I had an 03 that had 250k before a tree fell on it during a hurricane. Only ever had to change the oil, brakes, and a valve cover gasket. Did 30k miles a year with it lol
My 1999 GMC Safari SLT, with every possible option (except AWD), has just passed 518K. Original motor and drivetrain with no overhauls or rebuilds. Still going strong, but I don't know for how long. I just have one question: "What the hell do I replace it with"??? The only thing that even comes close is a Suburban or a Yukon XLT , but they sell new for three times the price of what the Safari and Astro sold for.
The Astro Van is in my opinion one of the coolest van designs ever. My favorite is a grey and white Astro that was modified by Mooneyes as a delivery van, it just looks simply awesome
Mine was white top and gray bottom, 4 buckets and a removable bench in the back grey cloth interior looked as good when I sold it after 10 years as when I bought it
Up to speed on the Toyota hilux Yes i know he covered the tacoma and 4runner, but what the hilux has achieved in motorsport and how reliable its proven to be by top gear can’t go unnoticed
Honestly love my Astro. I love it so much this is my second one and I'm a 28 year old male. The AWD is unreal in the snow and I converted it to a camper and haven't spent a penny on accommodation the past 5 years. Sleep in the ski hill/mountain bike resort parking lot.
I had a buddy with one these. No back seats though, just a grimey couch placed facing the right side of the van so that you slammed into the person to your left every time he hit the brakes. Love that one star safety rating.
i have a 2005 AWD now 4WD after conversion, that has 278,000 miles. Its the best vehicle ive ever had. Its now my work van so she dont see much love now days buy she runs and rides great.
Its that engine. Best dam engine chevy has every made. Not the best for power but its got great economy and best of all, its the engine that never dies.
Hanging out, down the street, doing the same old thing we did last week. Not a thing to do but talk to you we're all alright we're all alright Hello wensconse
*I AM A TOTAL FAN OF THE VAN! We had a 2000 Astro AWD and that thing would Pull ANYTHING you hooked to the bumper and it never got stuck either. I used to pull all of my neighbors out of holes they would get stuck in in their yards all the time. In fact my neighbor that lives behind me when he first moved in sunk his 4X4 Ford 7.3L diesel to the rims in his yard and tried to call me on my claims for the astro went over there and pulled his truck out of the hole it was in and drug it clear across his back yard that was 3" deep in mud at the time. I also pulled 50 foot long steel I beams with it and towed all sorts of things with it in the 14 years we had it. towed and hauled all kinds of things with that van. Sucks that they quit making the Astro they were GREAT for long trips too*
@@LxxseThread remember ours was an AWD. HUGE difference between that one and the regular ones. they are good and dependable regardless of which you get but if you want one that will perform well for EVERYTHING you throw at it try to find an AWD. i highly recommend those.
@@LxxseThread and unless you go mud bogging in deep rutted mud you'll never get stuck in it either if you can find one. like i said in my original comment i used to pull everyone around me out with ours when they would get stuck
I had a 1989 Astro. I went to High school from 2002 to 2006. My freshman year i don't want to drive it. By the end of the year i had tinted the windows and put some rims and put a audio system. It became the ultimate party van. I wish Chevy wolud bring it back
Mines an 87 safari. Using it like a work horse haulin my tools around. I felt the same way first driving it. I felt like someone was going to paint free candy on the side. But after awhile I've grown to love the ol' girl
I own a 2003 Astro, all wheel drive. It has served me well. I drove it from New York to Key West, twice in the past few years. I bought a new Promaster, yet used the Astro all winter. It's amazing in the snow.
My buddy had a 85 with a 350, Holley carb, posi track in the rear, it was stupid fast, we could smoke a Camaro or Mustang in it all day long. It was amazing! Lol. My first two vehicles as a teenager were an 85 Sport and and 89 Sport. Only 5 seaters and a bit shorter, I went camping all the time with my friends in it. I bang soo many girls at the beach in it 🤣😜😜 it was my shagging wagon lol.
Grew up with these things. My mom and dad each had one during the same time for a while. Mom's for people moving, dad's for hauling projects. True workhorses!
my girlfriend is dutch and i can whole heartedly say she loves chevy astros. 11/10 the most accurate fact ever to be said on up to speed great jobs pumpy. keep up the good work
I'm always keeping my eyes open for an astro van. Perfect minivan to pimp out for 1 person stealth vanlife. My ex and I owned one years ago. And it was a cargo! How I wish now we never sold that thing. Chevy would make a killing if they brought the Astrovan back with a high top.
A lot of people did the after market high top conversion. It was also a very popular van for wheelchair taxis and people with mobility issues and they usually added the high top.
I have one, it's pretty sweet, but I suggest getting a new van. These old vans break down often and, since they were so popular back in the day, most have really high mileage. I haven't converted it yet, I will eventually, right now I just have a futon in it but even with just that it's still pretty comfy. I also have a raised roof, bought it like that, where I can (barely) stand up in it which is pretty cool but not really necessary. If you are gonna buy one then get one from the year 2000 and up. Also if you do breakdown they're pretty easy to work on and if you need parts no problem you'll find plenty of Astros at the junkyard lol.
We had a 2000 that did absolutely everything I ever threw at it. Two years ago it was ran in 5 demo derbies and made it in the top 5 of all of them. Tough van!
This thing is a goddamn legend. My family used to owned one since I was 2 and we did everything from coast through snow storms to drive it from NY to the Grand Canyon. It never died no matter what beating you gave it 12.5/10
I loved my 97 Astro van. Full sheets of plywood and other materials during work and all the friends after work. Best of both words. Got a 05 forester now. Love my boxes 📦 lol
Not gonna lie, you brought back so many memories that I had a few man tears come out. This was my childhood era and I'm glad i had the chance to experience it. Thank you donut
@@garyvallone5393 Y'know, I've been driving a truck for a while now, and I travel most of the US. Rarely do I see a Transit pulling a big box utility trailer... or any sizeable trailer for that matter. I see Econos yanking those things down the highway at the time.
i bought an 05 for roadtrips. this baby does not die. i ran it for a month without coolant during the summer. i saw the temp move up a tiny bit from its usual spot and grew concerned. did a full inspection and found a broken plastic connector had spilled all my coolant without me noticing and my Astro didnt even complain. Fixed the leak, had the engine checked for damage and nope. it was still 100%. i have put about 20k miles in 2 years. its a fricken work horse.
Over a decade ago my dad built an all custom astro van, chrome 20 inch rims, 4 12 inch subwoofers, tv screens in every seat, exhaust, etc. It was so cool.
haha thanks I needed that. I owned one back in the 80's and so did two friends. rolled 4 different times in one of those ,even broke my arm when a friend drove his off a cliff and landed on the roof, lol my friend also rolled his turning into McD's lol he wasn't very good at keeping his upright
I have a 2000 I got in 2004 with 73K miles on it, now it's at 346k . it drives super strong(like a rock) with original engine but everything else(interior etc...) is starting to be less than nice.... so hard to get rid of a car that's been part of my life for so long!! And I have to go up in size to the Ford Transit or sprinter in order for me to have something comparable. Sigh... GREAT VIDEO!!!! Now I love my van even more!!!
Finding something comparable is the problem. I don't think the Transit or Sprinter are comparable. My considerations are now the Suburban or a Tahoe XLT, but they are three times what an Astro or Safari sold for.
I feel your pain I have owned six of them I still have number 6 three of them I got over 300,000 miles on them and literally drove two of them to the junkyard the engine build quality was damn excellent and that 4.3 liter V6 Vortex engine was awesome and if I'm not mistaken they still use it to this day they still use a version of it today
Ah the memories. Memories of when I was a complete nut in my Astro van. Mine was an 86. I was one of the few, and most of the time, the only one among my friends to have a vehicle. And it just so happened that all my friends could fit inside mine. Friends would gather at a certain spot on a side street, away from houses to just hang out. I would come along in my Astro, park on side of the street, open up the rear doors, turn the rear seat around to face backwards and set the big speakers that I kept behind the rear seat, out on the ground. Seating for 7? Yeah but that didn't stop 15 of us, plus a dog, from piling in and going for a ride to town to visit a Subway or pizza joint. My Astro was also known for my habit of doing donuts and burnouts. Not to mention driving down the quad-trails outside of town. It earned the name "Bad-ass-tro" Eventually it did succumb to my harsh abuse of the engine, and during the last weeks of its life was only getting like 50 miles per gallon.... OF OIL! Tailgaters got a free quart of hot oil, fresh from the tailpipe, in the form of a fine mist, right on their windshield if I floored it. When it became completely undriveable, I pulled it down into the back yard, and it became a storage shed. 5 years later, some dude actually bought it for 500 bucks. I saw it once going down the road after that, then never again. Now I'm a lot more reserved and sensible in my driving habits. I'm fixing up a 1990 Dodge B-250 conversion van. It's a living room on wheels. #vanlife
Easily my favorite UA-cam video of all time. Being a big Astrovan fan that hasn't been able to acquire what would be my 4th, I can't but help but pull this video up every so often to enjoy a good memory and laugh.
Astro Van AWD was the dopest road trip van. It even had cub-split doors like the mini-Cooper. Saw a turbo-nitro on on a drag strip in Wisconsin. It pulled 9’s😄👍 It was the mini-mini van🥰👍
I don't understand I had six of these vans and dude I don't know what year you talkin about but they had ABS all wheel drive which Astro van didn't have abs!?!? what you talkin about that 1986 cuz I don't had 1989-1990 1998-1999 2000- 2004 they still customize these in America and any van show they have them there I don't seen pickups drop top muscle cars rat, rat minivans or if you want to call it that and in Japan they have a cult following on UA-cam they had a car show what about 300 of them on there lot of people don't know they're highly salt after overend England and Japan did you know that
My bad at first I didn't understand what you were trying to say but I understand now disregard the first message I sent you but I did put some facts in there that you probably didn't know LOL
I owned three of these vans, they were awesome! Good memories! My father has owned a whole bunch as well, and still has a 1998 he took with him to Mexico! When I go for a visit I put on at least 2000 km traveling around. These vans are like gold!!
When I was a kid my parents had an 85 Astro, I drove my friends around in that thing all through high school - it was awesome. The parents traded it in for a 1990 model, and when I moved on to have a family of my own, I ended up owning a 2000 Astro. My sister had a 95. I've camped in them, Used them as moving vans so many times, tail-gaited in them, towed my watercraft to the lake, went on lots of great road trips.... They had their little issues but overall I have to say they really were excellent all-purpose family vehicles.
9:16 sadly? It's actually a good thing they ended up there because when I need parts for my Astro van I can just go to the junkyard and find plenty of Astros I can pick parts from.
These vans are beasts, i have a 1999 gmc safari 550k miles. My dad bought it with 170k miles back in 2007.Stock engine just regular maintenance, replaced couple of shitty sensors, replaced gas pump, replaced ball bearings. Still going strong.
We had a fleet of these as work vans. They were solid workhorses and all of them made it to 300K+/- miles. Blowers always broke, abs modules always failed and all the door handles would snap off.
I bought a non running 94 Sonoma a couple yrs ago with the early 4.3 vortec CPI with the fuel pressure regulator INSIDE the intake. Replaced the spider injector, nut kit, starter, full tuneup. Started great but then knocked after it warmed up. Should’ve known 🤬
Because doing anything was extremely difficult. Changing belts, hoses, spark plugs (ugh!), and even a basic oil change was not easy. Fortunately the 4.3 liter 6 cylinder engine was both strong and lasted!
@Charles Bronson Every job you have to do on the vans can be done quickly, one certain way. Otherwise, add another 5-10 hours to every job. Like Rick said, Spark plugs. Yeah, it can be done with wheels on, but removing the front wheels, and lifting a dirt/mud shield, and you can access all the plugs with a swivel, or go under and spend a day trying to get at them.
Just seeing this van brings tears to my eyes, when my dad left us, we were left with our 98 Astro. I remember laying down in the third row while my mom drove home from church, so spacious and comfortable, even after a wreck that damaged the driver side it still ran straight, although we had to go in through the passenger and sliding door to get in, but never any mechanical issues other than the fuel gauge not working properly so we had to pump gasoline in it every week just to be safe, alas better days came and sadly we sold it with around 300k miles on it, we will always remember our Astro.
My 1997 Astro AWD had 200k miles when I got it this summer for $800. Put new tires on it and took it on a 3,000 mile camping road trip. I'm a VW guy at heart, but these are phenomenal.
We have over 87k miles on our new 05 Astro engine. Old engine got busted because the guy changed the oil didn't screw the drain plug in. The old engine was still running great and hit over 300k miles.
Ive been driving full sized gmc conversion vans for the past 25yrs. I bought an 04 Safari last yr. I like the safari , pulled out the middle seat and its great I can sleep in it and my rottie loves it with both side windows open and open road. This is the first 6cyl van that ive owned.
The safari was offered with rear bias awd with the 4.3L. And one of my future projects is to take that system stuff it in a L-series saturn while also hopping up the 4.3L to put out 300hp+.
When I was 13 My uncle Rick was driving his wife’s Astro. I was in the front seat and his wife worked at a Canadian superstore “Zellers” . Its 11pm and she needed picked up after her shift. My uncle whips in at 40kmh hits a parking island. It was wild she and he were embarrassed. My self as a 31 year old now, thank him for that experience. It was awesome.
I was born in 92. My mom rode me and my brother around in a ASTRO for years before she got cancer and passed. I hated that van. Looking back and how rare they have gotten I been wanting to get 1 for myself and family. My moms was 2 toned brown with a tv and curtains.
At least 3 or 4 times a year, every year, someone stops me in a parking lot to ask about my Safari van. Then they share how they used to own one and wish they had never sold it.
I retired my 1999 GMC Safari SLT van (Astro's twin brother) last year with 538,000 on the odometer. Engine still running smooth at the time of retirement and the drive train (engine, transmission and differential) had never had any internal repairs made to them. Used as my everyday driver and for work, this was the most versatile vehicle I have ever owned. Build them again and I'll buy one.
I bought a 96 slx safari for pulling my 8x24 mobile garage and it does it really well. Although i did beefed up the front and rear suspension for more control. (5 leaf springs and air bags) Just perfect.
I am still driving my @002 Astro Van. It just turned over 240,000 miles this week and I have had offers from 2 people at work to buy it from me for $5000.00 and I turned them down flat. I have a side business where I make outdoor furniture and I can put 12 ' long boards in it and deliver the goods when it's done. Love my van and it's super reliable.. we bought it for $4500.00 in 2010 and I haven't put 4500 in repair into it yet.
What do ya think? Are you a fan of the van?
:D please make video about vw camper van too!
Donut Media I love them
Hell yeah!! I want one now. You guys have any on wagons?
Please make a video on the vaydor g35
Dude, its perfect, I NEED ONE
My dad had an 88 that reached almost 500k miles. LIKE A ROCK
Thank you for posting that. I just bought an 88 Astro on ebay!
I just bought one too trying to rebuild it it's a 99 and a buddy of mine has one too with over 500k which is crazy
I had an 03 that had 250k before a tree fell on it during a hurricane. Only ever had to change the oil, brakes, and a valve cover gasket. Did 30k miles a year with it lol
OHHH LIKE A ROCK!
My 1999 GMC Safari SLT, with every possible option (except AWD), has just passed 518K. Original motor and drivetrain with no overhauls or rebuilds. Still going strong, but I don't know for how long. I just have one question: "What the hell do I replace it with"??? The only thing that even comes close is a Suburban or a Yukon XLT , but they sell new for three times the price of what the Safari and Astro sold for.
The Astro Van is in my opinion one of the coolest van designs ever. My favorite is a grey and white Astro that was modified by Mooneyes as a delivery van, it just looks simply awesome
Mine was white top and gray bottom, 4 buckets and a removable bench in the back grey cloth interior looked as good when I sold it after 10 years as when I bought it
Japan nd china love these vans
@@jackdaniels2657 yes they do. Huge van clubs specialize in these 2 models. It's amazing.
@@djbis if gm was smart they would bring back astro. Nd keep it rear drive
Yours has no windows and play's Ice cream van music, it's a young totty magnet...
Up to speed on the Toyota hilux
Yes i know he covered the tacoma and 4runner, but what the hilux has achieved in motorsport and how reliable its proven to be by top gear can’t go unnoticed
Yahya Alghamdi hilux trd 2019 :)
30
Yes!!
My dad had 3 of them. A blue 87 model all done up then a 93 and finally a 95..Im from the Caribbean so we had the hilux from way back
Duo Maxwell aquí en paraguay se vende desde 1970 hasta la actualidad
Every channel should do the yellow bar for ads on the bottom like you guys
Zach exactly!! Let’s you know what to forward past 😁👍
Ikr, just the fact I knew I could fast forward made me not want to for once.
seriously we should appreciate donut doing
that...
Every Mexican family has owned one lol... even mine and everybody else I know that's mexican
Thats not tr-no wait, my aunt had one. Fuck.
hahah, my family owned three of dem shits lol😂
Either this or a Toyota Minivan. Used to have one of these until my sister got towed away.
Did not know they had these down in Mexico. Nice!
vwkaferman I’m talking about here in the United States lol
Honestly love my Astro. I love it so much this is my second one and I'm a 28 year old male. The AWD is unreal in the snow and I converted it to a camper and haven't spent a penny on accommodation the past 5 years. Sleep in the ski hill/mountain bike resort parking lot.
2hip
@Swampy check out Chevy expresses
Same here turned myne into a camper van, love those vans!
Drew Boeckx 🤘
This man makes me appreciate/want to buy every car they make a video on.
Don't actually buy an astro van
@@michaelswitzer2121 why not? been looking at one
@@schizophrenicdolphinz9822 LS SWAP!!!!
Jon Posadny don’t know what this means , not a car guy just in need of an amicably sized reliable vehicle
Even a Yugo? 🤮
Man you guys literally can do an episode on anything and make it interesting! Kudos to the team!
The extended cut of the song does not replace the “I love you” that I have grown to, umm... love.
Yeah I was surprised to hear the extended cut, and not to hear the usual closing.
I had a buddy with one these. No back seats though, just a grimey couch placed facing the right side of the van so that you slammed into the person to your left every time he hit the brakes. Love that one star safety rating.
I keep seeing these videos on unexpected vehicles and honestly at this point all I can say is
I love it!
Fuck your comment
I've wanted a late model AWD version for a long time now. Great for hauling stuff, driving in snow, wknd camping, emergency shelter, etc.
i have a 2005 AWD now 4WD after conversion, that has 278,000 miles. Its the best vehicle ive ever had. Its now my work van so she dont see much love now days buy she runs and rides great.
I have a 98 awd with the optional rear posi trac. I've never gotten stuck and not for a lack of trying lol
I've made plans to convert my RWD 87 safari into AWD. RWD you slip and slide on the smallest amount of ice
@@MrVkull Waste of money. Buy a 99 or older with AWD already in. Done.
@@bluettr250 AWD takes too much gas. I want to be able to switch between the 2 because I don't always need AWD
UP TO SPEED ON JAMES DAD!
James: "This is everything you need to know to get up to speed on MY DAD"
@@aaronsimon_co Thats a lot of speed
it would be a 1 minute video
Corvair dammit my idea😂
What about his granny?
Do an up to speed on The Monte carlo
Tigerman 273 yes I have been asking for that for sooooooo long
Fucking yes my dude!
Holycowgaming I ask on every video :( they do the damn astro before the nascar bred monte carlo I’m sadboi
I’ve been waiting for hella for them to do that lmao
No reliant robin
My dad has owned a Astro Chevy van for almost 20 years and it’s putting in work still.. great van
They are way too reliable
Its that engine. Best dam engine chevy has every made. Not the best for power but its got great economy and best of all, its the engine that never dies.
Love the yellow progress bar during the sponsor section. Great idea👍🏻
I know it's like a little race between the red white and yellow
Subtle but very convenient for the viewers. Real' smart!
Epic decision. Did someone on your team see this elsewhere or is it a donut exclusive?
I've daily'd a '97 for 10 years and even approaching 300K the thing is still so much fun to drive.
My grandfather had one of these that we used to go to the drive in movies in. Used to bounce around so much and eat so much pizza during the movies.
My grandpa had one too, he would buy tools in bulk and sell them at a flea market when he wasn't going to candy stores lmao
My grandma has one and it was awesome
My grandpa bought one brand new in 1997 and still has it! they are bulletproof vans
@@witherouz so uhhhh why did your van owning grandpa go to the candy store so often?
@@HelenKellerDenier he was a diabetic but really liked defying his doctor
Seeing that vista cruiser get crushed hurt my soul. You could literally cruise the vistas in that thing.
Erik and Dona cruised a lot of Vistas in that thing!
@rj zander ok boomer
Nick i cried a little seeing that.
Ya that could've been nice.
Hanging out,
down the street,
doing the same old thing
we did last week.
Not a thing to do
but talk to you
we're all alright
we're all alright
Hello wensconse
*I AM A TOTAL FAN OF THE VAN! We had a 2000 Astro AWD and that thing would Pull ANYTHING you hooked to the bumper and it never got stuck either. I used to pull all of my neighbors out of holes they would get stuck in in their yards all the time. In fact my neighbor that lives behind me when he first moved in sunk his 4X4 Ford 7.3L diesel to the rims in his yard and tried to call me on my claims for the astro went over there and pulled his truck out of the hole it was in and drug it clear across his back yard that was 3" deep in mud at the time. I also pulled 50 foot long steel I beams with it and towed all sorts of things with it in the 14 years we had it. towed and hauled all kinds of things with that van. Sucks that they quit making the Astro they were GREAT for long trips too*
Wow. If that's the case then maybe I should buy a used Astro.
@@LxxseThread remember ours was an AWD. HUGE difference between that one and the regular ones. they are good and dependable regardless of which you get but if you want one that will perform well for EVERYTHING you throw at it try to find an AWD. i highly recommend those.
@@DaddytechEnt AWD? That would work PERFECTLY where I live.
@@LxxseThread and unless you go mud bogging in deep rutted mud you'll never get stuck in it either if you can find one. like i said in my original comment i used to pull everyone around me out with ours when they would get stuck
They’re great for long trips, except they are noisy as hell and get 13 mpg!
WHAT!?!?! No "I love you"? I live for that James. I. LIVE. FOR. THAT!!!!
Came here to say the same thing. First my Dad stopped saying it and now James? :(
Best name ever, MetalMilkMan.
By the way I don't even know how to change my youtube name, Lol 😭
This meant the world to me, bring it back!
I had a 1989 Astro. I went to High school from 2002 to 2006. My freshman year i don't want to drive it. By the end of the year i had tinted the windows and put some rims and put a audio system. It became the ultimate party van. I wish Chevy wolud bring it back
Got a 98 astro; party van! #vanlife
That’s amazing 😂
Didn't want to drive it freshman year?
How many times did you repeat 1st grade there little Johnny?
@@asasial1977 When I was in high school I just wanted to drive. I would have driven the school bus if they'd let me.
Mines an 87 safari. Using it like a work horse haulin my tools around. I felt the same way first driving it. I felt like someone was going to paint free candy on the side. But after awhile I've grown to love the ol' girl
I own a 2003 Astro, all wheel drive. It has served me well. I drove it from New York to Key West, twice in the past few years. I bought a new Promaster, yet used the Astro all winter. It's amazing in the snow.
4:52
* Station wagons are dead *
"Oh no, it's started to rain..."
Can’t believe that the whole “worlds easiest v8 swap” thing wasn’t mentioned. That’s the reason these are so fun... and important.
My buddy had a 85 with a 350, Holley carb, posi track in the rear, it was stupid fast, we could smoke a Camaro or Mustang in it all day long. It was amazing! Lol. My first two vehicles as a teenager were an 85 Sport and and 89 Sport. Only 5 seaters and a bit shorter, I went camping all the time with my friends in it. I bang soo many girls at the beach in it 🤣😜😜 it was my shagging wagon lol.
Yeah...it was an easy upgrade for even a shade tree mechanic. Now some 4.3 Vortecs are getting after market turbo chargers.
I drive an astro everyday and it impresses the shit out of me with how much it can carry
Same here. and how good it rides after almost 200k on the odometer.
...and a fork lift can load a full pallet of anything straight through the back doors.
Grew up with these things. My mom and dad each had one during the same time for a while. Mom's for people moving, dad's for hauling projects. True workhorses!
back in the day we used to just call a "VHS Player" a VCR...
Why did we? I just realized that prob wasn't right lol
@@ve2430 because it was a video cassette recorder
@@angrybadger8136 but it was also a video cassette player. VCP?
my girlfriend is dutch and i can whole heartedly say she loves chevy astros. 11/10 the most accurate fact ever to be said on up to speed great jobs pumpy. keep up the good work
Dutch-American or Dutch Dutch? There's a fucking MASSIVE difference.
@@Cooe. I bet she's born in Holland.
@@crippyandkaatje There's plentiful Chevy's (let ALONE vans) in freaking Holland? O___o
That's sure as shit news to me lol.
My dad owns an Astro Van and he calls it "The BadAstro Van"
JM Driftz my dad owned two of them :,D
There bad AF vans
Up yo Astro van
My dad owned one as well but my sister got it towed away.
Is he saying that because it’s badass or because it’s bad
I'm always keeping my eyes open for an astro van. Perfect minivan to pimp out for 1 person stealth vanlife. My ex and I owned one years ago. And it was a cargo! How I wish now we never sold that thing. Chevy would make a killing if they brought the Astrovan back with a high top.
A lot of people did the after market high top conversion. It was also a very popular van for wheelchair taxis and people with mobility issues and they usually added the high top.
I’ll sell u mine😂
I have one, it's pretty sweet, but I suggest getting a new van. These old vans break down often and, since they were so popular back in the day, most have really high mileage. I haven't converted it yet, I will eventually, right now I just have a futon in it but even with just that it's still pretty comfy. I also have a raised roof, bought it like that, where I can (barely) stand up in it which is pretty cool but not really necessary. If you are gonna buy one then get one from the year 2000 and up. Also if you do breakdown they're pretty easy to work on and if you need parts no problem you'll find plenty of Astros at the junkyard lol.
You guys are the reason why I absolutely LOVE cars now. Thank you guys so much
I need a car girl haha
Dietrik Ferster 😂😂😂
@@DanglingwithDietrik I know right I'm gonna have to find another type I enjoy 😆😎
Brian Alonso who me?
it’s And1 You are beautiful
I used to sleep in the back of my uncle's astrovan and then wakeup with my pants off like wheweee those things are magic
Uhh
Yeah it would change clothes for you
@@furyfox2.0random35 dont worry man magic cant hurt you if you have red hair
@@Puffingtonnn lol
Too much candy 🍭 will do that.
Ask and you shall receive!
I asked for this video 3 weeks ago. Way to go Donut, You delivered!
We had a 2000 that did absolutely everything I ever threw at it. Two years ago it was ran in 5 demo derbies and made it in the top 5 of all of them. Tough van!
We had a 1996 Astro conversion made by “explorer”
It had a rear sunroof on top of the rear folding seats.
I really loved that van!
I've got one of those now
This thing is a goddamn legend. My family used to owned one since I was 2 and we did everything from coast through snow storms to drive it from NY to the Grand Canyon. It never died no matter what beating you gave it 12.5/10
I loved my 97 Astro van. Full sheets of plywood and other materials during work and all the friends after work. Best of both words. Got a 05 forester now. Love my boxes 📦 lol
Not gonna lie, you brought back so many memories that I had a few man tears come out. This was my childhood era and I'm glad i had the chance to experience it. Thank you donut
2019 that POS van is my daily driver because I like to go into work hungover and crash out in the back. Limo tinted all the way around.
Never be hungover on your own time.
I do the same shit in my 97 stro 😂
2000 Honda Odyssey, same.
Took the middle seats out the day I bought it 7 years ago. Rear bench folds into the floor, fits 4x8 sheetrock inside 👍
@@AB-nb2ic I am looking at getting a 2002 Honda Odyssey for $1000
@@malakisands4669 did you get it?
up to speed on the ford econoline (1960-2014)
They still sell the Econoline only in chassis cab configuration
@@ayp1938 I noticed that also. Seems ford knows the gay ass transit isnt fit for heavy duty applications
@@ayp1938 It's also about to get a refresh.
@@garyvallone5393
Y'know, I've been driving a truck for a while now, and I travel most of the US. Rarely do I see a Transit pulling a big box utility trailer... or any sizeable trailer for that matter. I see Econos yanking those things down the highway at the time.
Club wagon
The normally-unplayed part of the intro song SLAPS
i bought an 05 for roadtrips.
this baby does not die.
i ran it for a month without coolant during the summer. i saw the temp move up a tiny bit from its usual spot and grew concerned. did a full inspection and found a broken plastic connector had spilled all my coolant without me noticing and my Astro didnt even complain. Fixed the leak, had the engine checked for damage and nope. it was still 100%. i have put about 20k miles in 2 years. its a fricken work horse.
one of the best band touring vans out there, especially when you have a gear trailer. I had a 2002 for about 10 years that served me very well!
The Chevy Astro is literally the ONLY van I would ever roll....For some reason I've always liked those
probably because its on a rwd truck frame
Same here, there's something about the design that makes it not seem like other vans
Over a decade ago my dad built an all custom astro van, chrome 20 inch rims, 4 12 inch subwoofers, tv screens in every seat, exhaust, etc. It was so cool.
A donk?
@@matthewhetes9965 Not quite, but if you look up "Custom black astro van" you can see something very similar
I have a 2000 Astro that I converted into a home on wheels. I plan on moving into it full time this Spring.! I Luv My Astro..!! Best car I ever owned.
As the saying goes “Well kiss my “Astro!”😏
I’ve done the same in a 99. Been in it for 8-9 months now.
You missed the best part. A Chevy 350 bolts in place of the 4.3 V6
erod017 oh yes and it makes a world of power difference
Up To Speed on SUZUKI SAMURAI DUDE!!!! What's the deal?
I heard they tried but after 5 minutes of filming the whole project ended up on its side
Yeah, maybe you were driving
@@reiestrada9167 the cars were sick still running around the world
@@SS-hw1ou its def a cult car, there's few contradiction about their curving stick performance,
haha thanks I needed that. I owned one back in the 80's and so did two friends. rolled 4 different times in one of those ,even broke my arm when a friend drove his off a cliff and landed on the roof, lol my friend also rolled his turning into McD's lol he wasn't very good at keeping his upright
I miss my Astro. This video brought back some good memories. Damn, I miss my Astro van.
Me too.... me too!!!!
I have a 2000 I got in 2004 with 73K miles on it, now it's at 346k . it drives super strong(like a rock) with original engine but everything else(interior etc...) is starting to be less than nice.... so hard to get rid of a car that's been part of my life for so long!!
And I have to go up in size to the Ford Transit or sprinter in order for me to have something comparable.
Sigh...
GREAT VIDEO!!!! Now I love my van even more!!!
Finding something comparable is the problem. I don't think the Transit or Sprinter are comparable. My considerations are now the Suburban or a Tahoe XLT, but they are three times what an Astro or Safari sold for.
I used to own one, she caught on fire 19 years later...R.I.P bessy
I feel your pain I have owned six of them I still have number 6 three of them I got over 300,000 miles on them and literally drove two of them to the junkyard the engine build quality was damn excellent and that 4.3 liter V6 Vortex engine was awesome and if I'm not mistaken they still use it to this day they still use a version of it today
Ah the memories. Memories of when I was a complete nut in my Astro van.
Mine was an 86. I was one of the few, and most of the time, the only one among my friends to have a vehicle. And it just so happened that all my friends could fit inside mine. Friends would gather at a certain spot on a side street, away from houses to just hang out. I would come along in my Astro, park on side of the street, open up the rear doors, turn the rear seat around to face backwards and set the big speakers that I kept behind the rear seat, out on the ground. Seating for 7? Yeah but that didn't stop 15 of us, plus a dog, from piling in and going for a ride to town to visit a Subway or pizza joint. My Astro was also known for my habit of doing donuts and burnouts. Not to mention driving down the quad-trails outside of town.
It earned the name "Bad-ass-tro"
Eventually it did succumb to my harsh abuse of the engine, and during the last weeks of its life was only getting like 50 miles per gallon.... OF OIL! Tailgaters got a free quart of hot oil, fresh from the tailpipe, in the form of a fine mist, right on their windshield if I floored it. When it became completely undriveable, I pulled it down into the back yard, and it became a storage shed. 5 years later, some dude actually bought it for 500 bucks. I saw it once going down the road after that, then never again.
Now I'm a lot more reserved and sensible in my driving habits. I'm fixing up a 1990 Dodge B-250 conversion van. It's a living room on wheels.
#vanlife
Me and my friends are actually fixing up a 1994 astrovan for ourselves atm
DO AND UP TO SPEED ON THE PONTIAC BONNEVILLE!!!! 😃😃
Easily my favorite UA-cam video of all time. Being a big Astrovan fan that hasn't been able to acquire what would be my 4th, I can't but help but pull this video up every so often to enjoy a good memory and laugh.
Astro Van AWD was the dopest road trip van. It even had cub-split doors like the mini-Cooper. Saw a turbo-nitro on on a drag strip in Wisconsin. It pulled 9’s😄👍 It was the mini-mini van🥰👍
"They didn't have ABS alright, and that's pretty important when you're carrying your fat little family around."
- Pumphrey 2019 🤣
Yeah they did I have a 92 astro and its abs
I'm a chunky butt guy
I don't understand I had six of these vans and dude I don't know what year you talkin about but they had ABS all wheel drive which Astro van didn't have abs!?!? what you talkin about that 1986 cuz I don't had 1989-1990 1998-1999 2000- 2004 they still customize these in America and any van show they have them there I don't seen pickups drop top muscle cars rat, rat minivans or if you want to call it that and in Japan they have a cult following on UA-cam they had a car show what about 300 of them on there lot of people don't know they're highly salt after overend England and Japan did you know that
My bad at first I didn't understand what you were trying to say but I understand now disregard the first message I sent you but I did put some facts in there that you probably didn't know LOL
@@dsavage2954 he's talking about Aerostar.
I owned three of these vans, they were awesome! Good memories! My father has owned a whole bunch as well, and still has a 1998 he took with him to Mexico! When I go for a visit
I put on at least 2000 km traveling around. These vans are like gold!!
I'm on my second, first one was a 1996, it ran great until a drunk driver totaled it in front of my house at 3 in the morning.
When I was a kid my parents had an 85 Astro, I drove my friends around in that thing all through high school - it was awesome. The parents traded it in for a 1990 model, and when I moved on to have a family of my own, I ended up owning a 2000 Astro. My sister had a 95. I've camped in them, Used them as moving vans so many times, tail-gaited in them, towed my watercraft to the lake, went on lots of great road trips.... They had their little issues but overall I have to say they really were excellent all-purpose family vehicles.
I did not know I needed a up to speed about the Astro van! Lol
I cried when they crushed the Vista cruiser
Me too
Was that the Cujo crush? I thought it was . It made me smile.
Eric is gonna be pissed!
@@jamesdupuis3249 😑
9:16 sadly? It's actually a good thing they ended up there because when I need parts for my Astro van I can just go to the junkyard and find plenty of Astros I can pick parts from.
These vans are beasts, i have a 1999 gmc safari 550k miles. My dad bought it with 170k miles back in 2007.Stock engine just regular maintenance, replaced couple of shitty sensors, replaced gas pump, replaced ball bearings. Still going strong.
We had a fleet of these as work vans. They were solid workhorses and all of them made it to 300K+/- miles. Blowers always broke, abs modules always failed and all the door handles would snap off.
All of ours had the security module fuck up and leave us stranded on the regular
I bought a non running 94 Sonoma a couple yrs ago with the early 4.3 vortec CPI with the fuel pressure regulator INSIDE the intake. Replaced the spider injector, nut kit, starter, full tuneup. Started great but then knocked after it warmed up. Should’ve known 🤬
I have never been so disappointed to get in someone’s van and realize that no candy was actually involved. I still have nightmares.
😂
I relate first time I got into a Van was right after birth almost got stolen by an Asian family 👀 be careful out there
Bet you learn how to eat a banana the right way 👍
F
“Mechanics loved it”
No, we didn’t...
Because doing anything was extremely difficult. Changing belts, hoses, spark plugs (ugh!), and even a basic oil change was not easy.
Fortunately the 4.3 liter 6 cylinder engine was both strong and lasted!
^^^^Rick is clearly a mechanic^^^^
@Charles Bronson Every job you have to do on the vans can be done quickly, one certain way. Otherwise, add another 5-10 hours to every job.
Like Rick said, Spark plugs. Yeah, it can be done with wheels on, but removing the front wheels, and lifting a dirt/mud shield, and you can access all the plugs with a swivel, or go under and spend a day trying to get at them.
Mechanics only love it if you take the doghouse off before you deliver it to them for service.
Skyler King I never met anyone who loved one
Just seeing this van brings tears to my eyes, when my dad left us, we were left with our 98 Astro. I remember laying down in the third row while my mom drove home from church, so spacious and comfortable, even after a wreck that damaged the driver side it still ran straight, although we had to go in through the passenger and sliding door to get in, but never any mechanical issues other than the fuel gauge not working properly so we had to pump gasoline in it every week just to be safe, alas better days came and sadly we sold it with around 300k miles on it, we will always remember our Astro.
The fuel indicator was probably a bad sensor or pump, ours had the same problem until we changed the gas pump
Never had this in my country but I’ve still seen it so much on TV that I know what it is.
Do an up to speed on the Chevrolet G20. It’s my favorite van of all time. I love the up to speed videos. Very informative and entertaining keep it up.
Mine too !
I did a V8 swap in a 92 Astro years ago. Along with a 3.73 posi rear it was a hell of a sleeper.
My 1997 Astro AWD had 200k miles when I got it this summer for $800. Put new tires on it and took it on a 3,000 mile camping road trip. I'm a VW guy at heart, but these are phenomenal.
next episode: EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET UP TO SPEED ON MY DAD.
Your not gonna get anywhere in life by copying comments 😂😂😂
Thats a lot of speed
Dad? Never saw mine again since he went to a store & bought some milk...
I cant believe we didn't get an "I LOVE YOU" at the end of this episode....what the hell James!?!
that was definitely a slick shill i imagine nolan thought of it but also ig james could of
James is best host ever!!!!!! Can't wait for next episode.
We have over 87k miles on our new 05 Astro engine.
Old engine got busted because the guy changed the oil didn't screw the drain plug in.
The old engine was still running great and hit over 300k miles.
“up to Speed on the Buick SKYLARK.”
I'd love that, my first car was a '94 Skylark
Buick Le Sabre
A UA-camr Needing A Lot Of Subscribers what abt chip skylark
What about the Reatta
Collin Klitz Dunno...
Comment #7
Niki Lauda
Cosworth
XJ220
These have some truly bonkers/incredible stories that need telling!
I went through four of these things during my teens and twenties love em
Ive been driving full sized gmc conversion vans for the past 25yrs. I bought an 04 Safari last yr. I like the safari , pulled out the middle seat and its great I can sleep in it and my rottie loves it with both side windows open and open road. This is the first 6cyl van that ive owned.
The safari was offered with rear bias awd with the 4.3L. And one of my future projects is to take that system stuff it in a L-series saturn while also hopping up the 4.3L to put out 300hp+.
There is one of these for sale near me for around 5k, wish I had the cash right now.
SuperCookieGaming that’s definitely not a waste of time...
Still driving my Dad's 1996 Blue Astro.
And keep doing it
If you don’t mind me asking, how many miles you got on it?
I had a dark blue 1990-something AstroVan!!!
My mom had this van. And I didn't know it was this great
Same here she had it dark grean 2000-02. Now i own 98 astro cargo van love the van for work
When I was 13 My uncle Rick was driving his wife’s Astro. I was in the front seat and his wife worked at a Canadian superstore “Zellers” . Its 11pm and she needed picked up after her shift. My uncle whips in at 40kmh hits a parking island. It was wild she and he were embarrassed. My self as a 31 year old now, thank him for that experience. It was awesome.
But...James didn’t say he loved us...😢😢😢😢😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Also have found memories growing up with Astro vans both factory and Mark lll models. And Earthworm Jim! Was the SHIZZNITT
FREE CANDY INSIDE....Everything you need to know!
Have you seen my lost puppy?
Omg I'm dead
I was born in 92. My mom rode me and my brother around in a ASTRO for years before she got cancer and passed. I hated that van. Looking back and how rare they have gotten I been wanting to get 1 for myself and family. My moms was 2 toned brown with a tv and curtains.
Up to speed on lotus or seat or Suzuki and Fiat
Like so he can see this
Lotus is coming, I guarantee it lol 👍
Still kick myself for selling my 2000 gmc safari awd high top conversation by quality coaches. Absolutely beautiful.
At least 3 or 4 times a year, every year, someone stops me in a parking lot to ask about my Safari van. Then they share how they used to own one and wish they had never sold it.
Where is the “I love you”?... you’ve gone Hollywood, man.
I retired my 1999 GMC Safari SLT van (Astro's twin brother) last year with 538,000 on the odometer. Engine still running smooth at the time of retirement and the drive train (engine, transmission and differential) had never had any internal repairs made to them. Used as my everyday driver and for work, this was the most versatile vehicle I have ever owned. Build them again and I'll buy one.
We need an Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed on the NHRA FUNNY CAR. Let's Go!!
Where is science garage its been like 4 months. :(
I know... I love these, but I need both in my life.
Been waiting so long.
@@liljuz1981 hope it comes back
I love the ending of the video, sounds like I'm about to play Up To Speed: The Game 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
I bought a 96 slx safari for pulling my 8x24 mobile garage and it does it really well. Although i did beefed up the front and rear suspension for more control. (5 leaf springs and air bags) Just perfect.
Great van great episode 🤙 I have a safari starcraft 94 v6 and yes its comfortable even with a 22"led in the back 🙌😎
Here’s some ideas.... Up To Speed on the Lincoln Continental, Nissan Maxima, Duramax or Powerstroke diesels.... 🤷🏻♂️
Thank you for this video!! Now there is new hope for my 89 Astro (even though the transmission needs to be rebuilt).
I am still driving my @002 Astro Van. It just turned over 240,000 miles this week and I have had offers from 2 people at work to buy it from me for $5000.00 and I turned them down flat. I have a side business where I make outdoor furniture and I can put 12 ' long boards in it and deliver the goods when it's done. Love my van and it's super reliable.. we bought it for $4500.00 in 2010 and I haven't put 4500 in repair into it yet.