My Hippie Van
Yellow and gold were popular car colors in the 1970s. I had a gold Plymouth Duster for a few years but as my lifestyle became a bit more loose, and with the encouragement of a girlfriend, I decided to trade in that boring sedan for a van. A bright yellow Ford Econoline Van. In order to save money, I ordered a stripped down version with 3-speed column shift, no AC, no power steering, a 6-cylinder engine. No radio (even though I had begun my radio career at that point). The only options were captain’s chairs and that bright yellow color. The rest was a basic shell. My dream was to customize the interior as a combination “hippie van” and travel van. Plush carpet, strobe lights, sound system and a sofa bed. I envisioned a year-long road trip to see America. It never happened. A year later, I traded the van for a Toyota sedan - yellow - with radio, power steering AC ... and a radio. I’ve had sedans, station wagons and an SUV in the ensuing years, but that dream never really