Ever tire of the ordinary? Need something different? This customized 1991 Chevrolet Astro might be just the thing to get you back on track. The seller describes the Waterford, California creation as “ideal for snow or sand,” and it’s surely better suited for those challenges than, say, parallel parking on Park Avenue or breaking the Cannonball record. Thanks to reader Jack M. for spotting this off-road explorer module.
Yes, so, this is different, eh? The disconcerting lack of a steering wheel quickly subsides as you realize the two divining rod-looking thingees control the vehicle with all the simplicity of a zero-turn mower… in theory anyway. The van covered 191,000 miles, presumably before being converted into a puzzling tracked monster. The V6 engine now powers a hydraulic pump and two drive motors. “Everything is 100% operational,” according to the listing.
What look like trailer tires provide some suspension within the tracks, and the van offers weather-tight seating and for as many as eight adventurous souls.
A host of V6 engines powered the rear-wheel-drive Astro, which bridged the gap between front-wheel-drive minivans and the full-sized V8 vans. Though not normally blessed with 200,000 mile reliability, the Astro should prove simple and cheap to keep running as long as the thrill of crawling over hill and dale holds sway over your credit card.
This squirrel’s eye view shows the structure beneath this tracked wonder. Watch your fingers and toes at all times, kiddies. The “custom built” frame and track system demonstrate knowledge of such things. Generally speaking, hydraulics don’t play into the average shade tree mechanic’s weekends. Tip your hat to the builder for (apparently) making this thing work. Check out more pictures and details on Facebook Marketplace where $8500 makes it yours. Bank on the fact that nobody built this unique ride for make a fortune reselling it. Still, you’ll most likely have the only one on your… planet. What terrain would you explore with this one-of-a-kind tracked Astro?
Perfect for those mornings when you wake up to several feet of snow and the other half forgot to buy coffee when last out shopping..All kidding aside, there’s some serious wrenching etc involved here demonstrating knowledge of track vehicles.
With the 1st measurable amount of snow coming to the hills this weekend, the hype has begun.1st, let me say, if you are going to go through deep snow, tracks are the only way. It’s what doomed the ill-fated Antarctic Snow Cruiser, that had balloon tires, and sunk like a stone. 2nd, sand? Forget about it, as sand will grind the suspension to bits, Snow? Well, maybe, you certainly have flotation and versatility, but in snow there’s a lot of blowing snow that will cover this thing like a sugar cookie. It gets everywhere, and will choke the motor, and the fun stops there. I think it’s a good idea, the 4.3 V6 is a good motor, however, anything could turn a pump. Someone did a lot of work here, I wonder if it ever saw’r a flake. Great if transporting people or goods over predictable terrain, but it’s no Tucker Sno-Cat, which I consider the ultimate in snow travel,,,nice try though.
To escape that lodge in “The Shining”? Or not.
💯 One look at a cat-skiing operation tells it all Howard. ❄️
Looks about as safe as taking a homemade sub to see the Titanic.
Now that was funny!
Having been an M48A5 tank driver in the National Guard in the 1980s (they were desperate after Vietnam, and you could enlist for only one year to “try it out”), if you “throw a track” (have a track malfunction or come off the tank), you may be in for a sometimes lengthy repair with multiple people required. These tracks (and everything associated with them) appear to be considerably lighter than what we dealt with (sometimes we had to use another tank to set up the track for reinstallation). The first time that I drove, they listed all the things not to do or run over to prevent track problems. I saw one of our tanks run over a roll of concertina wire- what a mess. Also, if you crawl up a ravine, stay to one side wall- don’t straddle it or the pressure on the outside edge of the track may cause it to separate from the tank. Running over big rocks or logs was also to be avoided. I said to my tank commander, “What happened to tanks driving through brick walls, etc.?” He had a one word reply: “Hollywood”.
The tires look a little sketchy. But this rig would be perfect if you had to run to the high country, when the stuff hits the fan.
For sure, in that last picture, the first full tire on the left is split wide open in the tread area…
How do you get it to the snow or sand unless you already live where the snow and/or sand are? I am having trouble picturing driving this up Hwy 41 from Oakhurst to Yosemite. No imagination, I guess.
Going up to the cottage.
I can’t speak to the quality of the fabrication but I don’t see why this engine would have any more trouble in the snow then say a Bombardier snowcat. Yes you have to seal off the intake from snow ingestion a bit and maybe do a little engine compartment sealing but plenty of machines do it and there is a really cool modern material (Frog skin) to use.
It looks very professional and those high flotation tracks are clearly meant for snow travel, like running over snow at a ski resort without tearing up the surface. I did a quick online search though and couldn;t tind anything similar just a few photos of vans and pickups with bolt on type tracks.
If you saw the 20′ of snow in Truckee last year then you start to realize that yes, this might actually make sense.
👍🏻
This’d be a great Lyft/Uber for Boreal, Donner, Northstar or Squaw Valley skiers-and you could charge a premium for DoorDash/GrubHub deliveries during the blizzards!
So hopefully more snow this year-Of course, that’s coming from those of us that live down in the Great Basin..
Really?
What the…
Why would …
Obviously the wrong questions.
Somebody has too much time on their hands and too much loose change in their pocket.
Thank you Todd for making me laugh. I needed a break from politics.
WE have a nice piece of land just outside of Dillon Colorado its on 12k ft 400 acres. this wonder would be just right up there we get about 35ft of snow on an average.
“well billy bob, what’d ya wanna do today?”
“why dont we tak yuh astro and put er on tracks!”
“well twist my ear and tickle my head, thats the best daym idea yu’ve ever had!”
To escape that lodge in “The Shining”? Or not.
Another vehicle resulting from rednecks with too much time on their hands and too much cheap beer.
The first big issue is obvious . Toss a big rock or chunk of wood under the inside or outside of the track and when that track twists upwards at the edge , then those track guides will rip a big hole in the tire . And by the looks of that tire with a big hole ripped through it , then its a proven fact and not arguable !
I had a lot of years driving Sno-Cat Imps, Thiokols, Pisten Bullys and Leighteners in the Tahoe region. I think this vehicle as way short in engineering on the track side of things. I guarantee those angle iron and box tube cleats are going to fracture. Differential turning is going to be a big issue with those angle iron guides. With no proper ice growsers, a sidehill on frozen snow is going to give you a ride you will ever forget.
He would have been far ahead to purchase a 2100 and drop the van on it.
I would close in the wheel wells while repainting it. Everyone is so busy looking at the tracks, no one has commented that the paint is leaping off of it.
I wonder how fast it is