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M
Nomad
Posts: 392
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: looking for joy...
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What would be a good 'Grunt Van' for M?
Some may remember my beloved, jacked up, overbuilt suspension, one ton, tan, 78 Chevy Beauville van.
'Grunt' and I burned up together, literally, about 17 years ago. It wasa like losing my best friend.
I know the VW Routan van that was 'gifted' to me was an impractical choice for Baja, but at the time of purchase, Baja was just a dream never to be
enjoyed again. NOW,
things have changed. I could never get it fixed down there anyway, so, regardless, it has to go.
I'm a Chevy gal, I would like a heavy suspension for exploring, all around windows, easily repaired in Baja and not tooo old. My budget is about
$5,000 cash.
When in the business, (auto body/paint), I used to know every make and model on the road, but now, I'm clueless.
Any advice or leads could be helpful. Who better to ask about a Baja rig than Baja people?
Thanks for any help,
M
Looking for new adventures now; Always...
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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astro or safari window van. good gas mileage,easy to drive around, and pretty rugged.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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from mindy and her moms house javi's is a block away. a really nice sports bar with javi working behind the bar. javi is rosaritos famous bar keep,
worked years a rene's.
is mindy's place at costa bella?
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5898
Registered: 7-18-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by willardguy
astro or safari window van. good gas mileage,easy to drive around, and pretty rugged. |
Funny you mention an Astro Van. I see a lot of them here in Oceanside. A world class surfboard shaper in town, Donald Takayama, used to drive one
around town. He could've bought anything he wanted but he chose that Astro van. Tons of space inside for surf gear. They should make a 2013 model
with the same body style.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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jacobs takayama model, beautiful! I heard donald had a heart attack and died while surfing. another astro pilot huh! cool.  maybe chevy could bring back a takayama model astrovan!
[Edited on 12-17-2012 by willardguy]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64761
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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See Grunt, the wonder van: http://vivabaja.com/et after the El Tomatal pics.
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5898
Registered: 7-18-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by willardguy
jacobs takayama model, beautiful! I heard donald had a heart attack and died while surfing. another astro pilot huh! cool. maybe chevy could bring back a takayama model astrovan!
[Edited on 12-17-2012 by willardguy] |
Epic. Chevy Astro Takayama 2013.
Yes, he passed away 10-22-2012. There was a great memorial and paddle out. It was a couple feet overhead and windblown. Many chose to watch it from
the Oceanside pier instead. He will be missed. Sorry for the hijack.
Go with the Chevy Astro M!
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Salsa
Nomad
Posts: 173
Registered: 2-4-2003
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Good Astro/Safari offrpad info
http://www.astrosafari.com/
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f...
Don
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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Mood: Current
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I meet more foreign surfers/campers in astro vans.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
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One of the best things to do in Baja is be a nomad and travel (south). It's best to be in a high mileage car that's comfortable to drive with AC.
Sounds like the car you have is the best car you could have, you know it already and there are tons of VW dealers in Baja. New cars are common in Baja
so don't shy away from a nice car. You could have years of trouble free fun ahead in the Touareg.
I also like big ol vans since you can sleep in them and camp but you can also sleep in a tent or the Touareg. You could add a roof top carrier or
small geare trailor. Be careful that you choose a car that meets your gas budget and is reliable enough so you can go to places when you want with a
high chance of arriving.
Old vans get about 10-13 miles to gallon though a nice Astro van can get up to 18 or so, the all wheel versions do have their issues and you'll be
replacing parts likes transmission drivetrain on an older car which is expsnsinve and time consuming and also a hassle.
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Curt63
Super Nomad
Posts: 1171
Registered: 3-28-2009
Location: San Diego, Ca.
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Mood: Fish tacos and Tecate
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Diesel Dodge Sprinter van 30 MPG and TONS of room.... but way more than $5k
I'd get an older toyota van
[Edited on 12-17-2012 by Curt63]
No worries
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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HOLA M !!
I'm not a expert on vans..but before you buy a mini van go to a wrecking/junk yard.... first before you buy one !! BTW way you wont see a vanagon as
when they get in a wreck the tow truck driver just jumps up and down on whats left to finish crushing it and throws it on the back of the truck !!!
do you NEED good mileage or not would be a good question !!.........................K&T
[Edited on 12-17-2012 by captkw]
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9009
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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I'd go with what you had; an older Chevy, assuming that your daily commuting days are done. If you're driving less, the reduced fuel economy will not
be that noticeable.
Parts will be easy to find. Lots of room, very versatile vehicle.
As Gnu mentioned, there were many reliability issues on AstroVans in the years that might be 5,000.00, especially transmission related.
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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http://www.quigley4x4.com/Gallery/FordProducts/FordProductPh...
edit: I got curious so I went looking at 4x4 vans. Here's a cute one...
[Edited on 12-17-2012 by Russ]
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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MICK
Nomad
Posts: 499
Registered: 11-12-2003
Location: Rio Hardy
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Mood: livin the good life on the river
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I am not sure for reliability, and being about to get parts in baja, that you could get better than you had. When I decided to build a van to go
travel mexico and beyond I decided on a 75 gmc 2500. No Computers, No fuel injectors and HEI ignition.the 350 or 400 turbo transmissions are bullet
proof and these things are everywhere down here and everyone knows how to work on them.
Go with what you know
Mickey
Getting there is ALL the fun!
Ok being here is fun to
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baitcast
Super Nomad
Posts: 1785
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: kingman AZ.
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Mood: good
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Been a van freak all my life,four VW,s and a Astro van AWD,the 64 took us to Gonzaga in 64 and the rest everywhere else.
Now for the 205 Astro it was a disaster,Ive heard lots of good stories about the chevy but mine wasn,t,at 25000 I went thru 4
shocks,replaced the fuel pump,water pump leak,emission problems,couple of other smaller problems,loved driving it we took it south twice,was lucky it
was still under warranty!!
Would be very careful when looking at a Astro!
Rob
Never had any problems with the VW,s
[Edited on 12-17-2012 by baitcast]
Anyone can catch fish in a boat but only \"El Pescador Grande\" can get them from the beach.
I hope when my time comes the old man will let me bring my rod and the water will be warm and clear.
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
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If this is to be a Baja specific van I'd go for a van with a factory camper conversion. These have fallen out fashion to some degree and you can often
find one that hasn't been used that much for a song. You should get mid teens MPG in a late 80's -90's models.
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
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I always check the consumer reviews on Edmunds when considering a used car . I find them pretty spot on.. here's the one for 95 Astro...
http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/astro/1995/consumer-reviews...
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Sweetwater
Senior Nomad
Posts: 915
Registered: 11-26-2010
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Mood: chilly today hot tomale
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Except for the ground clearance which might or might not be an issue, Honda makes a bullet proof van that gets great gas mileage and is extremely
reliable. My buddy has over 200k miles with nothing but gas, tires and oil. Well, maybe a couple windshields, but you get the picture. FWD so you get
all the room on the interior and can configure them with or without seating.
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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so everybody agrees to disagree. how about the "boaterhome" from the 80's?
http://www.dump.com/boatramp/
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