Back in the 1960s, GM started making a series of vans called the G-Series. They were offered with both Chevrolet and GMC badges, and are most commonly referred to as the Chevy Van. They were popular enough to stay in production until the mid-1990s, but not popular enough to see swarms of them popping up in the news today for whatever reason.
The one we have here is one of the exceptions from the rule. That’s because it’s no regular Chevy Van, but one modified by a teenager, and recently given recognition by the American custom car community.
The van you’re looking at started life in 1967, originally a second-generation G-10. It was purchased by a guy named Craig Wicks back in 2010, and was meant to be cannibalized for other purposes. A decade later, Craig’s son, Conner, who was 17 at the time, decided to remake the van for the purposes of a road trip. The result was so spectacular that this October Goodguys awarded Conner and his van the 2022 Goolsby Customs Next Generation award.
The van, wrapped in a green color that earned it the nickname Kermit (Conner seems to be setting up a garage called Kermit’s Speed Shop, as described in the video attached below), benefited from significant changes compared to its stock self.
The most important one is the replacement of the stock engine with a small block 350ci, running a 350 transmission. Then comes the lowering of the van's stance, owed to a 5-inch drop on both ends, and the use of 15-inch wheels of Real Rodders make at the back and US Mags at the front.
The interior was modified too, now featuring flashy green door panels and center console, a dull grey on the dashboard that holds gauges taken from a 1964 Chevy Nova and, the cherry on the cake, commercial airplane seats at the rear, as per Fuel Curve.
The van is still a work in progress, so probably more changes will follow.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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