Chevy Work Van Featuring a Custom Nintendo 64 In-Dash Setup is the Perfect Way to Enjoy Lunch.

      Eric via Facebook

      In an era before in-car subscriptions and complex interfaces, screens were simply enjoyable. I'm reminiscing about that time as I examine the project of one enthusiast and retro gaming lover, Eric, who modified his work van years ago. He installed a Nintendo 64 into the dashboard of a Chevy 3500 utility van, featuring four controller ports, the original power-on LED, and a cartridge slot arranged to resemble a cheerful face. Above it, a flip-down display showcases the original Super Smash Bros. in action.

      This exemplifies how screens should serve us rather than the inverse. It embodies the promise that the fusion of cars and technology once held; your vehicle could still function as a car, but you could also engage in a fighting match on Kongo Jungle during breaks. It’s ingenious. Eric shared on Facebook that he and his coworker often played during lunch breaks, typically in a grocery store parking lot, as that’s where their previous jobs required them to go.

      I reached out to Eric because I needed to learn more about this installation. He explained that the primary challenge was detaching the cartridge slot from the motherboard, as they are usually positioned at right angles in a standard N64. “I had to desolder the pin connector from the main board, and reconnect it pin for pin using jumper wires,” Eric mentioned. “This allowed the connector to be repositioned independently from the board.”

      What you see in the Chevy’s dashboard is essentially the top of a genuine N64 facing outwards, with drilled holes for the controller ports above it. Jumpers were also soldered in for the power supply, and once Eric disassembled the console and reconfigured the components, the remainder of the installation was “pretty straightforward.” An inverter provided power to the system.

      Eric described the project as fulfilling, noting that while he and his coworker Johnny typically played Smash Bros. together, during long road trips, the passenger could rotate the display towards them to play various N64 classics like Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64, and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire while on the go. Additionally, they had access to another system; beneath the integrated N64 was a Nintendo Entertainment System tucked away in a cubby in the lower center stack.

      This van was like a paradise for Nintendo enthusiasts. Eric via Facebook

      In the end, when Eric was laid off from that job, he chose not to reinstall the original head unit into the work van, so he left everything as it was. The fate of the vehicle remains uncertain, but we hope it brought some joy to its new owners. And if you happen to be looking through Facebook Marketplace in the western region and spot a 2012 Chevy 3500 with a built-in N64, you’ll know who the creator was.

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