The back is reserved for four Sony Explode speakers (two 10-inch woofers) that Doug has hooked up to a JVC stereo system. "I wanted to keep it a two-seater and keep that space in the back," Doug says. "I haven't put in the amp [for the speakers] yet, but with the acoustics in the back, it is more than enough. I could go crazy with it if I wanted to, but I'm not into the thumping, hear-it-two-cars-down sound systems."
The van's exterior originally bore the olive green of Ohio Bell, but when Doug got it, it was a combination of black and burgundy. He liked the idea but wanted to make the paint job his own. He went to PPG in Columbus, where they concocted a blend of base black and Metallic Raspberry to create PPG Black Cherry Pearl Metallic. Stan Fleming took a different shade of nearly the same color (a little more reddish) and applied the custom flames.
Combine the van's original intended use with its motor, paint, interior, sound system, and body modifications, and you can sum up Doug's cruiser in one word-custom.