Vanner Mugs
Description: The boogie van movement of the 1970s transformed ordinary cargo vans into rolling expressions of freedom, creativity, and individuality. Fueled by the custom van craze, enthusiasts outfitted their full-size vans with wild metalflake paint, airbrushed murals, porthole windows, side pipes, plush shag carpeting, captain's chairs, wood paneling, mood lighting, and CB radios. Weekend van-ins and campouts drew thousands of owners who proudly displayed their personalized creations, swapped customization ideas, and celebrated a lifestyle centered on the open road. And what better way to enjoy life on the road behind the wheel of your boogie van than cranking the stereo and rocking out with a little van boogie?
Description: The mid-'70s was a great time to be a vanner as van customizing shops were literally everywhere, offering everything from complete conversions to aftermarket parts and installations. NirVANa Customs of Chula Vista was no exception, and was probably best known for having the largest selection of custom porthole windows in America. Manufactured on site, NirVANa's portholes were first class and were available in nearly 100 different shapes. In addition to their SoCal shop, they did extensive mail order through vanner and hot rod mags.
Description: When van customizing became the hot new thing, most shops focused on styling out vans with custom paint, tires, wheels, and countless appearance upgrades, but never really got into the performance side of things. Van Works Customs of Los Angeles took a slightly different approach, instead focusing on balls out powertrains that would give even the hottest muscle cars a run for their money. Big block power in an early Econoline? No problem. Supercharged 327 in a G10? Done deal. You name it and Van Works Customs could pull it off, the crazier, the better.
Description: Founded in 1924,Echlin was a leading manufacturer of automotive replacement parts, steadily growing through a series of acquisitions of smaller companies that could provide instant access to expansion areas of interest. One such company was Ace Electric, a manufacturer of components for alternators, generators, and starters acquired in 1970. Echlin leveraged Ace Electric to get into the high-performance ignition system market in 1972. These racing quality ignition parts were marketed under the name ACCEL which, despite fierce competition, soon became the leading name in the field and a popular upgrade among hot rod, muscle car, and drag racing enthusiasts.
Description: Custom vans were all the rage in the '70s, and there were shops catering to boogie van lovers from coast-to-coast helping vanners build their dream ride. By the mid '80s, many of those shops had either gone under, or shifted their focus as vans fell out of favor, but for those who kept on trucking, a few standouts kept the flame alive. Miami's Contreras Customs is one such shop that kept building show quality rolling rooms well into the '90s. Sure, they did lots of other custom work too, like traditional lowriders and restomod muscle cars, but continued to support vanners, even going so far as to manufacture many custom parts that could no longer be found.
Description: In 1958, Ray Frank, owner of a small trailer manufacturing company in Brown City, Michigan, designed and built a small custom 'house car' to take his family on vacation. His creation would be so well received, that he would not only coin the term motor home, but define the Class A RV. Frank would eventually have more orders than he could fulfill and sold his business to Travco who would continue to produce his designs for years to come. Travco would expand their offerings, including creating a line of Class C RV's based on the versatile A100 van platform. Dubbing these rigs 'Family Wagon,' they were offered in numerous configurations and with a choice of either the permanent Vista Top, or the Expandable Top.
Description: Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Bird Engineering sold their minibikes and go karts through major department stores throughout the '60s and '70s. They offered several models of minibikes over the years, though the WarEagle was without question the most popular and as such, is one of the more common models one might find for sale today if you're in the market for an old school minibike.
Description: Founded in the small desert town of Sky Valley, California in 1971, the aptly named Sky Valley Van Works was a small shop doing big things during the heyday of van customization. Whether you were looking to go low with some serious street van attitude or looking for a go anywhere 4x4 conversion, Sky Valley Van Works could make it happen. From all out custom jobs like their 'Foxy Box' to basic upgrades like porthole windows and side pipes, the guys at Sky Valley were a true gem in the desert that was worth the drive to get your rig tricked out.
Description: Formed in 1987 under the moniker Katzenjammer, Kyuss would go on to be the coolest band during their lifetime. With scorching-hot riffs, serpentine grooves, and no rush to get anywhere faster than absolutely necessary, they truly encapsulated the vastness of the California desert from which they hailed, which makes their unique cult following all the easier to understand.
Description: Kolor Me Kustom was a Los Angeles based customing shop that made big waves in the industry throughout the '70s with their wild paint jobs and crazy bod modifications that were seen on everything from muscle cars and street vans to limousines and semi-trucks. While tame compared to other projects, this design features their '71 Ranchero which had one of the craziest paint jobs of all time that combined countless interlocking pinstripes, airbrushed murals, and of course, metal flake - TONS of metal flake.
Description: Get your groove on with this "Van-O-Mania" tribute to the golden era of custom vanning! Featuring a classic 1970s boogie van with a bold flame paint job and psychedelic retro graphics, this design captures the "Vantastic" spirit of the shag-carpeted, street-cruising legends. Perfect for vanners, hot rod enthusiasts, and fans of 70s nostalgia and vintage iron-on style.
Description: Long before online colleges and distance learning were a thing, correspondence courses were the way people could get a degree or certification without having to ever set foot on a college campus. One such institution was Auto Upholstery Institute of Orange, California. In an attempt to ride the car and van customizing wave of the early '70s, A.U.I. set up several correspondence courses to teach auto upholstery and customization. Advertisements in automotive magazines and comic books advised readers to send in the included form for a free course catalog. Once registered, schools sent training materials, lesson worksheets, and the tools and supplies for the selected course. A.U.I. was even accredited by the California Department of Education.
Description: Released on June 23, 1987, the food truck themed Vanessa's Lunchbox ('squeals on wheels,' get it?) was an instant favorite among hobby grade RC aficionados. This 2WD monster van was competitively priced, and fun to drive, but sometimes quite challenging. Its top-heavy hard body van shell created a center of gravity, and the rigid rear axle also added to the problem. Coupled with its enormous tires and simple swing arm front suspension, handling was difficult, but it holds a place in the hearts of '80s kids everywhere.
Description: Stan's Vans of Spanish Fork, Utah dealt in conversion vans almost exclusively, letting the big RV dealers have at the larger recreational vehicles. Stan's was a dealer for vans from several conversion firms, but eventually added their own manufacturing to make delivering whatever a custom might have in mind a reality.
Description: As the '80s approached, American Motors’ public relations people needed a marketing gimmick to engage with the public. They came up with a nationwide tour of concept vehicles designed to remind Americans of AMC’s strong suit - small cars that were domestically built, economical to operate, and designed to cater to their lifestyle. Calling it the “Concept 80” tour, AMC created seven different design concepts and at each stop on the tour, the public was asked to vote for their favorite of which, the AM Van the clear winner. The AM Van concept was built on their existing Pacer platform and aside from its wild styling, was to be turbocharged and 4WD, though the concept was never actually fitted with a powertrain or a finished interior.
Description: Car giveaways have been around for a long time, but in 1976, a cross-promotional sweepstakes took things up a notch when three different American companies got together to create a one of a kind ride. This wild, custom '76 Econoline van utilized elements from the three sponsors to create a truly unique custom van that was dubbed the 'Denimachine.' From its crazy custom flamed exterior to its wall-to-wall denim interior, the Denimachine made quite a splash as people sent in their bottle cap liners in droves for a chance to land one in their driveway. There were ten Denimachines given away in the U.S. and fifteen given away in Canada beginning in 1976 and through most of 1977.
Description: First-generation Chevy Van refers to the first G-10 half-ton production years 1964 through 1966. There was a market for a compact van based on a modified passenger car platform to compete with the already successful Econoline and A100 vans. The 1964 Chevy van had a cab-forward design with the engine placed in a “doghouse” between and behind the front seats. Engines and brakes were sourced from the Chevy II, a more conventional compact car than the Corvair which was used as the basis for the Chevy Greenbrier vans. The 1st Gen vans were available in only the short 90-inch wheelbase and with the standard 90 hp 153-cubic-inch straight-4 or straight-6 engine. A first-gen is quickly identified by its single-piece flat windshield glass.
