| I saw a van conversion at the Chevrolet dealer... I liked that, so in 1975 I ordered a G-20 full size empty van From Chevrolet |
| And began several months of customizing |
| Need some windows in the back don't we?... |
| How do you do this anyway?... |
| Well, let's try it this way... |
| Have to have some nice new seats... |
| And some nice carpeting on the walls... |
| I had some free help from the guys on the block... |
| Some overhead spots would be nice... |
| And a sink and AC/DC refrigerator (got to keep the beer cold)... Later a color TV... |
| And some seats in the back, converting to a bunk... |
| Looking pretty good for a first try at customizing... |
| And the trunks packed up for a trial run to South Padre Island... |
| Then one day, saw a line of vans.. heading where? I got in line... |
| So they stopped to chit and chat... And invited me to join the Pony Express Van Club |
| So, I joined up, began going to meetings and taking pics of Club activities... |
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And, after a couple meetings and a few pictures... I am thinking, this outfit needs some new
leadership and guidance And my program to take over started... |
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Nope, didn't really think I was gonna be President... But I took over the Newsletter and then got a pic for our new ID cards First, in front of the Pony Express Stables |
| Then tried one by the Pony Express statue... Chose the Statue and got the cards printed |
| And some of many Van Club activities... Like The Van Show at JC Penney's St Joseph Auto Center |
| And the skating party at Skateland... |
| An OctoberFest at the Frog Hop Ballroom... |
| A chicken cook-out down by the Platte River... |
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A word from one of our Sponsors... Chuck Tadlock B.F. Goodrich... Chuck gave club members a discount on tires and service... and a full set of tires as Grand Prize at our own Truck-In Oh yeah, along the way, the club President quit and the newly elected one wasn't happy with the limits of our Charter rules... |
| So, at a nice quiet Van Club meeting I suggested that a Board of Directors be elected to change the charter... And... Who do you supposed they elected Chairman of the Board? |
| And more club activities... Here a 'Charity Van Bash' at a South St Joseph Shopping Center... |
| Started at 50 cents a Smash... later free as the crowd dwindled... |
| Gee Dad, it was such a nice ride... |
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And the BIGGEST event of 1976 or so... George Barris (designer of many special show cars), designed the 'Super Van' and they
filmed the movie 'Super Van - The Movie' at a 'Truck-In' near St Joseph...
Genuine Grade 'D' movie but it was fun... and kinda funny in parts... |
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George Barris, shown here, re-built the van for the movie “Super Van - The Movie” in the mid 70’s. It started out as the
Love Machine in the late 60’s, made from a Dodge Sportsman Van. They said 'Super Van' was an example of the ultimate in
futuristic motoring with solar energy. HAH! solar? you could see from the smoke in the movie it was burning some oil... |
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They filmed the Party scenes at the October Truck-In, at 'Old MacDonald's Farm near St Joseph, hosted by the Vans-Am Club of Kansas City...
But they needed additional scenes and needed vans from our club to fill in... So we were in several scenes and ~I~ was a walkon in some of them.. Anyone want my autograph? Of course the 'World Premier' was held in St Joseph with George Barris present at a special showing for the Club members and guests... Some real fun times! |
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And all those parades, for anything and anywhere... Here the Homecoming parade for Western Missouri State University...
There is the former Club President leading the parade with our Club banner on the front... |
| Another of our Good Sponsors... The local Olympia beer distributor... furnished beer for our parties and activities... |
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I built a trailer completly covered with Oly beer cans to take in Parades and to haul some of our equipment we needed on
Truck-In weekends It was really NEAT and now I can't find any picture of it... |
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And then... All those 'Truck-Ins'... What's a Truck-In?... well a three day weekend party, hosted usually at a campground
by a local Van Club... And sanctioned by an area Van Council, in our area we were members of the Heart of America Van Council...
Here, I was the only member of our Club to attend a Truck In at Phoenix Raceway Arizona... |
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And... there were National Truck-Ins, this one hosted by the National Street Van Association at Farmington Missouri... Local Truck-Ins might have several hundred vans, the Nationals... thousands? |
| And large Businesses were interested in bringing displays and concessions... |
| Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge.. Goodyear...Where is our local sponser B.F .Goodrich?... |
| Nope, no Goodrich tent... But I had on my Goodrich T-Shirt and as the Goodyear man showed me the Goodyear blimp... I showed him the Goodrich blimp... (No.. Goodrich doesn't have a blimp) |
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Sure we got a blimp... See it on my T-Shirt and at the end of that rope? And that banner, I hauled that thing everywhere, inherited it when I was elected President... And By the by.. Was elected President three years in a row... And also... elected Treasurer of the Heart of America Van Council... |
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Lotsa people. lotsa activities, lotsa ganes and contests at a National... Here they tied two vans together for a Van Tug O' War... The idgits burned rubber until they blew their tires out! |
| Think I was kiddin?... There they go! |
| Wanna buy a T-Shirt?....Free one if the ladies showed their boobs!... (and I got pics!) |
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Well... How long could this last? I have a LOT more van pics... But... We gotta Keep on Truckin!!!... |
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