Opinions on this safari?

[Dorcas]

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/1993-GMC-Safari-Van-obo_30706444

I want my first van to be cheap, to minimize debt. Will be driving in the city for the most part, may even park this and use it as an extra bedroom for a few months.  Looks like it has had a lot of work done already. Any feedback appreciated. I would definitely take it for inspection, too.

 

[BinDerSmokDat]

My opinion, for what it is worth...

Price is fair for year, model and miles...but FAIR doesn't mean it's an ideal platform for a build.
267,000 miles is a LOT of miles.
In the $3-5K range you can find 99's and up with HALF the miles.
One major repair on this rig will put you on par with one of the newer rigs value-wise.

Yes, mechanical work was done, but when and how many miles since? "Last two years" could be a lot of miles ago. That list is what you would EXPECT to see on a van with a lot of miles, just to keep it running. That's not a list of carefully inspected and restored/repaired systems to bring it up to like-new condition.

If you will be putting time and energy into the build and keeping it for any length of time, you want to invest in a sound mechanical chassis.
Just like "location, location, location" is the mantra for traditional real estate, "chassis, chassis, chassis" should be your mantra for an RV build.

For projects like the interior, I don't let previous work done by the owner factor too heavily into the price. You don't know how well it was done or if what the P.O. did is what YOU'LL want in your build. Unless the interior is very well done and meets your ideal interior layout and craftsmanship, it's a wash. You'll spend as much time modifying or replacing what they did as you would have on modding the stock interior. Or worse, they may have drilled holes, applied adhesive or irreversibly modded something that can't be easily fixed or reverted back.

If it was me...

For any kind of long-term build, I'd spend a little more on a newer year with less miles.
To more or less urban dwell in one city or in a few cities in a region, where covering miles isn't a concern and your needs are minimal, go for it.

 

[Dorcas]

My opinion, for what it is worth...

Price is fair for year, model and miles...but FAIR doesn't mean it's an ideal platform for a build.
267,000 miles is a LOT of miles.
In the $3-5K range you can find 99's and up with HALF the miles.
One major repair on this rig will put you on par with one of the newer rigs value-wise.

Yes, mechanical work was done, but when and how many miles since? "Last two years" could be a lot of miles ago. That list is what you would EXPECT to see on a van with a lot of miles, just to keep it running. That's not a list of carefully inspected and restored/repaired systems to bring it up to like-new condition.

If you will be putting time and energy into the build and keeping it for any length of time, you want to invest in a sound mechanical chassis.
Just like "location, location, location" is the mantra for traditional real estate, "chassis, chassis, chassis" should be your mantra for an RV build.

For projects like the interior, I don't let previous work done by the owner factor too heavily into the price. You don't know how well it was done or if what the P.O. did is what YOU'LL want in your build. Unless the interior is very well done and meets your ideal interior layout and craftsmanship, it's a wash. You'll spend as much time modifying or replacing what they did as you would have on modding the stock interior. Or worse, they may have drilled holes, applied adhesive or irreversibly modded something that can't be easily fixed or reverted back.

If it was me...

For any kind of long-term build,  I'd spend a little more on a newer year with less miles.
To more or less urban dwell in one city or in a few cities in a region, where covering miles isn't a concern and your needs are minimal, go for it.

Thanks for your help, going to see it in a few days. I’m not crazy about the interior, but it looks like it would be easy to change.  I’m debating if I should pay more now, but my gut says start out cheap, upgrade later.

 

[Almost There]

It's 267,000 KM not miles so it's only 166,000 miles!

1,900 Cdn is not a bad price for the van, particularly for the area.

The only thing I would be very careful of is the condition of the transmission. Parts are easy to get for this as there are still thousands of the Astro/Safari on the road.

Have it checked by a reputable mechanic and check the undercarriage carefully for rust, after all it is a 18 year old van. Pay attention to where the running boards stop water flow at the bottom of the van body.

 

[Dorcas]

It's 267,000 KM not miles so it's only 166,000 miles!

1,900 Cdn is not a bad price for the van, particularly for the area.

The only thing I would be very careful of is the condition of the transmission. Parts are easy to get for this as there are still thousands of the Astro/Safari on the road.

Have it checked by a reputable mechanic and check the undercarriage carefully for rust, after all it is a 18 year old van. Pay attention to where the running boards stop water flow at the bottom of the van body.

Thanks a a bunch for the tips! I forgot about the kms conversion, gonna keep that in mind as I look...most recommendations/info is US-based, and I wasn’t doing the conversion.

 

[BinDerSmokDat]

Thanks for pointing out KM/MI!
I have a Russian motorcycle and it reads in KMs, and I'm use to doing the conversion in my head when figuring out mileage on it, but not use to seeing cars listed in KMs!

Ditto for USD/CAD!

That makes it a little more of a deal, as that is $1517USD for 166k miles!
I'd shift my recommendation to being a better deal for a longer-term build and good value for some short-term/short-range urban dwelling.