Swapping out Rear Doors on my 1999 Astro Cargo Van

[dme3o]

Hi everyone. I'm new here so please excuse the question.

Would I be able to swap out my 1999 Cargo Van Doors with another set of doors from a similar Astro Van? Ideally, both would be 1999 but let's just say I have a '96 set of doors...or a 2001?
Would they fit?

My mechanic said that even if it's the same year, it may not fit. Or I may not have a proper seal? Is this true?


Here's the back story...been getting lots of tickets due to improper registration (Comm vehicle with Pass Reg)..So i decided to fulfill the requirements and have windows installed (behind driver and rear) as well as one seat behind driver..cage removed.

Sounds fine right? Well, when I thought the glass guy was going to put windows on my rear doors, I thought they were going to be factory. They weren't they were after market. Too late to change it when I called as he already did the work. Needless to say, it looks a bit odd...it's kinda bugging me...to the point that I just want to change the doors with factory windows installed.
Hence the question..

My other option is to put louvers on them to make them a bit "cooler"...but the way they are positioned and the way they sit...I don't even think there are aftermarket louvers that would fit??

I also heard the Factory windows are difficult to install. The dealer won't even sell it to my mechanic due to the fact that the dealer goes by the VIN number..and my Vin has the door type with no windows assigned to it. Dealer is afraid to that if we buy the doors, and they don't fit..I loose out of a chunk of change! UGH!


Here are pics. Let me know what you guys think...I would appreciate it...Does it look ok or does it look odd? It's really bugging me as I was expecting the factory type...LOL!







You can see how the moulding sticks out a bit here:

[Smiliesafari]

Not bad looking windows. I wonder why he didn't center them in the panel.

[dme3o]

Yeah. me too....basically i suppose it's more visibility center-wise...which it is...but aesthetically, it's so-so
GRR!

I would like to "A-Team" it out and black out the rear doors. If that ever happens then it wouldn't be too bad but I also wanted to throw Louvers on the rear windows...which I don't think I can with the way they are positioned...I would have to modify the Louvers. What do you guys think?

[Mark C.]

If you are going for the "A Team" look,you Nailed it. I don't think it looks bad at all. It would look better on a black van,but let it be the motivation to "Black Out" the van sooner. If you really cant stand it "Trim" the windows with black paint closer to the stock body lines and I bet you will notice it a lot less. You have little to lose,if you can't get over it you can still look at door replacement.

[dme3o]

Thanks Marc!

Yeah, I was thinking the same exact thing...You're right..it will look better on a black van and I'm definitely going to get the paint done in the future. Gotta budget for it. Get the hasps off, some body work for the dents and dings, bit of a spoiler, bull guard, Widshield visor and running boards, Then paint.

RE: door swap...would it work? (see my first post)

[infinite.chris]

[EDIT: Checking out an autoparts lookup, added picture. Hate to say it, but they could be blowing smoke up your arse. Just need good seals]

I don't see why it wouldn't, there's really only two door styles for our vans iirc. The barn doors and the dutch doors.

Myself, I have barn doors, and I'm thinking about going dutch. If I was closer to you, you'd be more than welcome to try mine ;)

That aside, best of luck!

Would have figured on here they would have asked if it was ext or not. No options other than what you see.

Thanks Marc!

Yeah, I was thinking the same exact thing...You're right..it will look better on a black van and I'm definitely going to get the paint done in the future. Gotta budget for it. Get the hasps off, some body work for the dents and dings, bit of a spoiler, bull guard, Widshield visor and running boards, Then paint.

RE: door swap...would it work? (see my first post)

[dme3o]

Hey inifinite.chris!

Thanks so much! That's helpful!

Yeah, I'm just leery about jumping on buying doors as I don't want to get stuck with something that I can't use..May have to go to the scrapyard one day and check it out personally.
Haha!

What year is your Van Chris?

I also seem to see a lot of people going "dutch". Is that a big mod? Other than repositioning the dutch hinges?

[EDIT: Checking out an autoparts lookup, added picture. Hate to say it, but they could be blowing smoke up your arse. Just need good seals]

I don't see why it wouldn't, there's really only two door styles for our vans iirc. The barn doors and the dutch doors.

Myself, I have barn doors, and I'm thinking about going dutch. If I was closer to you, you'd be more than welcome to try mine ;)

That aside, best of luck!

Would have figured on here they would have asked if it was ext or not. No options other than what you see.

Thanks Marc!

Yeah, I was thinking the same exact thing...You're right..it will look better on a black van and I'm definitely going to get the paint done in the future. Gotta budget for it. Get the hasps off, some body work for the dents and dings, bit of a spoiler, bull guard, Widshield visor and running boards, Then paint.

RE: door swap...would it work? (see my first post)

[infinite.chris]

Mine is a 95, and there's not too much to it if I've thumbed through here enough, the lower hinges get re-used, and you just have to drill for the top ones. I'm planning on doing it this summer, and will likely post up all about it.

HAPPY VANNING!

Hey inifinite.chris!

Thanks so much! That's helpful!

Yeah, I'm just leery about jumping on buying doors as I don't want to get stuck with something that I can't use..May have to go to the scrapyard one day and check it out personally.
Haha!

What year is your Van Chris?

I also seem to see a lot of people going "dutch". Is that a big mod? Other than repositioning the dutch hinges?

[EDIT: Checking out an autoparts lookup, added picture. Hate to say it, but they could be blowing smoke up your arse. Just need good seals]

I don't see why it wouldn't, there's really only two door styles for our vans iirc. The barn doors and the dutch doors.

Myself, I have barn doors, and I'm thinking about going dutch. If I was closer to you, you'd be more than welcome to try mine ;)

That aside, best of luck!

Would have figured on here they would have asked if it was ext or not. No options other than what you see.

Thanks Marc!

Yeah, I was thinking the same exact thing...You're right..it will look better on a black van and I'm definitely going to get the paint done in the future. Gotta budget for it. Get the hasps off, some body work for the dents and dings, bit of a spoiler, bull guard, Widshield visor and running boards, Then paint.

RE: door swap...would it work? (see my first post)

[dme3o]

Awesome! I would love to see how it turns out!
Please do keep us posted! I wish you the best with that! It would be HOT!

[infinite.chris]

Awesome! I would love to see how it turns out!
Please do keep us posted! I wish you the best with that! It would be HOT!

Relevant: PowerPoint showing Barn -> Dutch swap

Add'l benefit of this swap is you'll have some place for your rear speakers without having to fab anything. (Which is why I haven't really installed mine yet...)

K. You can have your thread back now ;)

[dme3o]

and Chris! That's Sweet!!
Got me thinking now!!! Darn you! LOL!

[infinite.chris]

and Chris! That's Sweet!!
Got me thinking now!!! Darn you! LOL!

It's what I do! that PPT draws out 80% of the work for it. My thoughts: before you drill, check your gaps, looks like the upper door angles out a little at the middle on that guy's. I'm trying to think of a cable-puller rig so I can do mine without getting three guys involved.

[Bret Schmerker]

@dme30 Ye look in a variation of my fix! I recently acquired a 1997 GMC M11006 (Safari SLE, dual optional benches, swing-out midship windows, Dutch doors aft) set up as a passenger wagon when I's actually after a commercial vision van (with fixed midship and aft side windows and a dual tailgate with swing-out windows). The rear recirculating air cooler - unfortunately unavailable with the cargo variant - will be useful, once I've a new set of refrigerant pipes in the undercarriage (King's Auto Repair, Oakley, CA, USA, found at least one pipe breached). Paperwork delays mean the M11006 is still under an Automobile registration, and I've shelves to fit into the interior and information to research about the (discontinued) ADRIAN STEEL® 63-4 and whether it will bolt into the anchor holes for the General Motors accessory roof rack (RPO V54).