It has been a while since we showed you a true pro street freak like this Astro van, so when we came across it for sale on Craigslist, we knew it was destined for the front page. Yeah, we have brought you pro street Chevelle wagons and other stuff but this is way beyond that on the BangShift scale of “uniqueness”. How so? The Astro you see before you goes far beyond the wheelie bars, big rear meats, snappy graphics, and rear wing. There’s a 620hp rat motor plugged midships in the van and positioned so that you could change the water pump gaskets from the comfort of a front bucket seat. That would only be possible if you removed the nicely made engine cover and if the people sitting in the back seat were handing you the tools.
We’re oddly into this van. Looking at the photos and the video of it that we’ve attached below, it seems really nicely done. The fuel cell in the rear of the van inside the passenger area would need to be changed or housed somehow for safety sake (obviously it has worked to this point but that would make us feel better). We may change out the wheels and ditch the lightning bolts but the little mural on the back doors is kind of neat in a fun way and the van sounds hairy with all the exhaust dumping out of that single central exhaust pipe.
The motor is 468ci, has an Eagle rotating assembly in it, Dart heads, a COMP roller cam, Hedman Super Comp headers, is backed by a Turbo 400 that feeds a built Ford 9″ axle and then spins those big hams on the asphalt. What does it run? No idea but with 600hp we’re guessing that it is damned fast. How does it handle? How does any pro street car handle? It’ll go down the road fine but don’t expect to be collecting any autocross trophies.
Doing huge burnouts in this thing and seeing how quick it would go at the strip would be job #1 upon taking ownership. Price? $18,500. Check out the photos, video and link to the RacingJunk ad for more info and photos!
RacingJunk Link: A mid engine, big block, pro street Astro van
I’m oddly attracted to it. Mud grips, wing, bumper anus, and wheelie removal, “Discount Hi-Fi” sign on the side instead of wings… would look like any city in town where the two guys in a white van try to sell you discount speakers at stop lights?
The gull wing side door is working for me too. I may need a checkup.
Toledo…….where else?
Me it’s the red shag ( shagging wagon )
” hay babe get in oh don’t mind that motor ” ?
I like the old ( factory 4*4 vans better )
red shag ,disco light , tunes , bunk, seats, etc. and it can get you where you have to go & a place to crash ( the races 🙂 )
well that badass van runs 11.90s smoking the tires, some et streets
will stand on wheelie bars and drop that time,rolling down the road you can not tell this van is tubbed or mid engine.my sons baby seat was mounted in front of engine hatch starting at 6 weeks old,van took runner up in pro engineering at super chevy norwalk oh 2002.thanks for all your comments good and bad,dare to be different and keep cruising and thanks to bangshift for highlighting my van,you guys are cool !!!!!!!!
very nice van my buddy Chris built. He’s done a lot of work to it and I’m proud to see it featured on the front cover of this magazine! Go Chris Eckels!
We saw this van at Woodward this year…nothing else like it. Even the Cops gave it “Thumbs Up”….One BAD Sounding Ride. ….Steve
Where’s that Snowcrete Snowblower when ya need it.
they designed that to crunch up slopars
Goofy ….