This one is stretching it a bit, year-wise, but it seemed like a custom that a few folks would get in to seeing, or have a few ideas on how to finish it up (or, off?).. This is a 1992 Chevrolet Astro Van made into a pickup. It’s rear-wheel drive but if it would have been an AWD version that really would have been something. It’s on Craigslist in Edgewater, Florida, just south of Daytona Beach, for $1,300. They probably spent more than that on angle grinder bits creating this one. I ran across a few custom Astro pickups on the big-G little-o o g l e and they actually look great to my eye, proportion and scale-wise. But, and this will be a news flash, I like unusual vehicles. (“check, please!”..)..
I love creative people. I always wonder what the back story on something like this is. Did something fall on the rear roof and they figured, what the heck, let’s just make a pickup instead of fixing it? Or, did they set out to make a pickup out of a van? The first-generation Astro was made for the 1985 to 1994 model years and that may not seem like that long of a stretch, but let’s think about this: that’s a span of time from President Reagan to President Clinton, with a President Bush thrown in for good measure. That’s a long time. There isn’t much information given about this one other than it runs and drives and has AC.
I can see a lot of lurking demons under that corn-broom-paint-job. I know that vehicles can and do rust in Florida, but this one really looks spooky, like someone has just continued to paint and paint over things that maybe should have been fixed first? I could be way off and maybe it’s just a gang of shadows playing tricks on me. But, I really think this is a fun and creative custom. I wish that there were more than just these three photos, though. In 1990 GM added an AWD system and that would really be cool in one of these for those of us that shake the snow out of our shoes every morning instead of scorpions. Have any of you made a pickup out of a van, or any other crazy creations?
Love it !
I have a Dodge Grand Caravan and a sawzall, Now I have a great Saturday project. Pictures will follow so stick around. Now only if it was the awd version of this van. Then I could call it a . . . . . . Ridgeline. . . . . . .
Dig it. Maybe fix the rust, tweak a few things here and there….then rhino line the whole thing.
Some nice tires and wheels. The overall look makes me thing last gen VW Vanagon. Add some VW badging to really confuse people.
This would be a fun go getter….
Scotty…I’m with you, brother. Cool and unusual, at least in concept. Now, imagine taking this idea, and applying it to a newer Astro. The ones with the aero front end, composite headlights, etc. AWD and LT trim. Deluxe bucket seats, and all that jazz. Use the later model Astro’s dutch doors at the rear. modify the passenger rear sliding door, but modify it into a “rampside door”, like the old Corvair 95 pickups. For more go, select the LS crate motor. Of course, a killer set of rims, too. Very cool, indeed! These were great vans. Beloved by many, especially handymen and contractors. It was sad to see them go, after the 2005 model year.
Kind of cool, but I would build a shell to put on the back to keep my gear dry and safe. Oh wait, maybe just buy an Astro Van. Not sure what the advantage is here, maybe haul one or two tall shrubs. Probably fun to build though.
You’ve got to admit that projects like this confirm how vast the hobby is. I guess if you’re hauling tall stuff but if that was the case, I’d probably take a page out of Sudebaker’s book and just put a slide away panel in the roof….
In the early 80’s a friend had a rusted out full sized cargo van. With all the holes it was tough to heat so we cut the body behind the seats, cut off the last foot of the rear, moved it forward and brazed it together. We went to the sawmill and built a solid oak bed on the frame, he got a couple of years out of it before it died.
Did something similar with a Mk 3 cortina station wagon. Cut the roof off after the B pillar, welded up the back doors. I then rejoined a small section of the d pillar to form the cab. It was ok – but if I knew more then I would have done a better job, or just preserved a pretty good wagon
Station Wagon Pickups are great too.
I live in Edgewater, have seen this many times on the highway. I can’t comment on the quality, but it does cause a double take!
Some car magazine guy, I think Road & Track, thought that Chrysler should make a small truck out of their minivan. It made a lot of sense in the article, and then this shows up. Makes sense here to. Affordable. It’ll haul all the light things I haul. It’ll haul a small trailer. Leave the big stuff for the big trucks. Drive your little truck all the time and save gas.
Actually the Dodge Rampage and the Plymouth Scamp are based on the minivan platform.
Nope. They are on the Omni/Horizon, which predates the minivan by seven years.
Chrysler only had one FWD platform. All variants came from that beginning w Omni/Horizon in 1978.
I admire people who have the vision, drive and skill to even try to pull this off.
I’m a fan of phantom pickups,(as long as they don’t cut the roof off). This is a cool looking project, but with some scary looking body work! Someone say LS? HaHa!
Haaaaaaa…corn broom paint job! Imagine..lol…well, I had one of these Astro vans when I was a contractor. We never cut the ass off it, but I dig this rig. Mag cragars would complete the look. I blew the engine out of mine,…er the company Astro van on the back side of a hill I just climbed. We all knew it was a matter of time, cause the piston slap wasn’t getting any better the more we drove it. Bets were made around the shop who was gonna be the dumb ass stranded out on the highway…one rule, don’t force/ beat on it to blow. But as I carried on that one particular day, the engine was begging me to let her go. The clanging, shaking and rattling…at highway speed no less, was louder than the radio. Under load (up hill), it softened out a bit, but slack off the pedal (down hill), was like a clothes dryer with a loose pair of steel toe boots inside…what a
racket!… BOOM!….clangaty clang clang clang….6 cylinders just started shaking and dancing like a….well, like a washing machine with a cement block lodged in it, throwing it off balance. Hmmmm. Yup, there I was out on the side of the highway, no one around to pick up my dumb ass carcas. Between towns…ahh memories. Well, to be fair the Astro logged hundreds of thousands Kilometers over a short few years. Company sold it to a local kid for $50.00 who promptly put in a use engine/ trans, and drove all over the place, he “corn broom” painted over the company logo. It was hilarious seeing it now and then.
But, isn’t the Astro built on the S10 frame?
No. Unit body construction with a front subframe. This thing probably flexes like a cardboard shoebox without the lid.
I have a GMC Safari on a Sierra truck frame
Always thought these earlier Astros were way sharper than the later, restyled models. It was a thing in Astro circles to swap on the later front ends. I never got it. Seemed like change just for the sake of change. And the dashboard and interior of the ’95 up was awful, ugly and claustrophobic in comparison.
I just saw another one of these Astro pick ups outside of Philadelphia. It had Antique plates on it and was white with custom vertical paint stripes along the sides. It’s clearly not the same van from these pictures which means there were at least two of them built! Perhaps special order option from Chevy?