Now that they have rereleased the Barnabas Vampire Van, what can be done with it ?

[Greg Myers]

Yeah, I know, build it. But in what fashion? Looks like some good parts. And parts is parts.

[Chuck Most]

Gimme a month or two, Greg... I plan on showing a few different ways this kit can be utilized.

[jeffs396]

Back to stockish, street rodded!

[george 53]

If you haven't seen his progress shots, Chuck is turnin one into a PICKUP! AND he's doin a pretty good job of it, if I say so myself!!!

[disabled modeler]

I have the issue called Vampire Van planing to do it as a stock era hearse.

[bbowser]

I say a wheelstander exhibition car.

[Mark]

Under all of the body modifications, it's still the '33 Chevy panel delivery. The Vampire Van body still fits the stock Chevy fenders, and the stock Chevy hood still fits to the Vampire Van's cowl.

On the flip side, the Chevy cabriolet body should drop right onto the Vampire Van chassis, if you are interested in a vampire-themed convertible with a coffin-style hood...

[Greg Myers]

But where does one get a "stock' '32 Chevy panel delivery or a "stock" '32 Chevy cabriolet body ? Much less a '32 Chevy hood

[MAGNUM4342]

How about a chop-top blood bank delivery van?

[Danno]

But where does one get a "stock' '32 Chevy panel delivery or a "stock" '32 Chevy cabriolet body ? Much less a '32 Chevy hood

AMT kit# 6508

[Craig Irwin]

Open door for a resin caster.

[Austin T]

I hate that they ruined the mold to the rarest gangbusters kit to make a Vampire van.

[Chuck Most]

Open door for a resin caster.

Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures used to cast the Panel body, but dropped it from the lineup because it was an extremely poor seller for him.

That being said... I did ask Norm about any chance of reissuing it, and he said that if he could get roughly two or three dozen seriously interested parties interested in buying one, he'd be willing to bring it back into the lineup... ;)

[Craig Irwin]

Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures used to cast the Panel body, but dropped it from the lineup because it was an extremely poor seller for him.

That being said... I did ask Norm about any chance of reissuing it, and he said that if he could get roughly two or three dozen seriously interested parties interested in buying one, he'd be willing to bring it back into the lineup... ;)

I imagine it was a slow seller due to a lack of donor kits, it may sell now. I'd buy one.

[Draggon]

Save the slicks, wheels, engine and frame, then wait to see what Chuck does......

[jeffs396]

Norm Veber at Replicas and Miniatures used to cast the Panel body, but dropped it from the lineup because it was an extremely poor seller for him.

That being said... I did ask Norm about any chance of reissuing it, and he said that if he could get roughly two or three dozen seriously interested parties interested in buying one, he'd be willing to bring it back into the lineup... ;)

I imagine it was a slow seller due to a lack of donor kits, it may sell now. I'd buy one.

Well here's at least three so far...come on Norm!

[ZIL 111V]

Stock '33 Chevy hearse would look great indeed.

Odd looking kit that Vampire Van...

But one of MPC's best boxart of the day....got to love this kool boxart, really nice.

[Marcus M. Jones]

If you haven't seen his progress shots, Chuck is turnin one into a PICKUP! AND he's doin a pretty good job of it, if I say so myself!!!

doing the same myself but i started with a original damaged kit. now who is Chuck and where can i find these progress shots?

Edited May 27, 2012 by Marcus M. Jones

[george 53]

Chuck Most is Chuck, and he may have posted his build up here. Being as he's a personal friend, I was privy to see some of his progress work. Chuck, have you posted anything about it here??? The mans a GENIUS when it comes to building off the wall projects!!! :D

[1930fordpickup]

Looks like a Zombie Hearse to me .

[Mark]

I imagine it was a slow seller due to a lack of donor kits, it may sell now. I'd buy one.

The donor kit that would be needed, is the AMT/Ertl Connoisseur Classics issue pictured in this thread. There is an MPC Connoisseur Classics issue also; that one is from the Seventies, and includes only the stock parts. The Vampire Van doesn't include the stock Chevy fenders, hood, radiator shell, or other trim parts.

That said, if you are able to get to any of the bigger model car-related shows, you should be able to find a rebuildable original panel delivery. One of the guys I set up at shows with had a couple of them last year. They were in decent shape (not gluebombed), had all of the parts needed for the delivery, and could have been rebuilt using a Vampire Van as a donor. Each was in the $20-25 range, less than the price of the delivery parts if they were offered in resin. I remember him lugging them to several shows and not selling them. I don't remember where the first one sold (probably a show I didn't go to), the second one finally went at NNL East last month. I'd have bought them myself, but I've already got enough parts to make three good ones already...and that's probably two more than I'll get to...

[Chuck Most]

^ Another good use for this reissue would be to source those dainty, in-scale suspension parts on a glue-bombed Panel (and by dainty and in-scale I mean guaranteed to be broken).

[Aaronw]

AMT kit# 6508

Is this kit still a possible re-issue or was it ruined along with the panel?

There are very few kits of non Ford 1930s cars / trucks, if this Chevy were to turn up again it would at least provide a start for a truck or panel.

What the heck is the Vampire van anyway, did it actually feature in the Dark ShadowsTV show or was it just another funky show truck from MPC / AMT?

[Austin T]

Man if AMT or MPC re-released the gangbusters series and redid the tooling for the panel van I thing more people would be happy then with a vampire van.Vampires aren't even thought of as scary or menacing nowadays,just some guy that sparkles in the sun.

[Chuck Most]

What the heck is the Vampire van anyway, did it actually feature in the Dark ShadowsTV show or was it just another funky show truck from MPC / AMT?

The Cabriolet was reissued as late as 1987, so I'd guess the tooling still exists. That reissue was a bit rough in spots due to wear on the tool, and I doubt 25 years of sitting in a warehouse has done it much good- might be why Round2 has not announced anything with it. I'm hoping it didn't get lost in the shuffle when production facilities were moved to Mexico, then China... that would REALLY suck, as that Cabriolet is actually a pretty nice kit. And remember, this is a FORD guy talking!

No there never was a real Vampire Van- it was a pure flight of fancy from an MPC designer named Bill DuPuy, same guy who did the Jolly Roger.

Man if AMT or MPC re-released the gangbusters series and redid the tooling for the panel van I thing more people would be happy then with a vampire van.Vampires aren't even thought of as scary or menacing nowadays,just some guy that sparkles in the sun.

It's called 'The Twilight Effect'.