Hello, just wanted to get in a quick intro before I started posting, I just purchased a 99 Astro with 40k miles. It was previously a Fed vehicle out of Sonoma County with very limited usage. I am a Jeep kinda guy and have had Cherokees for years so a van was not really what I was planning on and the wife was very much against a minivan of any type. I am recently married (2yrs) have a 1yr old daughter, and trying for 2nd child, hopefully a boy to even out the odds, also my dog Cooper, a Catahoula Leopard Hound who is growing to be a bit bigger than expected, needless to say, wife, daughter, dog and camping/baby gear are getting to be a bit cramped for simple camping trips, even with roof rack packed, mainly because of the spare and hi-lift jack being on the roof. I started looking at crossovers and trucks but decided not put myself in debt for the next 20yrs with the outrageous prices on new vehicles, then I came across this Astro and decided for what it is, it would be perfect for my needs (camping/fishing/hiking/biking) and a growing family, not to mention that it cost 1/10 of a new king cab truck or smaller crossover vehicle. When I showed my wife a pic of the Astro, she really wasn't impressed or interested, so I embarked on journey to find pics of modified vans, (since I always modify my vehicles anyways) so she could see the potential that it had and that's how I managed to come across this sight. I decided to show her Peter's ZZ, since it is close to the same color as mine, and is an all around bad-ass customization job. She liked it! In fact, she said I could only purchase the Astro if I modified it with a lift and put a roof rack on top! So it was a done deal and I purchased it within 2 days for a very modest sum. So far, after going over it with a fine tooth comb, the only problems I found are the following: needs new rear shocks and tires, a 2in rip in drivers side armest, 1 dash bulb is out behind rear A/C controls, needs 1 gray vent cover for rear air/heat, a small ding in pass side wheelwell lip and that's it, it drives like a new vehicle, it is comfy and so far I love it in it's stock form. Just this weekend I used it to truck people, gear, tables and chairs for an event, and it was perfect, I didn't event have to take out the 3rd row seat, I am thoroughly impressed with it as is my wife, it is a true Multi-Purpose Vehicle.
My list of upgrades will be the following as time/money permits:
Trans cooler
Air intake/High flow cats/muffler
3.73 gears
4in lift
wheels/tires
Tow hitch
Composite style grill assembly
Roofrack/Lightbar
Paint
a V8 swap on the wishlist
some pics of it, since everybody likes pics
Some pics of my other ride
you guys and your super clean salt free vehicles 
