What do you picture when you hear the term “good times van”? Probably an older box on wheels with plenty of room in the back for listening to music, makin’ out, and perhaps enjoying some mind-expanding substances. You usually don’t think of it offering good times in the driver seat, though.
The van you see here brings a whole new meaning to that name. The person that winds up behind its wheel is going to be having the best time because they’ll be connected to a Lingenfelter 427 crate motor.
Of course, stuffing something that badass into a once-lowly people-mover requires some problem solving. For instance, some of the firewall has to be carved out to make room for the alternator. The positions of the coils have to be adjusted to fit under the The Atomic Van’s short hood. Hot Rod Garage chooses to move the pedal box forward to make accessing the output of the mighty 7.0-liter engine up front a little easier.
That’s connected to a fortified 4L80E heavy-duty truck tranny. It takes something that hardcore to handle the 427’s 630 horsepower.
It also takes a little patience to finally hear that big engine fire up. The video at the bottom is long, but it’s full of interesting facts and tips for gearheads.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
