Beauville Vans

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

My Dad wants another 1972-1975 Chevy G10 van in the Beauville trim. Like he had 30 years ago.

We have found quite a few of the passenger vans for a decent price. We have not found one with the nicer interior much less the rear AC his had. The rear ac is a big big plus for him.

My guess is that vans got used up, and his was a rare trim package.

Is that true


Also were rear ac's in vans a dealer or uplifted option. Or did they come that way from the factory. As I rarely see suburbans with rear ac even in the later years. It must of been really rare then.

[FleetsidePaul]

Vans in general seem to be harder and harder to find these days. I would imagine a Beauville with those options would be a tall order. But you never know.

[Just call me Sean]

My 92 G20 and 92 G2500 both have rear air. They're both conversion vans and most likely had it added when the conversion was done. The front a/c hoses on both have extra low and high side hookups which are self sealing when no rear air is present, when the rear hoses are added they push the cap in the lines open. They were set up to easily receive the rear air parts. The rear air itself is pretty simple, a small plastic box containing another evaporator and blower and long hoses from the front hooking it up. Ducting added off the outlet, separate blower switch. These vans are prone to rusting especially around the roof drip edge. They weren't considered valuable and usually went to the junkyard where they yank the engine and transmission and crush the rest shortly after. My G20 has rust on the rear drip edge and upper rear door jamb, my G2500 is pretty rust free but it's now a shed because the front is smashed in.

[special-K]

I think since the craze for vans was for cargo vans, very few passenger vans were cherished and saved. The trend went from custom vans made from cargo vans in the '70s to family conversion vans in the '80s. Conversion companies tended to not buy top trim models since they added their own features and to keep cost down. Fewer people were using G-series passenger vans as family vehicles once mini-vans came about

[KW5413]

I think you are correct about the cargo vans vs people haulers back then. Most of the people vans were purchased by colleges, churches, airport shuttles etc.

I bought a new Ford, light blue, '76 Econoline with a 351 and three on the tree . It had A/C but, only the driver's seat. Fully customized it myself. Which was typical of the times.

Since its not my thread and it is a Ford...I won't bore anyone with the details except to say it eventually wound up with...wait for it...Blue fur wall covering.

Lots of fond memories of the build out and ownership.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally Posted by KW5413

Lots of fond memories of the build out and ownership.

I have had a VW, and Greenbrier van.

My vans days were so legendary my sister has to work a couple of them.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Anyone know of a good rear ac kit. Or a factory one that can be modified easily

[KW5413]

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

My Dad wants another 1972-1975 Chevy G10 van in the Beauville trim. Like he had 30 years ago.

We have found quite a few of the passenger vans for a decent price. We have not found one with the nicer interior much less the rear AC his had. The rear ac is a big big plus for him.

My guess is that vans got used up, and his was a rare trim package.

Is that true


Also were rear ac's in vans a dealer or uplifted option. Or did they come that way from the factory. As I rarely see suburbans with rear ac even in the later years. It must of been really rare then.

A few months ago there was a Blue G10 or G20 pro conversion posted on the DFW craigslist. Can't pull it up now. I expanded my search and found ZERO. Ony a few home growns.

I fear most share a similar fate as...

[72c20customcamper]

After their life as a passenger van they ended up being gutted for work use . My buddy did that to many vans . He now buys the Sprinter vans from limo services and guts them . So a lot got trashed

[HO455]

I have a buddy who flips Dodge vans. He's semi-retired so he's at the auto auction twice a week and has some connections with a couple of estate sales companies. He seems to find 5 or 6 conversion vans a year to flip. He's always got one or two vans parked at his place getting fluffed and buffed.

I have to assume there's as many Chevrolet vans as Dodge vans out there still. Todays 20 something crowd buys every van he gets. Kind of like the Deadheads and VW vans.

Not Beauville but...

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/...622218493.html

[59bones]

My experience indicates that the factory window vans are generally taken better care of than the panel vans or the conversion vans. And they sometimes have rear factory air vs the add on rear air found in many conversion vans.

They are still out there but can get expensive.

[59bones]

Here are few I have tinkered with in the past. Brown Sugar is an 88 GMC Rally STX. Power windows and locks, am/fm, tilt, cruise, front air.

[59bones]

Here is 95 Chevy Beauville with similar amenities.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Originally Posted by 59bones

Here is 95 Chevy Beauville with similar amenities.

Are those for sale? Or ones you owned

[59bones]

And here is a 74 GMC Rally STX. Super original with about 60k miles. No power windows or locks but does have factory rear air. After much work, this thing rides great for a 50 year old rig.

[59bones]

74 when found after a 22 year slumber.

[59bones]

White 95 is gone. Brown Sugar is not for sale. 74 will likely be for sale soon.

[59bones]

The factory interiors are pretty comfy.

[Keith Seymore]

You are correct - we took some data and for a period of time the only fully trimmed passenger vans built were destined for internal GM engineering fleet usage.

K

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by 59bones

Here are few I have tinkered with in the past. Brown Sugar is an 88 GMC Rally STX. Power windows and locks, am/fm, tilt, cruise, front air.

Well now we know where all the nice vans went. Nice collection Bones.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

You are correct - we took some data and for a period of time the only fully trimmed passenger vans built were destined for internal GM engineering fleet usage.

K

We had one guy in the group and that's all he drove - fully trimmed out passenger vans.

He also had a really dry, self effacing sense of humor.

We were at the Milford Proving Ground one day, watching a bunch of buzzards circling in the sky.

"Must be a G van going up the 16% grade" he said.

K

[mrtoni]

My 73 shorty beauville

[special-K]

Originally Posted by mrtoni

My 73 shorty beauville

Man I love that thing. That color and all. My friend's dad back in HS had a G30 Beauville same color we used to ride in. That's a thing I don't recall seeing so much was a short Beauville. I recall most short vans being cargo and Beauvilles being the full length. Like the reason for having a trimmed out passenger van was to carry the most people, as in more than a station wagon. A shorty passenger van is a heavy duty station wagon with a little more elbow room and cargo space

[59bones]

Wow. mrtoni has an odd duck with that shorty! Beautiful with the og caps and whitewalls.

[Just call me Sean]

Yea, normally I like the long ones better but that's a cool shorty.