Many years ago, vans straddled the boundary between noun and verb. They personified the action of converting the automotive equivalent of a lunchbox into a moveable feast. Frank Costa, Jr., of Cumberland, Rhode Island, continues to revel in the custom van scene. He named the '87 GMC short van, splashed across these pages, Never Enough, appropriate in light of his never-ending, almost 29-year, seven-stop cruise from one custom van to another with his wife of 25 years and two kids.
The buildup for Never Enough took 3-1/2 years, transforming an undistinguished van that he bought for only $150 into a competition-worthy van that's regularly won awards from the show scene for the past few years - not to mention, the van now is hardly a purebred, but rather a conglomeration of makes and models that left a trail of scavenged vehicles, sweat, a red mohawk, trophies, and gratification from the execution of a passionate pursuit. Francis did much of the work on this project, but he did have a little help. He thanks Paul Landry, Eddie Horsefield, John Scull, Jeff Stone, Carlos Perez, George Hall, Quality Autobody, Joly's Autobody, brother-in-law Mike Dufresne, and Paul (owner of Blue Magic Speed Shop in Bellingham, Massachusetts), in addition to the people called out elsewhere in this article. Francis says that "vanning is our way of life." After almost 30 years, Francis apparently hasn't had enough. That's good. Neither have we.