New APV Owner !!!

Hi folks!

My 18 year-old son recently destroyed my beloved '90 Honda Civic wagon just short of it reaching 400,000 kms!! So... I went in search of a new daily driver. BTW, my son didn't have a scratch on him after the accident which involved the front right of the car getting wedged under the leaft rear tire of a delivery truck. LOL

When I told my son it was time to buy a van, he was determined to find me something reliable... albeit unusual style-wise.

He showed me a '95 Lumina APV with the 3.1L engine, basic amenities like cruise control and AC but nothing else fancy, not even power windows... which is okay with me. The only hint of luxury is an aftermarket remote start for those cold Canadian winter mornings. LOL

The van has one previous owner who only managed to put on 220,000 kms since '95, which is an average of 15,000 kms a year... quite low by automobile usage standards. The overall look and feel of the APV confirms this van was not driven much and well maintained.

I've been driving the van since Tuesday of this week and, I must admit, I am sold... this thing is nothing to look at but it drives and feels great.

The previous owner went to some trouble to have the rims painted blue but he included the OEM wheel covers. I'm not going to use them as I think the blue rims add an air of "weirdness" to an already unusual looking vehicle. Hey, I don't care about style... my other car is a Lada station wagon!!

Anyhow, the vehicle was serviced before I bought it... for a measly $1,600 CDN... so I don't think I'll be going to a garage anytime soon.

Hi folks!
The previous owner went to some trouble to have the rims painted blue but he included the OEM wheel covers. I'm not going to use them as I think the blue rims add an air of "weirdness" to an already unusual looking vehicle. Hey, I don't care about style... my other car is a Lada station wagon!!


:useless:
Welcome to the forum! Looks like you found a gem. They are pretty good vehicles. I still see some driving around my area, where other vehicles of the same vintage are long gone to the great junkyard in the sky due to our harsh winters and road salt usage. I've always wanted to own one of these body styles. I previously owned 2 Chevy ventures, the body style that replaced the APV,and currently own an Uplander which replaced the Venture. Maybe someday...

:useless:


Okay, I get the message.

I've got some pics already loaded on photobucket but my employer has banned that site from our office server. :nono:

I'll post pics tonite... I promise !!!!

As promised...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/lalunette/Lumina/100_3003.jpg

See what i mean about the blue steelies !!!
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/lalunette/Lumina/100_3002.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/lalunette/Lumina/100_3001.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/lalunette/Lumina/100_3000.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/lalunette/Lumina/100_2999.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/lalunette/Lumina/100_2998.jpg

I have the same CD player! Love the wheels by the way. Makes it look like you're gonna race it.

I have the same CD player!

That's hilarious... what are the chances !!!

It's a good thing I was able to find instructions online on how to adjust the time on the clock... it was running 1 hour ahead !!!!

Love the wheels by the way. Makes it look like you're gonna race it.

Thx for the compliment. I like them as well... they give the APV a whole other look !!!

BTW, I brought my APV to work today so I could park it in the warm underground garage. I brought some cleaning products with me and cleaned the interior. I was happily surprised to see how easy it is to wipe dirt and such right off the plastic composite panels!

I also bought and applied convex mirrors to the existing mirrors. The convex mirrors help me see if there is a car in my left blindspot. I've used convex mirrors on all the cars I've had so far and I find them very handy.

Welcome to the APV world! :cool: I have had mine since last Summer and am loving mine. I enjoy it better than our Chevy Uplander LS. One of the things I like about them is that the rear passenger seats are so easy to remove for those trips to the bike trail with the kids. The ones on our newer vehicle can break your back removing the darn things. I like the visibility in the driver area on my Lumina too!

Welcome to the U body GM Van...lol

I have a 95 Transport myself with the 3800 and most all of the options... The Van has seriously grown on me.. 9 out of 10 times I take the Van:smile:

Well, I've been driving the van for about a month now and 2 things have creaped up....

1) The left turn signal won't disengage so I'm thinking a spring has gone in the steering column. It's not much of a bother right now but I'll have it looked into come spring time... before my wife starts using the van to go camping with our new tent trailer.

2) With the cold snap we are enjoying I noticed the van was not putting out much heat... so I had the thermostat replaced earlier ths week... what a difference!!! I actually had to turn down the heat the other day as my feet were getting toasty. :evillol:

The Lumina is out of my life...

Once again, a North American product has crapped out in my hands !!!

The emergency cables (all 3) seized on me and I had to have them all replaced, along with the brake cylinders (about $1,000).

Now the suspension needs to be completely redone, the muffler is toast and there is antifreeze now leaking inside the van on the passenger side!

Instead of spending another 3-4 grand on this POS, I traded in the van last week for an '05 Honda Odyssey. Now there's a product I know is going to last !!!

That's it for me... I'm never buying North American again !!!

I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way...

Yes they do have their issues... But at the same time what exactly did you expect? It was getting old and things do wear out..

I love the Hondas, But even they have their share of issues.. And wait till you pay the repair bill to have them fixed..

I do 99% of all of my own work to my cars and the van.. The van has become an incarnation. As I have installed a series III 3800 long block with the 3800 Series II upper intake and parts.. I also rebuilt the transmission... Doing all of the work is where the real money is saved..

On the van iirc you'll need to do the timing belt at 60 or 90k... Make sure you take care of that or the damage will be very bad if it jumps time..

Each vehicle will have its set of issues... None of them are perfect and never will be..

I will be keeping my Transport

The van is nearly 15 years old and issues like that can be expected, especially if the van has been driven in snow and salt covered roads. I've had to replace mufflers on many of my vehicles roughly every 2 to 3 years. Salt and non-use of the emergency brake cables can cause them to fail as well.
I can also say this; I live in an area where a lot of salt is used in the winter. As a result I don't see many vehicles older than 12 to 15 years on our roads. I do see, however, many APVs dating back to the late '80s, which to me is a testament to their durability.Parts are still readily available for these vans and you don't have to wait weeks for them to come in. Perhaps a second look or opinion by another garage could have lessened the repair costs and make it easier on the wallet.

The van is nearly 15 years old and issues like that can be expected, especially if the van has been driven in snow and salt covered roads. I've had to replace mufflers on many of my vehicles roughly every 2 to 3 years. Salt and non-use of the emergency brake cables can cause them to fail as well.
I can also say this; I live in an area where a lot of salt is used in the winter. As a result I don't see many vehicles older than 12 to 15 years on our roads. I do see, however, many APVs dating back to the late '80s, which to me is a testament to their durability.Parts are still readily available for these vans and you don't have to wait weeks for them to come in. Perhaps a second look or opinion by another garage could have lessened the repair costs and make it easier on the wallet.

That is agreed.. Mine came from a part of Ohio where salt was not used... But calcium was.. There is still evidence of calcium underneath the van and it only spent a couple of months in Ohio... It has been here in FL since mid 95... So its rust free.. But... This is what I have been doing with the van lately..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Jr3800/L26%20Series%20III/Vanengineswap048.jpg
The above engine is actually an L26 from an 06 Lucerne with a 41,000 supposed miles on it... Inside of the motor was spotless.. I adapted it to the the 3800 series L27 Tuned port mounts.. The torque strut bracket is from a GP.. This engine with the majority of the parts still on it was $250 from the LKQ( not a pull apart either )... I rebuilt the trans with upgraded parts that cost me a total of $600

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Jr3800/L26%20Series%20III/Vanengineswap093.jpg
I had just gotten the motor/sub frame bolted into place..

Please don't get me wrong.. Hondas are great cars and vans... Among the best... But if anything ever happened to the motor or trans, you'll be extremely hard pressed to find a honda motor for $250, or a fresh trans for $600.. 3800's are a dime a dozen and 4T60-E's are all over the place..

The van has one previous owner who only managed to put on 220,000 kms since '95, which is an average of 15,000 kms a year... quite low by automobile usage standards.

Hmm, I have an exact same van at 135K miles (~220K km) and it is falling apart, repairs cost each month are as much as if I were paying off a new car. I am the owner since 75K.

Somehow I don't share the glee and warm sentiment about the van. It is like a piece of luggage without a handle. Inconvenient to carry but pity to throw away.

Reading this forum, the 150K seems a point where most people move on once a repair develops that costs more than a vehicle itself.

Common repairs are: A/C, wrapped heads, wiper motor, fuel pump, leaky heater core.

The Lumina is out of my life...

Once again, a North American product has crapped out in my hands !!!

The emergency cables (all 3) seized on me and I had to have them all replaced, along with the brake cylinders (about $1,000).

Now the suspension needs to be completely redone, the muffler is toast and there is antifreeze now leaking inside the van on the passenger side!

Instead of spending another 3-4 grand on this POS, I traded in the van last week for an '05 Honda Odyssey. Now there's a product I know is going to last !!!

That's it for me... I'm never buying North American again !!!

Whatever.. & have fun with your honda, ..lol
What you describe can come into play with any older vehicle vs the cost of replacement.

Paid 2k for mine at 200 clicks & coming up on 270 clicks in a 3 year period, have had excellent service with no major issues & doesn't get any better than that.

For being such a bad van its amazing to me that I find them all of the time with 200,000 to 300,000 Miles on them.. And people get rid of them as they have finally puked a trans... I got mine for that very reason... It puked the 4T60-E trans.. I did a complete rebuild( myself and a friend ventured in to the 4T60-E just to see if we could do it )... This trans has about 8000 miles on it at current.. I work on all of my own vehicles so I tend to keep them going... If it needs a new motor, it'll get one... Rebuild the Trans sure.... But I am able to do that when and if its needed...

The Pontiac Transports were the sportier versions.. I have done suspension work to get it to handle... And it has become very nimble and friendly to drive... My limiting factor now is not the suspension but the tires.. I need better high performance tires to stick the van to the road..

Don't get me wrong the Hondas are great vehicles and we have had them in the family... They just go on forever( usually )... But when they break, say you need a Water Pump... Thats very expensive.... And at 60K you should really replace the Timimg belt... Again very expensive..

For what you woulf pay for a water pump and timing belt R&R on the honda I could pay for a 3800 Supercharged to swap into my old van..


And just being curious... Why didn't you get the honda in the first place?

The heater core alone can be the end of any older car with nothing else wrong with it. Often involves complete dash removal to get at the part & up to 20 hrs labor by the book.

Brake cyls & lines can also get into a good chunk of change.

Front struts can cost too.. but the U bodies are no diff as far as that & the above goes than other cars of the same year(s). These things can also affect much newer cars .

Helps alot if you do your own work but the huge advantage of the vans is the plastic body panels that don't rust vs most other vehicles.

Most have to deal with, do I sink money into an old car that also looks like crap due to rust. Usually kills a car vs fixing rust cos just not worth fixing the rust alone.

I suspect old u bodies will be around far longer than most other vehicles of the same year(s) & they are dirt cheap to buy now.

I agree.. The good thing about the van is that it was a Florida van for 95% of its life... So rust is minimal and was concentrated to the battery box.. I took care of that when the drivetrain was out... And I do like that fact that its a Composite / Fiberglass van with a serious galvanized steel skeleton...lol

In my part of the country, vehicles don't last beyond 10 to 15 years, certainly not beyond 20 years unless they are stored in the winter due to the high salt usage on the roads. I still see many late '80s/early '90s APVs roaming the roads, a testament to their durability against rust because of their composition.
I wonder though how does the undersides of these vans hold up in areas of the country where road salt is used? The thing that makes a lot of the vehicles around here meet an early demise is frame rot. Do these vans also suffer from the same problem at the same rate as other vehicles? It would be nice if the undersides of these vehicles could last as long as the outer panels.

In my part of the country, vehicles don't last beyond 10 to 15 years, certainly not beyond 20 years unless they are stored in the winter due to the high salt usage on the roads. I still see many late '80s/early '90s APVs roaming the roads, a testament to their durability against rust because of their composition.
I wonder though how does the undersides of these vans hold up in areas of the country where road salt is used? The thing that makes a lot of the vehicles around here meet an early demise is frame rot. Do these vans also suffer from the same problem at the same rate as other vehicles? .

I'd say yes. I was rear ended (a few times actually..) & had a close look underneath (never actually did before) at the time because of it. Body shop mentioned the use of high strength steel (dunno what that's about?) & frame rails (or rear clips) no longer being available.

Some folks with high mileage vans mentioned frame rot as being the reason for the end, or not worth putting more money into it.

I've also read about front strut shock tower repairs due to rust & would like to know more about it? I know that dodge caravans also have that prob & pretty sure a shock tower kit replacement can be purchased from dodge.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=5869024&postcount=4 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=5869219&highlight=rotted#post5869219)
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