Joe Handley

The '71-'95 generation I grew up with and that was used for the A-Team vans were unibody as were the Astro and Safari, Greenbriars (Corvair based), Lumina/Venture minivans. The '96-Current and I believe the "cabover" vans that were between the Greenbriar and G-Vans were all body in frame. That grill Ford is using for the truck is pretty ugly, then to saddle that poor Van with it too just makes it look worse, especially when the rest of the lines are 20+ years old and basic style can be traced back to the mid-70's. I didn't care much for the Express when they came out in '96 as the just looked too..........meh, but I do like how the current ones with the slightly longer nose and more agressive headlights look. Throw in a healthy LS motor or Duramax with the right wheels and overall stance and it could make for a pretty tough looking machine!

Closest I've had was the back window smashed out of my Cherokee and had some RC stufc ripped off.

I don't know why, but this wagon does nothing for me..........and I'm all for weird stuff like this no matter what make it is!? Maybe it's the altitude, color, and/or the smallish wheels and tires...........I just don't know.................

IIRC, It was quicker than the Vette, which usually means Chevy threw a tantrum and it had to be slowed down (Typhoon), then killed (Grand National anyone?) If it's hopping like that, then it isn't full time or at least if it is, the tire pressures are off causing a difference in tire diameter that can cause such issues or the vehicle needs u-joints or cv joints in a bad way. My Cherokee and the first gen Grand Cherokee I had both had a New Venture 242 which is a full time transfer case that uses a planetary diff to allow for the variances that arise as a vehicle turns on a high grip surface. It also has a part time feature to lock that diff so that the same amount of power goes to both axles all the time, which is good when you need traction, but at minimum can cause the "hop" you're talking about, bit that same loading can also strain and destroy transfer cases, differentials, and all of the u- and cv-joints.

Diesel engines, even if turbocharged, tend to get much better than mileage than comparable gasoline engines, especially when just at cruising speed. That's how some of the Euro cars are getting such fantastic mileage besides being so small with better aero. Gotta gree with Charlie on van of choice, I'd prefer the Express over the Econoline too, looks better, has a newer body and chassis design, wider rear door openings, and I trust the Duramax more than any of the post 7.4l Powerstrokes too! Not only that, but the longer wheelbase, 15 passenger vans from GM were much safer than the 15 passenger Econoline and B-Vans in emergency situations since the Chevys don't flip if you look at them funny!

There's a good number of the little Transit's around here, they seem to make great little shop vans for light duty use and maybe better than the cargo version of the Caravan. I still see more of the big Ford vans too, then again, I seem yo see almost as many G-Vans and B-Vans still in service as I do the newer Express vans!

I'm thinking the tall and narrow appearance of the Euro Vans is because of the kind of places they have to fit and the nose shape and small engines are likely do to the heavily taxed fuels they burn.

Plus with the AWD in the Astro, Safari, and Bravada you could use it all the time without causing binding issues within the drivetrain when it wasn't snowy or muddy. The 4wd system used in most trucks is a part time, only for use in low traction condition system that can tear themselves apart in used when on dry or wet pavement for too long. Many of the newer "automatic" systems are just computer controled part time cases that use the ABS sensors to shift them in and out of 4wd as traction changes. The case used in this truck (as well as many Jeeps and I believe Rovers) have a small differential in them to allow for a varation in power between the front and rear diffs which keeps everything happy and in one piece.

Did any body even make that body in resin?

The railroads tried that in the 80's with the then new compact trucks and found that with the exception of the Jeep Cherokee (the only unibody of the bunch oddly enough) that they couldn't handle the abuse that normal sized trucks, especially when the highrail gear was bolted to it.

I've had the misfortune of racing against some Volts and one of the Lexus hybrids on Forza 4 in the city car class races and those hybrids are QUICK! when you have to chase them down in a Chevy Aveo/Sonic type city car! Only only way I could catch and pass those was in the corners where they couldn't run as fast as my cheap little Chevy. Could be interesting to see some on the track and running for lap times instead of MPG's.

The Transit is from the same market, at least GM still has a truely North American van on the market..............do they even sell a van like this in Europe?

Bunga Bunga Stig approves

They have become stunning cars again, definately a true successor to the XK-120 and XK-E from a styling standpoint.

Gah, I'm not a sign painter, But I still agree with you two 110%! I hate those stickers with a passion too, they just look horrible! Saw a rebodied Fiero that would have looked good if it were painted and not wrapped (especially like that, Steie Wonder could have chosen better graphics) and that dang wrap ruined it.

Kinda wondered about that after we got the newest diecast release of the General and they had a low tack and what appeared to be an easily removed orange sticker over the flag.

Um, technically.......so did we!

What happened to the Jet Bike?

Depends, usually I just twist harder, if that don't work I tap the cap on the edge of a counter or something like that, and if that don't work I break out the Robogrip pliers.............not many stuck caps stay stuck

They're a couple of lucky kids you got there Terry, that first wreck could have gone sooooo much worse and if their friend's Cherokee was the same type as what my Dad, Sister, and myself have had, those can pack a serious wallop for how small and light they are when compared to other SUV's (and some mid sized and larger cars)!

I've just gone to the Wheaton office last few times for my DL or plate stickers Harry, it's closer than Naperville and Aurora plus since it's only for stuff like that as well as having to change of address stuff..........strangely, they're actually nice and friendly the times I've been ther too........it's like a DMV Twilight Zone, or Pod People, or something......................

Wanna bet that motor is a truck smog motor with parts, chrome, and pretty paint

That's what I had been thinking too, funny cars had always been deformed in one way or another, so it's not as good of a basis of measurements as say; the Monogram 1/24 Tri-5's vs the 1/25's, Tamiya's Supra vs AMT's F&F Supra, Monogram's Challenger T/A vs AMT's Challenger R/T coupe/convertible, Monogram's1/24 '32 For Roadster vs the Revellogram 1/25 Deuces, ect. Speaking of different scale cars looking off next to each other, remember this pic I took a couple years back at I-Hobby

What kit is that white body from? Same here, I tend to look for a subject that interests me and the scale of it is the last concern (usually price ranks higher than scale). I can see a problem if you were making a diorama or making a "scale trail run" (if you're into the rc scale trucks like me), and even then if you stage the different scale models correctly, it won't look too off.........well, so long as there isn't a F-650 bodied rig thats using the chassis as my green and black Cherokee

I thought the rotories were actually pretty inefficent as well as pretty dirty and had enough reliability issues that GM decided that it wasn't worth the effort.