CarKids Project:The Astroid

A while back dad bought a 2003 Chevy Astro 2WD panel van. It had suffered a minor engine fire that appears to have started at the ignition module. Back story and info on the van

Here is the sparknote version of the basic repairs:

We had a bit of rewiring to do and some minor fire damage to fix. Hardly anything cosmetic just melted hoses and some looming. Big thanks to Patgizz for helping me out with some Astro odds and ends. After many many MANY hours and some welding and beer it finally started up and we were ready to test drive it this past saturday.

Things started fine and it drove great but while on the freeway it started to bog badddd. Limped it home some 5 miles barely able to do 30MPH. We are thinking a clogged fuel filter, clogged muffler (a thief cut out the cat so many an animal made a home inside it?) or possibly a MAF. Either way it will be solved this coming week come hell or high water.

Anyhow it appears as though this time ill be keeping this car and make it a new project car for myself. I have said this before though so well see how it goes.

My plans are to pop on a 2inch lift from this company: 2 Inch lift kit

Since the tires are like brand new ill hold off on puttin 29 inchers on there. Ill also add a trailer hitch if i can find one cheap. To make it easier to haul stuff ill add some extra lighting and possibly some thing called E-Track i believe to the back cargo area. (Its the tie down/track system found in semi truck trailers) also wanna add a bench or something to hold more people--just enough for two extra.

Im just doing a versitile DD that can do anything and go anywhere. Also this is my first lifted vehicle so its something new again.

my goal with the lift and tires is something like this: my ideal look

Ill keep you guys posted

Just saw your post on facebook of the 2" lift. Do it!

Sweet. Looks good lifted. Just needs a pushbar, some lights on the roof and an A-Team paint job.

I personally love those vans. Wish I had that instead of my Aerostar. Only thing to make it better would have been the AWD.

This is sweet (and worthy of a hotlink):

Forget calling it the Asteroid..... Put a HEMI in it and call it a Hemiroid !

Put a bed in the back and call it the Ass-tro.
From experience a real double bed fits perfectly with just a little flexing between the wheel arches. A box spring will not fit because it can not flex.

Deliver pizza in it and call it the Gastro Van.

Check for mouse nests in the intake ducting.

fill it with speakers and amps and call it the Blastro Van.

fill it with grow lights and call it the Grasstro Van.

i'll quit now.

Well after the drive and the Astro boggin like all get up, we started doing some tests.

MAF is ok.

Fuel pump, pressure etc is ok.

Muffler is not clogged.

So i unbolted the Y- pipe and ran it....seems to be running great! One of the cats must be clogged...

So off to find another Y-Pipe

kevin my 95 parts van has a class 3 hitch. you are welcome to it in the spring when it gets warm, if you want to pull it off. i do not need it, the 96 has one. it's a strong one, i pulled a couple cars with it.

the 2" lift kit is what - blocks, bolts, bumper spacers, and? you could make it yourself. either way, mine is taller

03 first year of the new underpinnings. Lots of little changes from the earlier ones. Bought my Father-in-law one about 2 yrs ago. He loves it, I don't.

AngryCorvair wrote: Check for mouse nests in the intake ducting. fill it with speakers and amps and call it the Blastro Van. fill it with grow lights and call it the Grasstro Van. i'll quit now.

Chop the roof off and call it a Halfastro
Put a curly wig on it and call it a Chevy Afro.

Needs more LT1.

Call it "Tralfaz."

(We'll see who gets that semi-obscure cultural reference)

Well, this weekend that Astroid got a complete new Y-pipe. Appears the one we had a a clogged cat and so after looking for ones that junkyards and such we just said heck with it and bought one. Amazingly now it runs perfect. Drove it saturday and everything went well. Drives great, and its good to go.

patgizz wrote: kevin my 95 parts van has a class 3 hitch. you are welcome to it in the spring when it gets warm, if you want to pull it off. i do not need it, the 96 has one. it's a strong one, i pulled a couple cars with it. the 2" lift kit is what - blocks, bolts, bumper spacers, and? you could make it yourself. either way, mine is taller

Pat, ill take you up on the offer for the hitch, even if we get a warm spell ill gladly come out and get it.

Also i was looking at the lift and yeah i COULD piece it and get it all myself but the kit is all there no muss no fuss.

Bolts dad can get from work IF i know what pitch and length, for blocks i was looking at this site but dunno what size the center bore is other wise its much cheaper.

lift blocks

Lastly in the rear they do a different shackle setup which i would just buy.

Figure $25 for spacers and hardware, $110 for premade shackles and your already at $135. The kit is $160. Not saving all that much. Ill just buy it from them

There is an Astro on CL here with a 4" lift. Looks good to me!

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/2079358182.html