What did you do to/with your van today?

General Discussion
( Please do not post help questions here )
User avatar

JTalley
I sleep in my van
Posts: 383
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 11:56 am
Location: Sulphur, Oklahoma

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by JTalley »

Nearly got the van reassembled... Then I discovered that I'm missing the wire from the coil to the distributer, and I have one loose vacuum hose... #-o
Jake

Image
Ed- 1992 Astro, RWD, 4.3l V6 (purchased Feb. 2011)
FlowTech Red Hots glasspack exhaust (finally got it put on there!)
Old rides (earlier to later)
2004 Honda 250 Rebel (my dad's bike, he let me use it)
Neko- 1991 S10 Blazer, 4x4, 4-door (SOLD Feb. 2011)
Custom (aka failed) diy paint job- red with black stripe

lil red wagon
I am merely driving my van
I am merely driving my van
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:10 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by lil red wagon »

1Gary wrote:
lil red wagon wrote:What did i do with my van yesterday... let's just say it wasn't intentional..
Image
Might be a good excuse to add Caddy lights and a roll pan. :-k
lol... might be a good idea, but it's a work van, so, can't lose the bumper. (plus, im kinda partial to the led tail lights)

LiftedAWDAstro
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 4379
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:35 pm
Location: New Haven, NY

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

Yesterday...test fit my custom made snowplow frame and did plugs and wires on my daughters 1992 Buick Century 3.3L.

Today...adding a couple supports to the plow frame and then paint it up. Plus getting winter tires on the Buick. Pics to come...
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

Mileage spreadsheet

Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy

Topic author
ihatemybike
I plan to be buried in my van
Posts: 2224
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:57 pm
Location: Elgin, IL

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by ihatemybike »

This weekend Grumpy served it's mobile tool shed role for a Jeep Liberty lift party. While driving it home it started having some rather high revs as it shifted between gears. I've already been running Lucas Transmission Fix and a corvette servo in the trans, so there's really not anything I can think of to squeeze any more life out it. Hopefully the trans in my parts van has some life left in it. Once I swap the trans I'll try my hand at rebuilding Grumpy's original adding upgrades.

Grumpy has almost 333k miles on it original stock trans, pretty impressive, but I was hoping to hit 333,333 before I pulled it.
Aaron

2005 Astro (Gandalf) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, 130k+ miles
1997 Astro (Grumpy - $250 Rally Van) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, LSD, 2" lift, 31" tires, 335k+ orig engine, $30 eBay fuel pump
Prev Astros:99,97,00,94,87,86

wkastro
I get chills without my van.
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:12 pm
Location: Brighton. Michigan

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by wkastro »

Drove the Astro to the fabrication shop in Warren, MI where the CG height tilt table (owned by my current employer) is being rehabilitated. Stopped on the way home and picked up a drywall lift to get the garage ceiling closed in so I can work on the Astro in the winter.
2003 Astro AWD bought in January 2009
103,000 miles, Trucool 4590, ScanGageII, Michelin LTX 215/70R16, Tekonsha P3

2009 Chevrolet HHR
2001 HD XL1200S
1970 Austin Cooper 'S'

Retired:
1994 Astro AWD (sold in 1996, 50,000 miles in 2 years)
1992 Astro RWD (bought from GM fleet, traded for AWD in 1994)

safari kev
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:13 pm
Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by safari kev »

went to the body shop to get the rf inner fender looked at- then proceeded to back into a wall when I was leaving. ](*,)
also, the factory rear woofers have blown (they make bfffvvvvt sounds on hard bass hits). went to put in a set of kenwood 3 way 6x9's I had lying around and found out I have the stupid inline amp for the rear speakers so I'll have to bypass it so I can have full range 3 way 6x9's back there (I'd also replace the 4x6's with full range 6.5s). or I might just try stiffening the factory woofers (the paper they used should have been 2-3x as thick as it is) so in the meantime, it sounds like I'm one of those ghetto people with all the woofers in the trunk.
also, my body man said the trans is going out (I know it but have been denying it). occasionally it wont shift into fourth or will make grinding noise and vibrate for a second or 2 when shifting from 3-4. I guess I'll drive it until that one blows, then get my spare trans ('97) rebuilt/ strengthened a bit and put in. I guess 160k isnt bad for a trans considering the P.O. towed a boat with it on road trips several times every summer when he went to the lake.
00 safari high top explorer conversion. "shagfari" 235xxx miles on body. 242k on junkyard Jimmy motor.
94 safari hi-top explorer limited. 132k miles.
95 ASTRO choo choo conv. RIP @115K
97 safari slx "surfin' safari" 145k miles RIP
91 safari shorty Tiara conversion. RIP
86 cadillac fleetwood brougham. 67k. It thinks its a hot rod.
83 lesabre limited. 71k miles
66+68 toronados
66 Riviera

P R Safari
I am merely driving my van
I am merely driving my van
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:48 pm
Location: Puerto Rico

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by P R Safari »

Hi , today I almost traded my Safari for a 94 mazda mx6 LS , but I just couldn' t do it . It felt wrong on the inside , have any of you felt that way ? Don't get me wrong the car is nice and clean running perfectly , but I just couldn' t do it .
1992 Safari tbi Z vin number 180k original and strong .

97CargoCrawler
I sleep in my van
Posts: 754
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:50 pm
Location: Near Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by 97CargoCrawler »

Pulled the U-Bolt off the axle and attempted to measure it.... coarse metric.... M12? :-k Definitely not 1/2"-13. Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter what I replace it with as long as it comes with a nut.

Bought a Vetronix Tech-2 Scantool......ahhhhhhhh yeah! Gonna clear those dang TAP codes in my PCM and bleed my brakes properly. Gonna be tracking it on UPS every five minutes till it arrives! :muhaha:
1997 SAFARI 2WD CARGO
Image
"I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." Nikola Tesla
User avatar

doyoulikeithere
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 2060
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:27 pm
Location: Misty Mountains of Cowichan BC.

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by doyoulikeithere »

P R Safari wrote:Hi , today I almost traded my Safari for a 94 mazda mx6 LS , but I just couldn' t do it . It felt wrong on the inside , have any of you felt that way ? Don't get me wrong the car is nice and clean running perfectly , but I just couldn' t do it .
Good Choice.
just say no to rice.
2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 - Blue.
2016 Yamaha XSR900 - Silver.
1990 Astro - AWD - Brown.
1987 Astro - With 5 Speed & 4wd - Silver & Blue.
User avatar

HPbyStan
I sleep in my van
Posts: 601
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:15 am
Location: Janesville, Wis

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by HPbyStan »

I made a wood block for my door panel to keep my knee from locking and unlocking my doors 97 times a day. Took a pic but I'm too thick to post it here.
http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm17 ... CF0129.jpg
'04 White AWD Astro cargo
'00 Astro / El Camino
'61 BSA Super Rocket
'71 BSA B50 engine in a '67 C25 250 chassis
Impossible is just a degree of difficulty....
User avatar

Smiliesafari
ASV Supporter
ASV Supporter
Posts: 2667
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:34 pm
Location: Orlando, FL

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Smiliesafari »

Love an easy fix. It must be a stock seat thing. I have aftermarket seats and my knee doesn't come close to the switches.
1996 Safari SLX Hotair balloon transport vehicle
User avatar

HPbyStan
I sleep in my van
Posts: 601
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:15 am
Location: Janesville, Wis

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by HPbyStan »

GM should hire away some Ford interier design people and get a clue on ergonomics. Even Fords I wouldn't be caught dead in look like I'd at least die comfortably.
'04 White AWD Astro cargo
'00 Astro / El Camino
'61 BSA Super Rocket
'71 BSA B50 engine in a '67 C25 250 chassis
Impossible is just a degree of difficulty....

markmitchinnh
I sleep in my van
Posts: 589
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:07 pm
Location: Barrington NH

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by markmitchinnh »

My van is 1/2 finished so I put her up for the winter. squirted marvel mystery oil into all the sparkplug holes and filled the crank case with motor oil and spun it with a drill, then installed new plugs. Over the winter I will buy a steel roll pan, my paint kit & rear sway bar set up. My plan is to have this project done (on the road) by the end of next June.
Recently bought a 1989 Astro RS from Florida. Replaced stock engine witha 1997 5.7 vortec with TBI and replaced transmission with rebuilt 700R4 with mild shift kit.
Bought on Monday the 16th of April 2012

LiftedAWDAstro
I have my van tatooed on my cheeks
Posts: 4379
Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:35 pm
Location: New Haven, NY

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

Picked up some 4.10 gears, G80 posi and rebuild kits from Snapple! also picked up some driving lights and LED indicators to install next week.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

Mileage spreadsheet

Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy

97CargoCrawler
I sleep in my van
Posts: 754
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:50 pm
Location: Near Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by 97CargoCrawler »

I bought a new grille, composite style black reflector HID lights and new signal lamps that I plan to modify a bit. Soon to come, new tail lights and bumper lights. Lookin' at $600+ in lighting upgrades. I'm bored with the sealed beam lamps. I just hope it looks better than what I have, and not too riceroo.
:guitar:
1997 SAFARI 2WD CARGO
Image
"I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything." Nikola Tesla
Post Reply