Banana Van
VWt Magazine|Issue 64

The man behind the Van that made Brembo post a safety warning on its social media feeds surrenders its secrets

Gordie Woollacott
Banana Van

Ferrari wheels, brakes painted with Bananas in Pyjamas and a sound system fit to make your ears bleed. Just another regular VWt feature ride, right? Of course not, what do you take us for?

When Dutch VW importer, Ben Pon, threw down the sketch that went on to become the VW Transporter, nobody could have imagined, 70 or so years later, that someone would be fitting alloys from what at the time was an up and coming sports car builder – that’s Ferrari by the way – to the humble box on wheels. But that’s where we are, and what a time to be alive.

As with most great ideas, this one came about in a bit of a right moment, right time kind of style. The man at the centre of it all is Iain Dickinson, otherwise and from here on in known as Dicky. Dicky runs Evolution Paint Works in Carlisle, specialising in custom builds but with a few restorations thrown in. “We like to take what people think of as unachievable and make it happen,” he says with a smile. “One of our main tricks is doing it all whilst keeping an OEM look. It’s not easy, but we’ve done over 200 Vans since we started so we must be doing something right.”

On this particular occasion, he was painting a set of 8.5J Ferrari wheels for a customer. If you think that sounds a bit narrow for a supercar, let Dicky explain: “The customer had bought two full sets of genuine wheels just to get four 8.5 fronts to fit all round on his Audi A3. The two pairs of 10.5J rears were no good to him, so I offered to buy them. When he asked just £600 for all four, I obviously bit his hand off.”

World First

Denne historien er fra Issue 64-utgaven av VWt Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Issue 64-utgaven av VWt Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA VWT MAGAZINESe alt
Cinema paradiso
VWt Magazine

Cinema paradiso

VisionTech Automotive is well known for its high-end Camper conversions, but a mobile cinema is a new one from the Essex boys

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 89
High Impact
VWt Magazine

High Impact

When the wonderfully named Kevin Snuggs wanted a Van to double up as a work promo vehicle and family Camper, only a T5 would do

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 89
Altitude adjustment
VWt Magazine

Altitude adjustment

Hi VWt, I wanted to share my pride and joy with you.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 89
The big 3-0-0
VWt Magazine

The big 3-0-0

Not too many people start with a horsepower figure when they begin a Van conversion, but James Sharp wanted something different out of his Transporter

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue 89
3-day itch
VWt Magazine

3-day itch

Building promo Vans is a joy. You get to create what you want to showcase your vision. For a short while…

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 89
On the road again
VWt Magazine

On the road again

A couple of months ago we were involved in an unfortunate incident. This month we’re happy to say it’s all fixed and looking good

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 88
Making Memories
VWt Magazine

Making Memories

Naming your Camper conversion business after a part of the brain might not sound very sexy, but when it’s the part that deals with motivation and memory, it starts to make more sense

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 88
Pete's meat
VWt Magazine

Pete's meat

This isn’t our first rib rodeo, but here’s an alternative method of pre-BBQ prep for equally delicious baby back ribs`

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 88
Letting off steam
VWt Magazine

Letting off steam

When the missus announced she was heading for a university visit with our eldest, Oscar and I decided to put the two-berth T5 through its paces in north Norfolk

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 88
System PORSCHE
VWt Magazine

System PORSCHE

If VW and Porsche worked together on a T6 we suspect it would have a little more power but, looks-wise, we reckon Jamie Colley has nailed it

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 88