Vintage 1966 chevrolet grumman olson curb van step kurbmaster metro olsonette

Chevrolet Other 1966 Description

NO RESERVE AUCTION!
1966 Grumman Olson Step Van in original, running and driving condition. Factory GVWR 10000 lbs. 19.5 feet long, 7 feet wide, 9 feet tall.
This ex-bread delivery van was decommissioned from the fleet in 1994. It has a 292 cubic inch Chevrolet 6 cylinder engine with a 4 speed manualtransmission (compound low 1st gear). It has power brakes but NOpower steering. Engine starts easily cold, runs smooth and does not overheat. The brakes are solid. Steering feels ok. Transmission shifts like it should and clutch feels tight. All of thegauges work accurately except for the fuelgauge which needs a new sending unit. The only obvious mechanical issue I am aware of is that the engine does have a small oil leak and will leave 3-4" puddle after it sitsovernight. It does not appear to continuously leak or leak while driving. I would consider it amanagable problem and typical for avehicle this age. And yes, the 292-6 has the same bolt pattern as a typical Chevrolet small block V8 and it could be swapped withminimal effort.
It has fleet spec'd 19.5" 8 lug steel wheels with a decent set of 8R19.5 Load Range F radial tires which resultsin a some what tall gearing combination. It runs at about 2200 rpms at 55 mph as evidenced by a working tachometer and an accurate speedometer. The 19.5" zero offset wheels might sound kind of odd but in myopinion they are a selling point for this type of step van. Are 19.5" wheels rare? NO. BUT, 99% of the time they are are onlyavailable in a dual rear wheel (DRW) type offset. 19.5" wheels in a traditional pick-up style, 8-lug single rear wheel (SRW) "ZERO" offset are extremely rare. It allows an operator the advantage ofrunning proper commercial grade tires which have a much thickersidewall for better handling when loaded and a greater diameter for less rolling resistance, better fuel economy and muchlonger tire life VS a 16" pickup truck tire. It also comes with a spare full size 19.5 wheel and tire.
Previous owner stated that he chose to buy this particular van amongst the other vansavailable at the time because of it's service records indicating that it had recently had a clutch replacement and valve job before being discharged from the fleet. However, Ido not have any records or receipts to support that claim. P.O. said the van had about 192k miles on the odometer when he bought it in 1994-5. It currently has 199,4xx miles on the (working) odometer. The original 5digitspeedometer was removed while it was in fleet service and replaced with the current 6 digits unit in place. The current unit looks to be of a 1980's vintage. So, IF I had to speculate, I'd guess this van likely has somewhere between 300-400 thousands miles on it.Don't let thatscare you.... These vans were built to last and fleet maintained by professionals mechanics.
The body is very straight, solid and uncut which has becomeincreasingly harder to find. The original wood TODCO rear door still works as it should but some of the wood is in rough shape and it is missing one of the guide rollers at thebottom, driver's side. None of the panels are split or broken but weathered. Parts are stillavailable for these from Todco. Both windshield wiper motors work and I do have both of the original arms but they are currently off the van right now. They should have the blades replaced before being reinstalled. All of the glass is ok except for the right front a-pillar corner window which has a small crack in it at the top. Thewindshieldglass does have some light hazing developing around the corners. The heater motor works but squeals a bit on start up.All of the lights, instrument lights, turn signals and brake lights work except forthe license plate which needs a new bulb. The horn currently does not work. When I purchased the van it was an eyesore to say the least with partially removed signage,graffiti etc. After entertaining someastronomical quotes from local body shops wanting $10-15K to prep and paint it I decided that the best solution for me was to give it anindustrial style paint job that I would give to any other piece of equipment here on the farm. So, I scraped off the all the old sticker signage, degreased it, scuff sanded it, applied one coat of primer and then sprayed it with a Sherwin Williams oil basedindustrial enamel with a satin finish. It looks great from 20 feet away but up close it has lots of flaws like orange peel, small runs and chipped old paint that has been painted over. The satin finish hides the flaws well and gives it a unique, original-style look to the van but if you are fussy about things like your vehicles paint job than this step van is NOT for you. I used about 2.75 gallons in the process and i will include the extra quart for touch up paint. The paint color is a stocksherwin williams color SW 0041 Dard Hunter Green and itdefinitelydraws attention.
I've only had this van for about 2 months and now I have other intentions as to what I want to do with it. Originally, I was planing to use it to do a local farmer's market type vending operation but nowthat's on the back burner. It would make a great advertising piece for your business, a food truck or local swap meet vending. The day I bought it I drove it home approximately 70 miles, partly on the interstate, and it drove good for 1966 step van. Make no mistake... it's big, loud and a bit scary to drive but with the window rolled down and the side door rolled back it's actually quite a unique experience. There are currently no obvious problems or obvious impending problems that would prevent this van from getting on the road today headed towards it's new home. However, it's 50 years old, basically original and it's mechanical history is virtually unknown. If you are the brave, adventurous type who is not scared by the prospect of taking a 50-year-old, unrestored vehicle on a very loud, slow, hot road trip on today's modern high-speed interstate during the start of what-could-be one the hottest summers on record then... this van might just make it home. If that's not your cup of tea then please make arrangements to have the van shipped. I have plenty of storage space here and can hold the van for 30 days after the close of the auction so that you can get your shipping figured out.
The van has a clear Oregon title and the vin number has beenverified on the pink slip. Theregistration is not current nor does it come with license plates unless your are an Oregon resident and want the old plates. If you choose to drive it home I will supply you with a one way trip permit from the oregon dmv. I have been aneBay member for over 10 years and have a 100% positive feedback mostly as a seller so please bid with confidence.
This van is being sold as-is, where-is with no warranty or guarantee written, expressed or implied. It is the buyer'sresponsibility to perform all necessary duediligence before bidding. This van islocated at my property in rural Mcminnville, Oregon 97128.
Payment: Cash in hand at pick up or cashier's check mailed prior to pick up with adequate time for funds to be verified. There will be a $100 deposit upon the auction closing and payment or arrangements are expected within 3 days. I will not accept paypal for payment pleasedon't ask.
If you have any questions about the van please contact me viaeBay.

On May-27-16 at 10:50:08 PDT, seller added the following information:

GOOD NEWS:AMENDMENT
I took a closer look at the underside of the vanthis morning (5/27/16) toevaluate the "leak" a bit more closely. To mysurprise it appears that the majority of leak was coming from the oil drain plug. I amembarrassedto admit that I did not look at it sooner... but to be frank I have lots of vehicles and another truck or tractor with a minor leak is not something that gets me excited. Anyhow, after taking acloser look I discovered that the plug was about 1/4 turn loose. Why? I am not sure... maybe the gasket has compacted, deteriorated or it was not fully tightened by the previous owner. An unusual circumstance and good news none the less. I wish all my problems were that simple. So, I snugged the plug up and it appears to have stopped the leak. I'm not totally certain it has stopped the leak 100% completely but I imagine it certainly will reduceit by a significant margin. I will move the van to another parking spot and let it sit overnight and post the results in a day or two.

On May-30-16 at 09:08:14 PDT, seller added the following information:

UPDATE:As far as the leak goes... tightening of the drain plug has dramatically reduced the leak. It still has a slight leak though... a spot the size of a 50 Cent piece overnight. A new gasket and perhaps some RTVsealant on the threads will cure the problem. The drain plug does not feel as if it has been overtightened nor did I over tighten it when I attempted to stop the leak. Also, I noticed that the Rear Main Seal area also has a very slight leak... maybe the size of a US Quarter overnight. On a vehicle of this age I would consider this type leak of fairlycommon and a verymanageablecondition.