Chevy & GMC Vans

Hi my name is Mike and I'm from rockaway beach NY. I own a 99 astro AWD that i bought to get to surf spots and to camp in. I've pulled the rear carpet and installed hardwood flooring, and added a power reclining bench that folds flat to a bed. Plans to add a small kitchen and an awning are in the works. I will also be doing the 4wd t-case swap and lifting to fit either 30x9.5's or 31's, I'm still undecided. I don't go offroad much other than sand, and would prefer the better gas mileage. T-Low and Herbie have been very inspirational, and I may end up attempting to build my own pop top eventually. Currently my van is out of commission due to a bad crank sensor but it should be fixed soon. I LOVE MY VAN!!!!

Welcome, Rockaway Beach is nice, good luck with your project

Rue, i did not mean to lead you astray, i am sorry. Take my advice now; sell your van, throw your laptop in garbage and run away as fast as you can and forget that you ever saw this site. These people are wack!

(then, can i have dibbs on your power reclining seat? )

T.Low wrote:Rue, i did not mean to lead you astray, i am sorry. Take my advice now; sell your van, throw your laptop in garbage and run away as fast as you can and forget that you ever saw this site. These people are wack!

(then, can i have dibbs on your power reclining seat? )

LOL... I wish. This will be the 7th 4wd that i've torn into. I've had 2 jeep cherokees, a wrangler, a toyota pickup, a samurai and a monster 4x4 chevy van. Going to 30x9.5's will be the smallest tire I've ever lifted to fit. The power seat was a craig's list score. 100 bucks and an easy instal in the van

welcome fellow surf fisherman
this is what i ran on the beaches before moving here;

ruecifur wrote: T-Low and Herbie have been very inspirational, and I may end up attempting to build my own pop top eventually. I LOVE MY VAN!!!!

That's very cool, but Dean, Blazer, Loc Doc, Petey, Sand Fly, and others were the pioneers. Herbie will agree that we are the next gen. But it's all one big happy family.

T.Low wrote:

ruecifur wrote: T-Low and Herbie have been very inspirational, and I may end up attempting to build my own pop top eventually. I LOVE MY VAN!!!!

That's very cool, but Dean, Blazer, Loc Doc, Petey, Sand Fly, and others were the pioneers. Herbie will agree that we are the next gen. But it's all one big happy family.

I've been lurking on this forum for a while, and the information available from ALL of the members is fantastic. I've owned and built several 4x4's, including complete drivetrain swaps in jeeps and toyotas, and SOA swaps among many other mods. What sold me on the astro was the simplicity of the modifications. It's a whole lot simpler when people have gone before you and done it. I plan on using 3" body lift blocks, 1" of torsion crank to achieve my front lift and I have some springs from a toyota SAS lying around that look like they might work for the rear. I also happen to have a np233c with harness and driveshafts sitting around.

oh and sandfly the waves i hunt for are to ride I wish I had the patience to fish, cause i certainly like to eat it

Did a little of that in the 70's while fishing but stuck with fishing as I got older..used to go to cape may, in the fall for some waves..