Living the Vantasy Life in a 1969 Dodge A-108 by Goolsby Customs
There are people who like muscle cars, others might go for early Fords, and some dig on customs. Then there are those, like Matthew Forst, who like vans. Particularity, vintage Dodge vans like the flat-front, short-wheelbase A-100s manufactured from 1964-70. He always thought the longer-wheelbase A-108 series with full glass would make a cool ride when done right and decided Goolsby Customs was the place to work one over by adding their contemporary touch to the original flavor.
Surprisingly, the van’s body is pretty much as designed, though certainly enhanced. (Go ahead, take a look at the pics again.) The Goolsby team filled the seams – and there were a lot of them – sharpened the edges and tightened any gaps. They also spent considerable time modifying the 10 rear windows to pop-out a bit, allowing the cavernous interior to air out. Once the BASF Autumn Gold and Cool Vanilla paint was laid out, long stretches of custom extruded aluminum trim from Lokar were installed to divide the colors, complemented with custom-machined headlamp bezels by Greening Auto Company.
Passengers are greeted to a waft of leather as they step through the side doors and into the refined interior that tops any high-end SUVs on the road today. Speed and Design reshaped and sculpted the original seats for improved comfiness and covered them with Moore and Giles leather with Douglass Interior Products inserts. Square-weave carpet is sprawled across the floor while a vintage perforated headliner covers the roof. The dash was left stock though the gauges were updated by Classic Instruments and to keep everyone comfortable, there are front and rear Vintage Air systems.
Nestled between the front bucket seats is a custom dog house covering a modern 392c.i. aluminum Hemi mated to a Mopar Performance RFE automatic trans. To handle the nearly 500-horsepower and to provide stable handling on the road, a custom Roadster Shop FastTrack chassis serves as a firm foundation.
The frame features C6 spindles, Penske adjustable coil-over shocks, and a Strange 9-inch rearend and four-link rear suspension. Big Wilwood rotors and six-piston calipers effectively bring the van to a stop. The chassis was instrumental in obtaining the perfect stance along with the 18×9- and 19×12-inch smoothie wheels from Billet Specialties that are topped with custom poverty caps by Greening.
Who would have ever thought that a Dodge A-108 van would be in the running for America’s Most Beautiful? Never say never, and when you step back and soak in the style, stance, and detail of this van, combined with the colors and amazing interior, it all adds up to one beautiful combination. Oh, as for the Hemi, that’s icing on the cake!
Photos by John Jackson
