If it's at a repo yard they may not be set up as an auto dealer, so they may not have the insurance in place to allow test drives.
Also, just because it is in the Rust Belt NOW it doesn't mean it has always been there or driven there in the winters.
My 2001 E150 has no rust because my step-dad didn't drive it in the winter, him and mom were semi-retired and they'd take my mom's FWD Honda if it was bad weather if they went out in it at all.
I have seen similar vehicles owned by older folks who just didn't drive when weather was bad.
Conversion vans in particular seem to rack up fewer miles, I think people buy them with the idea of doing a little traveling and then never drive them as much as intended.
From a GM forum member...not sure of the accuracy..."All GM cars had 6-digit odometers by 1991. The 1990 Chevy Cavalier, Celebrity and Caprice were the last 5-digit cars."
There are other hints if a car has been driven 30K or 130K of 230K.
The carpets on the drivers side are a great indicator.
You can't do 230K without working a heel groove into the mats/carpets.
Ditto for wear and tear on the drivers side door jambs, threshold/sill.
Is it a foolproof way? Nope, but it's unlikely someone restored the front carpets and repainted the door sill in matching color on a 230K vehicle.
Check the date codes on the tires. Big whitewall lettering on tires went out of vogue a while back, so if they are 20 year old tires with little wear, chances are the mileage is legit.
Look for rub marks on the steering wheel, people don't usually replace steering wheels and lots of driving will wear down the faux leatherette texture on the steering wheel at the usual places.
Ditto for the doghouse and drivers door area, people tend to rest their legs against those when driving.
Look at the driver's seat edge on the door side, those vans are not short. Even I have to hike myself up into the seat at 6'5".
If it's been driven 100K plus there will be wear and tear along that edge.
Again none of these are foolproof, but they will help guide your
What I always tell people with clean, low mileage older vehicles...
It's over 30 years OLD! Mechanical parts won't be too difficult to find but some cosmetic and body stuff, especially the conversion van interior parts might be a little more difficult.
Keep in mind some shops do not want to work on cars that old.
Belts, hoses and all soft parts, including tires are likely in need of replacement.
With genuine low mileage it means it likely never had regular service and sat long periods with old coolant and oil in it.
Flush coolant, replace all fluids (power steering, bleed brakes with new fluids) etc.
Change oil immediately and then after driving it for a 1000 miles with some good long highway hauls, change it again.
It might be worth cutting open the filter and examining it after both oil changes to gauge how gunked up things are.
The plus side is that most of the stuff can be done yourself in a driveway.
If you have a good working relationship with a local garage, you may be able to get the rest done.
I have a guy who won't normally work on 20 year plus vehicles, but he works on mine because I leave it and let him tackle it at his leisure when he is slow. I'm not vanning full-time so I can afford to drop it off for 4-5 days to get work done I don't want to tackle in the winter on my back in the cold.
I'm a big fan of starting builds on rust-free vehicles.
Rust is a killer and next to impossible for most people to eliminate or repair on the body themselves.
So you either do a crap job of it yourself or pay money to have it done right.
If it runs good and you go into it understanding that it may need some work and you WANT that body style, 6K isn't too bad, especially considering the 5.7 engine and if it's legitimately rust free.
