GMC Savana, Plus a Chevy Express Now Too

[bucket]

I'll tell ya what, parts shopping for these is fun. The chrome Chevy grille (aftermarket) can be had for around $150 with free shipping. The factory type upgraded composite headlights can be had for less than $100 for the pair. I'm undecided if I want to get a chrome front bumper.

Getting the van set up to tow our 30 foot travel trailer is 1-stop shopping too.
https://www.trailerjacks.com/class-...eiver-2-516-tow-ball?language=en&currency=USD

 

[gotyourgoat]

Very nice andy, if i had that many kiddos i'd be buying a van too.

I think newest i own is the 09' or 10'? Equinox

I've been peppering @bucket with short bus hints and pics for years.

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Apparently the wife wasn't into it....so a settlement occurred and they got literally the closest thing to a short bus without being a short bus. A school bus yellow decommissioned school transport(school bus)van.

I've heard those 4.8's like to be boosted....

 

[bucket]

I've been peppering @bucket with short bus hints and pics for years.

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Apparently the wife wasn't into it....so a settlement occurred and they got literally the closest thing to a short bus without being a short bus. A school bus yellow decommissioned school transport(school bus)van.

I've heard those 4.8's like to be boosted....

Lol, yes that's all very true. Although she definitely doesn't care for the paint color. But she still would rather have the yellow than basic "work truck white" AKA "I can't think for myself white".

 

[bucket]

A nice flame job on the van would probably spruce it up a bit too, lol. I think I can convince her of it... maybe.

 

[animal]

A nice flame job on the van would probably spruce it up a bit too, lol. I think I can convince her of it... maybe.

Wanna bet???

 

[gotyourgoat]

A nice flame job on the van would probably spruce it up a bit too, lol. I think I can convince her of it... maybe.

With the black grill and dark back windows an A-team inspired van could be the way to go.
Who doesn't like turbines?

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[Craig 85]

That 8.1 is a PIG!
But I have been kicking around the idea of swapping one in my OBS 98 c1500.
With the NV4500 I think it would be pretty sweet.

HOLY **** @bucket
TEN kids!?

I'm on my third. I should have never sold the prior two. I love the 454 in my K30, but the 8.1L pulls much better.

 

[rt66paul]

I remember a friend's dad had an old yellow Dodge 4 door sedan that we would weekly tape a cardboard sign to the roof that said "TAXI".
Good times - we never got caught....

 

[Bextreme04]

A nice flame job on the van would probably spruce it up a bit too, lol. I think I can convince her of it... maybe.

I found what you really needed instead of the van for those 10 kiddos...

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[bucket]

I don't recall if I mentioned it before, but this van was ordered new without a front passenger seat or seatbelt. Today I had a chance to go looking around a local junkyard to what goodies I could find. The goal was to find a matching vinyl seat or get a pair of cloth seats in the right color. I ended up getting the seatbelt and seat from this cargo van:

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Since our van had no seat to begin with, there were no mounting studs in the floor, so I had to devise a way to mount the seat so it would still be safe for the family to use. The areas where the studs are supposed to be are boxed in on the underside.

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No pictures of the seat installed because it got to be really dark by the time I was done.

There also is a big lump in the floor mat, between the front seats. I assumed it was some type of radio or communications unit installed there. The floor mat is clearly not formed to accommodate whatever was under there. When I went to remove it, I was surprised to see that it was a couple factory installed modules and a big protective cover.

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So the big annoying lump in the floor has to stay.

 

[bucket]

I also found a real nice chrome grille and snagged it too.

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Yeah it's a Chevy grille and the van is a GMC, but the Chevy grille just looks so much better, imho.

The bowtie emblem was a little rough, so I painted it a matte silver color.

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Now I just need to order a pair of headlights.

 

[bucket]

Oh, and I got a cheap set of factory aluminum wheels. They were cheap because they were corroded and I'll have to refinish them, which I started that process too.

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Paint stripper in action:

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All the old clearcoat scrubbed off and wiped down:

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All of them ready for some spot sanding and a lot of love from a Mother's Power Ball:

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[Craig 85]

You may want to protect that polished finish when you're done. I've never tried it, but I heard Sharkhide works well.

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[bucket]

I planned on just spraying them with a coat of clear wheel paint and hoping for the best, lol. I only paid 125 for the wheels so I figured it was worth the gamble on trying to make them presentable.

 

[SK 99]

I also found a real nice chrome grille and snagged it too.

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Yeah it's a Chevy grille and the van is a GMC, but the Chevy grille just looks so much better, imho.

The bowtie emblem was a little rough, so I painted it a matte silver color.

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Now I just need to order a pair of headlights.

Very nice!

What yard did you find this stuff at?