This 1974 Dodge custom van is a total blast from the past and is a super clean, super straight machine with what is believed to be just 41K miles!!!! Cherry, the prior owner who built the van back in the day, started using the Van less and less as the years went on, and finally pulled it into his heated storage building in PA one day and didn't mess with again for a long, long time! It has recently been removed from storage, and has had the following done to it to make it ready to drive and take to the next level: BRAKES CLEANED AND ADJUSTED STEERING FLUID FLUSHED AND REFILLED RADIATOR DRAINED AND REFILLED FUEL SYSTEM WAS DRAINED AND STABILIZED PRIOR TO STORAGE, AND WAS CLEANED UP AND MADE READY FOR THE NEW OWNER LIGHTS AND ELECTRONICS CHECKED CHASSIS LUBRICATION After being sorted out from storage, the truck got a new set of tires to go on the chrome wheels, and has been driven about 250 miles locally to make sure it was ready to go. The only issue that I am aware of is that the rear brakes have a tendency to stick on a hard stop. We cleaned/adjusted them again, and it still does it. Normal driving doesn't exhibit it, but a hard/panic stop situation will. Other than that, the van drives and rides super nice, and feels like the 41K miles showing on the odometer! The body is VERY dry, clean, straight, and rust free, and I have taken photos of every square foot of the truck below including fenderwells, rockers, bottoms of the doors, and rain gutters. You can take a 4" square magnet over the entire painted parts of the van, and it sticks like glue. Paint is original to the truck, and looks really good for its age, but does show blemishes, crazing, and other flaws from normal use and 44 years of aging. The San Francisco Bridge was done by Cherry's friend Skip sometime in the late 70's, along with the other graphics, and it shows really well given the time that has passed. I took photos from every possible angle below so you can see EXACTLY what it looks like. They are just iPhone pics, with NO photoshop editing giving you a real view of the condition of the finish. Make no mistake, the van still turns heads going down the road, and will draw a pretty big crowd at any cruise night or car show just because of how cool it is! People can't believe how nice the van looks especially when they read that it has its original finish! Bright work and trim on the truck is in good condition, but does show its 44 years of age and isn't NEW looking. There are close-up photos of every bit of that stuff as well. Glass is in very good condition, with NO cracks, chips, damage, or laminate/clouding issues. Doors lock and unlock with the keys, and open to reveal a killer custom interior that was done in the 70's and only lightly updated since then! Shag carpet runs wall to wall, and is in very good condition! Wood decorative kick plate runs along the side door sill, and looks awesome in the van! The wood bar houses a sink, which drains to a storage bottle below, and needs a freshwater bottle to draw from. On the right, an old-school ice chest keeps beverages and what-not cold on road trips. Airport bottles of assorted adult libations are for decoration only, and do NOT have alcohol in them! The two plastic margarita glasses are decorative too, affixed to the top for safety. The vintage Panasonic TV works, but doesn't tune in much of anything except the occasional PBS station. Lighted sailor pole BAR OPEN lamp works as it should, and the mirrors above it all let you reflect on just how good life is when you're Vannin'! Rear bed area is comfy enough for you and some close friends, and has decorative wood trim on each side and netting for looks. One of the only concessions to modernity was the installation of a Dual subwoofer enclosure, amplifier and modern CD audio system to make sure tunes could keep the party going all weekend long! The box can be removed if needed, as it is one solid unit not affixed to anything. There are also hidden speakers in the front of the bed area, as well as up front. Tear drop windows let in light, and look cool too. Overhead, the vent opens to let in air, but the fan portion is non-functional at this time. Rear dual doors have carpet trim, and functional blinds over the windows, while the side doors get leather and wood trim with lockable storage cubby's to hide your, uh, "valuables". Lift the rear apron and peek under the bed and you'll see a solid, original and untouched floorpan, the spare tire and jack, and NO rust, rot, or issues. Front captains chairs are comfy and cushy for long cruises, and have functional folding inboard armrests too. They are covered in old seat covers which lift to reveal pretty decent original upholstery on the passenger side, and seam pulls and issues on the driver side. I haven't take either all the way off, so I can't tell you the complete condition of the original seats, but it is enough to know they would need redone if you wanted that look. The seat covers work fine and do the job though, and each side gets a functional lap belt for safety. Functional glove box has a hand painted mural of the seaside from an island view, and whole dash pad is in remarkable shape and doesn't show any damage. Button-tufted engine cover shows light normal wear, and upper wooden portion looks good with three cupholders and locking console that houses the aforementioned modern CD player along with an original Vintage CB-Phone with the handset unit! It turns on, and I have talked to truckers on I-75 with it!!! Whip antenna is included, but is not installed because it won't fit in the garage with it. There is even a Cecil County Dragway 1976 Van show placard you get to keep too! Factory gauges all work, including odometer, speedometer, fuel, temp, and oil. The coolest part is the old-school column mounted tach, which also works like it should! Steering wheel is in great condition, as are the column shift arm and turn signal lever. Polished aluminum panel under the dash holds the switches for the extra lights and accessories. Heater and outside air controls work as they should. Light switch and wipers work as they should. Headliner and door panels match the tufting on the console, and shows great too, with twin brass interior spot lights, twin sun visors, and realistic roof speaker covers. Rear view mirror has a dome compass which works. Engine bay is not restored and shows as a 41k bay would. The original inline 6 cylinder runs great, and purrs like a Singer sewing machine. It starts with a turn of the key, idles fine, and is ready to drive when you are. Power comes on smoothly, and it doesn't stutter or stumble when accelerating. Downshifts function like they should, and the van goes through each gear without issue. It is happy cruising along at a GPS verified 55mph, but will go a bit faster too. It has not exhibited any odd tendencies while in my care, and doesn't smoke when idling or driving. It doesn't run hot, and I left it idle for 35 minutes while taking the photos on a 90 degree Florida day and it never went past middle normal. When the radiator was flushed and cleaned, it got a new thermostat, hoses, and clamps too, just in case. Exhaust was recently replaced from about the start of the driveshaft back. It sounds quiet and mellow. Chassis is solid and rot free, and you can clearly see the clean, straight metal underneath the van running from front to back. Suspension bits were serviced, lubricated, and upgraded as needed to make sure the van rode and handled as good as it did in 74. Overall, it is a pretty remarkable find, and a fun to drive machine that is the hit of any car show right now. Can you take it to the next level? Absolutely!!!! Drive it while you mess it with it, or totally redo it and make it your own! Our DMV office juxtaposed numbers when doing the paperwork, and we didn't realize it until a month later, so the title shows ACTUAL mileage, but reflects 45k while the van itself has only 41k on the functional odometer. We are trying to get it corrected, but I want to disclose this information to potential bidders in case they can't fix it. The vehicle is located in our Fort Myers, FL warehouse, and is just 20 minutes away from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) if you want to fly in and see it. I welcome outside inspection services BEFORE YOU BUY OR BID ***IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH WORLDWIDE VEHICLE SHIPPING- CALL ME! ***IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH QUICK AND EASY FINANCING- CALL ME! ***IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE IN EXPORTING IT OVERSEAS-CALL ME! |