VERY MUCH PRE-PROLOGUE
REPRINT FROM TRAFIKJOURNALEN ISSUE #22 1979
FEVER VANTASIES
Christer Lundmark’s IP Icarus panel van shows that even vehicles generally overlooked by the public can become show winning custom cars.
Asian cars haven’t been much of a success among the custom car crowd. They are practical, sells for competitive prices and have a reputation to work rather well. But Christer Lundmark proves that they can be so much more. Especially since his 1971 IP Icarus have been fetching some prizes lately.
“I was originally looking for a Volvo Duett to make something fun out of”, Christer says. “But the same amount of money could buy me this 1971 IP Icarus, so I thought why not? There’s no question which one that is more up to date, at least.”
It should be said that the Icarus was by no means in pristine condition by then. Being used as a delivery vehicle in the hectical Stockholm traffic had taken its toll, with both dings and rust showing up more or less everywhere on the boxy body.
“Yes, I had to start with straightening out dents and welding up the sills and rear arches”, Christer says. “Lots of small spots were sandblasted, and the front fenders were replaced with brand new ones. While I was at it, I decided to ditch the dented stock grille and bumper and replace them with custom parts.”"
A tubular front bumper has replaced the stock unit. The spider web grille was done by brazing together chromed water piping. The hood ornament is actually original, and is said to symbolize the wax wings of Icarus. Small round indicators replaced the grille mounted stock ones.
The van craze is strong in the United States, and the interest have reached Sweden. But not everyone wants to pay the high prices for something like a VCV Dur-A-Van, which does not mean that you can’t work with what you have. Stuff dound in high dollar US builds have also been finding the way into this IP.
“I decided to cut out the side panels for porthole windows that were bought from Roger’s Custom”, Christer says. “The tailgate was shaved from the chrome trim and backup lights, which were replaced by what is actually fog lights mounted under the bumper. Now you can see where you are reversing at night!”, Christer says with a laugh. “A flip up glass sunroof was also installed, before the car was sent for painting.”
An airbrushed black jaguar is watching you from a gloss black background. Christer says that metalflake, which probably most people would have choosen, isn’t his thing.
From a boring white van with black steel wheels with lost hubcaps, it was transformed into a black beauty, with the name of the van, “Jungle Fever”, being painted on the sides, along with a black jaguar. Polished Shelby Slotmag wheels on meaty tyres gives it an aggressive stance, especially with the air shocks in the back pumped up to max. The side pipes are actually legal.
“The requirements says that they outlet has to be behind the last opening door or window”, Christer says. Since the van lacks opening rear doors or side windows, it is totally OK to let them end in front of the rear wheels, even though it has been hard to convince the police sometimes.
The dashboard is largely kept stock, albeit with the faux wood on the dashboard from an Icarus DX. However, the simple vinyl interior was reupholstered in gold coloured velour. A wood steering wheel tops it all off.
So far, so good, small details like a sun visor over the windshield, marker lights on the roof and bullet style mirrors tops it all off. But no custom van is complete without a matching interior. The passenger compartment looks familiar to anyone that has ever been in an Icarus, spare for the gold coloured velour, and almost obligatory aftermarket steering wheel. In the cargo area, things are a little bit different. Button tucked panels in the same kind of velour, hardwood floor, minibar, couch and even a small TV, almost impressive considering that there’s not that much space in the back of an Icarus van.
“It is by no means comfortable to sit and watch TV in that couch”, Christer admits. Mostly it is just for show, but when it is as beautiful as in this Icarus, who cares?
The brass lights are from an old horse drawn carriage, but now converted to electric light bulbs.
Originally, the Icarus van has a rather boring 4 cylinder pushrod unit. However, the sedan and wagon versions could be had with a much more exciting 2.4 litre OHC six cylinder. Christer managed to find one from a low mileage, crashed car in the junkyard, but then the trouble started.
“It would not pass safety inspection to start with”, Christer says with a sigh. “Proving that the four cylinder van had the same chassis components as the six cylinder passenger cars took some work, but with papers I got from the IP importer, they finally let it pass through.”
To further spice up things, the head got ported and milled, and a camshaft and exhaust manifold from IMOS, which is the factory motorsports division of IP, was installed. The intake manifold, now crowned with a 390 cfm Holley 4 barrel, is not from IMOS, though.
“I have no idea what brand it is”, Christer says, “It somehow appeared in the classifieds in the newspaper, and the guy selling it had no idea where it came from, appears like he got it with a bunch of other stuff that he imported from the US, for reasons unknown. It works well, though.”
So that’s how to make an old IP panel van into a show winner. Christer himself, though, is planning to sell Jungle Fever to make room for new projects.
"I caught the van fever for real, he says. "So, now I am looking for a VCV Dur-A-van as my next project.
Christer, and many other people have dreams about US vans. But we think that Jungle Fever shows that working with what you have can give you just as much fun. Keep this in mind when you see cars you think looks boring out in the streets. Anything can be a diamond in the rough.
This was 45 years ago now…
The times are constantly changing…
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