It makes the car almost always harder to drive. The steering gets sensitive and very twitchy, making it tricky to drive at low speeds and crazy at high speeds. This is all theory, though. I've only heard about sectioned hot rods - never driven one. Maybe you could do some tricks to slow down the steering, bringing the car back to sanity?
But that's not the point. This mechanic took a van, already a tall and kind of goofy looking thing, and made it shorter, which has the net effect of making it look even taller and goofier. Hooray for crazy mechanics with a sense of humor! I want a goofy van like this one.
"Spaced Out" is very much a 60's / 70's kind of hot rod. Hot rod designers like Tom Daniel made funny or weird looking cars, like this van. If you watch any of the gearhead shows now, you'll see that hot rod builders these days are obsessed with making scary or "badass" cars that reassure the owner of his masculinity. What are they afraid of? Why do their cars need to convey menace? I prefer ridiculous rods.
When I lived in Orange, California, I used to occasionally take a drive to Art Supply Warehouse, in Long Beach. Right near the store was a brake shop that had a sectioned van like this one, all in black, sitting by the street... sort of on display. I heard it had no motor, making it less of an object of lust for me because I definitely would want to drive my pudgy, nearly undriveable amputee van. I didn't have any money at the time anyway. I could barely afford my imported Japanese drawing pencils.
Awesome. Most rodders I know use the term "sectioned" to describe a vehicle that's had a horizontal section removed from its sides, underneath the belt line. I've always called these "shorties," though I've also heard them called cut-and-shuts.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. In my head, "sectioning" is shortening the length of a car, and lowering the roof is "chopping". I was able to find evidence of the word being used both ways. What gives? If we can't rely on hot rod guys to develop a totally consistent lexicon of terminology, WHO CAN WE TRUST? I feel betrayed. I think you should consider feeling betrayed too, Dan. Thanks for reading!
ReplyDeleteOld Hot Rodder here........
ReplyDeleteWhen a roof is cut lower it is "chopped", when a body is cut to reduce height it's "sectioned", when the body is placed lower on the frame it's "channeled", and when the vehicle is shortened it is a "shortie". There are many books on custom cars that will explain these terms in detail.
Hey, thanks for the explanation, Nonymuss! Though I really like old rods, I've never read about how to make them. I appreciate you lending us your expertise. Please comment again and help keep us accurate.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I was only joking about old hot rodders being inconsistent, of course. Thanks for reading!
I worked for tony in the late seventies at his Custom paint shop in santa clara ca. Awsome painter great guy.
ReplyDeleteWow! Me and my nephew were here at my brother's wedding and were talking about my brother Tony and his Spaced Out van, and decided to google his van. This picture and article popped up. Yes this was my oldest brother's creation. unfortunantly he was killed several years ago, but I am glad to see his van lives on here on the web.
ReplyDeleteBoy... Does this bring back memories. Tony (my brother)was just a year older then me. He was the brain child behind this creation. He had moved his family to Calif. from Colo. in this van, before he customized it. His custom body and paint shop was located behind my work so every day after work I would go over to (sometimes help) and see what he was working on. I remember when he cut this van in half. When it was all said and done he wanted to name his masterpiece. I through a few words out there and the van had it's name. The van acually drove very well. With a 11.5 inch drive shaft and a v-8 engine this van could pull a wheely with very little effort. Tony pulled wheelies evey chance he could. Last I heard this van was sitting in a backyard at his sons home in Denver. Hopefully I will get a chance to see this van again on one of my trips there. "Keep on Truckn"
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Rudy! It's great to have Tony's brother's reading this post. I love his work and sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this would have been a great name: "Vn" It's the word "van" with the middle removed. You're welcome.
[-Mgmt.]
Cousin Michael Cardenas found Tony's van in the 1975 october issue of Truckin magazine..
ReplyDeleteDenver Colorado
Tony lived in Denver Colorado and was the builder and painter of this van. I was a member of Colorado van Association at the time. Spaced Out was and incredible paint job, he was very gifted. He painted my 67 Dodge van around 1980. I have been looking for pictures of "Spaced out" for years. This is the first one I have seen. To bad it's not in color, this paint job was just amazing.
ReplyDeleteJust found this relic is a garage in East Denver. Hasn't been touched since '82, let's see what we can do with it!
ReplyDeleteThis is Tony’s cousin Michael in Northglenn. Will you sell the van to me 7202721334
DeleteI worked for Tony in 1980-1981 maybe 82 @ his shop in Denver off of alameda
ReplyDeleteAt the time he was partnedup w Speedway motors I was a painters helper fresh out of vo tech and man was he talented. That van was totally re done and sat under a big car port with other partially finished projects including an angle chop van.
That van had bi folding vertical doors and suicide doors and custom built seats.
Had been re painted from what I see now.
Sorry to hear that Tony died, I knew he occasionally drank a lot. The business folded when Tony had wrecked a truck that we were painting and I think alcohol was involved.
This van started out in Aurora Colorado. We would see it in town in the seventies when we're kids. If I'm not mistaken, I think there was some sort of trailer associated with it that it pulled. My friend thinks the trailer may have been made out of the section that was taken out of the body.
ReplyDelete