Meet my new (old) Astro - Ol' Stinky

[muzzy5.0]

Hi all,

Just bought Ol' Stinky last week. Found this site while looking for info on gearbox problems, looks like a good place to hang out ...

This is my first Astro, don't know a lot about them yet. It's a '93 2WD EXT. 108,000 miles. Don't know what kind of conversion it once was, maybe you guys can throw some light on that? It needs plenty of stuff doing as you can see, but I'm planning on converting it into a camper kind of thing, towing an offroad toy with it. With gas prices up around $9.30 a gallon over here, running a 4.3 V6 as a daily would be kinda painfull. Mine's running an LPG conversion, it's half the price of petrol, so I'm getting the equiv. of about 35 mpg
I know I've got a lot of work ahead, but hey, it's got my favourite steering wheel on it! Got the same one on my 5.0.

Cheers,

Neil

[chevymaher]

Welcome.And that thing looks great all cosmetic stuff to fix.That my kinda fixer upper.I really like that syle of van.

[muzzy5.0]

Thanks, I'm diggin' that GMC grill on yours, the Chevy version on mine looks odd without the pin stripes that are round the headlight panels.
I'm lookin forward to getting it done over the next few months.

[chevymaher]

Mine just got finnished it was totalled 3 months ago,had to replace radiator core support even.I painted my grill with silver paint just taped it off first.Thats why I sayin yours my kinda project.Had to do everything you gotta do as well.When they done they worth it.

[muzzy5.0]

Looks good, nice job. I like the earlier shape ones, mind you, I do like T.Low 's pop top in the "weekends were made for astro vans" post in the ASV outdoors & camping section!
And the scenery ........

[mdmead]

Welcome Muzzy!

[Meterpig]

$9.30 a gallon? I hope your roads are paved with gold

[muzzy5.0]

You'd think so wouldn't you ...

Sadly all we seem to get is pot holes and roadworks, but the roadworks never seem to fix the pot holes !!!

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Ok...just gotta ask. How many miles do you drive total per year? I can't imaging paying $9.30 a gallon. $4 a gallon hurts a lot and we are still a little ways from that!

Welcome.

[muzzy5.0]

I'm only doing maybe 7000 a year private.
The one that hurts is the 18 wheeler..... I'm an owner operator (not for much longer at this rate).
I'm puttin' 250 gallons a week in that sucker!!
Over the last 4 years, I'm still turning over the same amount gross ('bout $3200 a week), but it's costing the equivalent of $640 a week more in fuel.
And they wonder why all the small hauliers are going out of business.
I'm paying to work

[Meterpig]

Well, that supports the idea that raising taxes doesn't necessarily raise the quality of whatever government project is out there.

[muzzy5.0]

Sorry people,

Started ranting on there a bit, I get like that about fuel prices, I know this is the intro's forum.....

The LPG conversion works real well though, I don't recall seeing any stateside?

Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome, I'm really getting into the Astro, what a great little truck!