GhettoBago
Observer
Once & for all, I have decided to pull the trigger on selling my beloved Shurpa.. a 1999 Awd Lifted & converted Astro. I am asking $9K oBo, and the van is located in Portland Oregon... but I would be down for one last trip in her to deliver to ya!
Please excuse the corny write up, I posted it on Craigs List:
Greetings! Well after much consideration, I have decided to sell my beloved Shurpa. This is not an average Astro, which is part of the reason it is not the average price, and yes, I am willing to take decent offers & am only interested in partial trade for a decent motorcycle...
So this whole van was built to show that $80K doesn't have to be spent on a full sized 8mpg "adventure van" & can provide the same expedition type comforts @ 20 mpg vs 8. (run a google search for adventure van if you're unsure what I mean, and no offense to big van owners, I still covet!) I built this van myself, and know all the in's & outs. I am a decent carpenter, but keep in mind this is not a factory conversion so there are some very minor flaws in the details...
This van has a 4" lift kit. These precision kits were manufactured by one outfit that has since closed shop. I have been hesitant to sell this van because of the very reason I may never be able to build another one like it, and I do LOVE IT. I did have the kit professionally installed & aligned. The kit included new leaf spring packs for the rear, and new torsion keys for the front as well as linkage pieces & 4 new Rancho shocks. Everything that I talk about in this posting so far as customization has less than 5K miles on it which includes:
-Lift kit
-31" BFG At's
-15" steel wheels
-complete drivetrain overhaul (all seals, fluids & filters)
-plugs, wires, thermostat,radiator flush,gaskets
-HID headlights (spare bulbs & ballast included in sale)
- 7 gallon potable water & galley pump (with built in electrical outlet & speaker)
-flip out cooktop
-10'x9' ripstop nylon canopy
-rear brakes
-all interior customization
-Jerry (gas)can holder
-LED backup lighting
-Entire roof rack setup (to be sold with van if asking price or close to it is met)
-additional courtesy lamp wiring
-built in sirius/xm receiver
-100 watt off road lights (activated by a hands free foot pedal switch)
-full set (4) top of the line les shwab tire chains
Needless to say, this entire van was built less than 5K miles ago.
The base of the van itself is a 1999 AWD Vortec v6 Chevy astro with an automatic transmission. The van has 177K miles, 20K of which I have put on in 2 years & it has been a spoiled vehicle the entire time, it's a passion of mine. If you have never driven an AWD astro in slippery conditions, I would advise you check out the video below. I have driven many 4x4's & awd's, and nothing has come close to the traction this vehicle has. It is nearly impossible to make this van go out of control! The lift kit itself did not affect the vans stability one bit, and the additional traction of the aggresive tires only improved it's capabilities.
Vidoe of some icy astro driving: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awIclOF_1Uw"]YouTube - astro drift in ice very crazy[/ame]
This van sleeps 2 adults & two labs quite comfortably, and has proven itself most worthy both in reliability & comfort for 6 week long road trips & just begs to be taken to the beach for bonfires! The entire camping package can be removed by one person in less than 5 minutes if the cargo space is needed! (no extra seating is included, this is legally a 2 person vehicle at this point as all other seat belts have been removed)
I could continue on with the build itself, or how there is no others like it, but you must know that if you're still reading & not running away at the price. I do know that the same vehicle & miles sells for half the price, but this is 5x the van & I don't NEED to sell it, I just want to build another project!
This van was built for outdoorsy people who loathed spending money on hotels while traveling outdoor recreational activities.. kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing etc.
I can be reached at 503.875.4557 to set up a time to show the van. Depending on the timing, she may be dirty at the time of the showing as I drive it daily & my two dogs are always in & out!
A full set of pictures can be seen at the link below. Some of the pics are from a while back.. the most recent pics have wooden cabinetry inside & no decal on the side.
http://img155.imageshack.us/g/img1141wg.jpg/
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Please excuse the corny write up, I posted it on Craigs List:
Greetings! Well after much consideration, I have decided to sell my beloved Shurpa. This is not an average Astro, which is part of the reason it is not the average price, and yes, I am willing to take decent offers & am only interested in partial trade for a decent motorcycle...
So this whole van was built to show that $80K doesn't have to be spent on a full sized 8mpg "adventure van" & can provide the same expedition type comforts @ 20 mpg vs 8. (run a google search for adventure van if you're unsure what I mean, and no offense to big van owners, I still covet!) I built this van myself, and know all the in's & outs. I am a decent carpenter, but keep in mind this is not a factory conversion so there are some very minor flaws in the details...
This van has a 4" lift kit. These precision kits were manufactured by one outfit that has since closed shop. I have been hesitant to sell this van because of the very reason I may never be able to build another one like it, and I do LOVE IT. I did have the kit professionally installed & aligned. The kit included new leaf spring packs for the rear, and new torsion keys for the front as well as linkage pieces & 4 new Rancho shocks. Everything that I talk about in this posting so far as customization has less than 5K miles on it which includes:
-Lift kit
-31" BFG At's
-15" steel wheels
-complete drivetrain overhaul (all seals, fluids & filters)
-plugs, wires, thermostat,radiator flush,gaskets
-HID headlights (spare bulbs & ballast included in sale)
- 7 gallon potable water & galley pump (with built in electrical outlet & speaker)
-flip out cooktop
-10'x9' ripstop nylon canopy
-rear brakes
-all interior customization
-Jerry (gas)can holder
-LED backup lighting
-Entire roof rack setup (to be sold with van if asking price or close to it is met)
-additional courtesy lamp wiring
-built in sirius/xm receiver
-100 watt off road lights (activated by a hands free foot pedal switch)
-full set (4) top of the line les shwab tire chains
Needless to say, this entire van was built less than 5K miles ago.
The base of the van itself is a 1999 AWD Vortec v6 Chevy astro with an automatic transmission. The van has 177K miles, 20K of which I have put on in 2 years & it has been a spoiled vehicle the entire time, it's a passion of mine. If you have never driven an AWD astro in slippery conditions, I would advise you check out the video below. I have driven many 4x4's & awd's, and nothing has come close to the traction this vehicle has. It is nearly impossible to make this van go out of control! The lift kit itself did not affect the vans stability one bit, and the additional traction of the aggresive tires only improved it's capabilities.
Vidoe of some icy astro driving: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awIclOF_1Uw"]YouTube - astro drift in ice very crazy[/ame]
This van sleeps 2 adults & two labs quite comfortably, and has proven itself most worthy both in reliability & comfort for 6 week long road trips & just begs to be taken to the beach for bonfires! The entire camping package can be removed by one person in less than 5 minutes if the cargo space is needed! (no extra seating is included, this is legally a 2 person vehicle at this point as all other seat belts have been removed)
I could continue on with the build itself, or how there is no others like it, but you must know that if you're still reading & not running away at the price. I do know that the same vehicle & miles sells for half the price, but this is 5x the van & I don't NEED to sell it, I just want to build another project!
This van was built for outdoorsy people who loathed spending money on hotels while traveling outdoor recreational activities.. kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing etc.
I can be reached at 503.875.4557 to set up a time to show the van. Depending on the timing, she may be dirty at the time of the showing as I drive it daily & my two dogs are always in & out!
A full set of pictures can be seen at the link below. Some of the pics are from a while back.. the most recent pics have wooden cabinetry inside & no decal on the side.
http://img155.imageshack.us/g/img1141wg.jpg/
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