Ramble on...
The '54 has been gone about as long as I've had the panel van.
The next owner had it under a tarp in his back yard for 10 years. Last I heard it resold for $14K. But your right, I might sell on the wheels, then the motor, then the van to finance the eRat (in my Profile pic).
The original proposal was to go electric for in-town deliveries. I just threw the boat tail out there to lure someone besides ecomodded into the thread.
The full business plan would be partnering with a local electric conversion shop for 3 conversions, with an option for 2 more. The rest would be Vanagons (since it is a 'standard' conversion), and the van would become Old Number 1, and used only for back-up for the others when the drivers run down their batteries.
I've ridden in a 2-liter, freeway flyer double-cab at traffic speeds. It was nice. What's you friend Jason running for a motor?
euromodder -- a wake-filling parachute.
ecomodded -- My model was limited by the length of a jumbo paper clip. Your right, a license-and-lights panel would probably be double hinged.