RideLust

Back in the 1970′s there was this crazy trend to do up custom vans. They came shod with shag carpet, painted murals, full bars, comfy mattresses and of course the prerequisite side pipes. Some people looked at the van trend simply as creepy, but me, I actually dug it. Listen, there is nothing inherently cool about a bone stock cargo van, but dress it up a little and give it some creature comforts and well, that’s a different story. The custom vans of the 1970′s and early 1980′s went from mild to downright absurd. Thousands upon thousands of dollars were spent on customizing and like any custom project, they were never, ever done. Back then enthusiasts would hold “truck-ins” or “van-ins” to display their creations and let me tell you, the interiors were just as important as the exteriors.
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Image: Karsan USA

The citizens of New York have spoken, and their choice for the next New York City taxi is the Karsan V1. Hardly a favorite going into the competition, the underdog from Turkey scored points for comfort, handicapped accessibility and its panoramic glass roof. Designed to accommodate gasoline, compressed natural gas or electric propulsion, the Karsan’s modular design should make it easier to service than non-purpose built vehicles. Karsan manufactures commercial vans and busses in Turkey, so they know a thing or two about building rugged vehicles that are easy to service. Want to see some highlights of the Karsan V1? Hit the video below. Read More…

I was trolling through the blog over at Hemmings.com when I came across this forgotten piece of Ford history. This is a European only Ford Transit van that has beenslightly modified with a few go fast goodies to enhance its otherwise dismal performance. Originally built to bring some notoriety to the Transit vans, the vehicle was more of a publicity stunt then anything else. That didn’t mean however that it didn’t perform. Modifications included a 5.0-liter 435 hp V8, that was lowered into a custom space-frame chassis inside the Transit vans cargo hold. The transmission was a manual 5-speed unit, with the brakes and fully independent suspension being sourced from the iconic Ford GT40. All this race technology made the Transit van good for a top speed that was a tick over 150 mph, making it the world’s quickest barn door. The Supervan was a very cool experiment that, from what I can tell, had a pretty good following back in the day. Recently Ford released the Transit Van to the U.S. market which has me thinking that it may be time for a new experiment.
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If you ever need to traverse the vast, wild hinterlands of . . . Germany . . . you’ll need this VW Transporter 4X4. It’s called the Rockton 4Motion and it’s the most bad-ass VW currently for sale. Can you say Haldex and locking diffs? Can you say diesel and six-speed transmission? Yes, it’s that awesome.

Source: Autoblog

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2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon. Photo: Ford Motor Company

Ford’s Transit Connect makes a lot of sense for tradesmen and small businesses. It’s got enough room to haul your stuff around, and its 2.0 liter inline four sips gas. The Transit Connect is stylish enough for a boxy, compact van, and it did pick up the 2010 North American Truck of the Year award. It’s the van you buy when you don’t need something as roomy (or expensive) as a Dodge Sprinter, or a full size Ford E Series.

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The Swagger Wagon Supreme. Photo: Toyota

As a sports car guy and a motorcycle guy, I don’t have much use for minivans. They’re slow (over-boosted Chrysler turbo minivans excepted), they’re ill-handling and they eat a little bit of your soul every time you climb behind the wheel. Sure, they’re good at moving people and their trappings from one place to another, but they don’t go off-road, you can’t haul a bike in one and they don’t give you much towing capacity. The automotive equivalent of purgatory, minivans exist between the heaven of sports cars and the hell of boring sedans. The sole positive comment I can make about them is that they’re usually comfortable.

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In the world of cars it should be no surprise that each automotive sub-culture has its own lifestyle attributes. Rat Rods for example are generally tied with that 50′s greaser style, low-riders thrill people with their over the top paint schemes and interiors, and the muscle car crowd goes big and heavy with ground and pound horsepower. There is of course on other genre of classic vehicle that also attracts a certain element, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say they were viewed as less than favorable. Enter the custom van, machines that to this day, frighten the parents of young girls the world over. Futurist paint schemes, shag carpet and Cragar’s were prerequisites on any and all vans, as was the “If this Vans a Rockin’, Don’t come a Knockin’” bumper sticker that graced countless rear ends.
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The Ford Transit van has a fervent fan base in the UK. It’s the best-selling on the isles and has been for more than 45 years. Chances are if you ever purchased goods in the Queen’s country, they’ve been in a Ford Transit. To celebrate its unsurpassed success, Ford UK is releasing a racy version of cargo hauler: The Transit SportVan. It is positively smashing. The SportVan is based on the short-wheelbase Transit and comes with a 140-horsepower turbo-diesel, 18-inch wheels, dual exhaust, and racing stripes. Well I never! Only 100 examples will be made and they’re probably sold out already. Unfortunately, you won’t ever see the rude van in the states. But you just might catch a glimpse of it while you’re on vacation, tearing down cobblestone streets with reckless disregard for its cargo.

Jackie’s father was all set to let his little girl go out with Hank until he showed up in his new ride…

Source: YouDriveWhat.com

Photo by Jesse Hammer

Friend of RideLust Jesse Hammer spied this cheese-tastic 8-bit van on the streets of San Francisco. No, it’s not painted like that to lure minors into the dank lair beyond its tinted windows. It’s a rental. New Zealand-based Escape Campervans has a small fleet of custom GMC vans for hire in the US. This one, of course, features video game classics. Others rock wicked flames, tropical fish, peace signs, and more. All of them have been hand-painted by professional artists. Right on. Hit the jump for more of Jesse’s photos.

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