GM Astro/Safari

"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/07/2017 at 21:44 • Filed to: DOTS NYC

These are photos I’ve taken over roughly the last year. These things are all over the city - towing food carts, making deliveries, hauling work tools. A couple guys I talked to said they get 250-300K out of them with little more than regular maintenance and plugs/wires once in awhile. If I have time, I take the photo.

DISCUSSION (11)

vondon302 > Steve in Manhattan
10/07/2017 at 21:55

My sister had one of these. It was a tank. The paint peeled off but it never really rusted out.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Steve in Manhattan
10/07/2017 at 22:18

I drove one of those as a work van, a long time ago. It was pretty good as a hauler.

Dave the car guy , still here > Steve in Manhattan
10/08/2017 at 00:16

They were pretty tough. Most broken parts for them that get ordered at my work seem to be door handles, wiper linkage. wiper delay parts and rear wheel bearing/axle stuff. The rare AWD ones occasionally broke torsion bars. If one broke the other one was ready to go shortly afterwards. Not much else was ever commonly wrong with them except the occasional fuel injection issue which plagued all GM 4.3 engines.

Steve in Manhattan > Dave the car guy , still here
10/08/2017 at 03:19

There are probably a dozen other photos I can’t find of these things still at work in NYC. A pretty good track record.

Tohru > Steve in Manhattan
10/08/2017 at 03:47

One of my friends has an AWD Astro as his daily. The rust is getting to it and it’s starting to have mechanical issues due to both himself and the previous owner (a mutual friend) not knowing anything about cars or preventative maintenance.

thatsmr > Dave the car guy , still here
10/08/2017 at 13:09

I got abt 250k on mine before I said uncle. Bought a minty 93 with 130k, needed a tranny around 180k. That was the only major repair. Everything not related to start, run, drive, stop fell apart by the time I sold it was broken...door handles, hatch actuator, lock mechanism to slide door bent/failed and bungeed...would always go despite CEL..another car i sold because it just wasnt worth the expense to pass emissions. Im not a domestics guy but would totally buy another 4.3 esp another RWD Astro lwb....

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Dave the car guy , still here
10/27/2017 at 18:03

Mine’s got around 260k miles and all it’s needed has been an engine, two intake manifold gaskets, a transmission, two sets of injectors and a new rear end. And that expensive fuel pump/fuel gauge. And an air conditioning compressor. And a couple of alternators. And of course, bushings, tie rod ends...

And in spite of all that, it’s a superbly dependable and reliable vehicle.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Steve in Manhattan
10/27/2017 at 18:05

Still and all, it’s been supremely dependable. Pacific to Atlantic and back three times.

Steve in Manhattan > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/27/2017 at 18:24

Sounds like more than you should have had to do given the alleged reliability. Did it ever leave you stranded?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Steve in Manhattan
10/27/2017 at 20:42

Nope. I’ve had to repair it on a trip, and t wouldn’t start in the driveway one morning, but that’s it. I bought it needing that trans, so that doesn’t really count.

Steve in Manhattan > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/27/2017 at 21:52

That’s not too bad then.