End of a dry spell/ Noo shite !

[Barry Cade]

I've been away from shite for quite some time now- got fed up, and spent most of my time with the bike. After my close encounter in Germany last month I came home and bought something unseen!. Train down to Coventry, drove home in torrential rain up the M6, Next day I got to work.. Dash out to sort all the electrics bodged over the years and sort out all the cut vaccum pipes for the heater controls. Ripped out the broken MDF camper bits and the failed mega stereo install and built my own cabinets and put some more sensible 6x9s in with some panels i made and covered with crushed blue velour. Still lots to do!

 

Oh, Its a Starcraft Chevrolet Astro EXT AWD. 1993. Japanese Import.. 63,000 Miles!

 

[timolloyd]

That button down velour!

[fatharris]

Looking forward to seeing the progress photos!

[Dyslexic Viking]

That appears to be in good condition.

Looking forward to more.

[Supernaut]

Here was me thinking you'd gone for some fairly sensible shite... Then it's a flippin' Chevy Astro!

 

Winner.

[High Jetter]

Superb! At least you won't have to fit a tow bar.

[Schaefft]

I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw one of these in the UK about 10 years ago. Turns out these were surprisingly popular in Japan, and even more surprisingly a large number of them made it from there to the UK. You'd expect them to be ultra obscure niche vehicles outside the states, not the case. The larger G Van based conversion vans are $$$ in Germany nowadays.

[tom13]

That's a good looking van!

[bezzabsa]

at the risk of sounding jealous (i am) how much was that????

[Rocket88]

Mine’s for sale….😃😃😃😃

[bezzabsa]

what are these like for day to day use, spares availability / insurance etc..presume mpg is high teens to low 20's??

[Rocket88]

Spares aren’t a problem…. Mine’s a 4.3 V6 auto, get low to high twenties……

Mine’s a 1991, so qualifies for classic car insurance 

[Barry Cade]

1 hour ago, bezzabsa said:

at the risk of sounding jealous (i am) how much was that????

Far less than an equivalent VW would be..  under 5k will get you a nice one. 

[Barry Cade]

3 hours ago, Schaefft said:

I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw one of these in the UK about 10 years ago. Turns out these were surprisingly popular in Japan, and even more surprisingly a large number of them made it from there to the UK. You'd expect them to be ultra obscure niche vehicles outside the states, not the case. The larger G Van based conversion vans are $$$ in Germany nowadays.

Mine has a Jap chassis number and is pretty much mint underneath. I passed a big scrapyard full of day vans in Germany, between Poland and Berlin.. wish I could remember where! 

I reckon on 16-18 mpg, AWD costs a few miles per gallon. Spares are stupid cheap from Rock Auto. The engine is basically a 350 V8 with 2 cylinders chopped  off, so as complicated as a sundial. 

Didji dash too 😃

 

[Schaefft]

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

Mine has a Jap chassis number and is pretty much mint underneath. I passed a big scrapyard full of day vans in Germany, between Poland and Berlin.. wish I could remember where! 

I reckon on 16-18 mpg, AWD costs a few miles per gallon. Spares are stupid cheap from Rock Auto. The engine is basically a 350 V8 with 2 cylinders chopped  off, so as complicated as a sundial. 

Didji dash too 😃

 

There's a huge US car breaker south of Berlin, might be them. I bought the ignition switch linkage for my Caprice there, it was insanely expensive and didn't fit in the end. Was from a GMC G20 as well.

[Barry Cade]

On 7/18/2023 at 4:11 PM, bezzabsa said:

at the risk of sounding jealous (i am) how much was that????

One for sale at the moment for 2k.. motd March next year.

[Barry Cade]

It's coming together,, been through all the electrics, separated the rear from the front and put in a split charge to save a flat main battery. Re varnished some of the wood. Sorted all the non working lights and all the switches, then loomed everything up. Starcraft were pretty lax when it came to quality! Had a peek at the mechanicals and underside and its in flippin good nick for a 1993 van.  Need a spacesaver and rear door carrier if anyone sees anything!

 

[bezzabsa]

would a space saver be weight compliant ???

[Barry Cade]

27 minutes ago, bezzabsa said:

would a space saver be weight compliant ???

They came with one originally, mine has a twin exhaust where the wheel would sit underneath,  and someone has removed the rear door carrier.. 😔

[somewhatfoolish]

Can you kip in these or is it just a really comfy mobile front room? 

[Barry Cade]

1 hour ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Can you kip in these or is it just a really comfy mobile front room? 

That's an extended full size rock and roll bed.. cooker, sink and fridge going in soon, and a diesel heater. Standard day vans have an electric sofa you can kip on.

[Barry Cade]

Had a lovely afternoon yesterday with the van up on stands greasing all the nipples. There are loads! Plastic leaf springs too, just like a corvette. Some adaptors cobbled together and the aircon recharged with propane/butane and it spung into life, ice cold too. Disconnected the rear aircon as not really required in Scotland. Had our first overnight in it at the weekend and it's great, Roscoe approved..