no joke! look at the pictures; the chimney is still there!) It was also at that point he dubbed it "The Prospector" and actually affixed that logo to the side where it remains today. After some time he passed away and his son had no use for the van so that's when I showed up.
I was just about to start filming my first movie called AMERICAN FOLK. It was a road trip movie from California to New York and required a really special vehicle. We were having a hell of a time finding the right one, that is, until this van showed up. I knew it was perfect the moment I saw it. I mean just look at it! Sure it took probably 10k just to get the thing up and running but it was totally worth it. The movie is out now on iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, and DVD and if you want to see the van in action you can watch the trailer:www.AmericanFolkMovie.com
As the movie is now done, we have no more use for the van which is a damn shame because it now runs beautifully. We did a ton of work on the brakes, exhaust, electrical, almost everything. And it's got a Chevy 350 engine so it'll run forever and can be repaired anywhere (trust me -- we filmed over 3,500 miles in 14 states!) The plumbing was removed (you're welcome) as well as most of the jury-rigged switches and electrical. The odometer only has 5 digits and currently reads 29,048 but I have to assume there's a "1" in front of that. Any other questions, let me know. Sure it has its quirks but for a nearly 50 year old van you'd be amazed at how well it runs. And honestly it's worth it for the stories alone. Happy bidding!