Revell Models Pepsi Team Skateboard Van from 1979

It’s a fad that’s grown into a lifestyle…

Traveling across the country in their van, the Pepsi-Cola skateboard team prepares to visit another city and show them what skateboarding is all about. Careening down the concrete; dodging in and out of man-made obstacles; letting it all hang out; pushing it tot the edge and back again… that’s skateboarding! It’s a fad that’s grown into a lifestyle for millions of young people nationwide. Pepsi-Cola has been instrumental in skateboarding’s growth, as their team of professionals have introduced skateboarding at cities everywhere across the United States.

Well, how could I refuse this, even if it did come from an eBay auction put up by a member with the dubious name of “boneite?” Best part was, he turned out to be an S&A reader by the name of Tom, who also lives in Portland. Concretin Nik, this one is for you. 10 pictures of the Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van from 1979.

Here’s the box. The whole thing came with the shrink wrap opened, but otherwise unmolested and unassembled. Tom found it at thrift store somewhere and paid a couple bucks for it.

1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van

“Molded in 2 colors. No painting!” Except that they show three colors on the box. There are no blue parts inside.

1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van
1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van

Here’s where the great copy comes from.

1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van

The decal sheet. I thought long and hard about whether to assemble this thing. My concern wasn’t about “keeping it mint” because I could care less. I was just recalling all the failures in my youth whenever it came to applying decals to models. I never got them right, and as a result models always looked like they had been painted during an earthquake. On top of that, this decal sheet was 30 years old, so I didn’t know if they would adhere or just disintegrate. I decided to do a test with a small scrap, and to my surprise, it worked. So I went for it.

1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van

I thought i did a pretty good job, no obvious glaring mistakes, until I got out the fisheye lens for some close ups, and every error became magnified. Still, I’m glad I put the decals on. It’s much more fun to look at this way. Yes, I laid on my stomach in the middle of my street to get this shot.

1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van
1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van
1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van
1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van
1979 Revell Models Pepsi Skateboard Van

Discussion

12 thoughts on “It’s a fad that’s grown into a lifestyle…

  1. houseofneil on June 10, 2009 - Reply

    dude, link to the auction please

  2. Auction is long gone, December of 2008.

  3. WINNER! Thank you. “Yes, I laid on my stomach in the middle of my street to get this shot.” Because you are the man. That is bad ass Sir.

  4. am i the only one who wants to see this van get involved in some stop-animation adventures?

  5. The Pepsi team coming to my school was the best assembly ever.
    It didn’t sell me on their soda, but I’m still hooked on skateboarding today.

  6. YA! Nice shots! Someone needs to paint a real van like that!

  7. If there was a “Pepsi Van” – it was my van –
    a light-blue 1974 Ford Econoline With an Odyssey wing spoiler on top.

    Sometimes I would have the BIG Pepsi logo stickers on both front doors and on the back door !

    Ask anyone that SKATED on the Pepsi Team .

    I never saw a white Pepsi van like that back then.

    ….-Rene Cannonball Carrasco
    http://www.myspace.com/renecarrasco

    2008 inductee –
    ‘WFSA FREESTYLE SKATEBOARDING HALL OF FAME’
    -who performed over 2,000 Pepsi Cola Pro Team Demo’s
    as Captain of the Orange County Pepsi Team.

    -I authored a Pepsi Cola Pro Skateboard Team article
    that is published in the
    1999 Skateboard History Book –
    ‘The Concrete Wave – The History of Skateboarding’
    ( Michael Brooke author)….pages 84 & 85.

    Pepsi Team photo’s – these are all me…..
    see >>>

    LINK ONE – DEAD LINK.

    LINK TWO – DEAD LINK.

    LINK THREE

    LINK FOUR

    ——————————————————–

  8. skaterhusseindave on August 6, 2009 - Reply

    Do I remember a plexiglass Pepsi halfpipe? (I’m too lazy to do my own research)

  9. FALSE ADVERTISING!! You totally fooled me, I thought that thing was full size and got my Rectors in a bunch until I checked out the full story. Damn you Pepsi and damn you Kilwag!

    1. talentlessquitter on February 16, 2011 - Reply

      That Kryptonics van is pretty badass…

    2. talentlessquitter on February 16, 2011 - Reply

      …And no;I did not first read your comment.What a coincidence!

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