Thoughts on these two vans please?

[nixsee]

Hey there!

I've been lurking these forums for a while now as I prepare to start van dwelling after quitting my corporate career, but have never posted before! I have been checking out some vans nearby lately and found two that seem to be good candidates and am hoping to get some feedback please!

The first is this 2006 Chevy Express with 206,000km (129,000 miles) for $6,500 Canadian. http://tinyurl.com/l34brtf

He said he'd take $6,200 without negotiating. It is owned by a mechanic who seems to purchase cars from auctions (there were a lot of cars on the lot that looked like they had been in accidents). He said this one needed some dents popped out and some minor things, and he replaced the brakes, rotors, tires, battery. It seems to be in very good shape inside and out. I couldn't see a whole lot of rust underneath. Safety and e-testing are included and he said he would do any repairs necessary to get it fit.  I'm a good judge of character and the guy seemed quite honest.

The second is this 2002 Chevy Express LT with 179k km/112k miles for $6,200. http://tinyurl.com/l67uguw

He said he'd take $6,000 without negotiating at all. The interior was immaculate, the exterior seems quite good as well. There was some rust under the body where I could peer under the tail and side, but everything under the hood looked quite clean(pictures attached). I don't know if this rust is enough to be concerning, or if it can be removed and rust-proofed after? Also, I wasn't able to test drive it as it has been sitting on the lot all winter and the front right tire was flat and it needs a new battery. But he boosted the battery and the engine sounded very good. He wanted a couple hundred bucks for a deposit and he would then fix these, brakes, new tires etc... and get it safetied and e-tested, then I can take it for a test drive and have a mechanic look at it. He bought it at an auction and it was a trade in at a new dealership. He also seemed like a reasonably honest guy.

I'm leaning towards the second as I want to have windows on both sides (rainy days will be more enjoyable if I can see out). I could always install windows in the first, but that will take time and money, and I wouldn't do nearly as good of a job as the factory I'm sure. It has lower mileage as well, but the rubber and wires will all be 4 years older. I could try to sell the benches too I suppose. I intend to pay to have a mechanic look at whichever I choose, but would rather just pay once if possible!

Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Looking forward to getting it and starting the build and sharing pics and stories here!

 

[ttpadilla]

I know nothing about anything, but if those in the know say the rust isn't bad enough to be an issue, I'd pick the Blue one for the windows, too. Oh, and Welcome!

 

[akrvbob]

Which engines do they have? The 2002 might have the 350 and the 2006 could have either the 5.3 or a V6. The newer one should get much better MPG if the old one has the 350. But it could have the 5.3 as well. It has a typo, it says it has the 5.0 but that's a Ford 302 which of course a Chevy can't have.

Personally, I'd throw away the money and have a mechanic look at both and let him decide which one was better. Ask him which one he would want his son/daughter to live in as a vandweller.
Bob

 

[nixsee]

Thanks so much for the quick responses and great advice on getting the mechanic to look at both!

He said the 2002 has a 5.0 V8, but not sure what that means in regards to 350.... I'm not sure which engine the 2006 has. However, I'm less concerned about the fuel economy as I am about the reliability of the vehicle. Or is that foolish?

Do they both seem like reasonably good vans for a fair price though? And does my thought process re: the windows, selling benches, perhaps less wear and tear on a passenger van, existing ventilation, wiring, etc... make sense?

 

[ZoNiE]

It could have a 5.0. That would be a 305.
Ford's old pushrod 302 is technically a 4.9L. The new Coyote 5.0 is a true 5.0.

Earlier GM Small Blocks are:

5.0L - 305 Cu in
5.7L - 350 Cu in
7.5L - 454 Cu in

Newer GM Gen2 Small blocks are:

4.3L - 262 Cu in V6
4.8L - 283 Cu in
5.3L - 327 Cu in
6.0L - 366 Cu in
8.1L - 502 Cu in

Avoid the 4.3 & 8.1. If you are gonna tow, avoid the 4.8.

Fords will usually have:

4.6L - 282 Cu in (I have one and tow a 6,000# travel trailer)
5.4L - 329 Cu in
6.2L - 379 Cu in
6.8L - 415 Cu in V10

 

[nixsee]

Thanks! I don't plan to tow anything and I won't have a whole lot of things/furniture inside so it should be relatively lightweight (hence I think the Express 1500 is enough).

 

[ZoNiE]

Correction. 454 is a 7.4L

On Diesels:

Ford: Avoid 6.0 and 6.4. Go for the 7.3 or the new 6.7
GM: 6.5 Duramax with Allison is the way to go.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

they are virtually the same price, mileage is similar, if the tires are both good, they drive equally as well, it is a hard choice. I wouldn;t expect to be able to sell those seats, I doubt anyone would want them, unless you are very lucky. you may even have to pay to get rid of them. The window thing in my opinion may not be a good argument, you have  windows on three sides, the only thing you gain on the blue one is the left hand side windows. what you loose by having the windows is an area to build storage units, I find in a van with windows all around, I often have one side curtained off for privacy, the sliding door side aimed at my view with curtains open. It is hard to tell from looking at pictures but I would go for the newer one, new front brakes, the one with no seats to deal with and less windows even though I am a fan of windows. I think there are enough windows for a rainy day and I would use the extra space inside for storage, etc. never enough space for storage, but I think there is a lot more to consider. It is hard to tell from here. good luck and welcome. 

 

[SoulRaven]

I'd go with the window van. Not only do I prefer windows, but they've usually had much better care. To top that off, remove the seats and it is nearly move in ready, vs. a cargo van that's going to cost you a lot of extra time and money to get it move in ready.

Looked like the window van had lower miles too.

The passenger side rear window will also help eliminate a huge blind spot.

It's hard to tell by the pics, but odds are that the window van will have more opening windows too.

Good Luck!

 

[LeeRevell]

I'd go for Big Blue too. Having the window behind the driver's door makes looking at traffic behind to your left a LOT easier! No craning forward and back left to see out the driver's side window.

 

[Almost There]

Run each of them through here:

http://www.canadianblackbook.com/

The main difference will be whether you want all those windows or not.

Personally, I like having the side and rear windows but not the full passenger set up. It gives me windows and still enough solid walls to be able to put in full height cabinets.

With proper mirror adjustment you shouldn't need more than that. But then I've driven 35' RVs and cargo vans with NO windows so I seldom use the ones I've got.

Oh and welcome to the forum from another Ontarian.

 

[nixsee]

Thanks so much for all of the quick responses and advice! From browsing for a while, I could already tell this is a great community, but this has far exceeded my hopes!

Over the past year I've become quite minimalist and have reduced my possessions quite a lot. Consequently, I don't need a lot of storage space. However, even if I do need more than expected, I don't really see it being a problem to just put some sort of cabinets in front of the windows. I'm sure I could figure out a way to secure them. I really love the extra windows for the viewing and driving safety.

As for the interior/move in-readiness, I'm likely going to remove all of the finishings on the passenger one so I can fully insulate it, run wires for lights, add a vent, and likely do some sort of wood panelling. I realize it'll be harder to insulate with more windows, but I can make it work.

I suppose the main thing I'm worried about is the non-refundable deposit he wants for getting the van ready to even do a test drive, but like I said he seemed like a honest guy. The rust and some other things can be assessed by a mechanic.

 

[ttpadilla]

I suppose the main thing I'm worried about is the non-refundable deposit he wants for getting the van ready to even do a test drive, but like I said he seemed like a honest guy. The rust and some other things can be assessed by a mechanic.

Yeah, that bothers me a lot... If he's trying to sell it for $6000 it should definitely be on him, to make it test-driveable. If he was selling it for $600, that might be a little different.

 

[nixsee]

Since the other one seems fine, I'm going to have my mechanic look at it first. If it checks out, I'll call the other place and say that I like his van better, but I've found a van that works for me. If he will get it road ready without the deposit or allow a refund on the deposit (no point in having a deposit then though), then I'll give that preference. If the first one is no good, then I'll have to negotiate more or just pay the deposit as I don't have a lot of time before I need to buy a van.

If anyone has any other thoughts, they are much appreciated. Otherwise I'll update you all later! Thanks again!

 

[GSSP]

I would never purchase an Obama Motors Vehicle

 

[Lafnbug]

I would not give a deposit, especially a non-refundable one, for a vehicle I cannot drive first. Transmission problems, vibrations, alignment issues, engine problems, rattles, and a plethora of other issues are impossible to detect without a test drive. My $.02.

Good luck!

 

[ZoNiE]

The gold one looks nicer, has the upgraded front end. You can always add a window. It looks less like a contractor van and more like a family van.

probably has the 4.8...

 

[nixsee]

My mechanic checked out the gold one today and said it was in good shape aside from some cosmetic issues (which I don't care about at all). I'll talk to the owner of the blue one tomorrow and see if he'll get it fit for testing without a deposit. If so, I'll get the mechanic to look at it as well. If not, I'll buy the gold one.

Thanks for the help so far. I'm really excited to get started on the build - all the pictures and discussion here and elsewhere have given me some great ideas!

 

[akrvbob]

Super! Be sure to take lots of pics and start a build thread! We love following them and you can give back to the next gal/guy.
Bob