Van of the Week: Pirates of the Caribean

Ok, enough of the ELO related posts (although I can't promise we won't visit Jeff's garden again sometime...) Back to the "Van of the Week" feature. This week I am featuring my new favorite van, a 3rd generation Ford named "Pirates of the Caribean".
This is an old show van from the late 70's and 80's that has had a recent exterior facelift/theme. While the theme before was a nautical one (my favorite!) the new owners decided to put a very expensive and expertly excecuted mural on the exterior featuring the "Pirates of the Caribean" trilogy. Holy shit did the level of skill on this blow me away! To the pictures mates, for they tell it better than I can...

While the exterior of the van features quite a bit of custom woodwork such as tail light bezels, side marker lights (which were super cool!), running boards, and frames for the bay windows...

to me the real focal point was the amazing paint work that was done. Look at the faces of the main characters! Often times when photographing vehicles, they come out looking better than in person, but believe me, this was just as stunning from 6 inches away.

The side marker lights as I mentioned earlier, were filled in with wood, and little "lanterns" protruded from them. They had a piece of colored glass in them for a lens, which projected the light when it is illuminated.

Inside the van, the wood work was no less stunning. Expertly done and finished off in satin varnish, you feel like you are in a high end yacht (which I have been in a few of, and trust me on this one, they got it right) or in a cathedral. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot of the rear of the interior, but there was a settee across the back that was just amazing. It also features a rear mounted camera which was displayed on a monitor that dropped down from the headliner.

"Davy Jones I presume... ?"(not the Monkee :) ) Also a good pic of one of the side marker lights.

I was trying to get a good picture of the battle with boat and beastie, but in this one you can make out the edge of the rear settee.

Running boards that had some scroll like deatils ran the length of this van. Again check out the mural on the door. Beautiful work that! (don't look too close tho or you'll see me in the reflection!)

The driver/passenger seat matches the rear settee. Hand made capitans chairs, with lift up arm rests cap off the cockpit of this vessel. Also an incredible center console finishes the top of the doghouse off.

The rear features a portrait of none other than Cap'n Jack Sparrow!

Here is an overall worms eye view of how the van appeared on the show field.

There you have it. "Pirates of the Caribean". One of the cleanest, best themed show vans I have seen. When I think of a full blown custom survivior, this is it. I hope you have enjoyed seeing it as much as I enjoyed presenting it. Until next time when I will be featuring a radical custom, later.