(new pics!) Brian O' Hop's Adventures in Vannin'!

Jul 6, 2018
2 min read

( I had to reboot this story with the recent addition of more Phony Co and updated Penny Arcade pics! )

Brian O'Hops vannin' story started like a lot of kids in the 70's....on Van Nuys Blvd.

Brian checked out some local vans out on the Blvd and decided he had to have one too. He met Rick from the Vandits and ended up picking up a 76 Dodge van and joining the club around 1977.The Vandits numbered about 25 members in the 70;s and met regularly at Shakeys on Sepulveda. Brian's Dodge was heavily customized and was known as "Brians Illusion" because of some of the trick interior lighting. It was featured in Truckin Magazine in 1980 and attended the San Diego Van nationals as well as many other vannin' events of the 70's.

Soon, the paint on Brians Illusion was fading, so Brian ( who worked for the phone company) hatched a new paint scheme idea to humorously emulate a phone company van paint scheme and "Phony Co" was born. Mark Pinkstaff , a fellow Vandit, offered to paint the van for the cost of materials because he liked the idea. Brian had to feed him whenever he worked on it. Phony Co was a complex project, Mark would do body work then prime the van and send Brian home to block sand it. After many trips, Mark laid down the paint in one long weekend. Then Steve Stanford hand lettered "Ding a Ling Phone Company" on the van. the vans interior was kept the same as the "Brians Illusion" version with a few minor mods. If you are curious if the phone company Brian worked for appreciated the "Phony Co" van showing up to work the answer is a resounding NO. He was almost fired at the time by one manager although many other got the humor behind the paint job.The day came in the late 80's/early 90's when Brian was looking into buying a house that Phony Co was sold to help fund the purchase. This ended the first chapter of Brians vannin career.

(enjoy these fresh (new) old pics!

lol! stealth mode phony co! ^^^^^^^^

Fast Forward - Brian started considering getting back into vannin' after checking out Fred Durfee's ( wheels of confusion member) van and decided it was time for another van. He got back in touch with Randy York ( another vandits alumni) and after coming out to the 2012 Slow Ride ended up purchasing the second "Zam Van" from Zamanta Nix. Brian rejoined the Vandits who were ( and still are) an operating legacy club. The incredible paint that's on Brians van now is a burnt orange from House of Kolor done by Saticoy Customs. The distinctive wheels are American Racing custom offset 17 x 9 rear and 17 x 8 front. The interior features burnt wood, some of the original Illusion theme trick lighting, ice box, overhead console, hardwood floors and will be known as "Penny Arcade" based on additional coin op theme items.