Late to Early, good or bad?

[BigG]

Saw this 79 on Ricki James thread ( sorry bout using your pic.) and wondered what peoples thoughts were on turning lates into earlys, after all its the look were after isnt it?

I was thinking about turning a late crewcab into an early, you dont get free tax but you probably save yourself a couple of grand and theres the advantage of the type 4 motors, better brakes etc.
Is it just cheating, bad taste or a bit of a con what do you think :?:

 

[flynster]

think this looks the nuts buddy....if you get the look right and can save a few quid in the process then i see nothing wrong with it, other than not being a REAL early that is....good luck to ya fella :wink:

 

[Tofufi]

It's a bit like the beetle debate... fitting sloping wings onto a late bug to get the "early" look.

Personally, I'm against it unless you go the whole hog to do every detail. But I'm a bit biased against it because I think that if you've got a late one you should try to make it look cool in its own way, not make it into something its not.

A good example for this is the green bay in Rikki's thread. It looks stunning, purely because someone has actually bothered to do something to it, rather than the average tarted up late bay with tatty paint, poor wheel choice and an interesting stance. I'm sure as the values of them goes up, more people will start to put the effort into late bays.

IMO, get the paint, bodywork, wheels and stance to work together (as above, but I'd ditch the sunvisor) and the car will look a million dollars whether it has high indicators or low ones.

So unless you're going for a full on custom (not seen many of those recently) then I'd probably keep it as it is, and make the best of its features - Otherwise someone will always tell you it has the wrong arches, valence, doors etc as the '79 panel above does


Having said all the above, I can't help but wonder what the green bay would look like if it were an early

 

[Htotheunit]

I see it as a bit pointless, if you want an early, get an early!! plus im sure all the parts needed to convert it (rear corners etc) would be needed elsewhere for a real early bays use

I do see the point if you have a crossover pickup, forgot where i seen it but the back lights were converted to small ones, rather than tall ones.. looked awesome

Im a sucker for early pickups :lol:

 

[slammedkustom]

that is sick, i love it! but then i am a panel van pervert! :lol:

 

[BigG]

Ive never had a problem with late bays, certainly the rear ends never bothered me owning a crossover as I do, and I could even live with the high indicators ( with clear lenses) that green bay is indeed a gorgeous van, the one thing that I really cant get along with are late bay bumpers, they are just so wrong.

Its fair to say 'if you want an early get an early' but being scarcer than a late makes them worth a lot more and not perticularly better and most busses of that genaration are modified anyway so why not modify a late and as for the panels to convert the lights, well the fronts are almost all repros as are most of the rears and a straight forward job on the pickups anyway. I certainly wouldnt be up for a complete clone I just love early bumpers and low front indicators.
Oh and if anyones wondering, if money wasnt an issue I would spend it on an early before a late or a split :wink:

 

[Araon]

To be honest I dont see the point in making it something it aint, get the late and do what you can with it its still one more crewie than I have....

lowered - good paint job - clear indicators will still look good if done right....

or go off the wall and go completely custom on it...

 

[panchocrossover]

i think keep as is maybe with small mods. totaly agree about the late bunpers being wrong. hers a pic of my bros late with a brazilian :lol:

 

[Guest]

that panel looks tight :twisted:

they have gone to alot of trouble with the moon vents... 8)

 

[easy]

I dont mind really, its what ever you want to do. I think its cool that someone will go to such lengths to change stuff, especially if it looks sick at the end of it.

The only time I have a problem with it is if they make a late into an early and call it an early when they arent :evil: Whats the point? just say you have a heavily modded late, that cool 8)

 

[Gadget Boy]

GASH

Im sorry if you want an early cab then get an early cab . late vans /cabs/panels can look very hard with the rite wheels etc

BUT theres one thing any bus no matter what year it is NEEDS

STANCE STANCE STANCE .

Theres no point in have a mint early or late bus if it sits like a bag of ****. This is acheived by getting wheels that compliment the vehicle and the style its done in . Would you belive the green late bay on 14' RO80 wheels is a fully automatic minibus .But the stance makes people go Whoo.

As long as compliment each and every part on a bus so it all fits You can make any age bus look hard . Dont change it from What the factory designed You WONT do a better job :wink:

Just for the record Im not a fan of late crew cabs BUT id roll this one

I rest my Case

Gadget [/img]

 

[BigG]

Some great feedback there folks, it was really just a thought after seeing a perticularly cheap late crewcab.

I guess most people arent too bothered as long as your not trying to fool anyone, and Gadget boys theory on stance is pretty spot on, ive noticed since getting into these vans that whats above the chassis is largely less significant than whats below if you want to stand out which is why most of us buy these things.
I think its time to stop saving for the paint job on our Deluxe bus and get those adjusters fitted instead :wink.

And by the way is that roof rack on the green crewcab mental or what 8)

 

[Gadget Boy]

I think its time to stop saving for the paint job on our Deluxe bus and get those adjusters fitted instead :wink.

You Knows it Man :wink:

 

[Htotheunit]

I think its time to stop saving for the paint job on our Deluxe bus and get those adjusters fitted instead :wink.

You Knows it Man :wink:

I took the plunge, got a blow over AND ajusters just need to get her back

 

[lobus]

that is sick, i love it! but then i am a panel van pervert! :lol:

And here I was thinking I was the only perve in the village.
And what about the signage in the background?

And my 2c worth is, if you want to have a try you might as well go for it. Seems like a lot of hassle though, when there are still plent of earlies around.
If you put all that work into an early in the first place you will be way out in front.
You can always do an upright conversion on a type 1V motor as well.

 

[Araon]

That green late 8) .... nice rack...... if you still want your crewie fella go for it

 

[Clem]

Nice vans are nice vans at the end of the day, early or late.
Id rather own a solid late bus than be welding up an early rotter, but thats just me .... i dont really do the age snobbery thing, but I can appreciate the desireability.
I had a late van for 15+ years, it was very dated style wise but still gave a load of fun, and when it was sold it paid for my Westy 8)
Check out junglemods late champagne Westy, and tell me its not a cool ride, just cos its late -

Anyway, the point about modding them to look earlier? No, make the most of what nature gave you

 

[BigG]

Nice vans are nice vans at the end of the day, early or late.
Id rather own a solid late bus than be welding up an early rotter, but thats just me .... i dont really do the age snobbery thing, but I can appreciate the desireability.
I had a late van for 15+ years, it was very dated style wise but still gave a load of fun, and when it was sold it paid for my Westy 8)
Check out junglemods late champagne Westy, and tell me its not a cool ride, just cos its late -

Anyway, the point about modding them to look earlier? No, make the most of what nature gave you

Cant argue with that, and what a great setting 8)

 

[Guest]

i have to say thats the only 'late bay' i have ever lusted after , the wheels, the bumpers, colour and stance are all pretty spot on! 8)

nothing else cuts it.

 

[vil]

I agree with Gadgets theory, but one thing that gets my goat is when someone puts so much effort into the Late to early illusion and then keeps the original numberplate which gives the game away immediatly :lol: :roll:

An early prefix numberplate would'nt cost the earth so why don't people bother?!