72 sportsmobile

[72_smb]

Hello everyone, my name is mike. About a month ago i bought my 72 e200 sportsmobile, lil did the wife and i realize how much coolness this van would bring us. We are so glad to have found this van. We recently took it over to the overland expo, the sportsmobile family accepted us with arms open and asked to display our beuty there. We had tons of fun. This van is amazing shape, its hard to belive how well its been taken care of. I'll be doing a 4x4 conversion soon and will be posting it

 

[BroncoHauler-SMB]

Outstanding. It does look like it's in incredible shape.

It is great to see all these old-school camper vans coming out of the woodwork lately.


Herb

 

[rallypanam]

Super cool.

 

[macmcintire]

I saw some pictures of your van at the Overland Expo. Very cool. I would carefully rethink converting your van to 4x4. It is a classic as it is -- in pristine condition. Any conversion changes it from a classic vehicle to a conversion vehicle, just like people who have turned their old 30's and 40's cars into hot rods. A hot rod is in a different category than a classic 30's or 40's vehicle. I'd hate to see a very limited edition of a classic Sportsmobile be turned into something else. Just my opinion!

 

[72_smb]

I wont be changing or modifying, it'll be a simple bolt on. 1978 f150 dana 44 and radius arms. Np205 and c6 4x4. Easy. Thus not changing anything else. It would be a simple bolt on

 

[macmcintire]

I wont be changing or modifying, it'll be a simple bolt on. 1978 f150 dana 44 and radius arms. Np205 and c6 4x4. Easy. Thus not changing anything else. It would be a simple bolt on

Sounds interesting. Look forward to seeing the pictures.

 

[86Scotty]

Sweet rig. I saw you in pictures from Expo too, on Instagram, I think.

:a4:

 

[Abitibi-SMB]

I remember your van for sale last year and was very tempted, such a clean and rare example! I think it's great to see it in use but this thing almost belongs in a museum, honestly! I too wouldn't modify it but that's just me...

Hope to cross your path one day while driving one of my oldies

Cheers
David

Sent from my SGP511 using Tapatalk

 

[TomsBeast]

great find, take it out and have fun with it!

 

[72_smb]

At times i do feel it belongs in a museum. But we love it too much to not use it. It would look even better once its 4x4

 

[TomH-SMB]

Sweet! Enjoy.

 

[rallypanam]

At times i do feel it belongs in a museum. But we love it too much to not use it. It would look even better once its 4x4

I wholeheartedly endorse 4x4.. But do it better than the green one that's been seen recently.. No LED light bar, and period correct (not black) wheels!

 

[MSD-SMB]

Your van is gonna be amazing with 4x4. We just picked up a 69 E300 camper van & a 74 4x4 quadravan (donor van) to do the conversion to the 69.

Looking forward to see what you do... we went with a pathfinder quadravan donor route since it's the easiest swap, it was local and the price was right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[72_smb]

The green one belong to joe, we've been in touch. He to wants to do away with the light bar, thats how he bought it.

 

[72_smb]

Your van is gonna be amazing with 4x4. We just picked up a 69 E300 camper van & a 74 4x4 quadravan (donor van) to do the conversion to the 69.

Looking forward to see what you do... we went with a pathfinder quadravan donor route since it's the easiest swap, it was local and the price was right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You picked up a 69, sweet man. Need to see pix. Is it a sportsmobile or other camper company. Either way, sweet, i wish i had an option to buy a quadravan. But i do have the front axle ready, its off of a 78 f150 high pinion, and i aslo have the radius arms. Just need the np205 transfer case, still debating if i should go with 8 lug or keep it 5 lug. If i go 8, that means i have to swap rear axle and do a chevy 8 lug swap to front axle as well.

 

[MSD-SMB]

The 69 was gonna be heading to the junk yard so we rescued it, & trucked it to Colorado. Funny thing was it wouldn't start in CA, when it got to Colorado I put some start fluid in the carb and i fired right up, and we drove it around town for the afternoon.

This whole project started because of the 808 van (Joe's van) we considered buying it when it was on ebay, just waited to long. Our van is a project for sure, but has good bones. Ford contracted out to another fabricator to do the pop tops in 69, but not sure who with... SMB wasn't doing them in 69 (I don't think).

Lots to consider with the 8 lug swap. There's a 78 quardavan/pathfinder here in Foco that could be a potential donor van, not sure on axel width since it's a 3rd generation van and not a second generation van. Think the 3rd gen is about 2 to 3" wider… not sure.

We are going to restore the 69 for short trips, and daily around town driver. It won't be a full period restore or a garage princess. It will get used, we want it nice but will be putting a 69 bronco front winch bumper on as well as a rear with tire carrier and it will have black wheels and not white rims like most van's this vintage. We are excited to get the project moving

Looking forward to see what you do in regards to your swap

 

[72_smb]

The 69 was gonna be heading to the junk yard so we rescued it, & trucked it to Colorado. Funny thing was it wouldn't start in CA, when it got to Colorado I put some start fluid in the carb and i fired right up, and we drove it around town for the afternoon.

This whole project started because of the 808 van (Joe's van) we considered buying it when it was on ebay, just waited to long. Our van is a project for sure, but has good bones. Ford contracted out to another fabricator to do the pop tops in 69, but not sure who with... SMB wasn't doing them in 69 (I don't think).

Lots to consider with the 8 lug swap. There's a 78 quardavan/pathfinder here in Foco that could be a potential donor van, not sure on axel width since it's a 3rd generation van and not a second generation van. Think the 3rd gen is about 2 to 3" wider… not sure.

We are going to restore the 69 for short trips, and daily around town driver. It won't be a full period restore or a garage princess. It will get used, we want it nice but will be putting a 69 bronco front winch bumper on as well as a rear with tire carrier and it will have black wheels and not white rims like most van's this vintage. We are excited to get the project moving

Looking forward to see what you do in regards to your swap

DM me your # maybe i can help. I'll be building a locker with tire carrier for joe the 808 van and one for my self. Maybe i can help you out too. Im a vintage race car restorer, been for 15years now. More than capable to mandrel bend a carrier and tig weld.