Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari

FREE CHEVROLET ASTRO & GMC SAFARI: 1985-ON PDF

The Chevrolet Astro is a Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on that was manufactured and marketed by the Chevrolet division of American auto manufacturer General Motors from to Sold alongside the GMC Safarithe Astro was marketed in multiple configurations, including passenger minivan and cargo van. The Astro and Safari are GM M-body vehicles, using a rear-wheel drive chassis; all-wheel drive became an option in For its entire production, the Astro and Safari were produced by Baltimore Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland ; the vans would be the final model line produced by the facility. In total, approximately 3. The Astro and Safari were introduced for as the first minivan from General Motors. While marketed as a response to the first-generation Chrysler minivansGM adapted a rear-wheel Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on layout, sizing the Astro and Safari closely to the short-wheelbase Chevrolet G10 van. GMC sourced the Safari nameplate from Pontiac used by the latter to denote woodgrained station wagons. Initial advertising boasted that it was a vehicle that will "make you realize that life is too big for a minivan ", referring to the Chrysler minivans. The van can have a seating configuration between two and eight passengers. The 4-cylinder engine was only offered in cargo versions of the Astro; it was dropped after For Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on, the 4. For throttle body fuel injection TBI was used. For and later years, central port injection Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on used. The lower ball joints were larger than their B-body counterparts similar to Cadillac D platform vehicles, e. These ball joints were later used in the final Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 police package cars manufactured in and Digital dashboards were offered in the first generation Astro; this option did not continue after In a new all-wheel drive AWD system the first U. The AWD models had a lower fuel economy: 17 miles per gallon highway versus 20 to 21 miles per gallon for rear-wheel drive vans. The model year also introduced a new analog dashboard and the hydroboost braking system, a system using the same accessory belt driven pump to supply the power steering and brakes. In mid an extended body option, Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on its wheelbase with the shorter version, also became available. Ina new optional door form was introduced, colloquially known as Dutch doors. This form was two bi-parting doors with a flip-up window above. Previously, Astro and Safari vans were equipped only Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on bi-parting Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on. An optional 4. InChevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on electronically controlled 4L60E 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive became standard as the sole transmission offering. As with many other model year GM vehicles, Scotchgard fabric protection also became a standard feature on Astro vans equipped with cloth seats. For the model year, GM started manufacturing most of their vehicles, including the Astro and Safari, with CFC-free air-conditioning systems, which used Ra refrigerant instead of R refrigerant. Inthe model was facelifted with an extended nose that resembled the then-new full-size Express vans; while the original square sealed beam headlights were retained for use on the cargo vans, the passenger-carrying variants now used horizontally-mounted rectangular headlights that had debuted on the full-size trucks inand would eventually appear on the smaller trucks in Also forthe shorter length body was dropped. Ina redesigned dash received a passenger side Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on. The vans remained mostly unchanged until the end of production in The Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari twins were originally scheduled to be discontinued afterbut they soldiered on because of good sales; the last Astro and Safari rolled off the assembly line on May 13, The underbody of the test van buckled, pitching both front seats forward and shoving the crash dummy into the dashboard and steering wheeland resulting in a broken left leg, leading the institute to comment that "[t]he collapse of the occupant compartment left little survival space for the driver. In testing performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSAhowever, the Astro and Safari fared better, improving from a single-star rating in to a three-star driver and four-star passenger rating by In side impacts, the Astro and Safari both received the highest, five-star rating in every year that the test was administered. Inthe IIHS reported that the — model year Chevrolet Astro recorded during calendar years — the fewest killed drivers of all passenger vehicles in the United States, as calculated per every million units on the road. Driver's habits and vehicle usage might have influenced this result. Media related to Chevrolet Astro at Wikimedia Commons. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Redirected from GMC Safari. A van that was manufactured and marketed by the Chevrolet. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Archived from the original on March 3, Retrieved February 28, Archived from the original on January 5, Standard Catalog of 4x4's Krause Publications. Ward's Auto World. December Fleet Owner. FM Business Publications. Archived from the original on June 2, Status Report. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. April 19, Archived from the original PDF on January 17, GMCa marque of General Motorslight truck timeline, international market, Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on. Chevrolet vehicles. Established ina division of General Motors since Express N N Orlando Spin. Category Commons. Categories : Chevrolet vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Vans Minivans s cars s cars Cars introduced in Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States. Hidden categories: All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from September Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles needing additional references from January All articles needing additional references Commons category link from Wikidata. Namespaces Article Talk. Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Wikimedia Commons. Baltimore AssemblyBaltimore, Maryland. STD: Subcompact crossover SUV. Compact crossover SUV. Captiva Sport. Mid-size crossover SUV. Full-size crossover SUV. Mini SUV. Compact SUV. Grand Vitara. S Blazer. Mid-size SUV. Full-size SUV. Grand Blazer. K5 Blazer. Coupe utility. El Camino. Compact pickup. Chevy S EV. Mid-size pickup. Full- size pickup. Lumina APV. Trans Sport. City Express. Subcompact car. Compact crossover. Mid-size crossover. Chevrolet Astro - Wikipedia

This article originally appeared in CarLustBlog. In said article, written by a close friend of this blog, we find this rather summarizing piece of information:. The Astro was an odd fit in the segment—perhaps unsurprisingly, considering it was a s GM product, the Astro represented an attempt to compete with the ground-breaking Chrysler minivans without really capturing what made them so special. The defining characteristic of the Chrysler minivans was their remarkably efficient packaging. The combination of a compact four-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive, and a modified small-car unibody chassis meant that the minivans had a low, flat floor and plenty of space despite their trim, Plymouth Reliant-sized footprint. The result was a vehicle that was as easy to drive and park as a compact car but that could also swallow a large family and their gear—revolutionary in a world dominated by large, low station wagons and hulking, full-size, truck-based vans. It was bulkier and heavier than the Chryslers, the passenger compartment was less spacious and efficient, and the driving experience was far more truck-ish. If the Chryslers were revolutionary; the Astro was decidedly evolutionary. All of this set up a choice for the public between two fundamentally different types of minivans, and over the last 25 years the market has definitively chosen the Chrysler model of front-wheel-drive, car-like minivans. You would think this would have made the Astro an embarrassing failure, and Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on the story almost writes itself—GM tried to jump into a wildly popular new segment with a half-hearted effort, missed the market, and suffered a colossal sales failure. Despite its competitive disadvantages, the Astro Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on carved out its own niche and sold well enough to warrant a year production run with only minor changes. It even outlasted and outsold the broadly similar Ford Aerostar. Ultimately, the Astro established itself as a successful and enduring design precisely because it was different from the established minivan paradigm. Its primitive but powerful V-6, body-on-frame chassis, and optional AWD meant that the Astro could tow more, carry more, and could go more places than its competitors. As a smaller, trimmer, more efficient version of the traditional full-size vans, the Astro was also a legitimate competitor in the commercial and fleet market in a way that other minivans never truly were. Apparently there was a niche between minivans Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on maxivans, and the Astro filled that niche nicely. As time passed, it got tweaked here and there; new technology, like ABS, was added, but nothing out of the ordinary. An M-body can not only haul depending on seat configurationit can also pull trailers and haul equipment around. Look at the video. The M-body failed on that test one-star ratingbut did well, and got better, on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests three-star to five-star, depending on test. Still, the damage was done. Look at the above specimen. Now back to me. Now back to the specimen. With a little imagination, this could be a blank canvas to express the individual that you are, whether for personal or commercial use. Taxiscustomsrolling canvases4x4slowridershot-rodsetc. It goes without saying that these vans were primo candidates for conversions. These covered more than just recreational vehicles. You can find these third-party conversions from many companies whose products ranged from mild to wild. Some even went full-on RV-style called campervans. Needless to say these babies have a following. A college professor of mine was considering buying one of those conversion vans, used, until a good look revealed a bug infestation. So aside from the mechanical, inspect the interior with a fine-tooth comb to avoid an experience that rivals staying on a cheap motel room. Anybody that has been around M-bodies long enough might have heard this interesting piece of information: Chevrolet Astros and GMC Safaris have a cult-following… in Japan. I had a notion of this from one of the most unlikely sources: anime. While I was a burgeoning anime enthusiast inI was watching one of my first shows of the genre that I actually saw contemporary life in Japan at the time to an extent, the show was about digital monsters. One of the scenes that I more fondly remember was during one of the climactic battles in which monsters was destroying the city block Destruction? By monsters? In Japan? Sure, a blast wave caused the van to lose control and end up on its roof, but still.! All I know is that I liked its boxy shape. Yet, the level of detail in that show is one of its highlights for Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on They have a nice repertoire in film and TV. Even graphic novels! Cool, huh? It came from a German brochure. I recall a family at church who had and as far as I know still have one, an early Astro conversion van, very similar to the one in the pic above, colors and all, but the graphic pattern was different. Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on was fully loaded. Another church family also had a second-gen M-body, a GMC Safari, which I went with them in it to one of the biggest antique car shows on the island. But there was something wrong with the paint, it was eaten away! It had more surface rust and exposed metal than paint. I would comment on the interior, but it was a mess. It was their do-it-all vehicle after all. It even appeared in Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on news on a bit about Christmas tree sales when it was pulling away from the lot! Uncle likes Expeditions. It was quite a leap in size when compared to her trusty but aging Jeep Cherokee. Like all their cars, her husband took real good care of it and detailed it, adding tape stripes and reflectors. Minus the reflectors, it looked sharp. She sold it to a dealer this year, who quickly found a buyer for it, and got a new-ish Toyota Sienna LE that took more space lengthwise and made the Astro look like an easier van to park! I was already of driving age by this time. The first time I drove it, the brakes were hyper-sensitive, so a small tap stopped the box violently. I was very disappointed of the thing. As a middle-row passenger, it seems that it was missing a plug in the undercarriage or something, because since it was raining, water came in and on me when the box passed over a puddle at speed! The switchgear looked toy-like, but felt durable. The passenger grab-bar looked up for the job, but it broke and was glued back. Those wheel- wells tucked into the cab, my left foot rested on the wheel well intrusion when I drove, and felt Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on. Heck, it felt cramped! Oh, well. There it was, gun-smoke gray and shiny, Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on onto the sidewalk before heading out into the night. But being that smell is the strongest sense tied to memory, every time I smell that new-car smell I briefly get sent back to that happy time… The Astro was our trusty steed throughout that magical, unforgettable time. You could also say that I was taught about rentals thanks to this box. It just looks different. It was gonna be retro, with a yellow graphics to complement the purple paint. Inside, there was going to be wall-to-wall shag carpeting, a full-blown stereo and a waterbed. And it was going to be slammed with huge 5-spoke rims What? Or go all Japanese-inspired. What can I say? I got a bit of a vanner in me. Time has passed since the night I drew my then-ideal Safari while listening to Christian music. Like a huge box that one used to play pretend in. Chevrolet Astro conversion van ad is from that good Curbside Classic post :. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Menu Skip to content Home About. Search for:. Share this: Email Facebook Twitter. Like this: Like Loading Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on below or click an icon to log in:. Email required Address never made public. Name required. Post to Cancel. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Sorry, your Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on cannot share posts by email. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. Chevrolet Astro - Pictures - CarGurus

The Astro and Titan would become the final trucks of the type assembled and marketed by General Motors, following the exit of Chevrolet from heavy truck sales and the creation of the Volvo GM joint venture. Distinguished by its boxy appearance, it became nicknamed the "Crackerbox". In the late s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. Expanding the product line to the Chevrolet brand, the replacement for the GMC Crackerbox sought to expand interior space, visibility, and driver ergonomics. In contrast to the Crackerbox, the cab of the Astro was lengthened nearly six inches into a inch BBC length with two sleeper Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on configurations available. Along with the Dragfoiler roof spoiler, the option package included body extension panels between the cab and trailer, an air dam below an extended bumper and an optimized radiator grille. Following the launch of the cabover product line inthe GMC Astro quickly exceeded the Chevrolet Titan in sales and market share. A major factor leading to the cancellation was lack of support for heavy-duty trucks by Chevrolet dealers. In addition to light trucks, this meant a potential GMC franchise needed the ability to support medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty commercial trucks, the GMC motorhome, P-chassis, and school bus chassis. For a typical dealership, this meant dedicating profitable space that would have otherwise gone to selling passenger cars. The GMC Astro ceased production after the model year coincidentally, two years after Chevrolet launched a van with the same name. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Redirected from Chevrolet Titan. This article needs attention from an Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on in Trucks. The specific problem is: Needs further expansion of information. WikiProject Trucks may be able to Chevrolet Astro & GMC Safari: 1985-on recruit an expert. January Archived from the original on Retrieved A marque of General Motors. Canyon Sierra. Hummer EV. B-Series P-series. GMC Motorhome. GMC Denali. Category Commons. Hidden categories: Articles needing expert attention from January All articles needing expert attention Trucks articles needing expert attention Commons category link is on Wikidata. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Wikimedia Commons. FR layout4x2 F6x4 D