- TRUCKIN.COM [3 9 ] NOVEMBER 2019 -
A^ Dedica
tion^ With
Style^ an
d^ Grace
C
ody^ Reynolds^ is^ the^ youn
gest^ of^ Bill^ and^ Vangie
Reynolds’^ three^ children.^ H
e and^ his^ brother^ Bobby
were^ especially^ close^ to^ the
ir father^ when^ they^ were
growing^ up.^ “My^ dad^ belon
ged^ to^ a^ van^ club^ called
Budman^ Vans^ and^ would^
spend^ a^ ton^ of^ time^ in^ the^ ga
rage,”^
Cody^ tells^ Truckin.^ “It^ was^ th
ere^ that^ I^ first^ learned^ how^ to^ t
urn^ a
wrench.”^ Vans^ were^ integra
l to the^ Reynolds^ family.^ In^ fact,
Cody
tells^ the^ story^ like^ this:^ “I^ wa
s conceived^ on^ April^ Fools’^ Da
y at^ a^
van^ show.”
In^2009 ,^ Bill^ was^ diagnosed
with^ cancer^ and^ Cody^ got^ th
e
idea^ to^ purchase^ a^ van.^ With^ the
help^ of^ his^ brother^ and^ father,^ h
e
created^ something^ that^ would^ r
eplicate^ his^ childhood.^ Searchin
g
for a^ van^ can^ be^ quite^ difficult,^ b
ut with^ the^ help^ of^ his^ friend^ Ch
ad
Luellen,^ Cody^ found^ an^ ’^83 Che
vy G^20 that^ had^ been^ sitting^ in
a
storage^ container—since^1986.^
When^ Cody^ went^ to^ take^ a^ lo
ok
at it,^ he^ discovered^ the^ conditi
on wasn’t^ great^ and^ tons^ of^ pa
rts
were^ missing.^ For^ $^700 ,^ he^ wa
s able^ to^ take^ the^ project^ home
for
the^ Reynolds^ boys^ to^ start^ on.^ T
he^ entire^ front^ end^ of^ the^ van^ w
as
missing,^ so^ the^ first^ step^ was^ re
turning^ it^ to^ stock.
Cody^ located^ a^ ’^73 van^ he^ inten
ded^ to^ use^ as^ a^ parts^ van^ from
an^ old^ fire^ department.^ The^ fr
ont end,^ doors,^ and^ bumpers^ w
ere
all^ installed^ to^ replace^ the^ m
issing^ pieces.^ The^ original^305
in
the^ ’^83 was^ OK,^ but^ it^ had^ a^ bu
nch^ of^ emissions^ additions,^ so
the
350 from^ the^ parts^ van^ was^ in
stalled,^ with^ Bobby^ and^ Bill^ add
ing
a cam^ and^ aluminum^ intake.
Cody^ was^ next^ up^ to^ bat^ with
the
suspension.^ Up^ front,^ he^ had
to Z^ the^ front^ clip^ of^ the^ unibo
dy.^
The^ front^ suspension^ was^ bro
ught^ to^ Chad^ Luellen,^ who^ ad
ded
custom^ control^ arms^ and^ na
rrowed^ both^ sides^2 inches.^
The
transmission^ crossmember^ h
ad to^ be^ rebuilt^ and^2 ½-inch^ d
rop
spindles^ were^ added.^ A^ two-l
ink with^ a^ Panhard^ bar^ was^ ad
ded
to^ the^ rear^ with^ bags^ over^ the
axle,^ and^ a^ ton^ of^ sheetmetal^ w
ork^
was^ done^ to^ the^ front^ wheeltu
bs so^ the^ van^ would^ lay^ out.
TEXT^ AND^ PHOTOS^ BY^ PHIL^ GO
RDON