Bought me a van

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:03 pm

Bought a 97 Chevy Astro the other day and have been converting it into a hippy van

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:12 pm

didn't your wife's mother warn her about guys like you?

FatJackDurham · Post by **FatJackDurham** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:30 pm

Ill take notes for next year when i need to come up with travel arrangements.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:37 pm

Great idea Pitchy, but one problem. You're not supposed to trust anyone over 30, so how can you trust yourself?

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:39 pm

Let me know how that porta-potty works out for you.....IE: smell control, ease to empty, etc

(and what kind it is if you like it, please)
I could use you real bad....Mine is/will be functional, but, my finish work sucks big time...

I'm furnishing it in Early Ugly

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:49 pm

.

What color shag are ya gonna rug it, Pitchy ? .

.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:50 pm

Pete44ru wrote:.

What color shag are ya gonna rug it, Pitchy ? .

.

There is no shag color, but Orange Shag....Duuude

m.wun · Post by **m.wun** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:55 pm

Shaggin Wagon!

Post by **Old Savage** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:34 pm

Perfect!!!! But remember - no sexy pictures.

ollogger · Post by **ollogger** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:08 pm

Hey
that's gonna be a great project for ya im sure
as a kid we had a bud with a van, great fun, load her up with beer & girls & head for the water

ollogger

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:33 pm

BlaineG wrote:
Pete44ru wrote:.

What color shag are ya gonna rug it, Pitchy ? .

.
There is no shag color, but Orange Shag....Duuude

Or pink!

My dad brought home a '77 Dodge Tradesman conversion van for me to drive when I turned 16.
The interior was covered with a 3" pink shag. I was speechless. I walked to school until I finally talked him
into letting me trade it on a Jeep CJ7. I would have been run out of high school with that ghetto buggy.
The pink shag was just the tip of the iceberg. I wish I had a picture of that thing.
I appreciated that he bought me my first wheels but I would have gotten beaten up daily driving that thing
to the hillbilly high school I went to.

jb

Birdman · Post by **Birdman** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:55 pm

That's a clean 97. Keep us posted.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:58 pm

Nice one Pitchy! And.............don't forget to take Old Savage's advice.....................When the van is rockin'---don't come a knockin'.----6

hightime · Post by **hightime** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:06 pm

Must be steam powered. Lots of room for wood.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:09 pm

Pitchy, a project worthy of a craftsman such as yourself. Look forward to seein' the completed vehicle!

2ndovc wrote:
BlaineG wrote:
Pete44ru wrote:.
What color shag are ya gonna rug it, Pitchy ? .
.
There is no shag color, but Orange Shag....Duuude
Or pink!
My dad brought home a '77 Dodge Tradesman conversion van for me to drive when I turned 16.
The interior was covered with a 3" pink shag. I was speechless. I walked to school until I finally talked him
into letting me trade it on a Jeep CJ7. I would have been run out of high school with that ghetto buggy.
The pink shag was just the tip of the iceberg. I wish I had a picture of that thing.
I appreciated that he bought me my first wheels but I would have gotten beaten up daily driving that thing
to the hillbilly high school I went to.
jb

I bought a '72 Blazer 4WD that had been lowered, 50 series tires all the way around, lights in the wheelwells, across both axles and.... yep, PINK shag carpeting to set off that beautiful factory red & white paint!

It was a challenge. Tires & wheels, a 4" suspension left, bore, stroke, cam & double pump Holley, beef up the tranny, new buckets up front (from a '67 Chevelle), you know of course, that 2x4 tubing set up on the 4" side will raise those seats for GREAT visibility... a must for off roadin'. New carpeting, seat covers, door panels all in a nice matching saddle to the factory color set it off nicely. Then with the Detroit Lok'r in the rear and a limited slip diff up front... it was a monster in all types of off-roadin'. After 8 years of hard use, and an innummerable number of u-joints, it was bitter-sweet to sell it to my huntin' partner and best friend. I put a total of 180,000 miles on it.

You missed the fun of a project that could have been "yours"...

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:05 pm

Pitchy, when I read the part that said "bought me a van" I thought "hippy van". Looks like one ya'll can enjoy on some of your trips.

octagon · Post by **octagon** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 6:35 am

Pitchy your gonna need a good 8 track in that rig, so you can groove.

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:11 am

Chevy should of never stopped making them. They are an awesome winter vehicle.

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 10:13 am

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:07 pm

Pitchy wrote:Bought a 97 Chevy Astro the other day and have been converting it into a hippy van

My wife wants to do that with an original VW van. I'm still laughing and snickering at the thought of that.

Pitchy,
Looks good so far. You gonna do the psychedelic flowery paint job on the outside?

Joe

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:35 pm

great thoughts guys, we aren't going to do much more to it, as for a bed the air mattress fits perfect and ya can fold it up when not in use.
Blaine the porta potties work pretty good, it`s all about the chemicals ya put in them to eliminate the orders. Easy to dump.
Bought a canvas roof luggage carrier too put chairs, cord , hose and other stuff in.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:35 pm

I like those Astro's
Sweet deal! Congrats

Ji in Hawaii · Post by **Ji in Hawaii** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 5:06 am

Congratulations Pitchy, nice choice in a cruising vehicle.
I learned to drive on my dad's 1971 VW Van which he later gave me. Great surf, and drive-in movie vehicle. I loved that van but one day it burst into flames while i was driving on the highway so I pulled over, jumped out, and watched it turn into a total loss.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:56 am

Bummer JI.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:58 pm

Nice van, Pitchy. Looks like it is in great shape and those rims are the icing on the cake.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 4:18 pm

Thanks Kirk, new brake pads and rotors this more, two new tires yesterday, now up to 1,300 bucks.
Bought 4 9-7 tarps and made a walk in room that ties to the luggage rail and extends out on the side of van so ya can stand up to dress ect...
Will get a picture next time we set it up.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 8:08 am

Pitchy wrote:Bought 4 9-7 tarps and made a walk in room that ties to the luggage rail and extends out on the side of van so ya can stand up to dress ect...
.

Good idea. I've had similar thoughts for our rig but never did it.
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 10:31 am

Thanks, here`s what we`ve come up with so far.

Rolls up into a small package, should be good except in high wind and rain.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 12:47 pm

That's pretty good stuff.......I'd like to come up with a rain fly just so I can have the door open for air if it's nasty out....I get good ideas, but, can't make them work like you do.....

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 12:59 pm

Thanks Blaine, I thought this would work good if camped for a few days in the same spot, can put to portable outhouse in it too.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 1:12 pm

That's neat Pitchy

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 1:22 pm

Thanks Pete, I checked the milage today it got 20 mpg and that was running around town some ect... so I`m thinking it might get 25 mpg on flat ground.

V6 engine.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 1:27 pm

Pitchy wrote:Thanks Pete, I checked the milage today it got 20 mpg and that was running around town some ect... so I`m thinking it might get 25 mpg on flat ground.
V6 engine.

Izzat the AWD model? I was looking at those at one time....they seemed handy.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Aug 18, 2013 3:12 pm

BlaineG wrote:
Pitchy wrote:Thanks Pete, I checked the milage today it got 20 mpg and that was running around town some ect... so I`m thinking it might get 25 mpg on flat ground.
V6 engine.
Izzat the AWD model? I was looking at those at one time....they seemed handy.

Yepper AWD, 180,000 miles on it but I`ve heard they`ll go 400, 000.
Been going through everything I can to eliminate problems later.

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Mon Aug 19, 2013 4:30 pm

Looks real tidy Pitchy,,,I keep looking at these day vans my self. I can see me and ma'lady in one too (and Tia)

N.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 4:31 pm

That's a handsome Chevy, Pitch. Looks to be in great shape for its age and mileage. I can't think of anyone with a better skill set to do the interior modifications than the same guy that can build hte Edmund Fitzgerald in one day!

Hope you have a safe and trouble free getaway!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:32 pm

Thanks Nath and Bill, Bill if we get near we`ll give ya a shout.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:37 pm

I'm going to be sort of pan-USA this Sept and Oct....maybe I'll run into ya.....

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:30 pm

Would be

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:51 pm

Bolted down this safe in the back to keep important things in besides guns to make them harder to lift.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 1:42 pm

Pitchy wrote:Bolted down this safe in the back to keep important things in besides guns to make them harder to lift.

And, it's a handy place to put the TP, air freshener, and magazines....

Gaucho Gringo · Post by **Gaucho Gringo** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:40 pm

Makes me want my old '57 Chevrolet panel back again I owned in the early 70's. Only paid $50.00, drove it for 3 years and sold it for $300.00. Gas, oil and a clutch were the only expenses.