DanTheVanMan

Dan spent his childhood as a “Mimi-me” gear-head helping his father fix & build up just about everything GM ever rolled off the line while living in Milford, Mi. Home of Baker’s.  

He spent much of his younger years on at the GM proving grounds in Michigan where his father worked.  By age 10, he  could rebuild a SBC with his eyes closed, and by 16, had a 1967 VW bug being pushed by a Corvair flat 6

(and 25lbs of lead up front to keep it on the ground)

"Hey, I was 16 what did you expect?"

"My father would take us fishing every weekend in our 1966 G10 Van. He called it the “Fishing Box” and I swore at age six I would have my own fishing Box some day!!

Joined the U.S. Army in 1984 and over the next 25 years collected, built, modified, sold, bought back several vans and helped any and everyone who needed help on all kinds of crazy projects.

"Married in 1992, she was caught cheating while I was fighting in Iraq, divorced her in 2006. (It's good to have good friends at home while you're gone!) In 2005 I was shot down over northern Iraq and broke my neck, but my spinal cord was still intact but badly bruised, so after a year of rehab and learning how to walk, talk and write again I was able to function pretty normally.

"Fast forward to 2008:

I retired from the Army with 25 years active duty, moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida. My retirement choice, Michigan gets to cold for this broken body of mine.

I was contacted by my High School sweetheart (also divorced) and a year later, she moved down from Marquette, Michigan to join me with kids in tow.

2010:

"Now a days I am fully retired, full pension with VA benefits and compensation allowing me to work (very slowly most days) on my own 1966 “Fishing Box” and a 1965 Sportvan Deluxe on the way.

Also have been catching up on all that fishing I had missed over the last 30 years.

I spend a lot of time online searching and helping others find parts and advice for their projects on Vintage-Vans.com….

“Life is Good!”