Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

Star Trek Muraled Gmc G15 Vandura Van. Survivor, Custom Van, Amazing Paint. on 2040-cars

US $12,000.00
Year:1978 Mileage:24000 Color:
Location:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Advertising:

AMAZING SURVIVOR CUSTOM  STAR TREK VAN

 

 

1978 GMC G15 Vandura Van.

 

I have reluctantly (we would like to shrink the family vehicle stable a bit as we now have two small boys and no time) decided to sell my 1978 GMC Vandura custom van.

The van was built up from stock in 1979-1980, paint was done by G.S. Roy, a well known Canadian artist.  I contacted Mr. Roy, who remembers painting this van as well as another for the owners cousin (that one was ‘mermaid’ themed…wish I knew where it was!).  The van is a survivor and sat for years in storage owned by the same family from new to 2012 (33 years)…I purchased it last summer from Ontario and shipped it out to the west coast here in Vancouver where I have enjoyed every day of owning it.  NOT a vehicle for the shy, you absolutely cannot go anywhere without many thumbs up, cheers, and people waxing nostalgic about custom vans and/or Star Trek.  The van currently has a little over 24,000 KM’s (15k miles) on it showing on the odometer.  I can’t verify for sure this isn’t 124,000km’s but looking over all aspects of the van I would not doubt if it is true…it isn’t perfect, but is a true survivor of an era gone by and I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere.  I’ve replaced the tires with period correct BFG T/A’s , installed a new heater core, brake master cylinder, tuned her up, installed a back up camera, and done all required to pass a BC (ridiculously strict and silly) provincial inspection.  I’ve spent $3500 on the Van in the past year to make it mechanically excellent and drivable every day if someone wanted to.

I’ll outline the good and bad below in each category to the best of my ability, and will take as many pics as I can to show the condition of items.  Anything I missed or any questions just askJ.  I don’t really need to sell the Van but as I mentioned could use the room and free time…you don’t find something like this every day and I realize it takes a special (read as a little off…like me lol) person to own something like this…I do guarantee you will enjoy the smiles it brings to faces all around as you drive down the road and the vehicle (paint alone) could not be replicated for even close to what my reserve price is here, which is I think fair.  Custom van’s are making a comeback.

 

 

EXTERIOR –

 

GOOD - The exterior is completely covered in custom airbrushing, it is Star Trek themed in general with a LOT of small images of faces, creatures, etc that seemingly never cease to stop appearing.  Overall the paint itself has held up incredibly (stored indoors).  The vehicle was treated new to the full ‘Zeibart’ rustproofing package and has ZERO rust.  Honestly, the body is in amazingly clean shape.  Zeibart plugged, filled, closed all areas that may have someday allowed water ingress.  Has original custom windshield visor.  Bumpers are in great shape and rust free/pitting free as is custom grill.  Van has a ‘split’ sunroof that does work, though I siliconed it shut as it had a small leak on the drivers side when I wash it.  Still has the original custom thrush sidepipes that sound awesome.

 

BAD - The clearcoat technology in 1980 wasn’t as good as today and it has dried and is peeling in places.  Most notably on the hood and horizontal faces of the fenders.  Also the clear ‘rear arch’ protection is peeling badly.  I thought about wet sanding with 2000 and respraying the clear but got scared to do it myself.  There is a small dent behind the rear wheel on the drivers side which I took a few pics of and should appear in the set.  I didn’t know it was there when I bought it, it isn’t really noticeable but I believe in full disclosure.  The fiberglass fender arches have paint chips and a bit of light rash on some (I didn’t do it).  The thrush pipes should be rechromed at some point…they were pitted and surface rusting in places.  I touched them up with chrome paint but they aren’t perfect.

 

 

 

INTERIOR –

 

GOOD – Two words ‘Red Velvet’.  Diamond quilted red velvet to be exact.  This covers the door panels, wall and ceiling panels, and visor area.  The flooring is red carpeting with thick soft underpadding in rear.  Original red dash and console are crack free and in excellent shape.  Incredibly cool octagonal wood steering wheel. Period correct cassette player and equalizer with power antenna.  All gauges work, wipers work (including intermittent), horn, all lights operational.  Heater works great and is new.  I installed a backup camera to help with parking.  Front captain’s seats are swivel and again covered in quilted red velvet, both have lap belts.  Sliding door actually works.  Currently I have a bench seat with quick release function installed behind the captain’s chairs (for my kids; the original swivel ‘buckets’ did not have seatbelts).  I do have the ‘buckets’ and they will be included as well as the mounting brackets…once again, more red velvet!  There is also a pump sink, icebox, and bed in back with curtains…you guessed it…red velvet.

 

BAD – Drivers door velvet has a small tear.  A few of the upholstery ‘button’ covers are missing, I do have replacements which will be included…I just haven’t had the time to install.  The van was wired up for interior lighting above the rear seating area and in the bed area.  The wiring is still there but the lights are not.  I would want to trace all the wiring and re-set it up and install new lights…but again, I don’t have the time.

 

 

MECHANICAL –

 

GOOD – As mentioned in the description, I have done a lot of work to get this vehicle to meet our strict provincial inspection last year.  As with most vehicles that are stored long-term, I had to refresh some items.  The heater core was removed for some reason so I purchased and installed a new one.  The brake master cylinder was replaced, a new horn was installed, new front ball joints, and the van was tuned up.

 

 

BAD –

 

As far as I know the van needs nothing mechanically done to it right now (according to my mechanic).  It starts, runs, drives fine with no issues and is happy to cruise along at 120km/h (70mph) all day.  I drove it up to Whistler twice last month and had a blast.

 

 

WHEELS/TIRES

 

GOOD – I replaced the tires less than 1000kms (600 mls) ago with period correct BFG T/A’s.  Rears are 245/60/15, fronts are 225/70/15.  Has original Cragar SS wheels.

 

BAD – Cragar SS wheels are pitting/peeling and should be refinished.


All in all this van is in excellent condition, especially considering it was built nearly 35 years ago!  Ready to roll, cruise, holiday, show...whatever you like:).  Please remember your bid is a binding contract, do not bid if you really don't want to own this.  As I mentioned, any questions or more pics...just ask.


Cheers,

Brian

Auto blog

Camaro chief: 'rock-star' 4-cylinder set for Mustang fight

Wed, Jul 8 2015

It was inevitable, the 2016 Chevy Camaro had to have a four-cylinder engine. The archrival Ford Mustang packs a spunky 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-banger, and everyone from BMW to Subaru uses four-cylinders to great effect to power their sports cars. Now it's Chevy's turn. Again. The Camaro ran the infamous Iron Duke four-cylinder with 88 to 92 horsepower in the 1980s. It was a fuel-economy play at a time when performance was not a priority. After the 1970s muscle-car era, output even for the V8s didn't top 200 hp again until the mid-'80s. Thankfully for enthusiasts, things have changed dramatically in the last 30 years. The gen six Camaro will offer a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder with 275 horsepower. It's the standard engine, slotting below the 335-hp V6 and the 455-hp V8. But don't mistake the new I4 for an Iron Duke encore. Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser called it a "rock star" and said cars equipped with it feel lighter than V6 models. The four-cylinder (295 pound-feet at 3,000-4,500 rpm) also summons more torque in quicker fashion than the V6 (284 lb-ft at 5,300 rpm). Chevy expects the Camaro to hit 60 miles per hour in "well under six seconds," according to press materials. The Mustang EcoBoost (310 hp, 320 lb-ft) clocks times in the low to mid five-second range. "We're not doing it just so we have one," Oppenheiser said. "We're not doing it because like in gen three you're forced to do it because of fuel economy. We're doing it because it belongs in the car. It has a distinct character." Speaking with Autoblog recently at the Detroit Grand Prix racecourse on Belle Isle, Oppenheiser said he expects the I4 to attract a younger crowd to the Camaro and will put up stiff competition against the V6 for sales. "I've read blogs where younger folks won't buy a Camaro because it doesn't have a 2.0-liter turbo or a turbocharged four-cylinder," he said. "So we're going to excite them." While we talked a lot about four-cylinder engines, Oppenheiser also elaborated on the V6 (It's pretty damn good, too. We drove it.) and the new Alpha platform that the Camaro borrowed from Cadillac. Here's the rest of our edited conversation. Autoblog: Talk a little bit about the four-cylinder – the first turbo four-cylinder ever for Camaro. Do you have any idea what the take rate's going to be? Al Oppenheiser: I think it's going to surprise a lot of people. It's actually a fun car to drive. It's got a really good balance of turbo noise and exhaust note.

Conquest and controversy conclude the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona [spoilers]

Sun, 26 Jan 2014

If you don't wish to know who won the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, you should avert your eyes right now. We'll even give you a double-space to skedaddle...
For those of you still with us, the first race in the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) is done, but the discussions about it certainly won't end for a while. Daytona Prototypes claimed the first four overall places, the top spot taken by the No. 5 Action Express Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, Sebastien Bourdain and Burt Friselle. The 16th and final caution of the race bunched the field up for an eight-minute sprint to the flag, so the first place getter finished just 1.4 seconds ahead of the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Dallara-Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Max Angelelli. Third place went to Brian Friselle in the No. 9 Action Express Chevrolet Corvette DP, 20 seconds down. Chevrolet power hasn't taken the overall win since 2003, eleven years later it scores a one-two-three-four. The No. 6 Muscle Milk/Pickett Racing ORECA-Nissan 03 scored fifth place, the top LMP2 finisher.
The Prototype Challenge class win went to the No. 54 CORE Autosport team of Colin Braun, Jon Bennett, Mark Wilkins and James Gue.

Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay slated for Chevrolet lineup

Wed, May 27 2015

Long awaited, the race among automakers to keep drivers connected to their smartphones has officially entered a new era. Hyundai said Tuesday it would be the first manufacturer to put Google's Android Auto into a production car, the 2015 Hyundai Sonata sedan. Not to be outdone, General Motors said today it'd offer both Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay on several Chevrolet models set to hit dealerships this summer. By giving car buyers the choice between these rival phone-projection systems, Chevrolet hopes to quell concerns from prospective customers worried about the compatibility of their smartphones and vehicles. "It's about providing choice," said Alicia Boler-Davis, GM's senior vice president for global connected car consumer experience. "No two customers are alike, and we cannot expect a single solution that works for every driver in every situation." Across the industry, automakers are rushing to add both to their cars as a growing base of customers seek an array of connected features. Estimates from automotive technology research firm SBD indicate smartphone-integrated content is available in 36 percent of current vehicles, and the company expects that penetration rate will grow to 84 percent by 2025. For Chevrolet, the systems will be available on select 2016 iterations of the Cruze, Camaro, Volt, Spark and Malibu as early as next month, and appear on 14 Chevy models overall for the 2016 model year. They're available on all trim levels, but they only work with the company's MyLink infotainment package installed in the cars, and the first to hit showrooms will only work on the seven-inch touchscreen models. "CarPlay and Android Auto, these are things that are addressable to the broad market, and I think it makes a lot of sense for GM to put it into Chevys first," IHS Automotive senior analyst Mark Boyadjis said. Via physical connections, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow users access to smartphone features like turn-by-turn directions, phone calls, voice-to-text messages and music streaming. Interfaces are similar to the ones found on the respective smartphones, but on the dashboard, they're redesigned for a simpler, in-car experience. Fonts are larger, for example, and easier to press on a touchscreen. CarPlay relies heavily on Siri so that drivers spend more time staring at the road instead of their touchscreen. That sounds good, at least in theory.