Bought what I thought was a parts van.

[GnarliSafari]

Man I'm having flashbacks, my van used to look just like that $500 one interior and all. Not so much the case anymore.

[WoodButcher]

Stan, your last post on this was back in July, what came of it?

@ doyoulikeithere
Did you find a way to clip buckets to the bench type hooks? I think I have, I'll post a new thread if your interested.

[HPbyStan]

It just sits along side my garage/shop. I registered it but have only driven it about 200 miles to see if was going to be ok because I never put insurance on it as I don't know what to do with it.

[HPbyStan]

New plan. Last year when I put the Astro-mino in storage I left the insurance on it. When I park it this year I'm going to switch the insurance to the '03 and drive it this winter. It runs like a watch, drives like a new one and has nearly new tires. The '04s tires are ok for summer for a bit longer but I may as well use the '03 this winter. It's isn't the trickest thing I own and sure not the lowest mileage BUT it seems to be the best thing I own. It has "everything" and it all works. As soon as I got the thing home I changed oil and filter on it and everything under there looks like new. Not a drop or smudge of oil anywhere. I think this thing is high mileage enough that everything that was going to break already has and been replaced. Still haven't figured out the $500 thing but if it does give trouble, I"ll have the '04 on standby.

[doyoulikeithere]

Sometimes ya just get lucky eh? I got my first AWD van for 390 bux.
It was in craigslist as "for parts" for a long time. I finally drove out to see it.
She said it needed a head gasket, and I asked her how she knew that.
She said that the cab of the van would fill up with steam.
I started it and it started and ran fine so I talked her down to 390 from 500.
Part of the deal was her BF would tow it to my house for another 60 bux (450 total)
I changed the heater core when I got it home, put a 4" lift in her and drove it for years.
Looks like you could find a used hood the right color, and maybe put in a lift kit and sell that van for ten times what you paid !!

[HPbyStan]

I see I should update my avatar on the '04 now that I have the license plate on the rear bumper with a flip up plate so I could hid the trailer hitch behind the bumper, install a backup camera next to the plate and I put a filler plate where the license used to go and had the guy that painted the green stuff on it redo the rear door. It turned out well I think. There are photos of it in with the Astro-mino thread.

[HPbyStan]

When it got -21* a couple days ago I had to put a new battery in the $500 van so now it is a $591 van, other than that I'm still pleasantly surprised by this ride.

[HPbyStan]

Just sold the '03 to a friend for 3 times what I paid for it BUT that is still about 1/2 the going price for one of these. Other than replacing the battery, the thing cost me nothing in mait except oil changes. Hope it continues to serve him well... Stan

[Smiliesafari]

Good deal. How's the Astromino coming along?

[HPbyStan]

Good deal. How's the Astromino coming along?

Hi Skip. A-M is kinda stuck in limbo. All the mechanical stuff is done and it turns out I'm too arthritic to be doing body work and my wallet doesn't want to fund the quotes I've gotten for the work so it's become a daily driver as it is. I put the Camaro dual electric fans on it now like the '04 cargo. I'm putting some BSAs together to sell and maybe that coin will get the A-M finished.