We posted a piece a while back with a selection of some regular, run of the mill vans, and then detailed each to raise awareness about their quirks and merits. However, the most interesting vans and commercial vehicles are not the common ones you see every day, even though they are inherently cool because of that.

Nowadays, if you search hard enough, you can find something that was never meant to turn heads, and then transform it into something that does. I mean, sure, this 1959 Austin J2 pickup is in a sorry state, but it’s not irreparable. Moreover, the price is really low, and it has a unique feature in that it has (mostly) enclosed front wheels.

I personally find that interesting in older cars, and while it’s not known to be a practical solution, as it tends to gather a fair bit of snow and/or mud, it’s a unique styling cue that is all-but absent nowadays.

In addition, this example that is listed for sale on eBay in Eugene, Oregon won’t break the bank to purchase. Sourcing parts may be an issue, and they may be hard and/or expensive to get from the UK (if you don’t find a local specialist to do it for you).

Still, try to picture this very unique pickup all finished up, with a proper paint job, and no dents or rust. Or, you could disregard that altogether, and just make it mechanically sound and make one heck of a rat rod out of it too.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

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