Okay, so I’m trying out a new shortcut on the way home from work the other day and I’ve got the windows down, the Eagles jammin’ out of the radio when "BAM" out of nowhere I see this cool looking 1974 Ford Econoline van parked near the road next to a little auto repair shop!
After checking the rearview mirror for any cars that might be on my tail I hit the brakes and turn around on the spot. I go back and it turns out the owner of the van got it from his nephew who not only was the original owner but the one that bought it brand new. He was also the one that had it customized, complete with the all-over muralistic paint scheme so popular back in the heyday of the 1970s van craze.
Now as I began to look her over, with those Eagles greatest hits playing on and on in my head, I just imagined what I could tell the wife that would cause her to say, "You want it, honey, you go ahead and buy it." ’Bout that time I was finished taking these photos and managed to get a price of $500 out of the owner who was planning on stripping her down for parts.

$500. Are you kidding? Now, I’m no body man but I thought that was a fair price and even if I was to put another $9,500 into a restoration job, I figured it would be well worth it. What do some of you think?
I’m gonna ask my good friend, Joe Ciarrocchi (one of the best body men I know) for his honest opinion (along with my wife’s inspiring commentary) and update this post afterwards with all/any progress I make.