So I looked at a van today - YIKES!

[Chris Anne the Mum]

I've already determined for my first solo run in Jan/Feb 2020 I will use my Chevy Traverse.  I'm not ready for full time, and I have to test the waters before investing in something.

But in the meantime, I'm gonna start looking for a van I can stand up in just in case I like this nomadic thing.  (Plus I could use it to camp with kids/grandkids).  I've seen how people have had great success with vehicles they got even under $5k so I was compelled to take a look at even the cheap stuff.

My friend recommended her granddaughter's chevy g10 series.  Price:  $5500 OBO.  Even though it was a 1983, the pictures looked pretty good, and the vehicle appeared to have a certain charm.  The ad said the original motor had been replaced with a Camaro engine and it has 35k miles on it (but she couldn't give me the year of that engine).  The fiberglass top was opaque and seemed dirty on the inside (how to you fix that?) which turned me off since it was pretty much in my face while standing.

My daughter (age 25) was with me and she loves vintage stuff and got a great feel when it landed in the parking lot where we met.  She didn't balk at the interior at first.  I was not ready for the dirt, scratched paint, and fraying, old carpet, but my mind was open because one owner put in custom cabinets that weren't that pretty but were very functional and well done.

OK, so we saw how to put up the bed and talked about gray water, etc., and it's time to sit in the driver's seat and take her for a spin.  The engine is old school - gotta pump the gas before starting (I remember those days!).  I go to turn the key - nothing.  Not even a click.  Insert side bar:  I wanted to see the engine during the tour and they had a hard time popping the hood.  When he tried starting it up after I failed, he noticed the hood was not completely closed so we fixed that. Then we got a click at least.  My daughter was in the passenger seat and after it was obvious it wasn't starting, she grabbed the handle to open the door - AND IT POPPED OFF IN HER HAND!

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay as they waited for AAA.  Tour over. Turns out when they had the battery replaced, the mechanic put a bolt on backwards.  Say what?  This couple had driven it out of town before they met up with us today.  Why did this happen when I hit the driver's seat??? :s

I'm single and not mechanical.  I think those mishaps were witnessed for a reason.  Long story short, I passed.

I am curious, however.  Anyone familiar with older Chevy vans such as this one and do you have any recommendations?  Thanks!

 

[cyndi]

The more you look the more you learn. Each prospective vehicle will teach you lessons that will be invaluable

 

[Queen]

It’s good you’re listening to your intuition, if you’re not okay with dirty, old, frayed, unreliable (or uncertain reliability); know that up front and if money allows, make a better choice.

I made the mistake of ignoring my gut when I bought my first used camper, it was an $8000 lesson... I should heed my intuition.

 

[wagoneer]

Those kind of problems never bothered me as I was able to fix just about anything. These days when a "non-mechanical" individual asked me to find a vehicle I hesitate. Welcome and good luck.

 

[highdesertranger]

also if you are not mechanically inclined you probably should stay away from older vehicles. highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

Regarding fiberglass tops. You are seeing something as a defect that is not actually a defect.

As far as the fiberglass top being opaque. That will always be the case, the reason fiberglass is used is that it is strong and is easy to form, it stays relatively light in weight because it can be make thin . Plus remember that the resins are not significantly colored, they are basically not quite clear but close to it. Also the glass fibers are clear. Gel coat is only a very thin layer of color that gets sprayed onto the inside of the mold before the fiber containing resin is sprayed into the mold. Therefore with a fiberglass shell you will see light passing through it. So don't worry about that, it is 100% OK and normal.

As to the inside being dirty, you can clean surfaces and then if you want it to be bright white it can be painted. Rustoleum brand paints work as do the paints made for fiberglass boats.

 

[maki2]

Not being mechanically inclined is something I wish people would quit saying about themselves. Only a person with a significant brain defect or physical body defect will struggle with mechanical inclination.

What not being mechanically inclined means is the a person has made a deliberate decision to be resistant to learning about using tools or thinking through projects. All human bodies unless through a birth defect are capable of learning mechanical involved coordinated movements. One of your first would have been to wrap your hand around your parent's finger. Then a baby bottle, later on the handle of a toy, then a spoon. Then you learned to walk. Next comes coordinated movements such as stacking blocks. As you get older you begin to develop the fine motor skills needed to hold a fat crayon or pencil and make controlled movements with it. As an adult your are capable of learning to do most anything you WANT to learn. But of course some people are afraid of failure and also resistant to making themselves go through the learning curve that helps to develop the skill to get good at the movements required by tools.

But essentially all of you who are typing on a keyboard are mechanically inclined. You already do thousands of different mechanical tasks without even realizing that is what you are doing. You cut your food with a knife, you stir a pot on the stove, you fill a kettle, you flush a toilet, etc.

 

[MrNoodly]

A blog post I did a few years ago about shopping for used vehicles when you have no mechanical knowledge:

http://rollingsteeltent.blogspot.com/2017/09/gem-or-junk.html

 

[B and C]

My brother must be defective. Anything with a motor he touches, he screws it up. He can change the oil but that is about it. Myself? I took a windup alarm clock apart and put it back together when I was 12. Built a lot of V-8 engines too. Same parents. Some people have it and some don't. I think it is called mechanical aptitude.

 

[Queen]

Agreed, B and C. I’m capable of building many things out of wood (my father was a carpenter who taught me), however I have zero experience with mechanical things. While I may have the aptitude, I do not have access to training or the financial ability to absorb the mishaps of the learning process.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Not being mechanically inclined is something I wish people would quit saying about themselves. Only a person with a significant brain defect or physical body defect will struggle with mechanical inclination.

{snip}

What not being mechanically inclined means is the a person has made a deliberate decision to be resistant to learning about using tools or thinking through projects

But essentially all of you who are typing on a keyboard are mechanically inclined. You already do thousands of different mechanical tasks without even realizing that is what you are doing. You cut your food with a knife, you stir a pot on the stove, you fill a kettle, you flush a toilet, etc.

What you are talking about is hand-eye coordination (or 'muscle memory') which is different from mechanical aptitude...and a large part of mechanical aptitude and knowledge is experience...years or decades of it.

Yes, working with tools on a project involves coordination, and physical abilities, but it also goes much better if the person has years of experience in similar endeavors, and the tools, to turn ideas into reality.

We are all different and if was only about hand-eye coordination, I should be able to play a Mozart concerto on a piano because I can physically pound on the keys, paint a beautiful mural equal to Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel because I can hold a paintbrush, or knit a luxurious afghan sweater, because I could easily insert knitting needles thru fabric. 

Alas, those are skills I do not have, and will never have.

If the OP feels like she is out of her comfort zone with mechanical projects, that is perfectly OK. 

Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is part of life.

 

[tx2sturgis]

And yeah, where there is a will, there will always be a way. But he sounds like he may have had the aptitude all along, but was actually saying he had no 'experience' with automotive repairs.

I don't have the knowledge or tools to frame a house, but years ago I helped a couple of friends frame out the upper story of a very large three-story cabin...I learned a lot. There is a lot more to it than simply cutting lumber and hammering nails. 

But I also took woodworking in school (yeah I'm old!) and have worked with woodworking tools and building furniture and doing home repairs my entire life, so that gives me at least a little bit of background to 'build' on.

 

[Firtree]

Which engine does it have?
The 454 (?) was known to overheat, the 5.7L (350) did better. This is carbureted and not as good as even a few years later.
MPG low, really low on either engine

Price is much much too high even if you were a high school kid wanting a project. I sold my ‘88 156K 5.7L, mechanically wonderful 3/4 ton for $1000. I was happy to walk away with the $1000 because knew it needed tires (looked great but too old), a paint job, new flooring, new refrig, seat recovered., power window motors replaced. Guy worked on it for 6 months doing all that and she was pretty when sold for $6000.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Not being mechanically inclined is something I wish people would quit saying about themselves . . .

It's a left brain/right brain issue:  being mechanically inclined means that your left brain is dominant.  Some people are artists, they are right brain dominant.  It doesn't mean that a right brain dominant person cannot learn mechanical things but it is more difficult.  And there are some for whom it is so difficult that it isn't worth the effort.

I'm a mechanical engineer, very left brain dominant.  I do not get poetry.  Friends have tried to teach me what makes a good poem but I just don't get it.  For some it is just too much effort to learn mechanics.

 

[Day Dreamer]

Well, mechanically inclined or not I wouldn't go on the road full time in a vehicle of that age. And I'm somewhat handy. I can't rebuild an engine or anything but i can fix stuff and I wouldn't feel safe or comfortable. I want the most reliable vehicle I can find. I'm all for nostalgia but not if I'm living in it. Practical is most important. It would be fine for a weekend hobby vehicle. Plus there are issues like having tools you'll need, finding parts, having a place to work on your vehicle and being stuck somewhere until you can figure it out and get it done.

 

[MrNoodly]

It's a left brain/right brain issue:...

"The left-brain right-brain myth will probably never die because it has become a powerful metaphor for different ways of thinking – logical, focused and analytic versus broad-minded and creative..."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...rain-right-brain-myth-will-probably-never-die

 

[Chris Anne the Mum]

Regarding fiberglass tops. You are seeing something as a defect that is not actually a defect.

As to the inside being dirty, you can clean surfaces and then if you want it to be bright white it can be painted. Rustoleum brand paints work as do the paints made for fiberglass boats.

Good points, maki2, however, the inside of the fiberglass actually looked dirty to me.  I wondered if it could be cleaned and how much elbow grease would be needed - those were the thoughts that went through my head.

I agree on the rustoleum paints and actually imagined how fun it would be to fix that part of it up.  Even thought I could tackle the carpet!  Thanks for your input!

 

[maki2]

I am a professional artist and a professional mechanic. Just as good with tools as with artistic endeavors. I also teach children a young as 8, women who are frightened of power tools and men of all ages to use tools to build things.

I just spent the better part of this last week teaching a 23 year old man how to put up two shelves and put up curtains inside of his truck canopy. He has had some experience with tools but next to no experience designing or thinking through how to do custom work where you need to secure something inside of a vehicle that has complex angles. He started out by asking to borrow a drill motor. I took a look and listen at how he was going to approach the task and immediately realized it would be a complete failure as their was no constraint of movement involved in his plan. In other words it would have come apart as soon as he hit the brakes or went around a corner. Like everyone I know including myself he wanted the job to be quick and easy but of course such things rarely are. When he got frustrated with the pace and wanted to quite and regretted starting I told him "how do you think I feel everyday while I am working on my project?". I also told him the difference between success and failure is ignoring that feeling and just getting on with it and sticking with it.

That is not a matter of being "mechanically inclined" it is a matter or realizing you need the right tools and you also need to apply some of those geometry lessons you learned while you were in school.

Of course you either need someone with experience to show you how to safely use tools and plan out projects. When in my early 20s I needed to build furniture but had no experience. So I asked for some help with cutting some large wood to length as I did not have a saw big enough for that and I also went to the library and checked out lots of books. No youtube or video players were around in 1970. I bought a jigsaw and a drill motor a hammer and I used the tape measure I had for sewing. It never once occurred to me to use an excuse such as "I am not mechanically inclined". The only thing that is standing between you and success is your desire to DIY. If you say you can't then you never will get anywhere with any type of activity. If you say I want to and I will then you can make it happen.

Old vehicles are going to have lots of problems unless you buy one that has recently been completely restored.

 

[B and C]

...
That is not a matter of being "mechanically inclined" it is a matter or realizing you need the right tools and you also need to apply some of those geometry lessons you learned while you were in school.
...

I beg to differ.  I have tried on several occasions to teach my brother what to do to his jeep carburetor when he has been tinkering with it.  He always gets it way out of adjustment when he does, even after I explain and show the steps.  Not everyone gets it.

 

[highdesertranger]

some people just don't pay attention for what ever reason. highdesertranger