Let's see some van love!

[Boog]

I did a quick little look for Astro van pics and got off deep in them. Huh, they can make them look pretty good. I'm not a van guy but can appreciate what some guys make of them.
Low down n flamed
AstroUP
I like orange

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Boog

Me too Scoti. Lowered with a smidge wider wheel and lower profile tires. Maybe a little more flairs too. Bigger than an econobox but smaller than a full size van for the on road guys.

Exactly. I've always been a fan of them & thought one would make a cool 'family truckster'. Once it was just me, there was no need. Then I found a GF that had 2 dogs & they liked the dog-park trips. So I was on the lookout again until that path of life ended.

I still keep my eyes out for one that's in great condition as well as priced right.

[special-K]

My sign painter, trick paint, pinstripe, wrap buddy runs an Astro cargo van. He's on his third or fourth one. Two lost in floods (Ellicott City, MD). Each one he puts a hybrid wrap job on and runs the wheels off.

[Just call me Sean]

I removed the burnt box, and the box from the parts van. It wasn't too bad. The parts van was tougher because of the smooshed nose, and I have the front practically against my shed. I don't think I want to do it again in a junkyard, so I'll repair the cracks on the donor one. There are still more leaves inside the blower duct inside. It was really packed full. I haven't tested the blower motor yet but it seems bad, hard to spin.

[3757chevy]

I know it is a different brand, but it's cool.

[special-K]

Let's see some van love after having to do a head gasket job. Engine access has always been a deterrent to me when I've considered using a van. My Suburban is my chop top van with side access on both sides and a big nose for the engine . I've never owned a van, other than a '66 VW Bus. I may be wrong, but I think I'd rather have the whole engine inside than inside and out

[Steeveedee]

Agreed. I had an Astrovan. The alternator was making noise, and cooling system hoses had to be removed for access. Since it was about 10 years old, I cut the hoses off. Big mistake. Tough enough to get to, and most of the hoses were only available from the dealer. ~$400 bucks for hoses.

[special-K]

My friends Astro wasn't starting and he needed to get home. It wouldn't start in wet weather. He cranked that thing more than I have ever heard anyone crank a vehicle. I can't believe his battery never drained. It made me cringe. He keep cranking and getting pissed because he was going to miss a Ravens game kick-off. I know... right? Anyway, apparently this had been going on a while. So many of these cranking sessions... ouch! Poor Astro. I asked why not just replace the cap & rotor? He said you need a long ratchet extension to get back to the engine cover bolts, they were hard to get to, and/or he thought it was a P.I.A. Man, something so simple and he was that deterred from fixing it

* Disclaimer: He can be a jerk. You know, Steve Martin kind. Once the poor thing finally started I said "I guess you'll be changing the cap & rotor now". He said, as if not as concerned as me, "It only does it when it rains". I mean, really? You mean like a roof that only leaks when it rains

[Just call me Sean]

I changed an engine in an Astro. It had to come out underneath with the subframe. I did not know this when I agreed to do it. I used the engine hoist to lift the van above the engine and rolled it out. My van actually has better engine access than the truck, once you take off the doghouse. There's not much nose to reach over in the front, and inside I can lay with my chest and stomach on the seats while working on it instead of climbing in under the hood and leaning over like the truck.

I've been dragging my feet with it, haven't started pulling the heads yet. I am working on the a/c box right now though. I see where the leaves get in, and the only way to stop it will be to make some kind of screen for the cowl. I also found my dual alternator bracket finally, I left it bolted to the van.

[72 tigger]

Slightly modified

[72 tigger]

Nice ground clearance

[GOPAPA]

I bought this one second hand hauled a lot of .."Yes" wood in it while up in the high timber hunting ., I laid a rug down and up the doors inside and kept pitch off everything..

[special-K]

That was a nice one.

Electro-Van

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by 71gmcburb

always liked vans on 4x4 chassis That van reminds me alot of the 79 Chevy heavy 1/2 ton short body that I used to have. It was a great van. It had a 250 and 3 pd auto and was an old Ma Bell window van. It was all silver when I bought it someone in the vans past had sanded a large stripe from the windows down to the first body line down to bare steel. I rattle caned it black

About 8 years ago I was driving it down I-5 in it and hit a dence fog bank car in front of me slams on their brakes and stops I landed on mine managed to stop in time look in the rear view mirror and see a fullsize pickup coming fast he didn't stop in time I got hit by 4 or 5 cars in that wreck (over 45 cars total in the wreck) all becuse idiots not paying attention to whats happening around them I also had brand new super bright tail lights on it. Of corse the van was totaled but all I got out of it was cuts and bruses. The van saved my life no doubt in my mind

Digging up (and "digging") an old thread here. I was in that same accident on I-5. Similarly, my buddy stopped in time, but we got hit and then we just watched rear windows explode as more cars piled into each other. Once everything was stopped - the whole 4 lanes southbound - I got out to direct the ambulance in for someone a few cars behind us, and there was a reel-up underhood light that had been ejected from the engine bay of an OBS. I thought it would be poor form to snag it under the circumstances... Incidentally, the injury that the ambulance was called for, was not life-threatening, not something I would be making light of.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by 59bones

I know there is not much van love but I dig this thing.

You're right, not everybody "gets it". But yours is a great looking survivor. It I'm honest, I wouldn't have appreciated it back in the day, but I sure do now. One of GM's best color combos.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

This is my old van. It's now my shed.

Shed Happens. Happened...