Pics of your VAN! Post up!

GhettoBago

Observer
My mini sportsmobile... with a mini price tag.. 99 awd astro, full camp conversion that sleeps 2 humans, 2 labs comfortably.. we can do 1-2 weeks pretty comfortable in her only stopping for fuel. 7 gallons onboard water, full kitchen kit, storage etc.

4" overland lift, 32" BFG's were the major mods, the interior is a false floor platform with 2 flip over beds, it only raised part of the floor 4" so we can sit in it with camp seats. 9x12' ripstop nylon awning for the sliding side, but would love to look into a more permanent awning solution.

Best part about her, less than $5500 spent total & 22 miles to the gallon!

Love her to death, she is a tiger in the snow. But have flip flopped on selling her to build a diesel syncro... :drool:




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RocKrawler

Supporting Sponsor
I hope so. How are you fitting 32's with a 4" lift and getting 22mpg? I can't see the pics you posted but.hoping they will pop in at some point!!!

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
 

RocKrawler

Supporting Sponsor
Nice! I love those Astros! I couldn't find a good one of those around here either. Yours looks clean!

Its the cleanest one I could find in my price range & travel area and it took weeks of looking and driving to settle on this one. There were big back fees from DMV but the price was right and it had just undergone several repairs (fuel pump, new cat. converter, tune up, oil change & coolant flush) along with the van already being smogged, worked out pretty good. I dont like the color, but since the hood and roof are blistered on the clear coat its going to get a color change anyway. I really want to do Desert Camo Zolatone but it has a gray interior, so it will likely go white or red.
 

GhettoBago

Observer
Ghettobago, where have i seen that logo before???

TGR Forums? skiingthebackcountry.com? mtbr? In person? lol

perhaps mtbr or pinkbike if you're on there?? ;) I did post up here when I was doing the build last year...also an avid dh biker in the northwest, perhaps at a trailhead!

Ghettobago was a temp name for the first trip out... oregon dmv now recognizes her as SHURPA. :)
 

vantucket

New member
My mini sportsmobile... with a mini price tag.. 99 awd astro, full camp conversion that sleeps 2 humans, 2 labs comfortably.. we can do 1-2 weeks pretty comfortable in her only stopping for fuel. 7 gallons onboard water, full kitchen kit, storage etc.

4" overland lift, 32" BFG's were the major mods, the interior is a false floor platform with 2 flip over beds, it only raised part of the floor 4" so we can sit in it with camp seats. 9x12' ripstop nylon awning for the sliding side, but would love to look into a more permanent awning solution.

Best part about her, less than $5500 spent total & 22 miles to the gallon!

Love her to death, she is a tiger in the snow. But have flip flopped on selling her to build a diesel syncro... :drool:



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That is a SICK Astro! TONS of clearance with the IFS. Nice Job! I bet she'll put some full size sportwagons to shame
 

GhettoBago

Observer
Its the cleanest one I could find in my price range & travel area and it took weeks of looking and driving to settle on this one. There were big back fees from DMV but the price was right and it had just undergone several repairs (fuel pump, new cat. converter, tune up, oil change & coolant flush) along with the van already being smogged, worked out pretty good. I dont like the color, but since the hood and roof are blistered on the clear coat its going to get a color change anyway. I really want to do Desert Camo Zolatone but it has a gray interior, so it will likely go white or red.

Hope I am not preaching to the choir here.. but what makes me say your going to be happy with the astro is the amount of parts available for them.. almost everything is identical to the safari... and so many were manufactured bone yards are full of them! So cheap to repair. Not to mention very few people realize how much cargo room there really is in them & how well the awd works, they go relatively unnoticed & stay really cheap (as your purchase clearly displays!)

The only issue I have is that they do so well in the snow they are almost no fun... i can't for the life of me get mine sideways! Cool clip here of some guy trying:[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awIclOF_1Uw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awIclOF_1Uw[/ame]

Can't wait to see what you have in store for yours!
 

GhettoBago

Observer
Some absolutely beautiful rigs on here. I'm hoping to make mine as impressive someday.

I've been looking for one of these for years. I drove a 2wd version across the country a few times in my early twenties (almost 20 years ago). Now with two little ones of my own I wanted an overnight beach fishing rig. I finally found a low mile 4x4 that has been lovingly maintained.

She goes very well in the extremely deep sand we have out here. She has 27x8.5/14's that went on fine after I tweaked the torsion bars.

I dream of many mods but will probably start with a full length roof basket. Can anyone suggest a good way to go for this?

You know when I set off looking for vans yours was top of my list, just couldn't find any! I still have yet to look inside of one... if I was only still in Wareham!

So far as the cargo basket.. have you thought about half & half? Half length cargo box/half basket? Only reason i bring it up is the security & keeping stuff dry factor... it's nice to be able to walk away & not have to worry about coming back to find gear missing is all! :)
 

vantucket

New member
You know when I set off looking for vans yours was top of my list, just couldn't find any! I still have yet to look inside of one... if I was only still in Wareham!

So far as the cargo basket.. have you thought about half & half? Half length cargo box/half basket? Only reason i bring it up is the security & keeping stuff dry factor... it's nice to be able to walk away & not have to worry about coming back to find gear missing is all! :)

Wareham, eh? My Dad lives there. Where are you now?

The half and half combo is very appealing except for the fact that I may want to throw a kayak up there from time to time.
 

Loopie

Adventurer
My e-mail notification is a little wonkie with this site...like this thread...shoulda been notifying me...missed the last couple pgs.

So all for one and one for all recently...NICE RIGS! :smiley_drive:

GB...did you originally build that up with 31's? If so, 32's now eh? I suspect you tolerate some smooth, non-cutting tread rubbage???
Swap for a diesel VW?! For all that will cost you...that'll buy A LOT of good 'ol fashioned gasoline for your Astro:bike_rider:

RK...nice find! Lets do this!:victory:
Have run the codes yet? Know your gear ratios and if it's a locker diff?
 

rryd

Observer
My mini sportsmobile...

Love her to death, she is a tiger in the snow. But have flip flopped on selling her to build a diesel syncro... :drool:


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Love this one, just like I should do it myself.
If I could get this under clearance on my Toyota i would be happy :D
Do you have some inside pics?
PS. don't be a fool and sell this one for a syncro, I'll bet this one is better in all ways!
 

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