EXTERIOR COLOR FOR PANDORA

I've been thinking about the exterior color of Pandora now that I've decided it's going to have a Polynesian theme. I had been thinking about a simple white, but now I'm beginning to lean towards something a bit more tropical in vibe.

One direction I'm liking is a darker turquiose based on one I've posted many times on my Facebook page as a great example of a tastefully modified Econoline.

When you look at the barkcloth sample I plan to use for the back window curtains and other areas such as the driver and passenger door panels, you can see how nicely it would compliment a darker solid turquoise color. 

OPTION #1: DARK TURQUOISE.

OPTION #2: DEEP OLIVE: 

OPTION #3: GREEN PUTTY:

OPTION#4: DARK GREY PUTTY.
This is another color I'm considering, a solid darker grey with just a tinge of green. Very unusual.

INTERIOR PLOTTING

After letting the Polynesian theme sink in for my Econoline, I've started plotting what the interior will look like from a layout standpoint. I definitely want to use the interior space efficiently and comfortably. I found a furniture website online called "joybird" and was looking at some of the L-shaped couches and it inspired me to think about Pandora's rear cargo area. 

Imagine configuring something that looks like this for the back cargo area. Picture the right side of the couch butting up to the back of the driver's seat. By wrapping around at the rear wheel well, it would create a little storage are behind it and a package shelf. The shelf could be velour, barkcloth or vinyl and even house speaker as well as some storage beneath it. 

Since I'll be running a Gull Wing door instead of the double stock barn-door style cargo doors , I think the interior should be centered around the idea of looking out through the side door.

With that I mind, I started sketching a wraparound couch. One way of thinking about it is to build something akin to the styles I saw on Lovejoy's excellent website, going for a mid-mod kind of tiki-esque look. Another way at it is to utilize a early-sixties T-bird wraparound seat, perhaps building a custom transition for the corner that wraps. Doing so would be an exercise in trying to replicate what the sixties T-Bird's factory designers would have do if they'd been tasked with building a T-Bird inspired Econoline interior. I'm really liking the idea of using some kind of bamboo matting for the headliner/ceiling and walls and could totally see an interior like the one below fitting into the swank Tiki lounge vibe. 

Another "aha" moment I had was when thinking about the drivers and passenger's seats. The thought was to make the passenger seat able to flip 180 degrees so it would face the wraparound couch. 

Doing so would create a circular flow to the cargo area, making it a great place to hang with friends.

No use doing it on the drivers side since the bench would but up against the back of the driver's seat. 

In terms of the style of the seats, I'm thinking of using something similar to what Brian Morris used in Econoline, known simply as, "the Box".

So there you have it. An L-shaped couch in a mid-mod or T-Bird motif and a passenger seat that can be easily turned 180 degrees. Now add in velour or pearl vinyl upholstery material and we're beginning to get somewhere interesting.  In terms of the upholstery style, I'm thinking along the lines of a tufted, plush velour or a simple tuck and roll, like what the Matze's/Harvey's/ E-dog Econoline van uses.

A bamboo matting headliner and walls, and Cisel/Seagrass floors. 

The only thing left to figure out is the cockpit.