Skeleton out of the closet

"You really don't have a car?", people often ask. "That's right...oh, except I do have an old van in the garage." Not many people in Minnesota know about my old van. It hasn't run for years. It suffered the neglect of 6 years during my PhD program. But she had many good years before then. Fourteen years ago when I was just graduating from college, I fell in love with a 1967 Ford van parked on the streets of Providence. I wasn't looking for a van, but this "mystery van" re-kindled a van-fetish I had as an early teenager. Long story short, I bought the van, friends named it Banshee, and I had many adventures driving it with Hillary across the country to move from Rhode Island to Arizona. After five years of western adventures it helped move us (along with Hil's long-gone SUV) to Minnesota. With its wheels under the front seats, primitive suspension, and table-top steering, Banshee was a very fun vehicle to drive, especially descending twisting mountain roads of the West. Check out a short video from our travels in Arizona - featuring a descent of one of the windiest roads I have experienced.

At 12 miles to the gallon or so, I was always a bit ashamed of the environmental non-performance of old Banshee. That is one reason I became an avid bike commuter as soon as I arrived in Tucson. But Hillary, many friends, and I have many fond memories of trips with Banshee - van camping in the desert, the ill-fated Arkansas airport camping-police escapade, seeking old Route 66, speedometer peeping, and many more.

Upon moving to Minnesota for graduate school, I belovedly made sure Banshee had a garage for the winter. Unfortunately, the gas and gas tank fouled the first winter rendering the fuel system virtually inoperational. Still devoted to the old gal, I made sure the house we bought had a two car garage to afford her a space. Crazy how much we will do for a car!

But for 8 years she sat, including 3 years of Theo's life, and now Henry's first 9 months. Hillary didn't go for the idea that Banshee could become Theo's 16th birthday car and wanted the space for our growing collection of bikes. My interest in sinking time into fixing a gas guzzler waned. Once the reality of a second kid sank in, I got over my 14 year attachment to this van. As a last act of devotion, I cleaned her out and photographed her to put her in the best possible light, or as best was available in the garage she was stuck in. And then I put her up for sale on eBay.

"It's like putting the old lady out on an ice floe", exclaimed one friend upon hearing the news of Banshee's sale on eBay. Well, it's not quite do dire. It turns out that these 1960s Ford Econolines are popular with some teenagers, and their fathers. Banshee attracted 11 different bidders in two different auctions (the first buyer fell through- his teenager had bid for it in his name without his knowledge!).

But Banshee has found what I wanted- an owner who would fix her up and make the best of this classic. The buyer drove all the way from Florida with his 13 and 8 year old sons to pick her up. He and his older son will spend the next two years completely restoring her and then she will become the son's first car when he turns 16. Too bad, Theo missed out. Here are some photos of the emergence of Banshee after eight years in the garage, headed back to the sunny south. She got out just in time as I write here while our first big snow of the winter arrives.

Me and the boys sitting in Banshee for one last time.


Banshee's new owner, sitting in her for the first time. Hopefully this was the last time she will have to be winched up onto a trailer!

Bidding a fond farewell to Banshee.