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Canadian Astro!

7K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  Leeann_93 
#1 ·
Hey all,

Been lurking for a while but finally joined. Bought my first Astro (actually my first ever vehicle). Although i'm 30 i'm yet to pass my drivers test. I sit it in August....

Based in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Anyway, i bought the 2002 Astro off a friend for $100 Canadian. It has 374,000km on the clock. Rattle can paint job, two smashed up bumpers and what looks like a few electrical issues. Had a neighbour have a quick look at the engine, he said all the fluids/oils look clean and good, new battery, air filter very clean, and said the engine sounded nice. He recognised it'll need new tires, alignment, new belt, bumpers, wing mirrors (glass stuck on with tape), and all fluids topped up, and a potential transmission flush and brakes done (but suggested this could be because the brake fluid is very low).

All i know is this has been driven for 25,000km in a year, had 2 oil changes and that's it. Previous owner "found it in bad shape and made it work". Hence the DIY paint job. He also ripped the insides out to make a camper conversion but its very basic.

First things first i'm going to take it for a safety, i know it'll fail but i want to know what's up before i spend time on it. i have about $1,900 to fix this up.

I'm a carpenter by trade and a good tradesperson. I have access to all the tools to improve this cosmetically, i plan on a full DIY paint job and to create a comfortable camper, i'm hoping to use it as a weekend camping van and to hopefully get a full trouble free year out of it after all said and done. My neighbour is more than up for helping me make this van pass its final safety after the obvious first fail. Just hoping there is no major engine/transmisson/structure issues...

I'll keep you informed, share what i learn, look for advice and supply lots of pictures if it all goes ahead.

If its a wreck, i'll keep it and spend the $1,900 on another Astro/Safari :rockon:

Any first timer advice would be super welcome! Thanks
 

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#2 ·
GM has never advised anyone to do a transmission flush as it loosens stuff and causes sealing problems so I say change the filter and refill it. Have suspension components checked by a mechanic prior to alignment, take it to a car wash that washes underneath then check for rust damage. You can get a cheap spray gun and do a rustoleum paint job that will last longer then a few years for cheap and if you wish to do this I can give you a list of what you need for it for about 200 bucks(American ) not sure how much it would cost in Canada. keep us posted and I am sure some others will add to this. And welcome to the forum. Mark
 
#3 ·
Thanks Mark. Much appreciated. I'll take your advice on the transmission and cleaning the underneath. I was going to paint the van a gloss black with a rustoleum or tremclad. It's currently a flat black, although i'll orbital sand/de rust/patch/fill it. I was going to roll it on, i've read something like to mix the paint 50/50 with thinner to make it a smoother finish? But i have a compressor so i may do as you suggest and buy a cheap spray gun, i'll be doing it outside though... any advice would be very welcome. Thanks.
 
#6 ·
Welcome to the big show ey! haha

Gloss black IMHO is the most DIFFICULT color to paint any car and have it lay down nice. Its also the hardest to maintain. If you are gonna rattle can, try to avoid gloss finish if at all possible. I used Rustoleum Bed Liner on my cladding and it holds up VERY well! Of course thats kinda a one-way-trip though, very hard to remove.
I have seen people try to roll paint onto cars, have NEVER seen one turn out even decent
:2:

Since the oil was neglected, we need to see if the engine is toast. This will help you decide to keep for use or parts. Get the oil changed, clean up the engine and undercarriage real good, then start looking for fresh leaks. Check the oil every 1-2KM to see where the level is. If it gets low quick, your rings are probably shot and it won't last long... or it leaking out all over the place, but thats why we are looking for fresh drips too ;)

Good luck!
=Wimpy=
 
#7 ·
Get an air compressor and an HVLP (high volume, low pressure) paint gun. You'll be happier with the paint job - and your hand will be happier with you.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm a novice when it comes to anything vehicle related. So quick update, the AC has never worked the old owner told me yesterday!, and he had a oil/air filter change 2,000km ago. The rear door handle has broken off, after 1 full year of never been open I managed to force it open using my hands on the various rods...etc with no damage. Woo!
I've stripped it all back to metal on the inside only leaving the ply floor down.
Booking it in for a inspection this week. I'll keep you guys informed.
Have my eye on a spray gun as suggested too. Let's see what the mechanic thinks first...
 

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#10 ·
Hi and welcome from another Canadian.....an hour North of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Princess Auto has HVLP paint guns for cheap and there ARE autobody supply places that sell REAL auto paint; I'm NOT a big fan of Rustoleum/Tremclad as an automotive finish, myself. Even Partsource sells automotive paint so there's no reason to use hardware store paint IMHO.
This thing doesn't look as bad as you may think it is but watch out for rust. Your "Fixup Budget" should include some basic tools to go with what you already have....$500 for a mig welder and some sheet metal could save you thousands in bodywork AND give you a cool new toy to build/repair stuff with. Think outside the box when it comes to solving problems. Good luck with it and hope to see you in "Shop Talk" (Chat) Sabu!
-M!ke-
 
#11 ·
Rustoleum is alkyd enamel and is what they still use on busses and tractor trailers and such. It can be done right with the right tools and chemicals added to it. I painted a cavalier in Maine and 4 years later its still looks decent and I sprayed it in my back yard. Here is the info you need on this site: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... ob.720556/

However I do agree with astrosafarian on the color, you may be better off going with white or yellow for your first paint job. The darker the color the more mistakes will show up.
 
#12 ·
markmitch said:
Rustoleum is alkyd enamel and is what they still use on busses and tractor trailers and such. It can be done right with the right tools and chemicals added to it. I painted a cavalier in Maine and 4 years later its still looks decent and I sprayed it in my back yard. Here is the info you need on this site: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... ob.720556/

However I do agree with astrosafarian on the color, you may be better off going with white or yellow for your first paint job. The darker the color the more mistakes will show up.
Thanks for the link! I'm convinced now to go white, but from black to white... any advice? will i need to prime it? or will rustoleum/tremclad cover black fairly easy after a good sand down? i'm fairly sure some parts of the van have been rattle canned, even the alloys/front grill. But the majority of the van looks like it's original paint on closer inspection.

Another update, my van is due for a full inspection on June 1st. Wish me luck. Lets hope i haven't bought a parts van... :banghead:
 
#13 ·
Ok. I've been slacking here due to the following issue...I couldn't get the van insured. Cut a long story short, after the 4th attempt I managed to get it insured, albeit not my own as I'm class 7(learner) but I have the vital pink slip to get going on this van now.

Basically my VIN which I can almost remember off my heart due to hours of research wasn't being found in any insurance databases but I could find it easily online. 1GBDM19W01B118286.

Today I was informed the van is NOT a 2001 but a 1996, the guy who helped me out with adding this to his policy told me the lady from the insurance company didn't explain how she found this out but she willingly insured it aslong as we ammended the bill of sale. Done.

BUT why is this now a 96 van? Nothing points to that. I'll admit I'm a novice but the VIN is 2001???
 
#14 ·
Well, it's weird to be sure.... I entered that vin into compnine's vin decoder and it comes up as a 2001...... Would be good to know what the lady at the insurance company did..... Is the VIN on your insurance policy correct? If it's different, is that VIN # on your van somewhere?
 
#15 ·
We all went over the VIN meticulously, we found it on every sticker we could find in the van. she originally thought it was the B (which is just the incomplete van) digit. But then she hit us with the 1996 thing. I'm going to go over the policy tomorrow. I'm happy it's insured but puzzled by the VIN mystery.
Bare in mind that 3 separate companies could not find the VIN either until this lady actually put some effort into it. The guy I bought it off did say he had issues too but got there in the end...
Is there anything obvious between a 96 and a 2001 I could look for on the van?
 
#20 ·
Looks like an '01 to me.

1. No tow/haul (was an option, but most have it - an not avail. on a '96)
2. Newer style stereo
3. Tweeters in the doors

That's not a '96.
 
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