I was in my old East Bay stomping grounds last weekend, to drive the Scion FR-S (review coming soon) and watch the Oakland A’s beat up the hapless Red Sox. I also spotted one of the greatest motor vehicles in history while driving down High Street on the way to The Island That Rust Forgot. It featured the letters “UFO” across a vaguely tailgate-ish rear body panel. I’ve puzzled out the type of vehicle it’s based on. Can you?
Actually, I cheated a little by looking up the license plate in the California smog check database. It’s a 1973 Chevy Luv pickup with a whole bunch of innovative modifications.
I tried to talk to the driver about it, but she seemed reluctant to chat with anyone in a Hot Lava Orange Scion.
The world needs more customized trucks like this!
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Yes, that’s a Chevy Luv. The kink in the accent line on the door is the giveaway.
As a Chevy LUV enthusiast, I support this message.
Kinky Luv is the best luv.
the bed loops and the top of the bed flange gave it away to me. Man I miss my old man’s Luv :)
Was it the kink in the beltline on the door that gave it away?
Wow that poor, poor Luv. Looks like someone tried to beat it to death with a shovel.
At one point it was a first generation Isuzu/Chevy Luv pickup.
There is a lotta LUV in this room.
Having owned a lemon yellow LUV that lived up (down?) to its color, there were many times I should have beaten it to death with said shovel.
Seriously? The 2 LUV trucks I owned were the best vehicles I have owned to date. But, some people CAN break a crowbar in a sandbox…
Seriously is right – we had several of these in the family and my mother drove one for tens of thousands of miles at work. Primitive they were but they were really good little trucks for us. I sure would like to see more of these than the freight train sized pickups people unnecessarily drive around town these days. I’d feel alot safer.
Did she have an LA face and an Oak-Town booty to go with that LUV?
Did this start out with the roof getting crushed in an accident, and the owner just figured what the heck, cut it off?
My clue was the hooks around the truck bed. I think only Chevy and Nissan’s had those. An excellent display from the “How To Invest A Few Thousand Dollars And Countless Hours To Create A $400 Car” manual.
Nope. Toyota’s and other Jap trucks had bed hooks too
Yep, my ’72 Courier had bed hooks. Damn, that was a good truck.
I was going to mention the Kia-ish-looking grille area, but I realized that I really have nothing else to say about this other than what an imagination!
Will.i.am’s latest creation. DON’T call it a LUV…
John delorean would be shocked, shocked, I tell you!
wow, I think I can count 3 different front bumpers. possibly a late 80s mustang part in the middle?
I was just going to comment on how much I liked the integration of the pre-SN-95 Mustang GT lower front fascia into his vehicular mash-up…
It’s a shame that he went to all that grief to build the car, and then picked up some plastic mailbox letters at Ace Hardware to put on the back.
Come to think of it, probably 40 percent of what’s visible in the picture came from Ace Hardware…
If it had been in snow belt it would have rusted away decades ago.
+1 to el scotto. Rust . . . . .that was one thing those Chevy LUV trucks did VERY well!
I would have thought it was a test mule for an El Camino based on the next generation Camaro, but there’s too much greenhouse.
Looks like Oakland is finally joining Detroit – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aOWZSzxEEA
The truck and the billboard on pic 07 are a truly perfect demographic match.
I don’t know what it was but I can take a guess as to what went into making it. Art and alcohol, lots of it. Unfortunately it looks more like the hangover than the party because there are signs of genius.
I miss Oakland
UFO? Unidentified Fugly Object?
for sure – that’s the latest lamborghini crossover concept!
I do believe that upper-center grill section, and the headlight housings, are from an S110 Silvia, a.k.a. 1980-81 Datsun 200SX:
http://witenvy.com/dasilvia/biscuits/ss110.jpg
WTF seems more appropriate than UFO.
The roof looks removable either T-Top or targa. Back in the 70’s 80’s when small PU were popular some had removable roofs installed like a roadster.
UFO? What’s that stand for? Unrecognizably F-dded up Object?
It’s mashed up alright. It’s an abomination, and a very badly done one at that if you ask me. Poor, poor, pitiful Luv truck.
Without even looking at the comments, I immediately recognized the beltline kink in the doors, the vent grill behind the doors, and the general creases in the front of the hood, and of course, the bed.
My best friend had a white ’78 Chevy Luv truck for a few years in the early 90’s with a 5spd stick. Great little truck, but underpowered, but reliable as the day is long though.
There is a goofy, stock olive green ’72, or 73 Luv running around my ‘hood, and I first saw it 2-3 years ago, and again last week, waiting at the light as I was waiting to turn right to head off to work. Didn’t know if it was still around the area, yep.
As to you MM, sorry she was not the kind to take a few minutes with you to talk about this, contraption thing she’s driving.
It’s imaginative, but not of the good kind, and yes, I recognized the lower front fascia of the late 80’s Stang up front, but that’s one of the very few items I did recognize though.
Chevy Luv, hands down. IF WRONG, Ford Courier.
The Chevy LUV may have not been the greatest vehicle ever built, but
the poor thing sure didn’t need this horrendous treatment. Somebody obviously has too much money and way too little taste.
If they don’t make what you want, build it yourself.
It very attractive and beautiful car. It is much costly I think and may unaffordable for a middle class family. usually middle class families do not purchase these car, they prefer taxi cabs and limousine taxi cab services for their pleasure. It may affordable to them. so, company should care about the preference and choice of these families, while making new models of cars.
Looks like something out of Mad Max.