Once upon a time...
I had a dream to chop a van... I saw this rust bucket chevy and thought it would be a good 1st attempt. I traded 3 weekends of painting for a van.
I made and sold 2 snack trays where the profit covered the expense of getting it flatbedded home the 20 miles.

I took an auto body class at an adult education thing that met once a week for a semester. I learned how to weld and do bodywork... I repaired rust on a ford ranger hood and tailgate.
My first time... what a blast.

Back to that chevy van... well life got in the way and it was pretty well rusted at the roofline... I decided to junk it since metal was up in price... The fiberglass doors of course had no rust. The timing for me to do a chop was just wrong.
Flipped the doors for a few dollars... Sold here and they will live on. The van returned a few uncle bens... I was sad to see it go... the other half had tears of joy to see it gone. (this was ok.)

Well money seemed to burn a hole in my pocket as I was searching the web for mid fords... I found this ad that offered a van and the repair panels to fix it. It was more of a buy the panels/parts and you get a van with it for a little more in my opinion. (value is in the panels/parts). Got it transported home with a few bucks to spare...

Took what money was left and bought oak wood for another snack tray. Well that snack tray has sold.

I now am stuck in home improvement mode... tic talk tic talk.

Uncle Fester was selling his snack track (late ford) and wood cover for the guage area... oak.... hmmmm
Need fixing due to splits... well I tossed an offer out that I could not buy the wood for to do one from scratch. Seemed to be a win-win situation. Just had to get it from OK to NJ without expense... The nats was 6 months away and no rush...
We did a pass from ok to kansas to the nats... where Chris Munz
picked it up and got it to NJ (thanks guys). Well you know the story... I will be stripping that tray and face panel trim down, the split will get fixed in the proper fashion and 2 great pieces will obtain new life... I will offer it for sale here once done. Anyone need a snack tray and face panel trim for a late ford? I do 1st quality work.
The funds will be going to the mid ford.

Now back to that mid ford... I am wondering if it should be chopped or NOT? Extreme or restore?

It is a 123 that needs a lot of work... But I think it would be a fun project to see where it goes. I dont have any real expense here so far as I am doing things o the side that I enjoy and it is covering the expense.

I want to share here and get opinions on how-to and document the directions to make it a success.

Never give up.

So what do you think, is this 1 screaming to be chopped?

[img]http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/egads74/nyVan57.jpg]IceAge II[/img]

I can not see the picture here, but am really glad you got the wood parts and they will be given a new life. . .

Nice van, CHOP HER !

Looks good.I say go for it.

Looks good

Since you already have a SWEET mid or 2 I say chop this one!!

Hot rod it out! I would personally chop a shorty....I like it!

If all you have is one semester of a body shop class under your belt I think you would just fix it up and drive it.
It would really suck to see that clean of a mid ford cut up and never finished.
Sorry there is more that goes to chopping a van than the experience you have expressed here.......

......Wookee

Lots of good feedback...
- I agree 100% that a shorty makes for a better looking custom van chopped or not.
There was that 123 display van being angled chopped lately and
it did make me think that a 123 chopped is still cool.
Also I think that brown straight chop was a 123. The one with the upside down shifter (video). It was one nICE van IMO. I am sure you would agree.
At the moment, I have this 123 to work with.
- That is really a magical pictorial diagram.
It does not look that good and it has lots of potential!!!
The van does have its issues... Rusted thru floor at drivers feet.
Rusted rear corner up to tail light... lots of issues.
It is far from a nice van.