Posted by sleeperspirit diesel vanagons are awesome

yeah, if you like being the asshole holding up 13 miles of traffic because your fucking vanagon is so gutless it can't get up a hill in anything over 2nd gear and you're either a)too stubborn or b)too much of a knucklehead to move the fuck over and let the world move on!
that pretty much encapsulates the typical Vanagon owner.
i'm glad these things are becoming an endangered species.

Posted by Samurai yeah, if you like being the asshole holding up 13 miles of traffic because your fucking vanagon is so gutless it can't get up a hill in anything over 2nd gear and you're either a)too stubborn or b)too much of a knucklehead to move the fuck over and let the world move on! that pretty much encapsulates the typical Vanagon owner. i'm glad these things are becoming an endangered species.

What about those of us that when going slow stay in the right lane..

Posted by Ricky_from_TV What about those of us that when going slow stay in the right lane..

not every hill is three or four lanes, sunshine, especially here in the wilds of the Adirondacks.

Posted by jeepdave Ah the Aerostar. I drove one for a week that had a 5 speed. That thing was fucking fun

I thought i was cool... i popped it into drive with the engine at about 400 rpm... i quickly learned from my dad how much planetary gears cost

Posted by nostra-YOUPPI! I thought i was cool... i popped it into drive with the engine at about 400 rpm... i quickly learned from my dad how much planetary gears cost

when I was at tech school back in 94, one of the autobody kids had an Aerostar and he thought it would be just a dandy idea to do neutral drops while he had 5 people in the Aerostar... ever hear a rear differential explode? When the diff detonated, it twisted the driveshaft and tore the yoke off the front of it. KABOOM... the Big Bizang.
i think they were just a Ranger underneath.
they were, however 10,000,000 times better than a fucking Windstar.

Wind stars are GARBAGE

Posted by sleeperspirit Wind stars are GARBAGE

it's actually one word, and yes, the universal consensus is they're shit.
work on one and you'll get an entirely NEW perspective on the level of suckage these things attained.

Posted by Samurai it's actually one word, and yes, the universal consensus is they're shit. work on one and you'll get an entirely NEW perspective on the level of suckage these things attained.

Dude, I'm an auto tech, actually had one in today. See this junk all the time.

True Skelly, the Chrysler Minivans have been major in North America. Second gen ftw. However, the Espace was launched the same year and is still being built. Equally important in Europe.

http://en.wikipedi...iki/Renault_Espace

First Minivan not drawn by horses. Note correct location of propulsion unit ;)

Seriously, what a righteous beast. Made in Detroit, designed by a Dutchman.

1935 Stout Scarab.

click to view

click to view

http://en.wikipedi.../wiki/Stout_Scarab

Posted by Samurai it's actually one word, and yes, the universal consensus is they're shit. work on one and you'll get an entirely NEW perspective on the level of suckage these things attained.

There are no Windstars left here. It's great. Still a few Aerostars kicking, though. None of them have the lower 8" of body left, but hey...

Posted by bandi There are no Windstars left here. It's great. Still a few Aerostars kicking, though. None of them have the lower 8" of body left, but hey...

i remember the local ford body shop telling us that the 89 and 90 aerostars rotted a lot faster than the 88s, between 88 and 89 there was a minor sheet metal facelift, gas door changed shape!

We have a transporter at the shop right now, the boss calls it a dust buster lol. But it really does look like one, or a space ship all it needs is some NASA emblems (it's white too)

Posted by Samurai not every hill is three or four lanes, sunshine, especially here in the wilds of the Adirondacks.

Hey, i live outside of the GTA - Two lanes, and sometimes a passing lane!

Funny that A. Lien mentions the Renault Espace...

When Chrysler owned Simca of France, they were working on a "small van" with another manufacturer, Matra. When Iacocca took over, he sold the old Chrysler Europe which included Simca to Citroen. Matra was allowed to take its work on the project to Renault which became the.....Espance

As for the Aerostar, I've heard that Henry Ford II was so pissed that Lee Iacocca was right, he asked to make a "Caravan killer" so their R&D group came up with a minivan that Ford buyers would like instead. So thats why the Aerostar has lots of parts borrowed from the Ranger, is rear wheel drive, can pull 5,000 lbs, and oddly had options catering to the smoker like up to 6 ashtrays. However, the main issue that kept the Aerostar from even getting close to taking over the Caravan (It got to 2 in 1990) was people complained about it being too high! Thats why when they came out with the Windstar in 1997, Ford actually spent money on finding the right ride height.

Posted by sleeperspirit Dude, I'm an auto tech, actually had one in today. See this junk all the time.

i went to school to be a tech... i found its different when you're doing it as a hobby and doing it as a job. my brother was a mechanic for 17 years (8 in an independent shop, 9 in at a GM dealership) and he got to the point where he was just sick of it. He works where I do now.

caravans are trash

I actually have nothing bad to say about astro vans, the one I had took all kinds of abuse

Posted by Nismo caravans are trash I actually have nothing bad to say about astro vans, the one I had took all kinds of abuse

The fine people at Windsor Assembly would like to remind you that you have been wrong for 30 years.

Posted by Agent Skelly Funny that A. Lien mentions the Renault Espace... When Chrysler owned Simca of France, they were working on a "small van" with another manufacturer, Matra. When Iacocca took over, he sold the old Chrysler Europe which included Simca to Citroen. Matra was allowed to take its work on the project to Renault which became the.....Espance As for the Aerostar, I've heard that Henry Ford II was so pissed that Lee Iacocca was right, he asked to make a "Caravan killer" so their R&D group came up with a minivan that Ford buyers would like instead. So thats why the Aerostar has lots of parts borrowed from the Ranger, is rear wheel drive, can pull 5,000 lbs, and oddly had options catering to the smoker like up to 6 ashtrays. However, the main issue that kept the Aerostar from even getting close to taking over the Caravan (It got to 2 in 1990) was people complained about it being too high! Thats why when they came out with the Windstar in 1997, Ford actually spent money on finding the right ride height.

and the 2 front ashtrays were huge, my chain smoking parents only had to empty them monthly, it also was one of the first cars with a rear cig lighter, optional rear heat, and the most useless rear radio control known to man. Many a person learned the plastic diff cover was a bit of a weakness and the spark plug replacement procedure was plain silly "remove the front wheels"

Posted by Samurai i went to school to be a tech... i found its different when you're doing it as a hobby and doing it as a job. my brother was a mechanic for 17 years (8 in an independent shop, 9 in at a GM dealership) and he got to the point where he was just sick of it. He works where I do now.

Ive been doing it pretty much every day for ten years (since I as 15), some days I hate cars, others I like what I do. Either way I cant imagine doing anything else for a paycheck.