Ron Cambra’s Historic 1975 Custom Dodge Van
When his buddy Brian O’hop says he knows of an original late ’70s custom van in a barn in Ohio, Ron says, get me his number and bought the van sight unseen. A month later it arrives at his Cambra Speed Shop and is an absolute mess. But when he gets the gull-wing doors opened he couldn’t believe how nice it was on the inside.
For 30 years it sat in a barn in Ohio. Built by Tom & Andrea Ewing out of Fresno, California (not far from where Ron grew up) it hit the show circuit in the late ’70s and was featured in the 1984 issue of Vans & Trucks magazine. With a radical chop, t-tops, copper bumpers and wheel rims, it was a sight to be seen. After a few title changes it ended up in Ohio where it sat for several decades.
When Ron received the van he wasn’t sure if he could restore it. The body was pretty rough, but after a closer inspection, it wasn’t that bad at all. He knew his talented crew could get it back to life.
The inside was remarkably clean. All sealed up kept the wood is like brand new. He only needed to re-upholster the front seats, door panels, engine cover and dash. The original T-Tops were cracked so when the vinyl top was re-upholstered he did the padded vinyl on the t-tops till he gets new plexi made. The expert body prep and paint guys at Ron’s shop; https://CambraSpeedShop.com did a great job getting it all back together. Osmar and Hitoshi laying down the black and clear, then Steve Vandemon picked up on the graphics. The mural on the hood and center of the back door are original, all the other graphics and lettering were restored by Steve. The van was a hit at the recent Keep On Truckin’ exhibit at the 2023 Grand National Roadster Show parked in front of Ron’s other van: “Octopus’ Garden”.
