Vintage 'Clunker' Bus Gets Completely Transformed Twice Over By Genius Couple

You don't see many 1948 Chevy Buses at car shows. Generally unremarkable to the average car enthusiast, the vehicle didn't exactly "change the game" or introduce some unforgettable feature to automobile assembly lines. But Ryan Lovelace still saw the charm in the old rust bucket he bought off Craigslist. In fact, he and his partner loved their '48 Chevy so much that they completely transformed the vintage clunker not once — but twice!

In Santa Barbara

For Ryan and Katie Lovelace, living in Santa Barbara was paradise. Nestled on the California coast north of Los Angeles and protected by the beautiful Santa Ynez mountains, Santa Barbara afforded the couple opportunities to live modestly and comfortably near the beach. To truly thrive, however, they needed a van.

Handcrafted

See, Ryan Lovelace loved to surf. He also enjoyed making surfboards. On his website, he wrote: "I truly enjoy hand shaping surfboards. He was a craftsmen who knew his way around a workshop, and he needed a way to easily transport his surfboards. They didn't exactly fit in a car trunk.

A Brand of Her Own

Meanwhile, Katie Lovelace shared his passions. An illustrator and designer with her own brand, Psychedelic Honey, Katie made swim and activewear. She loved surfing too, and as a hands-on creative, the idea of renovating an old van to take them up and down the coast with their surfboards was too good to pass up. There was an issue with the plan, however.

Clashing Artists

Katie Lovelace planned out her designs, pulling inspiration for her products from old books and collections. Ryan was the opposite. His ideas came spontaneously, and he acted in the moment with limited pre-planning. Buying and renovating a van together would be a test of their creative philosophies.