ctrlraven
12-02-2008, 08:54 PM
(Seriously!)
Posted Dec 1st 2008 11:29AM by Chris Tutor (http://www.autoblog.com/bloggers/chris-tutor)
Filed under: Aftermarket (http://www.autoblog.com/category/aftermarket/), Minivans/MPVs (http://www.autoblog.com/category/minivans/), Auction Action (http://www.autoblog.com/category/auction-action/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Celebrities (http://www.autoblog.com/category/celebrities/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/saleen_wstar_front_450.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ebay-find-tim-allens-saleen-windstar/1192718/)
<small>Click above for image gallery of the Saleen Ford Windstar</small>
Outrageous minivans are oddities of the train wreck variety. You don't want to, but you just gotta look. And we're suckers for them. Not that long ago we had the ridiculously fast, jet-powered Dodge Caravan (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/06/videos-jet-powered-dodge-caravan-earns-its-sports-badge/), and then there was the show but stock slow Mugen Honda Odyssey. (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/03/mugen-jdm-honda-odyssey-puts-the-get-in-grocery-getter/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/saleen_wstar_saleen_215.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ebay-find-tim-allens-saleen-windstar/1192719/)But what do you think of a Saleen-built Ford Windstar (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140284923828&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&viewitem)? And, no, it's not a soccer mom special that someone slapped a Saleen windshield header on. This is the real deal. It's got custom-made carbon fiber mirrors, valve covers and steering wheel. The double-nostril hood is custom-made as is the gauge cluster and the fender flares over the Z-rated 18-inch Rikens. Underhood is a Saleen supercharger atop the Ford V6. The eBay auction says more than $100,000 was spent on the monster minivan's production.
So who in their right mind would spend that kind of cash on something originally meant to sit idle in front of daycare facilities? Two words: Tool Time. As in Tim "Tool Time" Allen. Tim teamed up with Steve Saleen several years ago to produce the Saleen Windstar. Just as this prototype was finished, however, Ford redesigned the Windstar and all plans to offer the package for sale were scrapped.
Luckily the van wasn't, and lately has been used as a promotional tool for Port-A-Board (http://www.port-a-board.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=19), a company that makes collapsible skateboards. It was founded by Brett Gregory, who is a producer of Tim Allen's upcoming movie. And since the Saleen Windstar is still in the family, the winning bidder can choose to have a photo session with their new vehicle and Tim Allen himself. After six bids, the auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140284923828&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&viewitem) is up to $3,650 without hitting the reserve. You've got six days. Thanks for the tip, Joe.
Gallery: eBay find: Tim Allen's Saleen Windstar (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ebay-find-tim-allens-saleen-windstar/)
Posted Dec 1st 2008 11:29AM by Chris Tutor (http://www.autoblog.com/bloggers/chris-tutor)
Filed under: Aftermarket (http://www.autoblog.com/category/aftermarket/), Minivans/MPVs (http://www.autoblog.com/category/minivans/), Auction Action (http://www.autoblog.com/category/auction-action/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Celebrities (http://www.autoblog.com/category/celebrities/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/saleen_wstar_front_450.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ebay-find-tim-allens-saleen-windstar/1192718/)
<small>Click above for image gallery of the Saleen Ford Windstar</small>
Outrageous minivans are oddities of the train wreck variety. You don't want to, but you just gotta look. And we're suckers for them. Not that long ago we had the ridiculously fast, jet-powered Dodge Caravan (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/06/videos-jet-powered-dodge-caravan-earns-its-sports-badge/), and then there was the show but stock slow Mugen Honda Odyssey. (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/03/mugen-jdm-honda-odyssey-puts-the-get-in-grocery-getter/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/saleen_wstar_saleen_215.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ebay-find-tim-allens-saleen-windstar/1192719/)But what do you think of a Saleen-built Ford Windstar (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140284923828&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&viewitem)? And, no, it's not a soccer mom special that someone slapped a Saleen windshield header on. This is the real deal. It's got custom-made carbon fiber mirrors, valve covers and steering wheel. The double-nostril hood is custom-made as is the gauge cluster and the fender flares over the Z-rated 18-inch Rikens. Underhood is a Saleen supercharger atop the Ford V6. The eBay auction says more than $100,000 was spent on the monster minivan's production.
So who in their right mind would spend that kind of cash on something originally meant to sit idle in front of daycare facilities? Two words: Tool Time. As in Tim "Tool Time" Allen. Tim teamed up with Steve Saleen several years ago to produce the Saleen Windstar. Just as this prototype was finished, however, Ford redesigned the Windstar and all plans to offer the package for sale were scrapped.
Luckily the van wasn't, and lately has been used as a promotional tool for Port-A-Board (http://www.port-a-board.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=19), a company that makes collapsible skateboards. It was founded by Brett Gregory, who is a producer of Tim Allen's upcoming movie. And since the Saleen Windstar is still in the family, the winning bidder can choose to have a photo session with their new vehicle and Tim Allen himself. After six bids, the auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140284923828&sspagename=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&viewitem) is up to $3,650 without hitting the reserve. You've got six days. Thanks for the tip, Joe.
Gallery: eBay find: Tim Allen's Saleen Windstar (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ebay-find-tim-allens-saleen-windstar/)