rkmdogs

Thanks! I don't know how you did it, but glad the ol' squad finally made it. I hope you realize this is the after pic, not the before! This was (is) an ex-FBI undercover, unmarked car, but I think that they must have used it as a road block! There was not one undamaged panel on it when I got it. I got it @ 144,000 miles, which is another anonmaly, since Fed cars are supposed to be turned in @ 110,000. It now has 183,000 on it (hardly broke in), and it has been "tickled" a little.(Heh-heh!) This will probably me my last one. My previous "toy" was a 1983 Malibu 9C1, the last of the RWD Malibu sedans, and one of my favorites. If I can ever figure out how this picture thing works, I'll post it, too! It was featured in the Sept.1987 issue of Super Chevy magazine--- after it too had been tickled. Turned 14.4 inthe 1/4, on street tires! :rolleyes:

I'm new to this posting game. I have been a long time reader, and a member at the old site, but the procedures to chime in were(are) just too confusing to us "old-timers". My current frustration is in the process required to post a picture! And until I started participating in this new forum, I did not know, and still don't know what an "avatar" is! I figured out that it is the little pic by your name on each message. It took my pic straight from "My Documents", and even adjusted the size. Why can't the same program, or one like it be used to add signature or other pics to a thread?(Now there's another "new" term) I've tried to play the game of creating a URL, without success -- twice! The so-called "guide" doesn't give any prompts, ---- how can it be a guide?

Message deleted!

I'd rather not add another program to my loaded already computer. I'm a little gun-shy 'cause I just had to spend $$$$$ to get rid of 16 virus attachments that came with X-Mas cards! Is there any way to download directly from "My Documents" file?

How do I "upload" it? Just select, cut & paste?

I have had many vehicles in my lifetime, in many types and brands, but I have always had a special feeling for those cars that were built for heavy-duty police work. Depending on who made them and when, there have been several outstanding models and, IMO this is one of them. The 9C1 designation is given to cars produced by Chevrolet for police service, with many special, heavy-duty features that are not even optionally available on the civilian models. That also, is the case here, and the closest civilian version of this car was the Impala SS. averaged 22.4 mpg! Yeah, they don't make'm like this anymore. Too bad! I have been trying for 3 days now to put in a picture of this car. The system says I do not have enough space ------ but I have reduced the pic in my documents to less than 1K ! How do you post a nice pic? Somebody please help!

Satty, I stand partially corrected. To quote the Consumer Reports April 2005 Auto issue, " Chevrolet Uplander is one of four freshened GM minivans and replaces the Venture. As with the Buick Terraza, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Saturn Relay, the Uplander is powered by a coarse 3.5-liter 200hp V6 engine. The heavy second-row seats can be folded and removed, while the folding third-row seat stows flat but raises the level of the floor. The ride is stiff and noisy, the interior trim flimsy, and handling is vague and reluctant. The new snout can't disguise the fact that these are eight-year old minivans that were never competitive in their category." They really liked'em didn't they ---- the same with other American made products!

Satty, Catch up..... they are now called Freestars!!!!!

Dated structure??? Who else in the minivan business has the "Stow N Go" feature" Everyone else is scrambling to come up with a similar feature in their vans! And before, the partnership did not include both body & drivetrain. For all we know, VW may just want the platform structure and will do their own drivetrain! That's the part that takes the longest to develop with certfied crash testing, etc.

Oil Changes are not scheduled like on an alarm clock! Since you need to check out some other things, kill two birds with one stone & do the oil change too. Don't forget to do the filter, and lube the chassis fittings.

[quote name='Mule Bakersdozen LS' date='Aug 23 2005, 12:09 PM'] Rkm-by sister vans he means the also-rotten Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza, and Pontiac Montana SV6, all of which are front or all-wheel-drive car-based minivans. Remember, Venture was replaced by Uplander. "Sister vans? Those vehicles mentioned are not even kissin' cousins! The Venture was not even built on the same body platforn as these vehicles, and neither is the Uplander! The point here is that GM design, whomever, thru out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak! There was no carryover of good design features from previous models.

As I said in another post elsewhere, the concept was good, but the actual execution was horrible! The features did not function as they should have. And the advertising was mis-directed. It should have been pitched as a pick-up with weather control, or the minivan with a skylite that wouldn't quit! NOT as a family station-wagon to just go shopping or carry the kids to little league!

All the above shows that opinions are like assholes--- everybody has one! What does amaze me is some of the statements made by people who display their ignorance of the laws of physics. To them, physics is just somethin' you take for bowel regularity! I haven't heard any opinion backed up by any engineering knowledge of the subject. Maybe that's why the Pacific rim boys are kickin' our ass! Those of you who use as examples cars built decades ago, do not reflect the current state of the art in traction technology, just poor judgement! You don't compare apples to oranges, unless you say they're just fruit! I haven't heard from anyone who has attended one of the professional driving schools, or reported an opinion from a professional performance drivers as to their choice. The point is, yes there is a place for both forms, rather many forms of drivetrain application, depending on what you want to do, and how much you are willing to pay for it. In this country a mindset has developed that everything we do has to be made "safer". Life itself is a big risk. Getting out of bed each morning is a big risk. We need to face up to that. It is called, REALITY!!

Just read your comments O.C. I was too busy writing nasty responses to stop and read. Sorry! Yes it is regretable that GM has chosen to drop its' role as inovator, and instead become a "me-too" player. Their history is just the reverse----- with many memories of their leading innovations, like the Corvair! Damn Ralph Nader, who never bothered to learn to drive! The Astro is unique in the minivan market and offers many features that say a choice not an echo! If you play the "me-too" game you can never beat the Japs or now the Koreans & the Chinese, since they do not have to play by our manufacturing rules. Innovation and intellectual originality are the keys to making American products first --- again! But, in any high stakes games, they also entail risks! But the risks need to be taken based on intelligent decisions. Example: The Envoy XUV A greta idea, with the return of the door-gate on the rear opening. Shades of full-size station wagons of the 70's! But the execution came off horrible. The tailgate, as a door would only swing open 70 degrees, blocking any straight-in loading of large or heavy objects in that configuration. WHY? Because to change the hinge design, to something like the Express van doors that can swing open 180 degrees would have changed the rear quarter sheet-metal appearance! So for appearances sake, a very useful feature was compromised! That is not good decision making!

[quote name='The O.C.' date='Aug 22 2005, 12:30 PM'] "GM isn't going to spend the money to engineer dutch doors on the Uplander (and sister vans) because the SEGMENT hasn't dictated that is a priority feature. People would rather have lift up hatches....look at sales numbers and see what people are buying." First, WHAT sister vans? The Venture, the only other GM minivan has also been discontinued! I haven't met anyone with a one-piece lift-up hatch that wouldn't prefer some other opening arrangement! They have admired our Dutch doors! My first exposure to a one-piece lift-up hatch was on a Dodge Ramcharger. The standard operating procedure in the winter was, open the hatch, then duck your head sideways as you approched the opening, cause the gas struts would sink in the cold, and you would "skonk" your head. Tall guys do that regularly on the current offerings, and if you make the struts stronger, short girls can't reach the hatch to close it, or don't have the strength to do it, in that position. That's why Dodge added the power to the hatch! The lack of a street side door, and no folding seats is what has driven people away from the Astro as a passenger vehicle. That plus the electronic gadgets for the kids--- which have never been offered in an Astro, are the real sales killers. There are many factors as to why the Astro sales dropped -- lack of attention to the market state-of-the-art, and a refusal to respond to it are the real killers!

[quote name='Petra' date='Aug 22 2005, 01:02 PM'] "It's a 1993, LS, with the 4.6L. engine. It starts fine, but the engine seems to shake and shudder and just generally idle rougher than it used to. Also, every once in a while if I listen closely, I can hear a faint popping noise coming from the exhaust.... There's also a bit of squealing from a belt underhood; I figure that probably has to do with the A/C not working, but who knows? Like with the popping noise, you can't really hear it unless you pay attention... " From your description, two things apparent. You do have an electrical problem. It may not just be the spark plugs, as the "popping noise" could indicate a sticking valve, hanging open on the ignition cycle, or your distributor could need attention. I am not that familiar with Ford products, but they have, thru the years been noted for having ignition electrical problems. Second, check out that squealing belt noise. It could be serious. It may not just be belt slippage, but an indication that something being driven by the belt may be trying to "freeze" or lock up. If this occurs, you can kiss the belt goodbye, and with it your drive to the water pump, which means, SHUT DOWN NOW!!!---- that is, unless you are sitting in your driveway, or you want to do a complete engine replacement due to overheating & warpage! In a lot of these cases with a serpentine belt drive, it is the tensioner pulley that stops self-adjusting, with either the pulley seizing or the pivot point not staying movable. Either case, the tensioner needs replacement, 'cause there is no way to re-lube them. The last one that I had let go was because the alternator bearings went, and the alternator seized, throwing the belt, which chewed it up. If the belt squeal is just caused by old-age stretch, then you need to replace it, because everything being driven by that belt is not running at its' correct speed when under load. That can cause a lot of other failures. You seem to be a young person with not a lot of mechanical background. Let me just advise you that preventative maintenence is a lot cheaper that fix it 'cause it broke maintenence! Lotsa luck!!

My first exposure to a one-piece rear hatch was on a Dodge Ramcharger. And in the winter, you had to open the hatch & then duck your head sideways to keep from getting hit as the struts sagged from the cold! I preferred rear doors, like a full-size van. My wife likes the Dutch door arrangement for the security it provides from things getting out, or falling out, while allowing access to the cargo area. I haven't met anyone with another van that has a one-piece hatch that wouldn't prefer some other opening arrangement! Let's face it! The Dutch door design is probably the most expensive to manufacture, with 6 hinges and the multiple alignment problems in assembly. Hatches only require 2 hinges & 2 gas struts-- a lot cheaper!

[quote name='mute' date='Aug 21 2005, 10:27 PM'] hey i thought you guys were talking about a 4.6 litre v6 replacement for the astro a litle while back, what happened? was it the 3.6 were you guys miss informed? oh and i hate the uplander not what gm needs in my opinion, its got enough boring large autos" You got the last part right, mute. As of the 2006 GM press release, the Uplander will come standard with a 3500 3.5L V-6, rated at 201hp and 216lbs-ft of torque. Sometime later in the year(but they don't say when) an optional engine will be offered. It is the 3900 3.9L V-6 with variable valve timing. They must be confused about their own ratings because in the beginning of the release it says this engine will produce 240hp and 240lbs-ft of torque. But later down in the text it says that this new engine will produce 235hp and 239 lbs-ft of torque. I guess if you read further, it might get weker, .... I don't know! This appears to be some variation of the new family of Corporate-developed V-6's. To my knowledge, the 4.6 is the Cadillac engine and not allowed in a lowly Chevy product!

Petra, you did not state what year and model of Merc you had. That could be a factor. More important, how is the car running? Does it start easy? Do you keep track of your mileage, from tank to tank? Depending on the vintage, older vehicles usually suggested a spark plug change every 40,000- 50,000 miles. Newer cars with platinum plugs have a suggested interval of 100,000 miles. You nedd to have a mechanic that you trust pull a plug and examine it for its' condition. That will tell you if it is time to change spark plugs!

Oh yeah, One last(I hope) comment! The Dutch doors on the Astro were added several years after the vehicle came out! It was not part of the "initial design package" as previously inferred.

"The Astro sold well out here in California. It was mostly bought by hispanics that loved the cheap price and the large amount of room for their larger families, etc. BUT, it was really a niche vehicle. Not enough mainstream buyers like you are willing to put up with the negatives (inefficient room, rough ride, lower MPG, poor bad weather traction w/o awd, etc.)" It is exactlly this narrow sophomoric view, looking within a very narrow scope that has contributed to the problems GM is in right now! I'm sorry to inform you but, there are 49 other States in this country, who don't dance to the tune of California! Niche vehicle it may be....... but tell that to all the other minivan manufacturers and they will laugh in your face. The truth is GM has chosen to turn it's back on this market a long time ago. That's why the Astro's were never privy to state-of-the-art updates. If they had kept this vehicle up-to-date, it would not take buckets of money to make a competitive model minivan.

This is straight from the GM media released documents........ "2006 CHEVROLET UPLANDER: SUV STYLE WITH MID-VAN CONVENIENCE Chevrolet Uplander added new dimensions of style and versatility to the mid-van segment with its introduction for 2005. A crossover sport van for those who want it all, the Uplander delivers the bold styling of an SUV, the passenger room and interior versatility of a van, and the smooth ride of a sedan." Re:"....unless those features were engineered into the entire platform in the beginning (shared with the other minivans.) That's why they can't just give you the option of rear dutch doors or a different, split-folding 2nd seat. The press release continues............. "Uplander can seat up to seven, along with offering numerous cargo configurations. The Uplander lineup continues in 2006 with front-wheel drive passenger models available in LS and LT trim, as well as an all-wheel drive passenger van and front-wheel drive commercial-use cargo van. New designations for equipment groups for LS and LT models include 1LS, 1LT, 2LT and 3LT." This is straight from the corporate press release. What other minivan is being offered?????????

If roof racks don't have a negative effect on vehicle performance, then why didn't they leave it on the high-dollar Tahoe SS? Ask Chevy engineering to publish the drag factors on their vehicles with & without a roof rack. As far as engineering features into the Uplander......... why wasn't that done? Somebody other than the bean-counters knew that the Astro was being replaced. The right hand is supposed to know what the left is doing, in a well-regulated business! It is called....... COMMUNICATION & PLANNING!

No, I'm on my third one now, and I bought all of them as second owner. 1st - A 1988 from GSA services. A Fed govn'mt vehicle out of St.Louis. It is still running with its' 4th owner @ 313,000mi. 2nd - A 1995 AWD, that was a Farmer City,KY. bank president's personal vehicle. Sold to a G.I. transferred to Colorado w/ 187,000mi. on it. It too, is still running. 3rd - A 2000 AWD that I currently own. Bought from retiree in Plant City,FL., with 44,000mi. on it. Currently has 87,000mi.-running great, but just had to put in new alternator. Shopped for new 2005, but only found 5 within 200 miles thateven came close to what I wanted. They all had less on them than what I have now with my LT trim. Prices ranged from $18,000 to $27,000. But they all wanted to steal my current one@ $3,000 less than current book! Enterprise car rentals is selling off their manager fleet of Astros. Buy a used 2005 w/ 12,000-16,000mi., still under warranty for under $18,000.