I'm two weeks today into ownership of my "new" 1998 AWD Astro. Had to loan it to my daughter last week because her car broke down, she gave it back yesterday. Today I put on my new tail lights and my new American Racing rims with new Yokohama Geolander tires. I'm getting there, still have to put on the new front bumper and order a Overland Vans 2" lift kit. So, I am quickly trying to get away from that "soccer mom" mini van look!
Lookin' good so far, You're gonna love the 2" lift. I just put mine on a couple weeks ago.
I also got mine from overlands... you can also buy the parts individualy from places like autozone
and the hardware from fastenall and do it for about half price... but it was my first lift and I felt
more comforatable buying a kit... but now that I've done it once, I wouldn't buy the kit again...
Anyway,... looking good! Can't wait to see the progress.
Nah, I call it a truck. Just today at work, I had to bring butt loads of cardboard and trash bags to the dump. They gave me a Ford F-150 to do it. Well. I just put down the seats in the Astro, and loaded it to the front seats with all the cardboard. I fit it all even! I didn't even need to use the F-150. Screw that, I got an Astrolabe! :dance:
Ok, I'm done. Anyways, the van looks nice. I like the look of those after market taillights. :thumbup:
Lots of times when you're looking up parts online, the selector thing puts Astro/Safari under "Light Truck" instead of passenger car. Does it do the same thing for more obvious soccer moms like Windstars and so forth?
To test my van's "Soccer Mom" appeal, I use this rational when modifying it:
1) If my wife wonders why I'm doing it.
2) If I don't see anything like it at wallyworld.
3) If it makes my wife LESS likely to want to drive my van.
4) If my son and daughter think it's cool (they both like flame jobs too! Bonus!)
So when my Cragar rolling, V-8 rumbling, 5-speed shifting, matte paint w/ flames Astro is the only one I see like it, I know it's not a "Soccer Mom Mobile".
Hahahaha, sorry you guys make me laugh. The "Soccer Mom" look will be a hard feat to get rid of.
My Astro is lower, tubbed, has LS1 V8, roll bar and racing harnesses, I still get it. The phrase has just changed a little, "This isnt the usual soccer mom minivan" and "Wow, bad *** soccer mom Astro". I even had a guy suggest I put a bag of soccer balls in my Astro. Maybe next summer, when it has a wing, parachute and hood scoop, I wouldnt hear it anymore, but not getting my hopes up.
I guess it depends on which crowd you mix company with. My wife's friends all have more successful husbands who can afford to buy them Honda and Toyota mini-vans and SUVs. When my wife pulls up in the Safari people act like she's driving a 15 passenger full size van, she's not the soccer mom, she's driving the sunday school van. What's funny is aside from the ride height, all the new mini-vans are a bit larger than an Astro at least on the outside.
Same here Leeann. The Windstar....that was different. The Astro, I don't know how people react to it. They just look and stare. It loud, rare, and it makes funny sounds.
Call it whatever you like. I like em. I kept mine exactly the way it looked when mom gave it to me.
Bigger tires, black interior. Runs and handles alot better. Subtle changes.
If it make them feel better calling it a soccer mom van after I smoke em at the stoplight drags. Or on the freeway. I just smile. Because I like it just the way it is.
Soccer mom gave me a cool van.
Wow, what a great bunch of replies! My Virginia personalized tags arrived today. I'm a vanner from waaaay back in the 70's-little port hole windows and fake fur interiors, remember those vans? I had one, built it myself. Anyway, the coolest tag back then was "Vanpire". It was available, so I now have that tag on my Astro! Jeff
IMHO a strofari isn't a soccer mom van... that "honor" (or dishonor) is reserved for FWD car-based vans (or the few AWD versions of such). Heck, its the only Van that isn't a fullsize and a guy can drive w/o getting funny looks.
I once helped a guy in Pasadena build "Frosty the Snow Van". We sprayed fake snow/stucco on the roof. Looked like the roof on "The Northwood's Inn" at Huntington Dr and Rosemead Blvd.
Another guy, named Evan, built "E-Van".
And there were a million "Vincent Van Go"'s
Lump
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Chevy Astro and GMC Safari Forum
438.3K posts
23.1K members
Since 2008
A forum community dedicated to Chevy Astro and GMC Safari owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!