My husband has a 1992 mini-van with nearly 300,00 miles on it. It is definitely sexy coluld never be miscontrued as a soccer mom vehicle! Here’s how he’s made it sexy: The paint is peeling and looks like someone who could give a hoot about appearances. OOOOOO…bad boy sexy! Both the air conditioner and radiio do not work. As a former North Shore native who travels back there several times a year, this kind of long- distance traveling sans frills creates a tough-as-nails persona. He sea kayaks and does whitewater conoeing, so he has hand-cut and sanded 2 X 4’s on his roof as a rack for carrying the boats. The driver’s seat is broken, so a basefball bat wedged between the back of the seat and the floor behind it holds it upright, and the touch that makes even little girly me feel more manley when I drive it is the chain of carabiners that dangle from the back of the passenger seat, clanking like Marley’s ghost with every bump.
And if all of this doesn’t do it, when the driver’s door opens, out steps a 6’1" guy with a shaved head and Sean Connery eyebrows who is 220 pounds of muscle.
I think GM should hire him to change the mini-van’s image!
First, loved the show! Still chuckling about neutering the cat.
The idea of painting a car on the minivan is awesome; but Craig needs to determine what kind of woman he wants and paint accordingly. A corvette would work for some but leave others cold. Me, I’d look twice at a Moddel T. It would tell me that the driver is smart and secure enough to make fun of his ride (tho any image will do that.) It would also take some real creativity to get that right. Plus, I’d expect the driver to be a gentlemen and a bit old-fashioned but still obviously clever and fun–that would work for me! (If I wasn’t happily married, of course.)
Love Judy’s solution. But how about painting baby chicks on the sides and calling it a “ChicMobile”? Or would that sound like a “female” car?
Shirlzey
Paint the car you want to drive on bottom half of each side and use the top half to advertise your business, and write off the cost as advertising.
Craig should paint his van with lots of pink ribbons and messages about breast cancer awareness, along with phone numbers to contact charities and support groups. Maybe some awareness websites too. He will demonstrate his sensitive side while simultaneously supporting a worthy cause for women. Everyone wins!
Sell the minivan and get a convertable…it may not attract the type of women that he is looking for but it will be a lot more fun to drive.
And what’s with Tom and Ray telling the lady to drag a Camaro behind her F150…Bad Idea… it doesn’t cost the much to put it on carrier and have it delivered and pulling a vehicle is no simple matter. It is really hard on brakes, transmission and not really safe to someone that is not accustomed to pulling trailers, etc. Especially if the truck does not have a towing package with extra cooling for trans. And be sure to turn off the overdrive (if possible) which kills the gas mileage. Send the car via carrier…the safe choice and really only choice.
However towing is better than what I witnessed a few years ago…one car pushing a VW Beetle down a Houston freeway at night at the posted speed limit and both cars were all over the road…some people should not be allowed to drive.
I’m in favor of Craig sticking with his original idea of painting a Ferrari or some similarly over-the-top babe magnet on the side of his van, because it shows he has a great sense of humor and is secure enough to make fun of himself, two traits that are irresistible to 9 out of 10 women.
I have no ideas for Craig, maybe his foreign (to californians) accents might help. However I strongly disagree Tommy and Remmy. When I was in high school and to a degree in college which all happened in Mexico, a young guy in a minivan or any kind of spacious vehicle would communicate to the right crowd “I am ready” this is because in most other countries kids have to live with their parents until 40 or they get married whatever happens first so a minivan is very, VERY convenient and never SEXLESS. I don’t know what you guys were talking about. When I was in high school, the kid withe padded minivan and the dreamy green eyes was the envy of everyone!! including me…
you got your answer when you said houston…IE texas. people in texas dont give a crap about anyone but themselves and their so called driving skills or lack of them, proves it
sweet idea thanks for posting the pics
Look sexy in a mini-van, buy a great dog, the athletic breeds, tall enough to hang out the window. Nothing moves a California girl like a beautiful dog!
To repair Craig’s image, if he really has an image problem, three steps:
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Add a surfboard rack. No need to carry a surfboard; someone might steal it. Or someone might want you to show off your stuff.
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Add a bicycle rack. No need . . . see reason above.
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Put decals from state and national parks and forests. This will show that you are a committed and serious person.
Best of luck,
Marilyn Monroe said it best in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “Don’t you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty?” Upgrade the minivan to a luxocruiser by rebadging it. Your Toyota becomes a Lexus, a GM a Caddilac, a Nissan an Infinity, a Chrysler a Mercedes Benz. You don’t even have to stay true to the original DNA, upgrade your minivan to any high dollar marque you choose. You say no one ever heard of a Rover minivan? It is a Canadian market model. Throw in the proper marque wheels and interior pieces (seats, steering wheel, etc) from that marques crossover to make the illusion complete.
I think painting the words “Monolo Blahnick – Free Sample Shoes” on the side would do it.
I actually drove one of the old boxy Dodge minivans, and seriously thought about painting it to look like a (1960’s era)'31 Ford “Woody” Surf Wagon- complete with faux bulging fenders, grey spoke mags painted on the hub caps, with real running boards and a couple of surfboards bolted to the luggage rack. I have since disabused myself of such notions by limiting my alcohol intake…
So the sexiest thing I have ever seen is my husband cleaning the bathroom…I tell you - if you paint you doing housework on the side of your van, you’ll have to beat 'em off with a stick!
Lots of great ideas! I have a simple one: Either get a bumper sticker or paint on the back of the mini van, “My other car is a Ferrari.”
BethAnn
Alfred, NY
I’m thinking Craig could do a fantastic paint job along the lines of Greased Lightning (from Grease)& get the wheels to go with it. But I have to agree with rackthis, about staying away from the muffler… you’d be really limiting the chick magnet appeal. And, how about adding rack where you could carry a dirt bike. This could attract your outdoors type. Good luck, Craig.
Recently I saw a picture of a plumber’s pickup truck (I think, in Fine Home Building mag) that had a custom paint job. It graphically pictured what this man did for a living! It can either be viewed as a fine example of the creative process at work or as a cautionary tail of how not to paint your truck!