Hey everyone. I currently don't own a car, and really need one. BUT, I've only saved up 2,000 dollars. I did a search on Craigslist.com and found that many vans people sell for only $1000!! I was thinking of buying one, but how could I make it better? I thought of doing a paint job to make a Van look a bit better. What should I do? Also, if I want a "hippie van" what models should I check out?
There is no hippie blueprint. Hippie is a state of mind and a way of life. Do what feels right to "YOU" and have fun with it. Life's a journey, enjoy the trip...
you can pretty much colorfullly paint any van and people would call it a hippie van. However, the iconic "hippie van" is the VW bus of course. Also, most vans are big gas guzzlers and owning a vehicle that harms the environment too much kinda defeats the whole hippie thing anyway... good luck though! and Ill bet you have an awesome time painting it
make sure the van runs. you might wanna look into a more economic car though with the gas depletion that is going on these days which is alot more "hippie" like than owning a actual "hippie van"
And that's the problem. Look at a diesel sk00lie, just a short bus if you're worried about driving something that's 30' long, that you can convert to run on Waste Vegetable Oil.
Vans make sense economically/enviromentally if you're traveling with a lot of people. Just on your own they're not too great. I've always wanted a VW Bus, one of the original 50s made ones with the split screens. I was wondering how easy it would be to convert it to make it more economical.
The ultimate "hippy" van is of course the VW,but with a little fixing up,even a caravan or mini van could look cool. After you purchase your van,maybe get some friends together,make a day of it and paint the exterior. Hey anything goes,smiley faces,peace signs,swirls,waves,portraits,favorite quotes,mushrooms,anything colorful and creative. Just keep it clean,no profanity or drug symbols,otherwise you might get pulled over alot. And that's no fun! For the interior, I recommend shag carpet in psychedelic colors,(think orange,lime,yellow),maybe some cool hippy-ish fabric on the walls,pom-pom ball fring trim(find in the fabric store),maybe a mattress to crash in the back,seat covers,etc.,so many ideas. If you are low on funds,check out thrift shops,discount paint/fabric stores,enlist the help of a friend/relative who sews/paints. You are listed as a teen?,age-wise,check out parents/grandparents garage,basement,etc.,ask if they may have old 60s stuff,old free paint,old fabric laying around.They usually have stuff they forgot about. It doesn't hurt to ask. Sounds like a cool project,best of luck. Post pics when you are done. We'd love to see.
my friend from new york came down to see me here (southwest of SD) he traveled across the US in an old school Mercedes car that he converted to run on vegetable oil. thats a good idea, look for a diesel to convert. but i also heard (from my friend) that in some states u don't have the right to do it. im not to sure on that though.
i have an '83 GMC Vandura Diesel that I'm rebuilding for it's good gas milage and possibly running WVO. i'll be damned if i'm doing it to be anything remotely like a hippy though. i'm actually going to turn it into an ice-cream / slushie van. anyway the point is one of those 80s diesel vans are indeed good because for example the engine in the van i have is 6.3L but it gets 33mpg. if i had to choose painting one of those type vans i'd make it look like the A-team van.
Get a van, put a place to sleep in it. Put the ability to prepare a meal in it. Ya know, like buying a home or renting an apartment......
Yeah I was thinking of doing what princesspeace told me, get a day to paint the van with lots of awesome colors and designs and whatnot. On the inside I think I'm going to take out the seats and put a big rug...and a matress ontop of it and get some trippy tapestries and throw em on it.. Then I'm going to buy one of those propane grills and just cook grilled cheese all day ha. I'll put some music posters inside of all my favorite psychedelic bands too
Hahahaha.. honestly you Yanks crack me up. $4 per gallon is peanuts, here in the UK we pay the equivalent of $3 per LITRE (or quart).
think use rather than looks: Are you using it as home? then a van is useful, and a mini pickup with topper would suffice. DO NOT RUN PROPANE IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE. Set that kitchen up under a tarp/awning instead. I spent some time in a converted bread truck. We had a sleeping platform behind the seats, and some storage under it and in the back. We did not have an in-van kitchen, although I would prep veggies inside when it was really cold.
