How about this for thought?!?!

[iluvmy72]

My wife and I recieved an 88 Astro van the other day from her parents.....it's beat up inside and out.....it has a tired 4.3 liter fuel injected engine and a rebuilt 700r4 tranny and a completely redone AC system on the engine side.......in looking at the frame underneith, the body sits flat like our cabs do.....I'm wondering if this would be a good frame to convert over to.....My LB is out of wack from a wreck....plus I want to convert over to a shortbed anyway.....my question is, would this be a good frame to use?....the suspension alone would give a much nicer ride and I was thinking that I can take that 4.3 liter and rebuild it and add some headers and then yank the smog equipment to give a some ponys.....of course the rear end would have to go.....but this would be a fun project if the wheels would line up correctly. This would give me lots of power and save gas at the same time......what does everyone think about this theory?....or has anyone tried or have any experience with these Astro Van frames.

[Jason71k10]

sorry, Astro/safari vans don't have a frame. They have a "uni-body". The floor pan is stamped to look like frame, and the engine cradle bolts on to that.

It was worth a shot though

Jason

[nightmare]

i hate to say it, but i think that the astro vans have a frame, but the astro vans are built off of the s-10 chassis. it will not work though. the astro vans are narrower and shorter than a short bed pickup.

[Jason71k10]

well, i can't say for sure about the newer ones, but in "88, which is the year iluvmy72 was asking about, they did not have a frame. i know because my dad had an 87 and an 88 at one time. We put a trailer hitch on the 87. we had to take the rear bumper off and bolt the hitch to the unibody, and then bolt the bumper onto the hitch.

i believe in 95 they went through a few style changes, and put metal leaf springs(older ones had nylon springs) on them, and may have have built them on an s-10 frame, but the earlier ones weren't.

jason

[Stroker]

Well I can't shed any light on the Astro van chassis issue. But if it does have a frame I would bet a lot of work would be required to do the swap. Why not stick the 700R4 and the 4.3 EFI engine into your truck? Seems like it would offer most of the advantages your looking for and be much easier......Stroker

[Locutus]

My mom had a 90 model Astrovan it was definately based on a S-10 frame. Chevy Lumina vans where unibody. I had to replace the A/C lines to the rear A/C they were routed thru the frame. If it had been a unibody they would not route anything thru the frame.

Mike

[Jason71k10]

click this link. it gives details about chevy astro vans


http://www.parkwaychevroletcommercia...stro_cargo.htm

go to the bottom of the page...."unibody construction"


...i had to do some research, cuz I was starting to doubt myself

[Locutus]

I don't think that applies to all makes and models of the Astrovan. Just the current model in production.

Mike

[1969 GMC]

Originally posted by Stroker
Why not stick the 700R4 and the 4.3 EFI engine into your truck? Seems like it would offer most of the advantages your looking for and be much easier......Stroker

I agree with stroker. Maybe you could even get all the equipment to turbocharge it, like the Syclone/Typhoon. That would be sweet...

[imaindianoutlaw]

mine had a frame and it kicked @$$!

[Stano]

I have worked on lots of them and never seen a frame. Even the all wheel drive ones didn't have a frame. Not saying that they haven't made newer one with frames or what ever just my 2 pennies. Heck my wifes 94 GMC 2500 Vandura hasn't got a frame but the newer 96 up Express fullsize vans do. So it is possible that the newer Astros have a frame now. I just haven't had the pleasure yet of fixing a crashed one. Now I hope I helped confuse everyone even more. LOL

[Jason71k10]

Finally someone who believes me, Stano! haha

They do have a partial frame where the engine bolt on to.....and something that "looks" like a frame, but it is just the stamped floor pan. It is extra beefy in the places where the springs bolt on etc., but it is not an s-10 "frame". If it had a frame, you could completely remove the body from it........which you can't!