Lets not forget that being designed as a cargo van first and foremost - the Safari and Astro minivan had some of the worst crash test ratings ever. Complete deathtraps. I still remember the all-black "circles" in the Consumer Reports test ratings.
The IIHS videos of the crash tests of these are nightmare inducing - note the door popping open and the passenger compartment totally compressing:
The Sierra I drove at work today has 430,000 km on it. Purrs like a kitten. They get beat to hell and come back for more. It helps that the company does regular maintenance, too.
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My parents had an early 80s full size GMC van, Starcraft conversion. 4 captains chairs, rv windows on the sides, Panasonic 8 speaker sound system, two sunroofs, a removable round table and a couch in the back...that could fold out into a queen size bed. I loved driving that thing as an 18 year old, quite the shagging wagon.
I have a 2007 Nissan Quest and it has some good things and some things that drive me crazy
Also had a 1999 Honda Oddyssey and it was good as well.
Easily fits all my hockey gear and golf clubs and cam be loaded up for travelling, I got 3 bikes it in pretty essily earlier this summer to get repaired by a CP Member.
Before having a mini van, I didn't expect to like them and now, I'm not sure I'd get a car over a mini van.
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Second, how have we not seen a Delica in this thread yet? There are probably a thousand variations out there like this.
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Last edited by CorsiHockeyLeague; 09-14-2024 at 12:33 PM.
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Location: A simple man leading a complicated life....
Exp:
A golfing buddy of mine owns a van similar to the one in the picture. Fully customized on the inside with an upgraded sound system. I get first dibs if he ever decides to sell it.
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I feel like the cheap van segment has been almost abandoned. But if someone could throw together a ~30k gas van with a good safety rating I bet they'd still sell like hot cakes. Kia is the cheapest on the market right now I think.
Why sell you a $30,000 minivan when they can sell you a $50,000 SUV? (Or $50,000 Odyssey or Sienna, if you're really so inclined?) Minivans have been a dying segment for 20 years; the manufacturers aren't going to chase volume in a dying segment.
Please tell me we're talking removable faceplates here.
Nope. This was before that was a thing. It was on the roof between the two front seats. If i recall correctly it was called the Panasonic Cockpit.
It looked very much like what Dion just posted above. I forgot about the stripes and the running boards.
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This was mine in 1994. Eddie Bauer Edition, Extended. Loved this van. Added Alpine stereo and a huge double sub which took half of the rear cargo space LOL... Hit a deer on Hwy-3 at 3am driving to Seattle. The eff'n deer didn't die but ran away with my headlight in its ass... Van driver's side was smashed completely and covered in blood. Customs officer at the border asked me "Killed anyone lately?.."
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I feel like the cheap van segment has been almost abandoned. But if someone could throw together a ~30k gas van with a good safety rating I bet they'd still sell like hot cakes. Kia is the cheapest on the market right now I think.
Yeah...thats part of the problem. The Van lost it's 'Ethos.'
Its similar to trucks. They used to be Utilitarian. You werent afraid to beat on them, they existed to perform a function.
Same thing with Vans.
You have procreated excessively and now the little mongrels need to get to soccer or hockey or whatever. Shove them in this thing and get on with it!
Now? They've got to have on-board entertainment systems, the doors have to open themselves because children are incompetent morons, they've got have all of these features and blah, blah, blah and now they cost a fortune!
You lost your way Vans...you lost your way!
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Yeah...thats part of the problem. The Van lost it's 'Ethos.'
Its similar to trucks. They used to be Utilitarian. You werent afraid to beat on them, they existed to perform a function.
Same thing with Vans.
You have procreated excessively and now the little mongrels need to get to soccer or hockey or whatever. Shove them in this thing and get on with it!
Now? They've got to have on-board entertainment systems, the doors have to open themselves because children are incompetent morons, they've got have all of these features and blah, blah, blah and now they cost a fortune!
You lost your way Vans...you lost your way!
What kind of an experience was it if you didn't accidently close a sliding door on your siblings' limbs at least once.
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What kind of an experience was it if you didn't accidently close a sliding door on your siblings' limbs at least once.
Exactly!
Kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s are tempered through the forge of combat!
You never knew when a sibling was going to smash you into the family van's side! You had to be on your toes! Ready and prepared like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now!
Ready to tackle the world and all the wildlife it would randomly toss onto the road for your mom to wildly attempt to dodge and your van just rolling around on a suspension seemingly made out of pillows and marshmallows...
Thats how you become a well adjusted Adult! Endless childhood trauma and the forge of hard combat!!
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
The World Ends when you're dead. Until then, you've got more punishment in store. - Flames Fans
If you thought this season would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention.
