Photo: Facebook Marketplace Goodrich, Michigan
It's said that the world-renowned TV funnyman Bob Odenkirk worked directly with fellow gut-buster comedian the late-great Chris Farley to write the Saturday Night Live sketch character Matt Foley. Through Farley's endless charisma and penchant for comedy, the wacky motivational speaker who lived in a van down by the river became an American icon of the early 1990s. Sadly, Farley wouldn't live to star in Better Call Saul alongside Odenkirk, but this 1976 Dodge B-Series van tribute vehicle keeps his memory alive.
In a lot of ways, we can definitely see an unhinged figure like Matt Foley living in an old van like this one. In a way, the gawking, open mouth of a front grille and overall blob-like shape of Dodge Tradesman/Sportsman vans built between 1970 and 1978 fits well with the the man this van was built to eulogize, the man behind the man who lives in a van by the river (man, that's a mouthful). From its bright orange exterior base paint coat to the decal stripes arranged in a color gradient that would only fit a 70s vehicle, we wouldn't be shocked if Matt Foley himself came barreling out of the driver's seat and started bouncing off the walls.
Such were the expectations for Chris Farley's comedy routines back in his prime. Indeed, the Tradesman cargo variant of the Dodge B-Series van depicted here maintains a similar portly, almost jovial nature in its silhouette to Farley himself. Its roaring 360-cubic inch (5.89-L) Chrysler V8 with a four-barrel carburetor is another fitting metaphor for Chris Farley's kind heart, always ready and willing to shower his audiences with laughter, often at the expense of himself or his appearance. It's another reason why the B-Series van was the perfect artist's easel to memorialize a funny man taken far too soon.
Inside this van, we could totally understand why an eccentric like Matt Foley wouldn't mind spending his days inside it, down by the river as always. With proverbial miles of orange shagpile carpet covering not just the floor but also the walls and part of the ceiling, there's plenty of soundproofing for when Foley goes on one of his trademark unhinged tirades. Elsewhere, some pretty tasteful woodworking has been done inside this can. What appears to be a mini fridge appears to be built into a large wooden cabinet on the van's driver's side next to the tiny kitchenette area.
Heaven knows how many cans of Diet Coke would've been shoved in said fridge had Matt Foley been a real person. But because this van exists, and through the memories of the people he made laugh, it's safe to say Chris Farley's legacy will live on pretty much indefinitely. If that's not poetry in motion, we don't know what is.
Such were the expectations for Chris Farley's comedy routines back in his prime. Indeed, the Tradesman cargo variant of the Dodge B-Series van depicted here maintains a similar portly, almost jovial nature in its silhouette to Farley himself. Its roaring 360-cubic inch (5.89-L) Chrysler V8 with a four-barrel carburetor is another fitting metaphor for Chris Farley's kind heart, always ready and willing to shower his audiences with laughter, often at the expense of himself or his appearance. It's another reason why the B-Series van was the perfect artist's easel to memorialize a funny man taken far too soon.
Inside this van, we could totally understand why an eccentric like Matt Foley wouldn't mind spending his days inside it, down by the river as always. With proverbial miles of orange shagpile carpet covering not just the floor but also the walls and part of the ceiling, there's plenty of soundproofing for when Foley goes on one of his trademark unhinged tirades. Elsewhere, some pretty tasteful woodworking has been done inside this can. What appears to be a mini fridge appears to be built into a large wooden cabinet on the van's driver's side next to the tiny kitchenette area.
Heaven knows how many cans of Diet Coke would've been shoved in said fridge had Matt Foley been a real person. But because this van exists, and through the memories of the people he made laugh, it's safe to say Chris Farley's legacy will live on pretty much indefinitely. If that's not poetry in motion, we don't know what is.
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